and fell down at their feet and said sirs what must I do to be saved Take the great convert Paul Act. 9. what astonishing sorrow was he swallowed up in he was even humbled to the grave before you read of his Faith Let every Christian examine his own experience whether ever he should have received or prized Christ if he had not first been strucken with the sence of his own misery Enough hath been said for it let us hear a little what can be said against it 1. Obj. No man will be humbled except he beleeve what shall make me run to God and mourn except I beleeve he will pardon Answ We do not dispute of any Faith but a justifying Faith To beleeve and be perswaded I may be pardoned is not a distinguishing act of a justifying Faith this was granted before t is one thing to beleeve I may be pardoned so may an hypocrite T is another thing to beleeve I am pardoned or to relye on Christ for pardon this is proper to a justified person nor can he beleeve he is pardoned till he is humbled 2. Obj. Repentance is the effect of Faith now the cause must alwayes go before the effect Answ We distinguished before of Repentance Repentance hath two parts The aversion of the soul from sin and the conversion of the soul to God the latter part of it is onely an effect of Faith the former part of it the turning of the soul from sin is also an effect but not onely an effect it is begun before Faith though it be not ended till our life be at an end Secondly The turning of the soul from sin and the imbittring sin to the soul is an effect of Faith or rather a consequent of Faith viz. a generall common Faith in the beginning but not alwayes a consequent of saving justifying Faith 3. Obj. Christ must work this humiliation or it is good for nothing now if Christ be in the soul working humiliation then there is Faith Therefore Faith must go before humiliation Ans First Though Christ work this humiliation in the soul yet it doth not follow that Christ is in the soul for it may be a work of common grace and Christ is not in every soul upon which his common grace works But secondly to answer more fully I am of the minde of Master Shepheard and Master Hooker that although there be an humiliation which is indeed the work of common grace which an hypocrite may have yet there is an humiliation which is the work of special grace and that this likewise precedes the exercise of Faith And although it is true that Christ cannot be in the soul but in the same instant the soul is in Christ for Faith is the marriage grace yet it doth not follow that the soul is inabled by an act of Faith to apply Christ to it self assoon as Christ is in the soul and the habit of Faith is infused into the soul and therefore the question is stated not concerning the habit of Faith but concerning the act of Faith viz. Whether God gives the soul power to receive relye upon and apply Christ or receive any comfortable apprehensions of Christ and the soul in respect of us who can onely judge of the habit by the act cannot be said to have Faith before it hath acted humiliation or repentance The question is not which the soul must have first in respect of Gods gift but which it acts first for our apprehension 4. Obj. The preaching of this puts souls upon diâ—pair and hinders Faith they do not beleeve because they cannot finde that they are so humbled as God requires Ans 1. The sun must not be hid because it hurts fore eyes What is the truth of God must not be concealed because wicked men and seducers grow worse and worse Secondly No â—oul that is elected can dispaire if God hath given them to Christ the Devil shall never pluck them out of his hand the word must be preached though to some it must prove the savour of death unto death To the Gentiles foolishnesse Thirdly We do not say they must repent to such and such a degree mourn so many tears we dispute not how much sorrow there must be but maintain there must be some Fourthly True sorrow ought not to hinder Faith for the end of it is onely to bring the soul to be willing to exercise the grace of Faith by comming to Christ resting and relying upon him for salvation c. 5. Obj. But God works not his acts of speciall grace after the manner of men he works them together therefore faith and repentance are together wrought Ans We dispute not how God works them but how the soul acts them not which is in the soul first but which appears out of the soul first Iacob and Esau may be twins and in their mothers womb together but shall it therefore follow that they shall come out together may not Esau put out his hand before Iacob and be seen first by the mother and world too 6. Obj. But this is to take away free grace to say God will not save a poor creature before it be thus and thus humbled Ans 1. It is not to take away the freenesse of grace but to teach men to take heed that they do not turn the grace of God into wantonnesse it does not destroy free grace to enjoin qualifications and conditions of Gods own making Secondly You may as well say it destroyes free grace to say none shall be saved but those that beleeve which is the expresse language of Scripture He that beleeveth not is damned already Thirdly Free grace is established hereby For 1. Is it not free grace to give a soul Christ if it will but mourn and be humbled and beleeve is it not a free gift to give a kingdom unto me upon condition I will throw away a knife with which I was about to cut my own throat 2. We do not say that this humiliation and precedent sorrow doth deserve any such free grace for the performance of the action therefore the grace is still free 3. We say that free grace works this humilation a man can as well break a rock as break his own heart without the work of this powerfull spirit and the spirits operations are free even like the winde that blows where it listeth Ioh. 3. 8. We exalt free grace and make it yet more free onely we would not have men turn the grace of God into wantonnesse to their own confusion and therefore their vain objection that this brings us again under the covenant of works do this and ye shall live falls in pieces of it self for we neither hold that it is in the power of any creature to do this to break his heart and mourn for sin nor yet that any shall merit any salvation by doing of it we abhor that doctrine of merits that God justifies either for any works of grace acted of our own or for the
Master Shepheard Ib. Severall directions given by Doctor Preston in this case Ib. 3. Directions given in this case p. 53 1. Consider the nature of thy sinne in 6 particulars Ib. 2. Consider the mercy of God in 3 particulars Ib. 3. Fly to God by Prayer p. 53 54 SERM. III. CHAP. III. HOw to satisfie such Christians as thinke they ought not to beleeve because they doe not know they are elected The Complaint of the troubled soule p. 56 Something spoken to it by way of promise p. 57 The truth concerning Election premised in 5 Conclusions Papists and Arminians wound truth to heale conscience by lying charmes Ib. 8. Considerations propounded for soules thus troubled p. 58 59 c. 1. Consid Faith is not an apprehension of particular Election but an application of generall promises p. 59 60 61 62 2. Consid That thy faith only can discover to thee thy Election p. 62 The Covenant is only shewed by God to his Saints p. 62 63 3. Consider the phrase of Scripture expounding how our Election may be made knowne to us p. 63 4. Thou hast no ground to conclude against thy Election but thy unbeliefe p. 64 65 5. Cons Those that God elects to the end he elects to the means p. 65 66 We must have a sense of faith before we can have a sense of our Election p. 66 6. By this stumbling as we perplexe our selves so we call Gods wisdome in question a wayes and slander the charters of free grace p. 67 7. If we will beleeve Gods decrees cannot hinder us of heaven p. 68 8. Heaven and glory are worth an adventure whether we be elected or no. p. 68 69 Sâ—RM IV. CHAP. IV. HOw to comfort poore soules that dare not beleeve because of their unworthinesse in respect of their many and great sins 7. Considerations to comfort the soule under this affliction p. 72 73 c. 1. Gods grace is full enough of heighth and length and depth and breadth Christ cannot be brought to pant for breath of free grace p. 72 73 74 75 2. Consid There 's no defect of will in God to save the highest or greatest sinners p. 76 77 78 79 There is not only power but eagernesse in Christs will to save the greatest sinners p. 77 75 Christs eagernesse to save sinners proved by 12 particulars p. 77 78 79 1. He speaks 2. He sweares 3. He pleads 4. He expostulates with us upon denyals 5. He appeales 6. He wishes 7. He professeth he knowes not how to destroy them 8. He weeps 9. He invites 10. He comes from heaven to earth on this errand 11. He dyes for great sinners 12. He sends messengers to treat and parly with great sinners p. 77 78 79 3. Consid God hath pardoned and Christ hath washed as great sinners as thou art that were so either actually or habitually p. 80 4. Consid Infinite mercy never did its utmost yet God can pardon greater sinners then he hath pardoned p. 81 82 5. Consid There is as much reason on thy part why Christ should pardon thee as there was in any of the Saints why he pardoned them p. 83 6. Consid God never married any for a portion nor refused any for want of one p. 84 7. Consid Christ shall attaine his designe in pardoning sinners more fully by how much the greater sinner thou art p. 84 85 Christ gets most glory by pardoning great sinners p. 85 1. He glorifies his power and patience and riches of mercy p. 84 2. He gets glory from them They will love much p. 85 3. Others by their example will be perswaded to turne Ib. The whole case concluded with a story out of Eusebius p. 86 87 SERM. V. CHAP. V. HOw to satisfie a soule doubting that it hath sinned the sinne against the Holy-Ghost The complaint stated 89. Something spoken to it by way of premise 90. 1. There is such a sin 90. Why it is called the sinne against the Holy-Ghost 90. 2. It is unpardonable 91. 3. Elect ones cannot commit it p. 91 This scruple proceeds from ignorance p. 91 92 12. Considerations tending to comfort the soule under this wound and to informe us concerning the nature of this sinne p. 92 93 94 95 c. 1 Consid None could ever tell what this sinne was p. 9â— Various opinions of it 92. The Schoolmen and Papists opinion of it 92 Their 6 species of it disproved p. 92 93 How bsasphemy against the Holy-Ghost may be taken p. 93 How far we may discover what this sinne is p. 94 2. Consid None can be guilty of it but such as have had a great measure of knowledge p. 94 95 3. Consid It must be a setled sinne of our owne continued in without repentance not a transient suggested thought for which we grieve p. 96 97 4. Consid Every sin against knowledge is not this sin p. 97 What manner of sinning against knowledge it must be Ib. 5. Consid A bare deniall of the truth of God with which we are enlightened and the grace of God infused into us is not this unpardonable sin p. 98 What manner of deniall of truth is an ingredient into this sin Ib. 6. Consid Every envy at and hatred of our brethren and their goodnesse is not this sin p. 99 What manner of envy and hatred is an ingredient into this sin p. 100 7. Consid It must be joyned with a totall falling away from the truth Religion and profession of Jesus Christ Ib. 8. Consid Others would complaine of it as well as thy self if thou hadst sinned this sin p. 101 9 Consid Thy complaining and grieving for it is a signe thou art not guilty of it Ib. 10. Consid The sin against the Holy-Ghost is not unpardonable in respect of Gods mercy or its greatnesse p. 102 How and why it is said to be unpardonable Ib. 11. Consid It cannot be a block for thee in the way of beleevingly because though it doth take away from thee the power yet it doth not excuse thee from the duty of believing 103 12. Thou canst not conclude thy selfe to have sinn'd this sin if thou hast sinn'd it before thy dying houre Ib. The conclusion of the Case With a generall description of the sinne against the Holy-Ghost p. 104 105 SERM. VI. CHAP. VI. HOw to satisfie such poore soules as are conceited they doe not believe when they indeed doe 2 Causes of such Complaints 1. A mistake in the nature and Acts of faith p. 108 2. A misjudging of the effects of faith Ib. 2 Things propounded in order to satisfaction to such scruples as arise from the first cause Ib. 1 Thing viz. That there are many acts and degrees of faith and every act is not required to justifying faith Ib. 2 Thing That true faith is of so good a nature that it will consist in a soule with many doubts and weaknesses Ib. Various opinions concerning the justifying act of faith Knowledge is supposed to faith no
act of it 109 Assent in the first and lowest act of faith What it is Ib. What manner of assent is an act of faith p. 110 1. It must be stedfast 2. Impartiall 3. Cleare p. 110 111 What manner of assent wicked wretches give to Gods Word p. 112 It is a ravish'd assent of their will p. 113 The second act of faith is Reliance this is the justifying act p. 115 Six words which Master Ball hath noted in Scripture setting out the worke of justifying faith p. 116 The third act of faith is Full Perswasion and Assurance What it is p. 117 This is not necessary but comfortable Ib. This is not that which justifieth but fides justificati Ib. What is good and speciall justifying faith p. 118 How farre perswasion comes into justifying faith 1. There is a difference betwixt a perswasion and a full perswasion Ib. 2. There is a difference betwixt a perswasion relating to the present and a perswasion relating to the future 5 Conclusions from the premises to comfort a soule under this trouble Ib. SERM. VII CHAP. VII HOw to satisfie such Christians as conceit their faith is false because they have many doubts and weaknesses Faith is of so good a nature that it will consist in a gracious heart with many doubts and weaknesses p. 121 122 5 Conclusions of Master Sedgewicks concerning doubts in a gracious soule p. 123 5 Arguments of Master Rutherfords to prove that faith may consist with doubtings p. 124 125 CHAP. VIII VVHat doubtings and weaknesses in respect of Knowledge may consist in a truly beleeving soule with true faith The complaint stated p. 126 It is happy for the soule to complain it knowes nothing Ib. Six conclusions shewing what ignorance may be in a true believing soule p. 126 127 128 c. 1. An ignorance in some points of Religion which in some sense may be called fundamentals p. 127 A distinction of fundamentals p. 127 128 What fundamentals are necessary to be knowne and without which can be no faith p. 127 128 The conclusion proved p. 128 129 130 2 Conc. A Believer may have true faith and yet be ignorant in many circumstantiall points of Religion p. 130 The conclusion proved p. 130 131 3 Conc. A Christian may have true faith and yet be ignorant in the History of the Bible p. 131 4 Conc. A Christian may have true faith and yet be ignorant of the meaning of many places in Scripture p. 131 5. A Christian may be so farre ignorant in those fundamentals that are necessary to be knowne that he cannot make them out and yet be a true believer p. 132 6. A Christian may be so farre ignorant in substantialls that hee cannot make them good upon dispute and yet have true faith p. 133 2 Cautions to be mixed with the premised Conclusions Ib. 1 He must not be content with this Ignorance Ib. 2 Hee must not deny nor revile the truth which he doth not as yet know p. 133 134 135 SERM. VIII CHAP. IX VVHat doubts and weaknesses may consist with true faith in a gracious soule in respect to assent The Complaint stated p. 136 5 Considerations to comfort the soule in severall complaints concerning the weaknesse of its assent p. 136 137 138 c. 1. A true believer may think he doth not assent to the truth of God when indeed he doth p. 137 Our assent is to be judged by our Actions p. 138 139 140 2. A Christian may be a true believer and yet sometimes doubt or indeed rather be tempted to doubt whether the word of God be the word of God or no. p. 140 141 Four notes by which we may know whether our Atheisticall thoughts against the truth of the Scriptures be temptations or no. p. 141 142 143 1 If they be they are ordinarily but disputations and not determinations p. 141 2. If they be but temptations thou strivest against them p. 142 3. If they be but temptations they will not dwell with thee Ib 4. If they be but temptations thou leadest not thy life according to them while thou art under them p. 143 144 3. Conc. A Christian may be a true believer and yet not for the present assent to some particular truth in the word of God p. 144 From what causes such a deficiency in assent may arise viz. 1. Ignorance 2. Weaknesse p. 144 145 146 4. Conc. A Christian that is a true believer may possibly not assent to the true meaning of this or that place of Scripture yea possibly close with a false interpretation of it p. 146 147 148 Every Misbeliever is not an Unbeliever p. 147 148 5. Conc. A Christian may truly believe and truly and clearly assent unto the truth of God though he cannot in all things give a clear evidence for his assent p. 148 149 A Truth is two wayes clear to a Christ First To the eye of his Reason Secondly To the eye of his Faith p. 148 149 Many truths of God are not clear to the Christians eye of Reason all are cleare to his eye of faith p. 149 A Difference of Evidences out of Master Ball. p. 148 149 150 The conclusion of the case with a repetition of the conclusions and an addition of two cautions p. 150 151 152 153 SERM. IX CHAP. X. COncerning those doubts and weaknesses which may consist with true faith in a gracious soule in respect to the justifying act of faith viz. Reliance The Complaint stated of such as conceive their faith and reliance is not true because they cannot think they rely or doe not as they conceive constantly rely or cannot find an equall reliance upon all the promises p. 156 Severall conclusions and considerations to comfort the soule under such scruples p. 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 1. Consid A Christian may truly and wholly rely on Jesus Christ and yet not believe he fully and truly relies p 157 158 2. Consid A Christian may have true faith and truly rely upon Jesus Christ and really think he doth not truly rest and rely p. 159 3. Consid Thou mayest question and doubt thy Reliance and yet truly rely Disputing argues a weaknesse not a nullity of the act p. 160 161 Causes assigned of such conceits in Christians against the truth of their reliances and of such disputes in their spirits concerning it p. 162 c. 1. Cause The remaines of naturall blindnesse p. 162 2. Cause The Devils temptations p. 163 3. Cause The misgiving and suspitious nature of Christians Ib. 4. Cause Mists of Melancholy clouding the soules eye p. 164 5. Cause A Christians wilfulnesse refusing to take any evidence of the truth of faith but from sense Ib. 4. Consid Thou mayest at all times truly rely and yet not at all times with equall confidence rely p. 165 166 5. Consid Thou mayest not so fully and equally rely upon some promises at all times as upon other and yet truly rely upon all p. 167 It is hard
not beleeve that is apprehend and apply and rest upon Christ as my Saviour We speak not of Faith as it is an infused habit and the gift of God to us but as it is an inherent grace and operative in us Now then we will 1. Enquire what the causes of such complaints in gratious souls may be 2. We will consider how to satisfie the soul in such troubles and scruples For the first complaint I cannot I dare not rest upon Christ and beleeve in him There are many causes of it which I shall speak to One ordinary cause of it is Scrap 1. The souls to much eying of preparatory qualifications I do not say the souls eyeing but the souls too much eying of them Hence it is that if you ask a poor soul under that trouble what 's the reason thou darest not rest thy self upon Christ Faith is a pretious flower that grows as well in the poorest beggars as the greatest Princes garden The meanest arm may as boldly lean on Christs shoulder as that which is gayed with gold-lace Alas saith such a poor soul Gods justice proceeds according to method First he useth to pull down and then to exalt First to lay the soul low licking the dust then to say to it I am thy salvation Alas I was never enough humbled I never saw hell yet would God rend my heart in pieces I could beleeve he would bind it up would he humble me c. Now in order to the satisfaction of a soul under this trouble it would be first enquired 1. Whether humiliation goeth before Faith or no. 2. If it doth what may comfort a soul under this affliction of spirit and what it ought to do in relation to its peace For the first it is a question variously tossed and determined understood and concluded in these times in which God hath cast our lot some utterly denying any such work some too eagerly contending for measure some limitting Gods dealings others misinterpreting if not wilfully mistaking the terms It will not therefore I trust be a lost labour first to enquire the truth of that question which is ordinarily thus termed Quest Whether Faith goeth before Repentance or Repentance before Faith Now for the fuller determination of it I shall first explane the terms Then conclude the truth and prove it by Scripture and Reason And lastly answer those Objections ordinarily made against it First I will spend a little time to open the terms which when rightly explaned I am confident will put the question out of question to those Christians that have any experience of the Lords dealings for the ambiguity of every term hath onely darkned the clearnesse of this truth First let us understand what is meant by Faith both in the kinde and in the act There are divers kinds and divers acts of Faith There is an historicall Faith which consists onely in the knowledge and assent to the truth of an History There is a Faith of miracles There is a temporary Faith and there is a true justifying Faith The question is onely to be understood of the latter which hath also severall Acts. First 〈◊〉 Secondly Relyance Thirdly Perswasion The question is to be understood of the second Act Whether God gives the soul power comfortably and truely to relye upon Christ and the promises for salvation before he hath wrought repentance in the soul Secondly the term Repentance is subject to ambiguity too Repentance is sometimes taken largely for the whole work of conversion and so Godly sorrow is an effect of it sometimes strictly and when we speak of Repentance in the question we onely understand the first parts of it consisting in conviction contrition and humiliation by which the soul is carried out into a loathing of it self both for its sins and in its righteousness And the question is Whether God doth not work in a soul a sorrow of heart and loathing of it self for sin before the soul hath power to rest upon Christ for salvation and relye upon him as its Saviour Lastly we must safely understand what is also meant by going before First we do not understand by going before a precedency in Gods hidden operation he at once infuseth the habits of grace into the soul But secondly by going before we understand a going before in a gratious Act and in a comfortable apprehension Neither farther is the question to be understood as if we thought Humiliation went before Faith as a work wrought by our own strength We acknowledge Humiliation to be a work of Gods speciall grace in the soul And the question is plainly thus Whether God ordinarily gives a poor soul power to act Faith by relying upon Christ and the promises of life and salvation before in some measure he hath brought the soul to be sensible of its lost and undone condition We say he doth not We will grant to our Brethren that are unsatisfied concerning this truth First That a man must beleeve before he can mourn But how not by any saving act of justifying Faith He must beleeve there is a sin-pardoning Saviour that hath fulnesse and freenesse of mercy and enough in his fulnesse for him and that though he hath sinned yet there is hope in Israel concerning this thing Then he puts his mouth in the dust if so be there may be hope Secondly we will easily grant that a man must have saving and justifying Faith before the work of repentance and humiliation will be perfect in his soul As we maintain it to be a precedent work so we denye it not to be a subsequent effect Thirdly we will grant that it is not a work to be done by our own strength it is Gods work onely our dispute is concerning Gods usuall order in working The same spirit that works a power in the soul of dependence upon Christ takes also away the heart of stone and gives an heart of flesh Fourthly we will grant that the habits of these graces are both together in the soul We onely question which God gives the soul power to act first Fiftly We dispute not concerning the measure but concerning the thing We do not question whether the soul must be thus far or thus much or thus long humbled before God will give it power to act Faith by a comfortable reliance on Christ We onely say it must be humbled Sixtly We do not limit the workings of God and say it is so necessary on Gods part that he cannot give the soul power comfortably to apply Christ and the promises but we say it is not his usuall course and ordinary may of dispensing grace to do it Yet his dealings are various he works not alike to all he may and sometimes doth go out of his beaten road The question is not concerning a necessity on Gods part but onely concerning a necessity on our part not concerning his miraculous power but his gracious will nor concerning any extraordinary operation but concerning his ordinary way of dispensations
this sin how wilt thou know it is finall before thou diest canst thou not yet repent and beleeve strive then Christian God may give thee power and call thee in at the eleventh hour V. Aust T. 10 Ep. 11. de Verbis Domini p. 46. copiose just at thy dying hour as the theef upon the crosse which if he does thou hast unjustly and cruelly condemned thy self and belyed thy own soul To â—umme up therefore all in a word You hear Christians beleeving yet remains your great duty It stands firm beleeve and you shall be saved You have seen one block more thrown out of your way I have shewed you this temptation or suggestion cannot hinder where by the way you have accidentally heard something of the nature of this unpardonable which being well understood by Christians will be enough to satisfie Christians against this doubt And from all that hath been said concerning this You may gather this discription of the sin against the Holy-ghost which is consonant to the sense of most sober and Orthodox Divines concerning it and conteins the marrow of what most of our Divines have said concerning it Take it thus It is for a man that hath been first enlightened by the Holy-ghost A Discription of the sin against the Holy-ghost With secondly Fundamentall Gospel truths Thirdly 1. A subjecto Distinctly Against first knowledge And secondly Deliberation Thirdly Directly Fourthly From the degree Freely and wilfully Fifthly Openly Sixthly A causa procreante Maliciously Seventhly Desperately Without any provocation but the corrupt wickednesse of his own heart drawn out occasionally upon the making known of some Divine Evangelicall fundamentall truths or propagating of them he himself being convinced that they are the truths of God In his heart to envy the credit of the truth amongst others and out of his malice to God From the acts of it whose the truth is and to the truth because it is true to blaspheme and revile the truth of God and oppose it in others malitiously and to blaspheme those gifts of the Holy-ghost From the object of it and that truth which he had formerly been convinced of and received From the end of it and to set himself in such malicious opposition against it as to desire and do what in him lies to spoil the credit From the consequents of it and extinguish the light of the truth and destroy the friends of it because they are so and in this wickednesse to go on making a generall defection from God and the wayes of God and maliciously persisting in such opposition without any repentance and finally perishing in it despairing of Gods mercy if at any time he should have any kinde of remorse This I conceive is a full description of it which if such Christians as ordinarily complain of this burthen would learn they would quickly finde their complaint groundlesse If any yet remain unsatisfied in I shall refer them to a little but full Book concerning this subject called A Discourse of the sin against the Holy-ghost composed by Master Bradshaw in which they shall finde as much as can be said upon this subject Here I shall break off And now I have done with answering the Scruples of those that think they ought not and pretend they dare not beleeve Either 1. Conceiting they are not enough humbled Or 2. Because they do not know they are elected Or 3. Because they conceive themselves unworthy Or 4. Upon a conceit they have sinned the unpardonable sin against the Holy ghost I should now come to a second note of a weak Faith which is a fear of a false Faith which is ordinarily a note of a true Faith O they are confident they do not beleeve so many are their doubtings so little is their perswasion and assurance so weak the actings of their graces are but of this hereafter SERM. VI. LUKE 17. 5. Lord increase our Faith I Am still upon the work of removing such obstructions as hinder the work of Faith in the soul I have done with those of the first sort viz. such as are praevious that make the soul stumble at the threshold while it conceives it may not and pretends it dare not beleeve I am now come to a second sort that are gone a step further then these they will tell you that they are convinced beleeving is their duty and their great duty and the duty for the omission of which they fear they shall perish But they cannot they do not beleeve they may cheat themselves with a presumption but they want such a certainty of perswasion and such a fulnesse of assurance as is requisite to true Faith they are full of ignorance and weaknesses c. Cap. 6. How to satisfie those that are conceited against the work of Faith in their souls viz. against the truth of it NOw for satisfaction to such Christians let us search out the cause of such complaints I conceive there may be a double cause 1. A mistake in the nature and acts of Faith 2. A misjudging of the effects of Faith First The complaints of such a soul which yet all this time truely beleeves may arise from a mistake concerning the nature and acts of Faith and therefore the way to satisfie it will be rightly to inform it concerning them and to this end I shall but propound to such a soul to consider these two things 1. That there are many acts and more degrees then one of true saving Faith 2. That true Faith is of so good a nature that it will and may dwell with many doubtings and weaknesses in a poor soul These two things cleared I trust many souls will be satisfied for commonly the mistake is grounded upon ignorance conceiving there is no Faith but Faith of assurance and that Faith comes to be no Faith if but a dram of doubting be mingled with it c. Consider therefore I say First That true Faith hath severall acts and severall degrees A fulnesse of perswasion is not the least act or degree of Faith no not of true justifying Faith There are notes under that Ela. There is great quarrelling concerning the nature and essence of true justifying Faith some will have it to be a bare knowledge Thus saith the Apostle The devils beleeve and tremble Some will afford us a little more and tell us that Faith consists in an assent but beyond this they will not stride some in too full opposition to these denying any certainty of perswasion and assurance to be have described Faith by an assurance and full perswasion which is the highest and not the direct but the reflex act of Faith when indeed the very essence of justifying Faith lieth betwixt these in an act of adherence to and reliance upon Jesus Christ To Faith we grant a knowledge is required of Gods word But this we say is rather supposed to Faith then an act of true justifying Faith First The lowest act of Faith
is but a dark and forced act of his will not a voluntary and clear act of it closing with the truth and embracing of it nor can it be because as I have shewed his assent of his will cannot proceed from a well enlightned understanding without the precedency of which the will is but ravished into an assent The understanding is that which holds the candle to the will in the soul Now the assent and credence which every true beleever gives to the word of truth though it be an act of the will for it is the wills act to delight in and close with and â—eal yet it proceeds from a spiritually and clearly enlightened understanding for it is the understandings office to dictate to the will Now assent in the wicked man is but an act of his will without any clearnesse in the understanding the understanding onely presenting the truth as a notion or tradition or commonly received opinion this is far from an act of Faith but such as the devils have It is like the Athenian devotion Paul coming to Athens Act. 17. 23. found an Altar with this superscription 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the unknown God Their worshipping argued some assent of the will and the will alwayes following the dictate of the understanding It is certain that there was some knowledge the truth was this Their understanding had gathered up some generall notions of the Deity That there was a God c. and these might be seen by the light of nature or heard from their forefathers and suckt in by tradition And it is plain it was no more for they ingenuously confesse that the God whom they worshipped was unknown to them they knew that there was a God and possibly that this God was a spirit and that this God must be worshipped Naturall eyes discern all this but it was not a clear and distinct knowledge and assent they worshipped they knew not what their Altar was to the unknown God As many name-Christians beleevers at large now a dayes mutter over their common-prayers to their unknown God and come to Church to worship an unknown God onely their fathers or mothers have told â—hem there is a God and a Christ and this â—â—rist came into the world to save sinners and they must be good Church-men and serve God c. But now where this is an assent in the soul to a truth as an act of true Faith it is out of a distinct and clear understanding It conceives a great deal of reason why it should beleeve such a truth close with such a promise assent to such a word and the soul so clearly and brightly sees the truths that it sets its hand and heart unto that it wonders at the blindenesse of carnall men that they should not see it as clear as they do but yet be blinde to the things of God when for their parts they are as clear to their souls as the sun when it shineth at bright noon-day And therefore Faith is called Heb. 11. 1. The evidence of things not seen The word translated evidence is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a convincing demonstration it commeth of the Greek verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leigh critica which signifies say criticks so to convince and bring evidence and reason for a thing and prove it by demonstration so clearly that no man can either deny it or object against it or so much as pretend an objection against it Such is Faith to the gracious soul it perswadeth the soul so to assent that the soul is clearly convinced of the thing to be assented to Faith hath so fully perswaded the soul of the word truth promise that it desires its hand and heart to that the soul is fully satisfied in it and is clear in it Though the beleeving soul neither doth see nor expects to see the brightnesse of sublime mysteries by the eye of carnall reason yet it sees by another eye and so clearly every thing that it assents to that it conceives there can be no darknesse in it no reason nor objection pretended against it but frivolous and vain and of no value This is Faiths first act stedfast clear assent Now in this the soul may possibly deceive it self The second Act of Faith which we ordinarily say is the very marrow and essence of justifying Faith is reliance and dependency upon Jesus Christ when the soul having been perswaded of the word of truth and assented to it doth in the next place hang and depend upon it as the word upon which it must live and commits his soul to Christ and hangs upon him as the Christ by which he onely can be saved This I say is that Act which justifieth A learned Author hath noted six words in Scripture Ball in his Treat of Faith by which the Holy-ghost doth expresse to us the nature and work of beleeving First Faith exprest by six words Beleeving put in opposition to fainting Psa 27. 13. I had fainted unlesse I had beleeved Secondly Trusting put in opposition to fearing Psal 78. 22. They trusted not in his salvation they were afraid of the Canaanites Thirdly Betaking to as to a castle Psal 2. 12. Our translation reades it Blessed are all they that trust in him But Mollerus saith it signifies Protectionis causâ aliquò confugere se recipere verbum appositum saith he to fly to some place for protection as to a castle in a time of danger Fourthly By a word that signifieth To lean and relye upon as an old man leaneth on a staff 2 Chron. 16. 7 8. Because thou didst relye upon the Lord he did deliver them into thy hand verbatim say Expositors because thou didst lean upon him as thy staff Fifthly By another word That signifies to stay up the minde as with a prop Esau 48. 2. You stay your selves upon the Lord from fearing despairing from sinking dejections c. A sixth word by which it is exprest is rolling and hanging upon as a drowning man on a boy Psal 37. 5. So that we may say That the very essentiall act in which consists the marrow of justifying Faith is this When the soul being perswaded of the truth of Gods eternall word gives a fâ—ll and fixt assent and credence to it to every curse and threatning as well as to every promise and yet doth not faint nor sink in despair nor drown in sorrow but in this apprehension of its lost and undone condition runs to Iesus Christ as a safe castle and hangs upon him committing the whole burthen of its soul unto him and stayes there leaning upon him and the promises of life made in him to the soul This is now justifying Faith which afterwards creates in the soul a quiet â—esting in God a sweet delighting in God a stedfast hope in him and a patient waiting for him and at last a confident assurance of him But this is certainly Faith so far as is upon pain of damnation necessary
to salvation The going out of the soul unto Christ and the whole application of it self to the promises of salvation made in and by him and whosoever doth this sincerely and with a faithfull heart is passed from death to life and shall never perish neither in this life nor in the life to come it puts its trust in him that never fails them that do so There is indeed a third Act of Faith Which is an act of assurance and full perswasion commonly called by Divines The reflex act of Faith Now this Act of Faith Is when the soul is fully and throughly perswaded that Iesus Christ hath actually pardoned all its sins and that it is his and he is hers This is not that Act of Faith concerning which the Apostle speaks Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by Faith we have peace with God It is rather a consequent of justifying Faith that peace which floweth to the soul as a fruit and a sweet effect of justification and that this is not that Act of Faith which justifieth is plain Because the soul must be justified before it can put forth it self in this Act. This is a comfortable but not a necessary Act of Faith and is more properly called fides justificati then fides justificans the Faith of a justified person then justifying Faith It is good and speciall justifying Faith for the soul heartily and sincerely to desire and thirst and hunger after the pardon and forgivenesse of its sins through the free grace of Iesus Christ and confidently to rest upon the promises of free remission and pardon But it is another pitch of Faith and of an higher nature to be confidently assured that all my sins are really and fully pardoned It is one thing to beleeve that my sins how many and how great soever shall be taken away and that God will smile upon me and we shall not finally perish And another thing to be fully assured that now God is well pleased with us and all our sins are blotted out Yea it is one thing to be perswaded that our names are in the white book of election and our sins decretally pardoned which was from eternity and meritoriously pardoned which was if ever in Christs death And another thing to beleeve that God hath acquitted us actually from the obligation to death that is in them God so pardons in time and in the Act of justification It is truth we ought to strive after a Faith of assurance but we are not necessarily obliged to an assurance upon our justification Faith precedes actuall and formall justification in our consciences it is the instrument to apprehend it Now the Gospel doth not when it calls to me to beleeve oblige me to a lye If before I am justified I should be tied to beleeve I am actually justified the Gospel would oblige me to that in order to my justification which I cannot upon warrantable grounds beleeve till after my justification So that we cannot conclude that we have not true justifying Faith that we do not beleeve because we cannot be confident God hath actually and formally in the court of our consciences acquitted us from the guilt of our sins for the essence of justifying Faith doth not consist in that And yet we may not altogether shut out confidence and perswasion out of the justifying Act of Faith give me therefore leave to adde a word or two concerning it The Seventh SERMON LUKE 17. v. 5. Lord increase our faith YOu may remember that I have told you that in order to the increasing of faith we must labour to remove those blocks and scruples which hinder the progresse of faith in the Soule And to this end I have spent severall houres in satisfying poor souls in those scruples which often lye in faiths way in a gracious soule I have done with such as are previous to faith and make the soul think it dare not and ought not to beleeve The last day having set the soule so farre on of its way that it is convinced it ought to beleeve but complaines That it doth not it cannot beleeve I came to search out the cause of such complaints which I shewed was ordinarily either First a mistake of the nature and acts of faith or Secondly a misjudging it self from the effects of faith I began with the first and propounded to such Christians these two considerations First That faith hath divers acts and the highest was not necessary to a justifying faith Secondly That Faith is of so good a nature that it will consist with many doubtings and weaknesses and yet retaine its truth For the first of these I shewed you the last day what were the severall acts of true faith and what act was necessary to justification and what act was not necessary I shall repeat nothing of what I then said but go on CHAP. 7. How to satisfie such poor Christians as think they doe not truly beleeve because they have many doubtings and weaknesses ALas Complaint saith a poor Christian I am confident my faith is not true but false I am so full of doubtings and feares and every act which I should think an act of faith is so weak c. To this Complaint now I shall apply my second consideration viz. That true faith is of so good a nature that it will keeping its truth consist with much weaknesse in the severall acts and dwell in a soule where many doubts are This is my Thesis Now concerning this divers have treated so largly that I shall be very brief and rather repeat what they say following them then lead you a worse way of my own Sedgwicks doubting Christian I finde Mr. Sedgwick who hath made it his work in his Book called The doubting Christian to handle this very point and hath done it fully laying down foure or five conclusions by way of premise for the right understanding of this point I shall name them to you First It is without question that all Doubtings are â—infull they are the smoakings of our corruptions they are begotten of sinne the depravation of our originall light with which God in innocencie enlightned Adam that is the cause and they hinder grace and hinder us in our duty c. Secondly They be no part of faith in that a man doth beleeve he doth not doubt Faith and Doubting may dwell under the same roofe but they marry not nor mingle any bloods together they are not at all of a family Faith is of the family of Heaven Doubtings are of the family of Hell they are inmates but have little acquaintance one with another none at all with one anothers natures they are two things though in one soule Thirdly They cannot consist at the same instant with the act of faith Ib. p. 16. for it is impossible that Faith should formally doubt the beleever while he beleeveth and in what he beleeveth doth not doubt I cannot at the same time lay my hand upon the Rock and
unto severall truths which are in the word provided 1. That thou assentest to all truths that are necessarily to be beleeved to salvation and the foundations of Faith 2. Provided thou strivest against other doubtings and labourest to get a sense of Faith and a strength to resist the Devils temptations and to be convinced of every particular truth and of thy errour if it bee one which thou hast taken up from some mistaken portion of Scripture and labourest for a more cleare and distinct knowledge of every truth that so thy assent may be more cleare every day than other The Ninth SERMON LUKE 17. v. 5. Lord increase our faith I Am shewing you what doubts may consist in a gracious soule with true faith I have already shewed what weaknesse may consist with faith in respect of knowledge and what doubts in relation to the meanest and lowest act of faith which is assent It is my task at this time to shew you what doubts and weaknesses may consist with saving faith in a gracious soule in relation to the second act which is indeed the essence and marrow of justifying faith that is the act of adhering the soules rolling relying and wholly depending it selfe upon Jesus Christ for salvation for although the soules assenting to the promise and being perswaded of the promise as a sure and stedfast word of truth be an act of faith yet it is concluded by most or all godly and sober Divines that it is not the act of faith that justifies but as it is concluded against the Antinomians and Libertines on one side that it is not faith of assurance that onely justifies so it is also concluded against the Papists on the other side that it is not an assent to and perswasion of the truth of the Word that justifieth the soule but that true justifying faith though it doth suppose both knowledge and assent yet it doth especially consist in the soules rollings and throwing it selfe upon the Lord Jesus Christ for eternall salvation and adhering to the promises as its portion And therefore it is observed by learned and gracious Mr. Ball 1 Par. p. 24. in his Treatise of Faith that there are six words in Scripture by which the Holy Ghost doth in Scripture expresse to us true and saving faith This I have noted before every one of which doth denote unto us that the very essence and marrow of true and saving faith is a reliâ—nce and dependance of the soule upon Christ The first is Beleeve opposed to fainting Psal 27. 13. it argues a staying of the soule upon something when it was falling swooning fainting c. The second word is Trust his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. A third word is translated trust but signifies to betake to as a Castle Psal 2. 11. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him A fourth word signifies to leane upon as a man leanes himselfe upon a staffe 2 Chron. 16. v. 7 8. A fifth word signifies to stay and rest the minde upon Isa 48. 2. They stay themselves upon the God of Israel A sixth word signifies to roll a mans selfe upon a thing as a man in danger of drowning catcheth hold of a Willow and hang upon it all which words denote to us that the true and proper distinguishing act of true justifying faith is the soules rolling it selfe upon the promises of life and upon Christ for eternall salvation I take true justifying faith so far as it is the soules act by the vertue and strength of the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ infused in relation to this act to be this for a soul wholly and stedfastly and solely and obediently to rest and roll it self upon the Lord Iesus Christ for eternall life Now in this act of true and saving faith there may be a great deale of weaknesse and it may be accompanied with a great deale of doubting CHAP. X. Concerning those weaknesses which may consist with true faith in a gracious soule and how to satiisfie the soule that conceives it doth not truly rely upon Christ because it doth not finde that it can rely so fully and constantly as it desires nor upon all the promises alike ALas sayes a poor soul I cannot think that I do really rest and râ—l my self upon Iesus Christ and the promises for eternall life when I do rest as I think I am ready again to think I doe not and if I be in a frame of heart one day that I think that now I can roll my self upon Christ and trust his promises another day again I can trust nothing if sometimes I do cleave to the word of life as sweet and pretious and imbrace it as true and prize Christ and value his Word above all sensuall delights whatsoever and hunger and thirst after it and after Christ another while again I cleave to a sensuall good more then to a spirituall promise or an heavenly Christ and besides I cannot rely upon God for the fulfilling of every promise there are some of Gods promises that I think I could rest upon God for fulfilling of others again I cannot for my life though I am perswaded that they are equall words of truth with the other trust God for nor can I be fully perswaded that the promises do really and peculiarly belong to me Now to satisfie the soule in this particular I will shew you what doubtings and weaknesses may be in the soule and yet the soule at that time may have received and may rest and rely and roll it self upon the Lord Iesus Christ for the promises of salvation and may at the same time have true saving justifying faith this is my work to which I am to addresse my selfe Know for thy comfort First Thou mayest fully and wholly rely thy soule upon Iesus Christ and yet not beleeve thou dost fully and wholly rest Reliance and dependance is necessary to Faith not full perswasion of such a reliance I meane justifying faith Reliance is a necessary act of Faith full perswasion of such a reliance is a comfortable act of Faith depending and relying is the act of this hand helped by Gods Spirit full perswasion of this reliance is more the shining of Gods face then the act of our soules Labour more to get evidences of the truth of thy act of faith then of the degrees of it Christ may be in the room and yet not seen he may be in the midst of thy heart and saying Peace be to this soule and yet the doores of thy sense be shut Heaven is a thing unseen and he that measureth his faith by his eye may call an Ephah an Omer especially if thou wilt not think that thou hast faith unlesse thou canst see a truth of the very act and refuse to take an evidence for thy sense from the effects of faith The acts of the minde are secret acts of which as I said before we are very ill Judges Resting and relying upon Christ is
were in his drowning danger though he be on the shore the terrours had surprized him before are not presently shaken of A second cause may be in regard of some holds that have already failed the soule Faith is when the soule layes hold upon Jesus Christ as the twig of salvation and hangs upon him for life and heaven and happinesse Now the soule hath had many twigs failed It is the nature of man to be timerous and as a drowning man will catch hold upon any thing which comes next hand to save his life on if he catcheth hold on one and that breaks he claps hold on another if that again breaks he claps hold on a third if that also breakes he still claps hold on a fourth beleeving it will hold otherwise he would never lay hold upon it yet so many having failed he cannot but feare lest that should faile him too So it is with a poor soule sin hath almost drowned him in terrour first he claps hold upon moralitie and civilitie resolving to live a sober and honest and vertuous life and thinks this will beare him well this twig breakes and will not hold when God hath a minde to work his work upon the the soule he quickly shewes the soule that this is a bruised reed and broken staffe the soule is plunged into a depth of horror and terror again well then hee claps hold of another twig and that is his duties he prayes and fasts and here he hangs this shall save me saith he this twig also breaks the Lord shews the poor wretch that all its righteousnesse is as a menstruous cloth and as filthy rags in his sight and here the soule is again plunged in feare at last God shews the soule the bough of Jesus Christs Righteousnesse the drowning sinking poor creature layes hold of this but with trembling lest this should also faile at first it feares A third cause may be in regard of the promise Faiths work is to lay hold upon the Lord Jesus Christ but now the soule doth not do this immediately but mediately Christ doth not appear and speak out of heaven to the soule and say I am thy salvation then the work of Faith would be more easie but Christ hath given the soul many both sweet and precious promises and these are the cords that the Lord Iesus Christ throwes out to the soule to pull it to the land with Now the soule takes this but with trembling untill it hath tryed the strength of them in regard it conceives the promises are lyable to many ambiguities bounded with many conditions and limitations and the soule conceives it selfe either not within the bounds of the promise or unable to fulfill the conditions of the promise or that it may make a false application of the promise And hence it is that come to a poor drooping soule that feares its condition and hath a true though a trembling hand of faith for Faith may have the palsey and urge the faithfulnesse of God in promising the surenesse of the promise once made the unchangeable nature of God they will tell you they do not a jot question this they know God is not man that he should lye nor yet as the son of man that he should repent they know that he is both faithfull and true but the promises they feare are not made to them they indeed rest upon them but whether rightly or no God knowes they conceive that either the promises were made to particular persons as to the Nation of the Jewes or they are sure to the particular number of Gods Elect of which they are none c. they will tell you that indeed the promises are true but they are conditionall and they feare that the conditions of the promise are not fulfilled in their soules so that the work lies another way not so much to perswade them of the truth of the promises in generall the cause of their trembling lies not here for feare that the promise should faile those to whom it belongs but for feare that they should misapply and misunderstand the faithfull and true promises of God And now although we must say concerning this trembling this is also our infirmity yet none can deny that it is an hereditary disease to the nature of man and will be in us more or lesse so long as any of us be in the flesh and so long as sinne remaines in our flesh and will be especially and most in those that have lien under greatest feares and terrours and are newly got out of them and begin to have a little of the light of comfort glimmer upon them even as a man that should come out of an horrid and dark dungeon where he hath been in darknesse thick darknesse into the glaring sight of the Sun in the top of the Meridian at the first will be dazeled and rub his eyes and apprehend himself in some darknesse though he be in the light He that had his eyes opened Ioh. 9. first thought he saw men like trees and this trembling may consist with true dependance Iob. 13. 15. Though he kill me yet I will trust in him the last words yet I will trust in him argued faith and a strong faith faith that he would trust a strong faith that yet hee would trust and yet whoso considereth the first words that Iob apprehended himself in a danger of killing will easily think that it was a trembling faith that Iob there acted And as it is ordinary with poor Christians through their infirmity to beleeve tremblingly in the beginning of their conversion so there is also another time when trembling doth ordinarily accompany true faith in the people of God and that is a time of desertion Secondly in time of desertion I think none will deny but Gods children have and act and must act true faith in this saving and justifying act of reliance and dependency but I am sure this they cannot doe without trembling Such was the condition of Iob in that place I before mentioned Iob 13. 15. David did rely and strongly rely in his time of desertion insomuch that in his 6. Psalm v. 8. he speakes confidently of a thing that he beleeved for as if it were already done The Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping and yet whosoever readeth but the former part of that Psalm will finde that he was in a trembling temper His soule was sore vexed his bones were troubled he was weary with his groaning and he made his bed to swim with his teares c. Now the cause of this trembling ariseth First from the sense of the sinne The sinner saith Ah! the promises did belong to me but I have been a backslider and now what have I to doe with the promises What hath such a wretch as I to doe with these filthy unclean hands of mine to lay hold upon a clean Christ The sense of sin strikes a deep impression upon the soule and puts a shaking into the heart of
pardon of our sins and of a pardon past and done c. I have already shewed you that the essence and marrow of justifying Faith consists in the soules rolling it selfe and relying upon God for eternall salvation not in the soules assurance that God is its God in the soules goings out not in its commings in in its direct act not in its reflect act And therefore our Divines make a distinction betwixt a soules application of its self to the promise and a soules application of the promise to it selfe and grant that there may bee in the soule a certainty of Faith in respect of the object though not an assurance of Faith in respect of the subject Wee will a little enquire how perswasion comes into the nature of justifying Faith There is a double distinction which I have noted before and shall here repeat would be observed concerning this perswasion First there is a difference betwixt a Perswasion and a beleeved Perswasion on a full Perswasion Secondly there is a great deale of difference betwixt a perswasion eying the future and relating to the present There may be in a gracious soule a perswasion though he sayes he is not perswaded There is a great deale of difference betwixt Faith and the Sense and feeling of Faith as I shall shew you more hereafter Secondly there may be in a soule a certain perswasion though not a full perswasion In all Faith there is a perswasion but in all Faith there is not a full perswasion the word in Scripture translated full perswasion is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 4. 21. It is said that Abraham was fully perswaded it is put in opposition to doubting of unbeliefe being so saith the text hee staggered not through unbeliefe and so Rom. 14. Let him that eateth be fully perswaded that is so perswaded that hee doth not eate with any scruple of mind or doubting of spirit I may be perswaded of a thing that yet I am not fully perswaded of but have some doubts of yet when my reasons for the affirmative are more then for the negative my mind begets a perswasion and enters a perswasion in my soule from the major vote of reason Now I cannot be said to bee fully perswaded unlesse my soule runs without a rubâ— as it is ordinary amongst us when wee are informed by credible Witnesses of such a thing done wee may bee perswaded it is true and really beleeve the truth of it and yet will not sweare it and perhaps shall have scruples and doubts unlesse we saw it our selves c. So a Christian may be perswaded that Gods love is towards him but till he feeles it as well as thinkes it he will hardly have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a full perswasion without any manner of doubts or scruples concerning it Again There is a great deale of difference betwixt a perswasion for the present and a perswasion for the future I am forced to put it in these Termes for want of other I meane betwixt an assurance that my sinnes are actually pardoned and a perswasion that they are pardonable and decretally and meâ—itoriously pardoned and I shall feel at last the seale of Gods love I must speake here according to the manner of men it is true it may sound harshly that a Christian should beleeve only that God will pardon his sins and will justify him I know there be some learned and pretious men that hold that the elected soule is pardoned and formally justifyed before he beleeves and so would make our justification as Master Burgesse saith wittily nothing but the fetching a Coppy out of the Courtrâ—ll but I am of his mind in his late Treatise of justification p. 17. 8. where hee gives severall Arguments against this opinion As First If it bee so then all the Elect were then made blessed and happy their sins not being imputed contrary to Eph. 2. 3. Secondly because this Doctrine would make justification onely to bee declarative when the Scriptures tell us that our sinnes are charged upon us till wee beleeve Thirdly because Christ cannot as an head represent those that are not his members now before actuall beleeving we are no members of Christ Indeed meritoriously and vertually our sinnes are pardoned before wee beleeve See the Arguments against this answered in Mr Burgesse his Treatise of justification p. 180 181. and our soules are justified before we beleeve but I with him cannot see how we are formally and actually justified before we beleeve and to his Arguments give me leave to add a fourth Fourthly Pardon of sin and justification it is an acquitting of the guilty soule before God for the righteousnesse of another now how the soule should be actually acquitted before it be actually and formally guilty I cannot understand And therefore I say a soule may be perswaded that its sins are pardonable and shall be pardoned and accordingly truly rely upon the Lord Iesus Christ for the pardon of them which is true Faith though it cannot be fully perswaded that its sinns are pardoned And thus much may briefly serve to have noted how far perswasion and assurance necessarily come into the nature of true and saving Faith and how not And concerning it I shall only nominate these conclusions to you as containing the whole truth concerning it First That a Christian may have saving Faith though he cannot be fully perswaded that God hath actually pardoned and blotted out his sins and formally justified him for a beleeving that my sins are formally pardoned is to beleeve I am justified and is the Faith of a justified person not justifying Faith properly so called Secondly That a Beleever may have true saving Faith though he could never yet at all be perswaded that God had actually and formally justified his soule by pardoning his sins This is still the application of the promise to the soule and a reflex act of Faith which conduceth more to the soules comfort then its formall justification Thirdly That a Christian may have true justifying Faith though he cannot at all times be fully and unquestionably perswaded that God will pardon his sins a rationall man in a Feaver may have lost his actings of reason though while he hath the being of a man reason hath a being in him the tongue may belye the heart when the actions cleer it A Christian may be at will God pardon me with his tongue when his heart really thinks he will and he manifestly shewes it by crying fasting fearing to sin lying groveling at the doore of free grace Fourthly That a Christian cannot have true saving justifying Faith unlesse he doth I doe not say unlesse hee think he doth or unlesse he sayes hee doth but unlesse he doth beleeve and is perswaded that God will pardon his sins it is easily perceived by its resolving not to leave crying praying walking holily and circumspectly that it is perswaded in this particular that it is best both simply and in comparison to draw near to God
as every thing that hangeth upon a pin or a peg is as sure as the pin or peg on which it hangeth So that soule that hangs upon the mercy and Free-grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the rocky promises of salvation is as sure as the promise c. And thus I think I have sufficiently cleared the first thing that a Christian may have a true saving Faith yea and such a one as shall be strong and certain both in respect of the object and event that yet hath not this sublime act of Faith which is assurance I hasten to a second conclusion and all the rest of my Propositions with respect to a full perswasion that our sins already are actually and formally pardoned 2. Conclus Thy Assurance and perswasion that thy sins are pardoned may be a true perswasion and assurance though but weak or to speak more properly you may have this reflex act of faith and be perswaded that your sins are pardoned and this perswasion may be a true reflex act of faith and yet not constant in degrees Sometimes it may be weaker sometimes stronger I call the weakest perswasion wrought in the soul that its sins are pardoned a reflex act of faith for I doe not think that it is a piece of Faith necessary to the justification of a soule that it should believe that its sinnes are really and actually pardoned though it be a beame of grace that the soule should love and look after more then the world and it is and ought to bee more pretious to a believing soule then all the rocks of gold or mountaines of silver or beds of spices or ten thousand rivers of oyle yet I say I doe not take it to be an act of justifying Faith but of the justifyed soule Now this may be true in the soule though it be sometimes weaker and sometimes stronger That soule that all times is perswaded that its sins are pardoned and actually remitted is not alwayes a like perswaded of it It is a beame of Gods manifestative love which admirs of degrees Now as upon the earth in the day time there is alwayes some light though through some interpositions of clouds the light is not alwayes alike so in Christians that the Lord hath brought to this degree that they doe really believe that their sinnes are pardoned though through the sun-shines of Gods manifestative love upon their soules they for the most part think so yet they are not alwayes alike perswaded of it I doe verily believe that David generally was in this temper and who so peruses his pretious book of Psalmes will finde that he takes the pardon of sinnes for granted yet who so againe peruses the severall Psalms will easily perceive that Davids perswasion was not alwayes alike as any one may see by comparing Psal 6. and Psal 41. vers 11. you shall finde him in some Psalmes altogether singing and praysing and triumphing not a mention of a teare but in others declaring perswasion yet wants expressing confidence yet teares as in that sixth Psalme vers 1. 2 3 4. compared with vers 9. Sometimes the heavens are so cleare to gracious soules that the shinings of grace dazzle their soules so much that nothing will satisfie them but heaven Now Lord let thy servant depart in peace O that now I might dye and be incorporated into glory they are so wrapt into the third heavens that they cannot speak their joy another while it is lower water with their soules the Moones influence is not as it was David I am confident would have beene glad of an errand to have sent him out of the world to heaven Psal 34. But the good man again in the 39 Psalm prayes as heartily for his life as any poore wretch could have done that lay under an apprehension of a past sentence in hell against him 1 Pet. 1. 8. we read of a rejoycing with which believers should rejoyce even with joy unspeakable but there was not such a constant overflowing and full tide of joy alwayes sure It is a sure note that manifestative love hath its degrees and it is from a strong influence of Gods manifestative love to the soule that the soule hath such a perswasion now had I leasure I might at large here tell you at what times commonly the spring-tide of assurance flowes highest and on the contrary what may make the apprehension weaker and at what times it is ordinarily most weak 1. Commonly just upon Gods return after a long desertion and sad expectation the souls assurance is very great and its perswasion very high God turns mid-night into mid-day The soule then brings the Lord Jesus Christ into her mothers house into the chambes of her that conceived her commonly when the husband comes home after a long absence and long expectation more then ordinary tokens of love and passages of love are discerned betwixt him and the wife of his bosome Christ comes in then to make amends for his frowns and lowrings with the sweetest kisses and imbraces Mid-winter is turned into a Mid-sommer this you shall finde constantly in Davids Psalmes and so on the contrary when the soule is under desertions if there bee left yet a perswasion that though God doth hide his face yet hee doth not hide his heart yet it is but a weak and just living perswasion 2. And commonly at greatest distresse God comes in with strongest perswasions and fullest assurance as when the Christian is cal'd to Martyrdom or cal'd to dye or cal'd to do any great services that it distrusts its own strength and is ready to feare of faint that nothing but the most reviving quick and hot cordiall water can keep the soule cleane and able to undergoe that great and extraordinary service that God cals for at his hands ordinarily now at such times the Lord is pleased to come in with a fulnesse into the soul It was but yesterday you heard by my Reverend Brother that ordinarily God comes in with sighes which are evidences to sence when the soule is in greatest streights and we shall finde that Gods promise made to Abraham was often renewed to him and to Isaac and to Iacob but the diligent Reader shall observe that God pickt out that time or those times when he called his Saints to some hard work in doing of which their hearts might sink concerning the Lords promise The originall promise was in Gen. 12. 7. it was renewed to him chap. 13. v. 15. when he was to goe out of the land he scarce knew whither and leave it to others to possesse and to Isaac when he went to Gerar Gen. 26. 4. and to Iacob going down to Egypt Gen. 46. 4. At such times the children of God are to doe double work and had need of double strength and so a double subsistence when Eliah was to go in the strength of his meat forty dayes he had need eat a good meale the Angel therefore twice admonished him to arise and eat 1 Kings
there is a waking heart though there be no waking eye the soule as well as the body in sleep is bereaved of sense wait but till the morning and the soule will confesse it seeth and hath recovered its senses again Thus for thy comfort know Christian that thou couldst not justly expect to feele alwayes alike for first God doth not dispense alwayes alike and secondly if he did dispense alwayes alike yet a benummed ashy winter-sleepy soule hath not that beauty â—or that sense which a lively healthy well-tempered clear-spring-awakened soule hath Fifthly consider That Gods strength may be then seen in thee when it is not seen and felt by thee The gracious soule is not alwayes nay is very seldome a competent Judge of it self the high Christian may often have a very low yea too low an opinion of himselfe the Christian is his own worst construing Book and especially too at some times if Paul may be judge of himself sometimes he is the least of Saints and the chiefest of sinners and unworthy to bee called an Apostle If David may be judge of himselfe Psal 22 v. 6. He is a worm and no man yea the very reproach of men So if many Christians may be judges of themselves Alas they cannot pray they cannot love God they cannot beleeve they feel nothing of the rength of God carrying them out when if standers by may be judges there is a great deale of the strength of God manifested in their hearts and carriages of their lives and God is gloriously discovered in carrying out their hearts so gloriously and sweetly and firmely for him as he doth take a true Christian and this is a sure rule that God and Gods people have far better opinions of him then he hath of himselfe now this may comfort thee when other better and more experienced Christians by thy own confession then thy self can see more in thee then thou canst feele the body in a dead swound feels no life in it selfe but all its vitall motions and functions are hindred now therefore at such a time others in the roome are Iudges of its life or death they by observing the warmth of the body the motions of the pulse or applying a glasse to the mouth of the swounding person do perceive life in the man that to his owne sense and perhaps to the sense of some others is a dead carkasse Sixthly and lastly consider that it is no Argument to warrant thee not to beleeve because thou doest not feele God carrying thee out by his armes of strength in such a manner to spirituall duties and the acts of spirituall and saving graces as thou desirest or perhaps expectest the reason of this is plain because it is my duty as well to beleeve for strength as for any thing else Sure I am Gods promises are as much for strength to act grace as for any thing else and the promises of God are the object of my Faith it is my duty to beleeve the promises I will strengthen thee saith God I will help thee and uphold thee with the hand of my righteousnesse thou sayest this cannot I believe Why because God doth not strengthen me and help me carry out my heart in an act of Faith Thus thou beggest the question the question is not whither thou oughtest to believe when thou feelest God carrying thee on to believing c. But whither thou oughtest not to believe that God will strengthen thee and carry thee out to acts of believing and loving c. But some may say What doth this differ from Free-will doctrine Can I believe unlesse God doth strengthen me to believe Why doe you call upon a man to lay hold when he complaineth that he wants hands or upon a man to walk when he tells you he cannot find that he hath any legs Mistake not Christian God hath said I will strengthen thee I will help thee and uphold thee with the hand of my righteousnesse Now I say it is thy duty to believe this promise of strength help and I confesse that it is not in thy power to believe this promise but God must strengthen thee and help thee before thou canst believe this promise that he will strengthen thee and help thee but yet I doe not call upon one that hath no hands to lay hold nor upon one that hath no legs to walk but upon one that saith he doth not feele his legs I call upon him to walk and I call upon one that doth not know and feele that hee hath hands to lay hold c. And this is sense and warrantable Divinity Faith is not sensible and visible to a Christian in the habit but only in the acts I call to thee to shew forth the habit of faith Now it shall not excuse thee from this duty that thou canst not feele thou hast any habite of Faith the habite of this pretious grace is invisible Thus have I given thee some considerations which duly weighed and considered may comfort thy soule under this perplexity I have only one thing more to doe and that is to speak a word or two of direction to such soules to shew them what to doe that they may be comforted in which I will be briefe First then by way of direction Finde out the cause and remove it the causes may bee various I cannot name them all but the great and ordinary causes may be first Gods will secondly thy own temper 1. Gods will he will not please perhaps to lead thee with so strong an arm at one time as at another hee will try how thou wilt live by faith sense is bread he will have thee not to live by bread only but by every word that commeth out of the mouth of God Now sence and feeling that is bread if this be the cause as it was in Peter thou must not dispute but submit to it 2. The cause may be in thy self it may be thou art under some violent temptations of Sathan or under the clouds and darknesses of some sinnes or corruptions or thy expectation of feeling or sense may be too high or thou mayest be wilfull and not feel when thou mayest These causes must bee removed by faith repentance endeavour obedience c. Hath sin benummed thee be humbled for this sinne and thou shalt feele Art thou in desertion believe and hope and thou shalt feele again It is a known maxime Take away the cause and the effect will cease But Secondly Wait for feeling this is is a part of thy duty in relation to this want especially caused by Gods will Is 40. 31. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength like the Eagle Psal 27. 14. Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord wait with faith and hope and patience Thirdly Learn to live upon Gods Word Man shall not live by bread only but upon every Word that commeth out of the mouth of
at this instant in the midst of all your sad doubts walk closely with God according to the rule of his word Canst thou say Though I have been afflicted very much yet have I not departed from thy judgments Bee of good comfort Christian God shall wipe these teares from thy eyes And the God of Peace shall bruise Sathan under your feet shortly Rom. 16. 20. And now I have done with such doubts and scruples as may arise in gracious soules concerning the nature and acts and degrees of Justifying Faith To God only wise be glory through Iesus Christ for ever Amen Rom. 16. 27. FINIS READER The Author desires the charity of thy heart for the whole and of thy Pen for the mending these following Errata's of the Presse IN the Epistle to the Reader read he doth not say salibus c. page 1. read when the Ruler feared p. 56. for promise read premise p. 62. for recreated read revealed p. 68. for Thou saith read Thou sayest mend the same â—ault p. 69. p. 138. for redence read credence p. 142. for this is thy tempter read this is temper p. 189 for as say they read alas say they p. 196. read the promises have such an influence in stead of have made such p. 206. for tracing me read tearing me p. 218. for God comes in with sighes read God comes in with signes p. 235. for thou sayest read thou seest p. 254. for and they read and they say p. 258. for Son read Sun ibid. for perswades his sins read perswades him his sins If there be any more they are such literall mistakes as thine eye will easily correct An Exact Alphabeticall Table of all the principall things in the foregoing SERMONS A ADherence see Reliance Application of the promises to the soule in particular must be the wonderfull work of Gods Spirit pag. 202. Three things necessary to such a particular Application p. 189. 190. 191. 192. Application of hope and of perswasion p. 202. Assent an act of Faith what it is a â—ase of Conscience about it 136. 137. 138. What Assent is What manner of Assent is an act of Faith and what not Three properties of that Assent which is an act of true Faith It is the lowest act It is not the proper act of justifying Faith We may truly Assent when we think we doe not p. 137. 138. Assent true and pretended how to be discerned p. 137. 138. 139. Assent to every particular truth not absolutely necessary to Faith p. 144. Assent to other mens judgements concerning Scripture no act of Faith p. 146. 147. Weaknesses in Assent as an act of Faith p. 136. 137. 138. c. Two Cautions concerning weaknesse of Assent p. 153. 154. Assurance what it is it is not necessary to justifying Faith p. 206. 207. Popish and Antinomians opinion about it both false p. 207. 208. 211. 212. Assurance may bee true yet weak and inconstant in degree p. 215. At what times ordinarily it is strongest p. 217. 218. What Christians ordinarily have Assurance at their death and who want it p. 219 Assurance may be sometimes quite lost though once true and it is againe recoverable p. 219. Assurance how hindred p. 220. Atheisticall and blasphemous thoughts how we may know whithen they bee our own corruptions or the Devils temptations p. 141 142. 143. 144. B Believers will be sensible of their weak faith why p. 5. 6. 7. They will and ought to strive against it for an encrease why p. 7. 8. may bee comforted though their faith bee weak p. 8. 9. They can have nothing in Godâ— Decree can hinder their heaven p. 68. They have misgiving natures p. 163. They have winter and summer times what they are p. 183. At what times they may want a power to apply temporall promises p. 185. In dark dayes they may have true Faith and yet want a power to aâ—ply conditionall promises and absolute too p. 186. 187. They must truly understand their condition if they would apply the promises particularly p. 200. They must Believe for feeling as well as any thing else p. 242. Their doubts how they differ from unbelievers doubts see Doubts They doubt not the truth of the promise p. 252. They doubt in regard of something in themselves p. 255. 257. Five Notes concerning Believers doubts p. 258. 259. 260. 261. Their doubts if past seldome return or if they do not to stay p. 266. They conquer all doubts at last they may doubt p. 124. Their doubts differ from the other doubts of unbelievers in five different Effects p. 263. 264. 265. Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost see Sinne against the Holy Ghost Blasphemous thoughts not the sinne against the Holy Ghost they may possibly not bee our own p. 96. C Charters of free-grace how slandered p. 67. 68. Christ cannot bee made rich with the â—oblers ends of our righteousnesse p. 84. Christ would have married Adam without a portion none since p. 84. He undertakes to his Father for great sinners p. 86. He was tempted to doubt of the truth of the Scriptures c. but he made the Devill run away p. 140. Clearnesse of truths to us severall wayes p. 150. 151. The Covenant of Grace was made with Christ for us p. 195. Reasons to prove it p. 195. The nature of it may comfort wounded Spirits p. 44. It is 1 Everlasting 2 Ordererd 3 Sure 4 Particular p. 44. 45. D Deniall of those truths we for the present are ignorant of dangerous p. 134. 135. What manner of deniall of truth is an ingredient into the sinne against the Holy Ghost p. 98. 99. Desertion makes Believers tremble p. 178. In the time of it Believers go to Christ but how p. 178. Desires to believe and pray how they are Faith and Prayer Mrâ— Rutherf â—pinion p. 237. The Devill proved a coward he durst not re-inforce an assault p. 142. 143 Directions for such at cannot feele God carrying them out so in his strength to duties as they desire p. 244. 245. Dispensations of free-Grace have been made to great sinners p. 46. They are made variously p. 46. 47. Two things may be gathered from the revealed difference of Gods free-Grace to Lydia and Paul in respect of Humiliation preceding Faith p. 47. 48. Doubtings may consist with Faith proved p. 124. 123. They are sinfull p. 123. They are not Faith p. 123. They may consist actually with habituall faith p. 123. Believers may Doubt or bee tempted to Doubt concerning the truth of the Scriptures p. 140. Disputing argues a weaknesse not a totall want of faith p. 160. 161. Doubtings in Believers how they differ from the doubtings of unbelievers p. 248. 249. 250. 251. 252. 253. 254. 255. 256. 257. 258. 259. 260. 261. 262. 263. 264. 265. They differ in their Principle p. 248. How Abraham doubted of infirmity p. 249. 250. That place Rom. 4. 20. concerning Abrahams doubting examined p. 249. 250. 251. Doubtings in Believers differ from doubtings in others in the occasion of
them how p. 253. And in the object how 255. And in their duration how p. 259. They are in them most in the morning p. 258. They may have some such clouds in the day p. 259. Those in the day are fewer and weaker then those in their morning why 259. 260. They differ in the effects five different Effects mentioned in Believers p. 262. 263. 264. 265 E How to satisfie those that think they ought not to believe because they think they are not Elected p. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. The truth concerning Election in five particulars p. 57. Papists and Libertines Errours concerning it p. 58. It is not the object of our faith p. 59. 60. 61. It cannot be known in particular till we believe p. 62. 63. And till we know we believe p. 66. It is a piece of sense p. 66. It is unto the meanes as well as the end p. 65. 66. Nothing but unbeliefe can justly make us think we are not Elected p. 64. Clear Evidence for assent not absolutely necessary to true Faith p. 148. Difference of Evidences p. 150. F Faith may be weak in the best p. 5. 6. Reasons of it p. 3. 5. 6. A direction for the encrease of it p. 9. Notes of a weak Faith p. 10. How it is to be taâ—en in the Question whither Repentance goes before Faith p. 12. That Question truly stated p. 15. Faith in some sence must goe before humiliation p. 19. Faith preached without humiliation how farre dangerous p. 24. It is not the apprehension of particular Election but the application of generall promises p. 59. 60. It s object is revealed promises not hidden Decrees p. 160. True Faith will consist with much weaknesse in its severall acts p. 122. 123. The severall acts of Faith p. 115. 116. 117. Iustifying Faith set out in Scripture by six words p. 116. 155. Satisfaction to such as doubt the work of Faith in their souls p. 108. 109. c. It may be saving and strong without assurance p. 212. 213. How it is certaine without assurance p. 214. 215. Falling in what degree it must be to make up the sin against the Holy Ghost p. 100. Feeling double of strength and peace p. 222. What each is 222. Not Feeling doth not argue not being p. 223. Feeling at the best is but a disputable and deceivable Evidence p. 237. 238. It is in none alwayes alike Reasons of it p. 239. 240. Not Feeling is no just excuse for our not believing p. 242. 243. Causes of not Feeling how to remove them p. â—44 Feeling must be waited for p. 44. Fundamentals what are so properly so calld a difference of Fundamentals p. 127. G Gods wisedome and goodnesse and Charters of Free-Grace how slandred p. 67 God gets great glory by pardoning great sinners p. 84. 85. Going before how to be understood in the Question whither faith goeth before repentance p. 13. Grace enough in God for the greatest sinners p. 72. 73. Free-Grace hath lookt upon as great sinners as wee are p. 80. Infinite Free-Grace never yet did its utmost p. 81. 82. H Hatred of God and Gods people in what degree it must be to make an ingredient into the Sinne against the Holy Ghost p. 99. 100. Heaven and Glory are not so inconsiderable but they are worth ventring for p. 68. 69. Humiliation whither it goes before Faith or no p. 12 13. 14. It doth how proved by Reason Scripture and Experience p. 16. 17. 18. It is a work of speciall grace how Christs works it what followes from that p. 20. it doth not hinder the freenesse of grace it is it selfe a fruit of it p. 22. It was in Paul a case of Conscience concerning it largely handled p. 26. 27. 28. 29. It doth ordinarily goe before faith p. 28. 29. It is cald for in the thing but God hath set no measure p. 29. Nor can be set by man p. 30. It is various in divers p. 30. Three sorts of persons God uses to humble deeply p. 30. His dealings with those are various p. 30. 31. A note to be gathered from the Scriptures sparing relation of Lydia's Humiliation p. 31. Moveable dispositions usually not so deeply humbled p. 32. Various comforts for them that finde not themselves so deeply humbled as others p. 32. 33. Three ends of Humiliation p. 33. 34. 35. 36. If wee finde the Ends of it wrought we need not bee troubled about the measure of the meanes p. 33. 34. 35. 36. It works in the soule a loathing of sinne that 's one end of it p. 33. Five rules of Dr Sibbs to know when it is sufficient p. 34. It makes us in a capacity to receive Christ p. 35. It inhanceth our value of Christ p. 36. The measure of it may be mis judged p. 36. How wee must measure it to judge of it aright p. 36. 37. It must be measured both in length and breadth p. 37. inside 〈◊〉 outside p. 37. The whole work of it is not done when wee begin to believe p. 38. It is not a ground of Faith nor acceptation p. 39. 40. 41. 42. Directions for such Christians as conceive they are not enough humbled p. 43. 44. 45. 46. Humiliation how its nature ought to be considered so as to comfort a troubled soul p. 50. It must be more and more laboured after p. 51. Mr Shephards opinion of it p. 51. Severall directions given by Dr Preston and Mr Shephard and the Author for increasing this work in the soule p. 52. 53. 54. Prayer the surest direction for it p. 54. I Ignorance how farre and in what particulars it is consistent with true Faith p. 127. 128. 129. 130 c. Ignorance 1 in some fundamentals 2 in circumstantials 3 in the History of Scripture 4 in substantialls and fundamentals so farre that we cannot dispute them or make them out in particulars may be consistent with true Faith 127. 128. 129. 130. 131. 132. Provided wee bee not content with but strive against such Ignorance p. 133. Justification is not formally before faith reasons for it p. 209. Justifying Act of Faith what it is and the six words Mr Ball expresseth it by in his Treatise of Faith p. 116. K Knowledge no act of saving Faith p. 125. In what degree and manner it must be in those that can be guilty of the Sinne against the Holy Ghost p. 97. 98. A low opinion of our owne knowledge a good signe p. 126. L Lydiae's conversion without any humiliation cannot bee proved foure answers to the objection drawn from her example against precedent humiliation Mr Shepards opinion of it p. 24. 25. M Melancholy oftentimes is a cause of a Christians doubting p. 164. Misbelief no Vnbeliefe p. 147. Misunderstanding of Scripture not impossible to a Belâ—â—ver p. 147. O 8. Objections answered made against that truth viz. that Humiliation ordinarily precedes Iustifying Faith in the Act p. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. Opposition of truth in what degree and of
what nature it must be in one to argue him at sinner against the Holy Ghost p. 99. 100. P Perswasion how farre it comes into the definition and nature of justifying Faith Perswasions differ p. 206. 207. 208. A perswasion and a full Perswasion p. 208 A difference betwixt a Perswasion â—ying the future or the present p. 208. What manner of Perswasion there is and is not in all true Faith p. 208. We must Pray though we find an indisposition to the duty Reasons for it p. 245. 246. Promises of Christ are made to humbled Saints p. 17. 18. They require conditions p. 48. But no other then otherwhere they engage to give p. 48. They nowhere require a limited measure of what they require as conditions p. 49. Promises of first grace are absolute p. 49. Those for temporall things harder to bee rested upon then those for Spirituals p. 168. 169. Why Ibid. No good reason why we should not rest upon Promises made for Spirituals p. 169. Particular appropriating oâ— the Promises not absolutely necessary to true Faith p. 180. Promises distinguished p. 180. Why some are called temporall 181. True faith may not sometimes be able particularly to rest oâ— Temporall Promises p. 181. Promises if particular are to be generally applyed p. 184. True Faith in dark times may not be able to peculiarize conditionall Promises p. 18â— Promises must be clearly understood by the soule that would particularly apply them p. 189. Generall Promises must bee particularly applyed p. 190. 191. 192. 193. If made to the Church of God of old they belong to it now p. 193. They were made to the Iewes under the notion of God's people p. 194. They are branches of the Covenant made with Christ p. 195. Some Promises were made to Christ's person what they were p. 196. 197. Conditionall Promises require not of us a fulfilling in our own strength p. 197. 198. Q Qualifications irregularly eyed hinder the gâ—â—wth of Faith p. 11. They hinder not Graces freenesse being rightly required and urged p. 22. R Repentance whither it goes before Faith or no how the termes are to bee taken in that Question p. 12. 13. c. How it is the effect of Faith p. 19. There is as much Reason on the Creatures part why the Lord should save the greatest sinner as well as the holiest Saint p. 82. 83. Reliance upon Christ it the work and proper act of justifying faith what it is it may bee true though not alwayes alike p. 165. Though not equall on all the Promises p. 166. 167. It may consist with trembling p. 170. 171. 172. 173. A Christian may truly Rely upon Christ and yet not believe hâ— doth but think he doth not and question whither he doth or no p. 157. 158. 159. 160. It is harder to Rely upon Temporall then upon Spirituall Promises why p. 167. S Scruples must be removed if wee would encrease Faith p. 9. Sinne the greatnesse of it should not hinder us from believing why p. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. There 's at much reason in the Creature why God should save the greatest Sinner at any of his Saints p. 82. Sinners not received for their pâ—rt on p. 83. Great Sinners bring God great glory three wayes p. 84. 85. A great sinner converted by Iohn the Apostle a Story out of Eusebius applyed against despaire p. 85. 86. The Sinne against the Holy Ghost a case of conscience about it opened and spake to at large 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 102. c. There is such a sinne p. 9â— Why it is so called p. 90. It is unpardonable p. 91. The Elect cannot commit it 91. It is incertain what it is p. 92. The Papist's opinion and their six species of it p. 92. How many wayes sinne against the Holy Ghost may be committed p. 93. 94. They must have great knowledge that are guilty of it p. 94. What ingredients must be in it 94. 95. Who have not sin'd it 94. It must be more then an heart-sin p. 96. Twelve Considerations concerning it p. 94. 95. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. S. August opinion of it p. 101. It must be accompanied with finall impenitency p. 101. How it is not and how it is unpardonable p. 102. 103. The conceit that we have sinned the Sinne against the Holy Ghost cannot excuse us from the duty of believing we are not excused if wee have â—ired it p. 103. None can knâ—w till his dying 〈◊〉 whâ—ther he hath â—ired this â—ire or 〈…〉 he hath indeed â—â—red it p. 103. A large 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 sâ—rre p. 104. 105 Wee may bee strengtheâ—ed to duties though we do not feele it p 235. Gods strength in us 〈◊〉 to be discerned by the â—â—ffects p. 235. It may bee seen in us when it is not seene nor selt by us p. 241. T Temptations to doubt how they may foure wayes be distinguished from reall doubtings p. 141. 142. 143. They are ordinarily but Querie and disputations not determinations p. 141. Christ tempted to doubt of the truth of the Scriptures p. 140. Atheisticall and blasphemâ—ns thoughts when they are ours and when the Devils temptations p. 141. 142. 143. 144. The Doctrine of the Trinity 〈◊〉 understood by some 〈◊〉 Believers p. 127. 128. Trembling is 〈◊〉 with true faith The severall causes of it when so it is usually a companion of true Faith in the begining 〈◊〉 conversion and afterwards in â— Christians 〈◊〉 p. 171. 172. 173. 174. 175. 176. 177. V Unbeliefe not the chiefe principle of the Saints doubtings p. 250. 251. What it meanes in Rom. 4. 20. p. 251. Unbelievers doubt Gods truth p. 253. Their doubts are occasioned by despaire p. 254. They make God the object of their doubts how and why p. 254. 255. 256. They doubt continually p. 257. 259. W Weaknesses may consist with true faith in the act of osseâ—t p. 137. 138. 139. 140. 141. 142 c. They must not bee cherished p. 152. There are also weaknesses consistent with true faith in its act of adherence p. 155. 156. 157. 158. 159. 160. The causes of such weaknesses p. 162. 163. 164. 165. Will enough in God to save the greatest sinners p. 76. Will in God to save sinners declared in eleven particulars p. 77. 78. 79. Wilfulnesse in Christians oftentimes a great cause of soule-trouble p. 164. FINIS
and strong immediatly after a desertion In desertions ordinarily it is none or but weake p. 217 2. Ordinarily it is very high when his Saints are in greatest distresses call'd to suffer Martyrdome c. p. 218 219 3d. Concl. Thou mayest have had and again have a true assurance and full perswasion though thou for the present hast none at all p. 219 220 SERM. XIII CHAP. XIII HOw to comfort that soule that conceives it hath not true faith because it doth not feele Gods strength carrying it out to those duties and acts of grace which it ought to act A distinction of feeling It may be 1. Of Peace 221 2. Of Strength Ib. Something spoken by way of consolation to poor souls under this scruple of spirit 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 c. 1. Consid Not-feeling doth not argue a not-being p. 223 2d Consid The truth of Gods love to us is not so easily to be discerned in the very acting and working of God as in the effect of such acts and operations p. 235 236 237 3d. Consid Feeling at the best is but a deceivable or a disputable evidence p. 237 238 4. Consid No Christian feeles strength alwayes alike nor hath cause to doe it p. 239 That of God to the soule which is not seen is alwayes alike That which is seen not so Ib. Causes why God is not felt alwayes alike in the soule p. 240 1. Cause His soft goings sometimes in the cause Ib. 2. To trie whether a Christian can stand alone upon the true legges of faith without the woodden legs of sense Ib. 3. The soule may be benummed and have lost its feeling Ib. 5. Consid Gods strength may then be seen in thee when it is not seene or felt by thee p. 241 242 6. Consid It is no argument to warrant thee not to believe because thou dost not feele God carrying thee out by his armes of strength in such a manner to spirituall duties and to the acts of spirituall and saving graces as thou desirest and perhaps expectest p. 242 243 We must believe for strength as well any thing else p. 243 This diâ—â—ers from the Arminian Doctrine of free-will Ib. 5 Directions teaching Christians what to doe under this Affliction p. 244 1. Direct Find out the cause and remove it Ib. 2. Causes may be 1. Gods will Ib. Then submitting removes it Ib. 2. Thy own temper Ib. Under temptations 2. Some known sins 3. Thy expectations may be too high Ib 4. Thy wilfulnesse may be the cause These causes must be removed 1. Faith 2. Loving Expectations 3. Repentance c. 2. Direct Wait forfeeling p. 244 3 Direct Learn to live without bread on Gods Word p. 245. 4. Direct Learn to acknowledge Gods little finger Ib. 5. Direct Act contrary to thy mind Sick men must eat against their stomack p. 245 5 Reasons of Master Rutherfords why we ought to performe duties under an indisposition even against our mind p. 245 246 SERM. XIV CHAP. XIV HOw to know whether our doubtings be such as may consist with true faith in a gracious soule 5 Particulars in which the doubtings of believers differ from the doubtings of Unbelievers and Reprobates p. 248 249 250 251 1. They differ in the Principle unbeliefe is not the Principle of doubting in the Believer but Infirmity p. 249 250 251 The exposition of that place Rom. 4. 19 20. p. 250 251 252 2. They differ in the occasion from whence they arise p. 253 Severall occasions of doubting in Gods people different from the occasion of Unbelievers doubtings p. 253 254 3. They differ in the Object The Object of the Christians doubting is something in himselfe The Object of the Unbelievers doubting is ordinarily something in God p. 254 255 The Reasons of it p. 255 256 257 4. They differ in their duration and continuance p. 257 258 5 Notes concerning believers doubtings p. 259 260 261 1. They are most and strongest in the morning p. 258 2. They may be in the day time p. 259 3. If they be they are fewer and weaker The reasons of it p. 259 260 4. They are transient clouds that passe and return not p. 260 5. They have none but they conquer in fine p. 261 5. They differ in their Effects p. 262 263 The effect of Unbelievers doubting is a forsaking and declination from God p. 261 262 They commonly produce in Gods servants these five effects 1. A complaining unto God p. 263 2. A craving satisfaction from God p. 264 3. A striving against them Ib. 4. A waiting for God Ib. 5. A closer walking with and adhering unto God p. 264 265 LUKE 17. 5. And the Apostles said unto him Lord increase our faith WHen the Jaylor fell down at the Apostles feet Acts 16. 30. and said What shall I do to be saved The Apostle answers Beleeve in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shall be saved When Ruler feared Christ saith Be not afraid onely beleeve Mar. 5. 36. When the poor man came for mercy for his son Mark 9. 32. Christs tells him If he could beleeve all things were possible to him When we pray if we can but beleeve we shall receive we shall surely not fail Many glorious things are spoken of this mother of graces that faith seems to be the whole duty of man Demosthenes was askt how many things were necessary for an Orator he answers three First action secondly action thirdly action meaning action was more than all And when a certain Prince askt a great Commander what was necessary for War He answers him three things money money money meaning that that is the ligaments and nerves of War And truely if any should ask me what is the unum necessarium the one thing necessary for a Christian I would say faith if he should ask me again I would say faith if the third time still I should say beleeve To the first pray for â—aith to the second use faith to the third grow and increase in faith Faith and beleeving is the whole duty of a Christian in a safe sence for it supposeth humiliation and it commandeth newnesse of life Preparatory qualifications are but faiths harbingers to prepare a room for faith and the works of sanctification are but faiths retinue fed from Faiths table and accordingly maintained as Faith is more or lesse strong and able to maintain them This hath made the Devil more beleaguer the castle of Faith then all the other petty holds comparatively that christian maintaineth against him That as the King of Aram 1 King 22. 31. said to his thirty and two Captains over his chariots Fight neither with small or great save onely against the King of Israel so the Devil seems to make it his great designe to fight and to have given it as his sole or chiefest injunction to the Captains of his Chariots to all his forces and all his instruments to fight neither with small nor great but onely against the King of graces
merit of any graces which he hath infused into us 7. Obj. But when the Iaylor asked Paul what shall I do to be saved he doth not say mourn and be saved 〈◊〉 fast and pray and be saved but beleeve and be saved and when we read of the conversion of Lydia we do not read that she had any such humiliation as these Legallists talk of the text onely sayes that God opened the heart of Lydia Ans 1. To that of the Jaylor it is true that Paul doth not say mourn and be saved c. Paul had learned more wisedom then to afflict the afflicted the Text sayes He came trembling and fell at the Apostles feet Now the Apostle seeing him thus amazed with terrour bids him beleeve and though he knew not what to do yet he might be saved and how this proves that there is no need of humiliation let the discreet reader judge because when the Jaylor was so terrified that he was ready to dye Paul doth not bid him still be humbled but beleeve therefore there is no need of humiliation It is plain out of the Text that his humiliation although it was sudden and short yet it was strong First It made him tremble and fall down at the Apostles feet Secondly it wrought fully to its appointed end to beat the sinner out of himself Sirs saith he Wâ—at shall I do to be saved I know not what to do is implied for if he had known what to do he would never have askt what shall I do 8. Obj. But some will say his trembling and falling down was for fear the prisoners were gone Ans That is cleared out of the Text Paul had cried unto him Do thy self no harm for we are all here after all this cometh his trembling and crying what sall I do But secondly we may shape another answer to it Paul saith to the Jaylor only beleeve and thou shalt be saved beleeving doth here include humiliation Faith is an act of an humbled soul and no soul will or can beleeve that hath not been truly humbled therefore the great hurt that those do that preach down humiliation under a pretence of preaching up Faith is dealing too deceitfully with peoples souls First Preaching onely Faith Secondly Perswading them that a sinner as a sinner drunkard whoremunger c. is the subject of Faith and not a sinner as an humbled sinner For the example of Lydia and the Eunuch which is all that there is any pretence to boast of We answer First That God opened her heart without any knocking is easier for us to denye then for them to prove Secondly saith Master Shepheard These were examples of souls converted unto God before who did beleeve in the Messias but did not know that this Iesus was the Messias which they soon did when the Lord sent the means to reveal Christ so that it doth not follow she had never sorrowed because she did not theâ— sorrow vid. Shepheard Sound beleever p. 54. Thirdly In examples recorded in Scripture saith he of Gods converting grace do not think they had no sorrow for sin because it is not set down in all places and quoteth 1 Tim. 1. 13 14. Paul was a persecutor but the Lord received him to mercy doth it follow therefore he was received without humiliation see the contrary Act. 9. Fourthly Gods works are not alwayes alike in all therefore in stating the question I put in in Gods ordinary way of dispensations Elijah went to heaven in a fiery charriot but every one must not look to be coacht thither See Master Shepheards eight Rules concerning this in his Sound beleever a p. 48. ad pag. 57. And now I leave every Christian reader to determine by Reason Scripture and his own experience Whether Faith goes before Repentance or sorrow for sin or whether that goes before Faith SERM. II. LUKE 17. 5. Lord increase our Faith Cap. 2. The way of comforting a soul under that trouble of conscience I am not enough humbled c. THe last day you may remember I discust the question Whether humiliation goes before Faith or no which being premised I shall come now to speak something by way of satisfaction to such souls as labour under this perplexity of spirit Ah! saith a Christian I cannot beleeve I dare not rest my soul upon Christ nor upon the promises Alas I was never yet sufficiently humbled were my heart broken enough then I might be bound up by resting upon the premises World God lay me low enough then I might hope to be exalted but would you have such an hard flintâ—-hearted wretch as I think I beleeve what one that hath such a proud stiff-neck how is it possible that I should have any ground of Faith Faith they say is a flower that grows nowhere but just upon the brink of the lake that burns with fire and brimstone it must be bottomed upon the sense and pain of a lost condition the way to be found is to be lost could I be weary and heavy loaden once I might think to be cased by Faith This is the sad affliction that many a good but sadded poor soul groans under Now for my more methodicall proceedings in speaking something to the satisfaction of poor souls groaning under this trouble of spirit I will first speak a word by way of premise Then I will offer some considerations to comfort a soul under such a perplexity and distresse of spirit Lastly I shall speak something by way of direction and caution For the first of thâ—râ— by way of Premise Premise We use to say there is no errour but hath some truth in it no ore but hath something of gold as no field of wheat but hath some tares nor scarce a field of tares but there is some ear or two of wheat And so it is in this complaint of the soul here is something of truth as well as something of mistake upon what the complaint is grounded that therefore no soul might presume from what I shall speak by and by not to oil up a presumptuous soul but to establish a fainting soul Let me premise First That it is a truth and that which must stand if all the world be found liers to it That God seldom or never gives the soul power to apprehend and apply Iesus Christ and truly to rest upon him before that he hath first of all shewed the soul it s lost and undone condition God makes humiliation to act first in the soul in regard of our sight and hence are the promises made not to sinners as sinners but to sinners as humbled sinners I mean that God hath humbled and brought low I proved this sufficiently the last time Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance I say this is a truth and we must grant it yea and we must grant too that it is according to the ordinary dispensations of his grace and if any come
is an assent a yielding in thy soul to the word of God an agreement to the truth of it Exod. 14. 31. Israel beleeved the Lord and his servant Moses viz. gave credence and assent agreed that it was just and good and true that the Lord spake and relied upon the authority of him that spake it So by this act of Faith doth the beleever when he hears the word of God revealed concerning his salvation he closeth with it as suppose that Ioh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever beleeves in him should not perish but have everlasting life Or that of the Apostle There is no other name under heaven whereby a man may be saved but the name of Iesus or that again This a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners Faith now doth not onely know this but closeth with God in these truths And so concerning the promises of salvation when God sayes Though your sins were as scarlet I will make them as snow though they were as crimson yet they shall be white as wooll Faiths work now is to perswade the soul to an assent to and credence of the truth of this good word of God yea and it is not every assent that is an act of Faith neither First It must be a stedfast assent The beleever doth as verily beleeve the promise of God as that he doth live he sayes in his heart and with his whole heart First The word that tells me this is the world of an ever-living and unchangeable God and it is undoubtedly his Word Secondly It is the word of a true and faithfull God The Apostle calls Gods Word The word of truth And it is the word of truth either materially the matter of it is truth or objectively the object of it is truth It hath the God of truth for the Author It is whole truth for the matter And this the beleever gives full and stedfast credit unto Secondly Yea and he gives credit to every truth that the word of God holds out to him as truth Faith quickens the soul to thirst after full discoveries of truth and quickens the soul to receive every beam of the light of truth that shines into it The Hebrews say That there is not the least tittle of the law upon which great mountains do not depend The beleever saith there 's not the least jot in the word of God upon which great mountains of truth do not depend not any leaf but the God of truth is wrapt up in I remember that it was Gods command in the 28. cha of Deut. That when the severall curses were read all the people should say Amen and that not to this or that curse but at the denuntiation of every curse all the people said Amen I do not reade the like command when the blessings were pronounced yet without question their assent was required to them as well as the other But our hearts are ready enough to say Amen to blessings and promises but we would not say Amen to threatnings and curses Now the beleever gives assent and credence to the word of God V. Balls Treat of Faith 1. p. even there where it seemeth most to strike at his own interest and happinesse he beleeves all things that are written in the law and the Prophets Acts 24. 14. Yea and he gives thirdly a clear assent to the word of God and every portion of it He is not like him that saith Amen to any thing he will give his assent to every piece of the word of God and yet not a blinde assent to any piece of it but every truth that he assents unto shines into his soul with a light as clear as the suns at high-noon-day As Christ told the woman of Samaria Ioh. 4. 22. You worship you know not what but we know what we worship The discourse had been very high about very great mysteries Christ had told her of a strange gift he would give her Living water v. 10. That should have a strange quality even a quality to quench thirst for ever v. 14. She gave some assent to this the water pleased her tast but it was but a blinde assent for she dreamed of such a water as might satisfie her bodily thirst that she might no more come thither to draw And v. 20. When she made a confession of her Faith to Jesus Christ that it was just of the same length bredth of her fathers not an inch longer nor shorter a Faith of the same last with most now a dayes Christ told her that in the dayes to come there should be a strange kinde of worshipping the Father Neither at Ierusalem nor yet in that mountain Ye worship saith he you know not what but we know what we worship Many assent this day to the word of God They assent to it that there is a Christ come into the world to save sinners c. None will deny this but it is in their brains but as a dark notion or else they have received it as a tradition of their fathers Our forefathers religion is a great plea in these dayes The Samaritans they worshipped they gave a kinde of a blinde credence and assent to some things that were truths in the word But alas they worshipped they knew not what they had no clear distinct knowledge of those truths that they made an orall profession of and with their mouths did pretend assent to So wicked and profane men now a dayes give a kinde of an assent to the word of God and to the Doctrine of Jesus Christ but it is far from the meanest and lowest act of true Faith When they hear or have received it from tradition that Christ was born of a Virgin or that Christ though eternall God yet was also perfect man that he died for sinners c. The wretches will tell you they beleeve these things But alas they assent not to them as clear distinct truths made out evidently and convincingly to their souls they say they professe they worship they know not what They understand not these things The natural man receiveth not the things of God for they are foolishnesse unto him 1 Cor. 2. 14. nor can he know them for they are spiritually discerned He gives his blinde assent and perhaps will set his hand to them but he doth but set his hand to a blank if he does Nor can it be otherwise for the carnall man hath nothing but the bucket of carnall reason to draw with out of the unfadomable depth of the mysteries of salvation and while he hath nothing else thus reason disputes and cannot but dispute in his soul If Christ be God How could he be born or dye reason cannot answer these questions therefore they seem dark to the poor blinde wretch and though he professes he gives credence to the word of God in these particulars Yet his assent
not lay my hand upon it c. But Fourthly Christ dying p. 27. saith he Actuall doubtings may be in a soule who hath habituall faith for as he saith they are not opposed as life and death but as cold and heat water may have some cold and some heat in it at the same time Rutherford as life and sicknesse saith Mr. Rutherford sicknesse is neighbour with life Nay fifthly I may say more I thinke Faith and Doubting may be at the same time in the soul though not in the same thing I cannot beleeve this truth and yet doubt the same but I may beleeve this and doubt some otherâ— Yea Sixthly There is no beleever lives but hath had or hath doubtings Abraham Gen. 15. 2 3. David Psal â—16 11. See more p. 17 18 19. ib. The morning dawning of light may be light though there be some darknesse mixed with it Now to prove this position that Faith may consist with Doubtings Christ dying I can say no more then precious Mr. Rutherford hath said p. 27. who proveth it by these five Arguments First because Faith and Doubtings are not contradictories as life and death which mutually deny and expell one another but opposites as sicknesse and health in the same body may be successively Secondly Because Christ when he rebuked doubting yet supposed faith and acknowledged faith though a little faith in his Disciples Mat. 14. 31. Thirdly Because the Disciples prayed Lord increase our faith what needed that they had been at Ela at the highest pitch and note of faith if they had been above all doubtings Fourthly Because Christ prayed for Peter that when Satan winnowed him his faith might not fail it could not faile if every true faith were above all doubtings Fifthly and lastly from the various condition of the Saints of God here sometimes they have a full Moon â—non no Moon-light at all but a dark Eclipse I might adde the constant experience of Gods Saints Who lives and doth not thus sinne against God I appeale to the best experiences of Gods earthly Saints These things I thought good to premise for the right understanding and for the proving of this conclusion Now I will not enter into so large a field as to shew you all the Doubts that Christians may have Mr. Sedgwick hath done a great deale in this work in the Book before quoted but thus much I will doe First I will shew you what doubts and weaknesses and imperâ—ections may consist with true Faith in a gracious soule in relation to the severall acts of it Secondly I will shew you the differences betwixt those Doubts which often arise in and are consistent with Faith in a gracious soul and those which are damning dispairing doubts of Reprobates And first of the first of these CHAP. 8. What Doubtings and weaknesses in respect of knowledge may consist with true Faith in a gracious soule and how to satisfie the soule in this trouble THough some dispute knowledge to be aâ— act of Faith yet we say that it is required to the lowest and meanest act of Faith which is assent rather then an act of Faith of it self yet in regard many Christians that strive and labour after knowledge having wanted those meanes that others have had either in regard of hearing the Word or in regard of education have not attained to what they desire walk yet troubled about their condition in respect of their ignorance and because of this are ready to deny the grace of God in the work of true Faith in their soules Give me leave a little to speak something by way of satisfaction to such poor souls you shall heare them complain in this manner Complaint Alas I beleeve I have not yet stept the first step of a Christian. I have not so much as a knowledge of Gods Word I am a poor ignorant soule I know not halfe the mysterious doctrines of salvation can such an ignorant wretch as I be a beleever Besides for what I know I am ready to deny it sometimes I think this is the word and truth of God sometimes again I think it is not I fully beleeve nothing I know nothing I cannot read nor understand when I heare many things in Scripture I know not and for what I know I know nothing as â—ought to know it Here 's the complaint now satisfaction Now to speak a word or two by way of comfort and stay to the soule that labours under this trouble For thy knowing nothing as thou oughtest to know as thou complainest it is happy for thy soule if thou speakest from thy heart that God hath wrought thy heart into so low an opinion of thy self See what the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 8. 2. And if any man think that hee knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know it But now for thy reall ignorance that thou so much complainest of I shall propound a few considerations which wil shew thee how much ignorance may consist with true faith in the soule and then conclude all with a caution or two For the first First consider Thou mayest be ignorant in many points of Religion which are fundamentall in some sense and yet have faith true faith I think when we speak of fundamentals we ought to distinguish some fundamentalls are absolutely necessary our salvation stands upon them as to beleeve That Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners that he became man a Iesus a full Savior that he dyed for us that we might live that there is no salvation in any other but in him and that in him there is a fulnesse of salvation c. These now are those pillars upon which our salvation stands and the knowledge of which is alwayes supposed to true justifying faith none can be ignorant in these and beleeve For how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard which was the Apostles question but now there are other doctrines which are ordinarily called fundamentalls because they are such as Christians learn even in the beginning of their conversion such as are first taught and laid for a foundation to build other truths upon the doctrine of the imposition of hands resurrection of the dead c. are reckoned up by the Apostle for fundamentalls Heb. 6. 1 2. Now for these it is very possible that a Christian may be ignorant of them and yet have a true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ The Doctrine of the Trinity of the persons viz. That in the Deity there are three distinct manners of being three distinct subsistences distinguished each from other by their severall properties This is without question a fundamentall point of the second sort such as is usually taught Christians as a piece of the foundation of Religion yet I do verily beleeve that a Christian may beleeve and be in the state of grace and yet not be instructed fully but be ignorant in this Suppose a Minister should go preach to Heathens
the Spirit hath not the Spirit of prophesie For those Scriptures which it is necessary in point of salvation every beleever should know every beleever understands the nature of them God hath made the water shallow that the Lambs may wade but for those places through which the beleevers passages do not lie to Heaven in which the Elephants may swim God doth not require that every Lambe should sound those depths Fifthly A Christian may be so farre ignorant in the fundamentalls as that he cannot make them out and yet be a true beleever he may be ignorant in the particulars by which the generals are demonstrated as for example he may know that Christ dyed for him and rest upon the merits of his death for eternall life and so truly beleeve and yet not be able to make this out by reason of his ignorance how Christ being God should be capable of death how the humane and divine Nature were conjoyned hee may know that Christ satisfied by his active obedience for his actuall sinne and yet not perfectly understand how Christ being man should be free from sinne being conceived by the Holy Ghost The boyes Exercise may be true Latin though he cannot pierce every word The Disciples were beleevers yet were ignorant concerning the Resurrection yea concerning Christs union with the Father Luk. 24. 25. Ioh. 14. 4 5 6. The knowledge may bee cleare to them in the generall though through their infirmity and ignorance they be not able to cleare it up in the severall particulars Lastly They may bee so farre ignorant in the substantialls of Religion as that they cannot dispute them The faculty of beleeving and the art of disputing are two things I may know and beleeve that which I cannot maintaine upon dispute It is a knowne speech of that female Martyr I cannot dispute but I can dye for Christ if she had not beleeved she would not have dyed she could maintain her faith with her blood which shee could not maintaine with her tongue As every Scholler so every beleever is not a disputant It is good Logick in Divinity for the Christian to hold the conclusion though he knowes not what to say to the Sophisters premises But lest now some should thinke and say that I have laid Heaven a little too wide open I must limit what I have said with two Cautions To satisfie the poore doubting Christian in point of ignorance I have laid downe the truth in these Conclusions and shewed you how farre it is possible that a man may bee ignorant and yet a true Beleever But First It must bee provided hee bee not content with this ignorance but useth the meanes to increase knowledge searcheth the Scripture and heares the Word that this ignorance proceeds meerly out of infirmity not of wilfulnesse otherwise this knowledge will not bee sufficient It is given as the character of unbeleevers 2 Pet. 3. 5. 2 Pet. 3. That they were willingly ignorant Wee have an High-Priest who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way for as much as hee also was compassed about with infirmity Heb. 5. 2. But for the wilfully ignorant the High-Priest was to offer no Sacrifice Know therefore Christian that thou canst have no comfort that thou beleevest though thou beest ignorant unlesse appealing to thine owne heart thou canst say I have done what I can to dispell these mists of ignorance and learne the whole truth of God Christ Jesus will take the blind man by the hand Mar. 8. 23 24 25. if he beseecheth him to touch him provided hee be willing to receive his sight And as hee did not cast off the blinde man that at first saw men walking like Trees So hee will not cast off the Christian that at his first illumination sees divine truths like Trees not clearely distinctly and fully but as he dealt with that blinde man hee left him not there but hee put his hands againe upon him and made him see every man clearly So if thou belongest to Christ hee will put his hands againe upon thee and make thee see every portion of his divine truth more clearely hee will make thy dawning twilight be growing up to a mid-day of knowledge â— Pet 3. 18. Therefore Saint Peter layes it as his necessary injunction upon Beleevers That they should grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ That 's the first Caution Secondly this gnorance may bee consistent with true Faith in thee provided thou dost not deny the truth that thou dost not know Thou mayest have faith though thou dost not know what the Trinity is or how it is but if thou denyest the Trinity I make a question of thy truth of faith or possibility of salvation Ignorance of some truths is not damnable but the denyall of every truth when reveaâ—ed is damnable want of a cleare knowldge is not damnable but denyall of the truth because thou canst not clearely make it out is damnable Speak not evill of what thou knowest not but wait untill and pray that God would reveale it unto thee 1 Tim. 5. 8. 1 Tim. 5. 8. He hath denyed the Faith and is worse then an infidell There was a great difference betwixt the Disciples that had not yet learnt and the Sadduces that denyed the Resurrection I never yet learnt or read that any of the latter were beleevers the Disciple had not yet known the Father nor yet the son well Ioh. 14. 7 8 9. Io. 14 7 8 9. But the Apostle sayes He is Antichrist that denyeth the Father and the Sonne Ignorance of truth will be borne with but denyall of truth shall not Take heed of denying the truths thou dost not know Thus I have shewed you how true Faith may consist with doubtings concerning the point of knowledge which though it be not properly called an act of faith yet it is supposed in the lowest act and to satisfie you I have shewed you what ignorance may be consistent with true Faith and what not and with what Cauâ—ions a Christian may bee comforted concerning his faith notwithstanding his ignorance in some truths and some things not unnecessary to be known The Eighth SERMON LUKE 17. v. 5. Lord increase our faith CHAP. 9. Concerning those doubts and weaknesses which may consist with true Faith in respect to its act of Assent and how to comfort a soule under such troubles I Shall now go on to shew you what doubts a Christian that truely beleeves may have consistent with his Assent which I laid down as the first act of faith for knowledge is rather supposed to faith then an act of it You may remember I told you Assent is an act of faith whereby the Beleever doth firmly fully and clearly agree to the truth of God revealed in his Word Now sayes the doubting Christian Alas I have no faith I scarce assent to the Word of God at all or if I
do many truths there are that I cannot assent unto and those which I doe assent to sometimes me thinks I do assent to them and sometimes again no and when I am at the best my assent is so misty and dark that I almost assent to I know not what Now I shall shew thee how much weaknesse and doubting in relation to this act of faith may yet be consistent with true justifying saith in thee I shall shew it for thy direction and establishment in these particulars First of all A Christian that is a true beleever may think that he doth not assent unto the Word of God when indeed he doth It is a known maxime in Divinity That faith may be true without sense of faith True Faith is one thing and sense of faith is another and as it is with the other acts of faith so it is with this also As a man may cheat himselfe that he doth assent and consequently truely beleeve though all the world may see that he doth nothing lesse by his irregular walking contrary to his professed assent So it is as true that a Christian may truly assent unto the truth of God though he conceits he doth not assent wee are ordinarily ill Judges of the acts of our mind because they are secret and occult acts which traffique between the soule and Heaven in an invisible way and therefore the truth or falshood of these acts is ordinarily discerned by the outward acts of our body as if I hear a man professing that his soule doth assent and close with that portion of Gods Word 1 Cor. 6. 9. Neither fornicators nor idolators nor adulterers nor effeminate persons nor abusers of themselves with mankind nor theeves nor covetous persons nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God yet at the same time see he lives in them very sinnes he shall pardon me if I do think that he doth not assent and whatsoever his tongue speaks yet his heart doth not close with it as a truth of Jesus Christ So on the contrary if I heare a true Christian complaining that he cannot get his heart to close with the Word of God and what ever the world thinks hee doth not assent to the truth yet if I see this man fearing to sin against God and trembling at the threatning Word of God and walking as even as he can set his feet according to the directive part of Gods Word that as David he makes the Word of God a light unto his feet and a lanthorn unto his paths Let them think what they will they shall give me leave to think that they doe assent unto and close with the Word of God Take a proof of it Ionas 3. v. 5. Ionas there had preached against Nineveh Ion. 3. v. 4. yet 40 dayes and Nineveh shall be destroyed v. 5. So the people of Nineveh beleeved God that is gave a full assent and â—redence to the Word of God were perswaded that that which Ionah spake to them in the Name of the Lord was true But how shall we know that the Holy Ghost tells us it was evident by the effects they proclaimed a fast and put on sack-cloth from the greatest of them to the least it was manifest by their actions in relation to this Sermon studying and labouring what they could to pacifie the wrath of God before the 40. dayes were come about that they did verily think it was a word of truth that Ionas spake to them and that they were perswaded and from this assertion of the Holy Ghost we may certainly conclude that when we see men living and acting according to the Word of God and squaring their lives by the compasse of it they do beleeve that is assent unto it as a word of truth whether they will confesse so much or no As when we see a man build houses purchase lands give great portions to his children keep a great house we may conclude he is rich though he goes as if he were not worth a groat and though he will tell you he is not worth a groat The heart is the seat of assent and the throne of faith confession is not essentiall nor sense materiall to it Sense of faith is comfortable but truth and sincere reality of faith is that which is necessary Confession of faith with our lips brings glory to God externally but it is the reality of faith in the heart which brings glory to God internally It is he that doth assent that doth the will of God not he alwayes that saith he doth it or thinks he doth it Mat. 21. 28. We have a parable propounded by Christ to his Disciples it was of a man that had two sonnes and hee came to first and said Son go work to day in my Vineyard he answered and said he would not but yet hee repented and went And he came to the second and said likewise and he answered and said I go Sir and went not whether of the twain saith Christ did the will of his Father They said unto him The first To apply it God sayes unto all men Beleeve and close with and be perswaded of my truth One sayes I do beleeve and assent but his irregular life is such that all the world â—ees he gives his tongue the lye Another sayes Lord I doe not assent to and beleeve it yet he dares not swerve a foot from it Which of these do you think does the will of Christ Surely the latter though he will not say nor think that he doth it but suffers his tongue to give his heart the lye indeed sense and perswasion of faith is that which we ought to strive after to be perswaded that we do close with the truth of Christ but yet many a one doth that which he doth not know he doth the Christian is his own worst Judge and doth and will do more a great deale for God then he will speak of But I hasten to the second Secondly A true beleever may sometimes doubt whether the Word of God be the Word of God or no or indeed may be tempted to do it rather then do it this is that which troubles many a gracious Christian Alas they do not beleeve the Word of God they are troubled with many Atheisticall and blasphemous thoughts that they cannot tell what to think whether the Word be the Word of God or onely as Atheists dreame a modell of Scripture drawn by some to keep mens consciences in awe c. and this makes them conclude Tush I cheat my own soule to think I have faith when I question even the principles of Christianity c. and shake the foundation with one shake and yet at the very same time they live close to the rule of it and it hath a strict and severe command over their consciences Now this I say is rather a temptation to doubt of the truth of Gods Word in their soules then a reall and positive doubt The Devill
the eye of his reason as that there is a God that we are all gone a stray from the wayes of God in which we were first see to these even the carnall man may give a cleare attest for he sees a great deal of reason that demonstrates these and such like truths unto him But now there are some truths which to the eye of Reason are as dark as midnight as Christs assuming the humane nature and the Doctrine of the Trinity and the sublime Doctrine of Christs union with the soule c. Now these also in some manner are cleare to the spirituall mans eye of Faith in regard that he doth beleeve the Word of God and that so plainly holds out these divine truths it is clear to him that they are truths he sees a great deale of reason for him to beleeve contrary to reason but yet when he comes to think how should these things be and so puzle his faith with reason he doth not clearly then see that upon a particular enquiry which in a generall notion seemed very cleare unto him as in particular that truth concerning the essentiall and reall union betwixt Jesus Christ and the soule the true Beleever thinks he sees it very clearly and beleeves it very stedfastly while he onely considers the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it and looks upon it as it is a truth but now when he comes to consider how should this be there that knowledge which seemed cleare before appeares very dark and misty and so concerning assent which followes the knowledge of any truth I remember a passage of a Reverend Divine of our owne There is a manifestation of things by reason and by revelation an evidence direct and not direct and evidence direct and by consequence an evidence of the thing in it selfe and by the effect matters of faith are manifest by revelation but in reason insearchable and incomprehensible The Divinity of the Scripture is in it self evident to the spirituall man so is it that there is a providence other things are evident from this ground Ball upon faith p. 22. thou mayest not judge that thou hast no faith or that thou dost not assent to the truth of God because every truth in the Scripture is not in it self evident unto thee so as thou canst give a cleare and rationall assent unto it it may be a clear assent to the truth in generall though not in the particulars there it may be dark as in that Doctrine of the Trinity I may be perswaded and clearely to my thinking see that there is a Trinity it may be a notion as cleare as the Sunne unto me because I take the witnesse of Gods Word as a sufficient evidence to me but yet if I will go pose my Faith with Reason I shall not be able from an evidence of Reason to give direct assent unto that truth It may be cleare as any thing to my faith That Gods essentiall presence is wholly every where yet when I come now to look to see this with reason how the incomprehensible God should be wholly in this or that roome when I come neer I have a very dark sight and my assent is scarce clear to this truth Some Pictures the further you stand off them the more you see of them it is a clearer sight that you have of the picture at a distance then close by it So it is with some divine truths they seem very cleare to the Christian aloofe off while he onely views them with the eye of his faith and does not come neer them with the feet of his reason but if once he drawes neer with those earthy feet to them they seem very dark And thus I have shewed you what doubts a Christian may meet withall in relation to his assent what weaknesses may be incident to it and consistent with it though arguing imperfection and weaknesse 1. He may doubt whether he doth assent or or no and yet at that time truly assent and close with the Word of Truth 2. He may doubt whether the Scriptures be the Word of God or no or at least may be tempted to doubt and there I have given some marks by which a Christian may distinguish a temptation to doubting from a reall doubting proceeding from unbeleefe 3. Hee may doubt concerning some particular truths in the Word of God and through ignorance or weaknesse not fully assent to them and yet fully close with the Word so farre as is revealed to him 4. He may doubt concerning the meaning of this or that portion of Scripture and dissent from the ordinarily received truth of it and yet truely assent to the Word of God yea he may mistake a Scripture and hold that as a truth from that Scripture upon his mistake which is indeed an errour and yet savingly assent to the Word of Truth so it be not in necessary fundamentals Lastly he may not clearely by an evidence of Reason or a direct and distinct evidence of Faith assent unto severall truths which are in the Word of God and yet truly assent unto the Word Thus you see true Faith may consist with much weaknesse and doubting as with much imperfection and ignorance in respect of the required knowledge so with much imperfection and doubting in relation to the act of assent Make use of this to see Gods goodnesse that wil take such sacrifices at our hands not to presume to hug these imperfections but be alwayes striving against them 1. Caution provided we alwayes strive against them that thou dost not wilfully cherish any of them there are many and may bee many deficiencies in the understanding that God will passe over but if they come to bee the rebellions of the will thou shalt know hee is angry It is said Rom. 4. 19. 20. that Abraham staggered not through unbeleefe Abraham doubted through infirmity though when he lay with Hagar and bid Sara say she was his sister Strive against these weaknesses and let them be thine meerly through weaknesse if they be not of wilfulnesse meerly of infirmity not through unbeleef and the Lord is mercifull and thy faith may be true If thou dost stedfastly assent to all the Truth of God that is the foundation of faith and necessary to salvation and fully and impartially close with the whole Word of God and every particular portion of truth in it when it is once cleare to thee that it is a syllable of that Word of Truth and livest a life answerable to it though for the present thou thinkest thou dost not assent and though thou mayest be tempted sometimes to doubt of the whole Scripture and though thou mayest doubt concerning some particular truths that are taken for truths and are so and concerning this or that portion of Scripture and mayest take up that as a truth which is an errour from it and though thou mayest not for the present by a cleare evidence of reason or a direct and distinct evidence of faith assent
an act of the minde and is an hidden and mysticall act which we cannot weigh in any scales to try whether it be full weight yea or no here 's the trouble of many Christians ask them whether they rest and rely upon Jesus Christ for salvation yea or no they will tell you they cannot think they do yet they will confesse that if they do not rely upon him they rely upon nothing their sinnes and duties their morality and civility they have utterly disclaimed and will cry out of these as menstruous clothes and filthy rags yea and confesse that they would not they durst not sin against God for a world yet they cannot think they rest truly upon Christ for salvation though they will confesse they desire it and hope they do it and they make the Law of Christ the rule of their lives and they have a secret soule-enflaming love to Christ but because they cannot understand the secret mystery of the internal act therefore they will not they cannot flatter their souls into a faith and apprehension that they do truly beleeve when indeed there is no act of the mind the nature of which and truth of which we can discover from the knowledge of it clearly in it selfe but must be forced to examine the truth and falshood of it by the effects and it must be the infinite and rare work of God to perswade our sense of the truth of our faith may it not be possible think you to finde one that is beautifull very beautifull and yet all her friends shall not perswade her that she hath any beauty at all we may have that which we will be not known of The woman hath seen her face in a false glasse or doth not know what beauty is and therefore will not be perswaded by other mens eyes to rectifie her owne judgement So it is with Beleevers they may have a beautifull face of faith and yet not thinke so Secondly A Christian may have a true faith and truly rely upon Christ and really think he doth not at all trust and rely upon Iesus Christ Sense in a Christian may not onely have a mist cast before its eyes but have its eyes clearly put out Suppose a man had put up a Petition to the King for some place of honour and trust this Petition lyes unanswered a great while at last the King answers this Petition and grants that place or dignity to him the Subject being at a distance from the Prince may have this place or honour conferred and yet not know of any such matter but verily beleeve his Petition lies like a cast paper hath he not his dignity because he knows it not Christians are misjudging creatures and too ready to suspect their owne happinesse they may call their resting and beleeving presumption their faith boldnesse The Hypocrite calls his drosse Gold his Alchymie Silver and the self-suspecting Christian is as ready on the other hand to call his Gold Brasse and his Silver Lead It is a rare thing to finde a Christian that will look his gracious face in a true Glasse the modest creature is afraid he should be proud if hee should look upon his beauty Heaven may bee hid under the dark and cloudy apprehensions of a terrible dismall hell Christ may be saying in Heaven Thou art saved Thou art saved while thou art saying upon earth O I am damned I am damned The Angels may be keeping holy-day for thee there while thou art keeping Fridayes here There may be joy in heaven for the same cause and at the same time for which and in which there may be sorrow on earth thou mayest have more friends in Heaven then thou knowest of Christ at that very time may be pleading hard at Heavens Barre for thee while thou art thinking he is reading an Enditement against thee thou mayest at that time have Christ in thy armes when thou thinkest he is as far from thy soule as Heaven from Hell Fâ—om hence will follow Thirdly Thou mayest question and doubt whether thou doest truly rest or no and yet truly rest Disputing argues weaknesse of the act and want of sense but not a totall want of the act This is lesse then the other but I have mentioned it because I have found this to be the temper of many Christians pinch upon that piont ask them whether they wholly rest and rely upon Christ for salvation they dare not tell you they think they do not nor they think they doe but they cannot tell what to think they kâ—ow not whether they do or no though they dare not conclude the falshood and nullity yet they dare not assert the reality and verity of any act of Faith in their soules they live at great incertainties and this makes them think they do not beleeve They are sure disputing is no beleeving To this I answer in this conclusion That thou mayest make a question whether thou beleevest or no and yet truly beleeve It is true disputing is no beleeving but though they be not things of the same nature yet they are not so ill neighbours but they may dwell under the same roof of the soule First Thou mayest doubt whether thou beleevest or no and yet beleeve this is not a question about the object of faith in which thou mayest for all this remaine unshaken but meerly about thy act of faith thus disputing thou dost not dispute whether the promise be true or no but whether thou art as thou shouldest be perswaded of the truth of it and dost as thou oughtst rest upon it for a word of truth and yet some disputes and doubtings about the object are not inconsistent with faith as I have shewed before It is a soule-destroying opinion which some Libertines have hatched in these dayes that a Christian ought not to question the truth of his Faith Such an unbeleefe shuts not men out of Heaven nor argues a nullity of Faith Paul was wrapt up into the third Heaven whether in the body he could not tell or whether out of the body he could not tell yet without question Paul was wrapt up in the body if wrapt up at all The Beleever may be in the like doubt concerning his Faith that S. Paul was concerning his rapture and yet have reall true Faith though we ought not to content our selvs with it yet we may know for our comfort that we may go disputing our faith to Heaven and many a one hath such an hot dispute with his own soule that his death is forced to prove the Moderator when he receives his end of his Faith even the salvation of his soule And thus I have shewed you in three particulars how the Christian may doubt concerning his resting and relying upon Christ and yet truly rely 1. He may question whether he truly relies or not 2. He may not be able to affirm nor think that hee doth truly relie yea further he may through a misjudging himselfe think he doth not rely
and notwithstanding all this truly and really rely and rest Now these kinds of misgivings may arise from severall causes God may please for his ends to keep the soule in darknesse to keep it humble and to keep it in a strict way of adherence c. But I shall rather meddle with the subordinate and instrumentall causes and assigne three or foure causes The first may be blindnesse and ignorance there may be yea is a great deale of darknesse in the soule there was a thick darknesse surprized Adams understanding when he fell and this still clouds all the children of Adam we are not able to discerne or judge of the nature of the internall acts of the minde we cannot come to a certaine knowledge of them as they are in themselves but as I said before must judge them by the effects the soule doth not understand what affiance is and this makes her question whether she doth rely or no and not think she doth being never ready to think well of her selfe A second cause may be the Devils temptations such winds will make strong houses shake sometimes It is Satans great designe to keep the soule from beleeving and if he cannot keep the edifice of Faith from being built in the soule yet he will keep it if possible from standing sure Luke 22. 31. Simon Simon saith Christ Satan hath desired to winnow thee like wheat the word signifies to shake up and downe as in a fan wheat is used the kernells scarce ever lie still Satan is almost alwayes shaking the Christian by the shoulders he desires to winnow them and as with Iob because he had no power over his life he executed his power to the utmost upon the comforts of his life So he deals with the soule because he hath no power over the life of Faith therefore he will execute his power to the utmost over the soul that it may never come to have the comfortable sense of Faith and no wonder if when he brings his rammes to batter the poor mud wall of a Christian shakes especially considering how smooth an Orator he is to perswade and how subtill a Sophister he is to prove Even as it is as easie with a good Logician to make a poor simple creature beleeve so as he cannot deny that the Sun doth not shine so it is an easie thing with the Devill to perswade the soule that it doth not rest and rely when indeed it doth especially if we consider Thirdly What a misgiving nature and suspicious frame there is ordinarily in the hearts of Beleevers They are alwayes fearing and suspecting lest they should not doe their duty they know that in many things all sinne and they are afraid lest they should cozen and deceive themselves now when Satan takes a flint and a steele and falls a striking and he meets with such a box of ready dry'd tinder no wonder if hee quickly strikes fire Besides A fourth cause may be melancholy cloudy vapours that for the present the soule is darkned with and can see nothing with a cleare sight but is like a man in a phrenzie And a fifth cause may be a Christians wilfulnesse when the Christian will take no evidence of his faith by the effects of it The best evidence that we either have or can have of the truth of our faith and of our justification is the effects of Faith now if it comes to this that the soule will not take any evidence of the truth of the act of Faith but onely under the Broad Seale of Heaven the apprehension and assurance and full perswasion of it the soule may live without comfort a great while if with Thomas it must see the wounds and holes Now here 's many a good soules condition he questions the truth of his Faith we come to him and tell him could there be such an hungring and thirsting after the Word that thy eare is unsatisfied with hearing unlesse thou didst beleeve this was the word of God and rest upon it as the Word of truth Could there be such a care to please Christ and a feare of offending him to be found in thy whole life and conversation if thou didst not rely upon him for salvation Could there be such a willingnesse to part with all thy estate for Christ and rather then thou wouldst deny him or not enjoy him in his Ordinances if thou didst not rely upon God as thy portion No the soule will not look upon this as a sufficient evidence but cryes out All this an Hypocrite may doe sanctification is imperfect mine is hypocrisie No would God seale it to me then I would beleeve it Now where this is found the soule may for a long time sit in darknesse and see no light yea it may be go down to the grave in its owne thoughts like Erasmus hanging betwixt Heaven and Hell But I proceed Fourthly Thou mayst not at all times trust with alike confidence and yet at all times truly trust The truth of trust and affiance is one thing the degrees of it another the truth of Faith never grows more or lesse the degrees of Faith do as the least drop of water is water so the least dram of faith is faith as much as the highest degree of it This the experience of every Christian will tell you sometimes they will say I think if the Devill had hold of me I could trust God for Heaven Though hee kills me saith Iob yet I will trust in him that was not Iobs temper alwayes and yet without question Iob did alwayes beleeve Paul was not in the same temper Rom. 7. that he was Rom. 8. 38. Peters crying Master save me or else I perish did argue his faith was under water more then his head Davids temper Psal 27. 1 2 3. was not the same with his temper 1 Sam. 27. 1. In the first he would not bee afraid of an Host encamping round about no though the Host consisted of ten thousand Psal 3. 6. But in that place 1 Sam. 27. 1. tells us hee was afraid of one Saul and that after many experiences So a poor Christian is ready to think O I do not truly trust and rely upon God c. Sometimes I think if I had not a bit of bread nor a drop of water yet I would not feare my faith should be like that Hab. 3. 17. Another time my heart is so farre from it that though I have for the present enough yet my base heart can hardly keep from covetousnesse sometimes I think that if God would take me away in a massacre I should not yeeld my blood with a repining word another time I so doubt of my interest in Christ that I should not know how to dye upon my bed but am crying Lord take me not away with the wicked Christian thus thou mayest be David Psal 3. would not be afraid of his soules going out of his body if ten thousand swords were ready to cut out a passage for
he could not reasonably rely upon his promises for the blessing of his house with temporall mercies so as before And thence it is cleare that a Christian may truly rest upon the promises for salvation and pardon of his sinnes though he doth not so easily rest nor so constantly nor fully rely upon him for some particular promises of temporall mercies The sixt is this Thou mayst hang tremblingly upon the promises and yet hang upon them truly And there is a seventh Thou mayst truly rely and dwell upon the promises and yet not truly appropriate and peculiarize them and dwell on them as thy own portion to thy apprehension but of these afterwards The Tenth SERMON LUKE 17. v. 5. Lord increase our faith I Am come now to a sixth proposition which is this A Christian may rely and hang tremblingly upon the promises and yet depend truly a trembling faith is no contradiction faith breeds joy and hence is that of the Apostle The rejoycing of your faith but David hath bidden us Rejoyce with trembling I have read a speech of S. Austine that such as was the degree of sollicitous feare such was the degree of grounded assurance It hath been observed that such men as have had the palsey in their heads have lived to be aged men A Christian I am sure may be a true Christian though the trembling palsey of feare be in him It is the Apostles counsell Phil. 2. â—2 Work out your salvation with feare and trembling Sure I am the work of faith must be done in working out our salvation and this must be done with trembling It is a false and presumptuous tenet that is by some maintained in these times that will banish all feare and trembling from faith as utterly inconsistent with faith and will deny any to have faith but such as have got a confident presumption as if palsied hands were no hands Christ was never so cruell to poor diseased soules as these are Ephraim exalted himselfe by speaking trembling Hos 13. 1. The woman feared and trembled Mar. 5. 33. yet Christ told her that her faith had made her whole Paul trembling said What wilt thou have me to doe Acts 9. 6. And yet I think none in their right wits will deny that the seeds of faith were growing in Pauls heart though the stalk shaked The poor drowning man that catcheth hold of some twig to save his life he knowes he is drowned unlesse he doth it he therefore hangs truly and even casts his whole weight upon it and yet without question his heart trembles for fear though he cannot but think the bough will beare him such is the Beleever the true Beleever is a poor wretch that seeing himselfe undone in a wofull condition sinking to hell even just sinking onely spies a branch of the root of Iesse the Lord Jesus Christ in a promise upon this he claps hold here sayes he I will hang if this promise will beare the weight of a broken undone soule then I am saved if not I perish then the soule considers what burthen it hath to lay upon it and remembers it is the heavy weight of all its originall and actuall sins this makes it tremble and fear I doubt not but Esther when she went in to King Ahashuerosh had very good hopes that she should prevaile and did depend upon that as the last twig of hope she and her people had yet she went in trembling and sayd If I perish I perish Now there may be severall causes alledged for this trembling First It may be the deep apprehension of misery that did precede possibly the poor soule was under a spirit of bondage a long time and shaked in pieces almost with horrour and feare at last God opens a key-hole of mercy and bids the soule look through and see a Christ pardoning all its sinnes and washing it with his precious blood and cancelling all its debts and wiping away its teares the soule at the just opening of this now stands and trembles fearing lest the newes should not to be true and terrified with those late apprehensions not conceiving that hell can be so soon transformed into heaven When Peter had been in the Gaole and the prison and without question full of carnall feares for the next day he was to have been brought out and have been slain and the Lord just in the nick of time sent his Angel and delivered him Act. 12. 9. Peter could not tell what to think of it he wist not that was true that was done by the Angel but thought that he had seen a vision he was fain to stay a while before he came to himselfe V. 11. and said Now I know of a surety that God hath sent his Angel to bring me out So it is with many a poor Beleever he is in Gaole too God hath him in Gaole and the spirit of bondage keeps him in fetters and to his thinking there is scarce a minute sometimes betwixt him and death Alas death were a mercy but he thinks that there is not an haires breadth betwixt him and hell when he lyes downe at night he wonders that he doth not awake in hell in the morning now when under the saddest and deepest apprehensions the soule hath of eternall sinking into hell God beyond all his expectations sends his Angel to knock off these fetters and bring it into the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God when the soule like Peter is sleeping betwixt two devils as it thinks and is bound with two bellish chaines of terror and feare and the spirit of bondage keeps the prison and the Angel of the Lords consolation comes upon the soule and the light the glimmering glorious light of mercy and consolation shineth into this dark bellish prison and smites the soule and raiseth it up and sayes Soule arise thou art delivered and makes the chaines fall off from the Soule and sayes to the soule Poor soul gird up thy self bind on thy sandalls come stand up from the dead Christ shall give thee light Come come out of this Hell cast thy garments about thee c. no wonder if the soule for a while like Peter wist not that this is true which is done and no wonder if it step a step or two further before its trembling is over especially considering that these terrours seldome are at once but by degrees abated from the soule it passeth like Peter through the first and second ward through one iron gate of feares and then another street of terrours I say considering this it is no great wonder if it be some while before the soule sayes with Peter Now I know of a surety now I know of a surety that the Lord hath sent his Angel and hath delivered me out of the hand of the Devill and from all the expectations of Satan It is an ordinary thing if a man hath been drowning and almost drowned pulld on to the land he trembles and quakes at first as if still hee
nature of his disease and the vertue of the salve with which the Plaister is spread that is to be applied to the sore hee is not able yet to apply it and lay it on for cure the hand of the Chirurgeon or some other for him must doe this Ro. 8. 16. So it is with the Soule Ro. 8. 16. The Spirit it self must beare witnesse with our spirits that wee are the children of God now unlesse that be witnessed we have nothing to do with the promise the children of the promise must be the children of God and in being his children they become â—â—ires of the promise as the Apostle disputes Gal. 3. It is a sweet and remarkable expression of David to this purpose Psal 119. Psal 119. â—9 v. 49. Remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope It is God and his spirit that must cause us to hope and trust in his word Now in regard that the Saints and Servants of God may though they alwayes have the spirit dwelling in them yet sometimes have the Spirit not so fully and powerfully acting in them the strong and powerfull actings of the Spirit it being the effects of Gods manifestive love which may be more or lesse in a Christian though his elective love admits of no degrees I say in this regard I conceive a Christian may have true saving Faith and yet not for the present at all times bee able to apply the promises with a particular Faith as its owne proper and peculiar portion And now you have heard the reasons which may be reduced shortly thus 1. Because there may be a misunderstanding or a cleare ignorance of the vertue of the promises which must be understood before they can bee particularly applyed 2. Because there may be a misunderstanding of the soules condition it may say there is no hope and judge its wounds incurable 3. Because there may want such a constant powerfull working of the Spirit of God in the soule as must be joyned with the soules peculiar application and yet there may be true faith For the first I conceive the particular applying of the promise with a confidence they are my portion doth argue a sense of faith which may not be in the soule and yet true faith be in it Secondly Because as a man must not be judged to be no man because he wants his power to act reason in a Feaver So the estimate of the truth of faith that is in the soule must not be taken in the distemperature of the soule when under heavy temptations or secondly dark and melancholy apprehensions or thirdly overpressing afflictions or fourthly sad desertions Thirdly Because there is a difference between resting out of a principle of hope which argues onely a relyance and dependance and out of a principle of certainty and perswasion applying The truly beleeving soule when out of desertions For hope which is seen is no hope and from under temptations and not burtheâ—d with afflictions and melancholy doth alwaeys apply the promises with an application of hope it hopes they belong to it Rom. 8. 24. though not alwayes with an application of perswasion now the application of hope and the resting out of a principle of hope But our hope must be lively provided there be an acting accordingly is enough to save Rom. 8. 24. â— Pet. 1. 3. 4 We are saved by hope 1 Cor. 15. 19. 1 Col. 27. But yet this we must not rest in but labour for a full perswasion the full assurance of hope Heb. 6. 11. Thou mayest apply thy selfe to the promse when thou canst not apply the promise to thee But of this more in the next Sermon The Twelfth SERMON LUKE 17. v. 5. Lord increase our faith CHAP. XII Concerning those weaknesses that may accompany the highest act of faith viz. Assurance And how to satisfie the soule that scruples its faith because it cannot be assured at all or weakly and unconstantly MY subject is to discover what doubts and weaknesse may be in relation to the last and highest act of Faith in a gracious soule for there is nothing more ordinary then to heare such complaints as these from a gracious soule Alas never tell me of faith I have no opinion at all that ever I shall be saved never did poor soule live at such incertainties I pray I look upward I desire I faint I groan I swoon and yet not a drop of cordiall water of perswasion that my Christ will afford me to revive my dying spirit or if I do sometimes catch up a perswasion in my soule and come to think that I have an interest in God it is but a bare thought and so weake that it is scarce able to â—â—â—nd a day sometimes indeed for a day or a week or a month together I could blesse my soule in a good condition but then againe I am as full of doubts and feares and is there any certainty in this faith am I not like a wave of the Sea tost about with thousands of winds One while I think I am sure of heaven and glory and am as it were wrapt up into a third heaven and the diademe of glory is fitting on to my head another while I am thrown down to hell and me thinks every Devill is tracing mee I will with the help of my God endeavavor to satisfie thee and shew thee what weaknesse may consist with this act and in relation to this act of Faith in these ensuing Conclusions Conclus 1. Thou wayst have a true and certaine faith and such a one as will richly save thee and yet have no assurance of thy salvation Indeed my severall Sermons that I preacht upon this Subject doe all concurre to the proofe of this truth for if a Christian may have saving Faith and yet so much weaknesse and doubting consist and be contemporaneous with it in the soule it will necessarily follow that Assurance is not the minimum quod sic the least degree of saving Faith But now it lying in my way I shall speak something more distinctly to it There are Opinions on the right hand and on the left concerning this sublime act of our Faith 1. The Papist denies any possibility of Assurance and reviles that pretious Doctrine as licentious and pleads only for a generall faith to believe the history of the Word and the Articles of Faith c. 2. The Antinomians on the other side deny any Faith to be true Faith that is accmpanied with any kind of doubting a full assurance they will make the minimum quod sic the least Faith that can help a man to heaven Some Reverend Writers living neare the time of the reign of that Popish Doctrine denying anything of perswasion to come into the nature of true saving Faith and setting themselves in full opposition to it have not a little though unwillingly contributed to the last opinion defining Faith to be a perswasion of the
and rely upon his grace Ball upon Faith 82. p. and so in event saith Mr. Ball is sure of salvation and yet would give a world to be assured of Gods favour and fully perswaded that its sins are pardoned Fifthly Willets Synopsis Papismiâ— p. 974. 975. That it is false that the Papists say no particular assurance ought to be lookt for or may be procured it may be procured and it ought to be sought for this might easily be proved Perkins 3. vol. 220. 2. d. 1. vol. 542 2. b. 143. 1. c. 564. 1. d 543. â— d. but I shall not meddle with it it being not my work and it being a question would take up a great deale of time but I shall rather refer him that doubts of this to those learned men that have sufficiently managed this quarrell against the Papists Ball upon Faith 1. Part. ch 8. p. 79. 80. 81. Downams Warfare part 1. l. 2. c 8. p. 102. § 2. p. 103. col 1. 30. 104. § 6. c. 9. p. 106. part 1. l. 2. c. 11. p. 118. cap. 13. p. 127. § 1. cap. 14. c. 11. and many others who have largely discussed this point Rutherfords Christs dying for sinners v. codicem and maintained this truth Sixthly and Lastly It is as false that the Antinomians and Libertines hold that without this well-grounded full perswasion there is no faith in the Soule this a learned Writer of our owne in severall parts of his book hath made out against them Thou mayest have true saving faith though for the present thou canst not be fully perswaded that thy sins are pardoned yea though thou mayest think that they are not pardonable through some accidentall temptation over-powring thee or some corruptions hindring the actings of Faith yet thou mayest be perswaded that they are pardonable and at that time it will appear to all the world that thou art perswaded they shall be pardoned to thy soule by thy fearing to offend God and thy carefulnesse to please him by thy crying fasting weeping lying at the feet of divine grace and resolving if thou perishest to perish at the gate of heaven and meet with hell there if thou meetest with it anywhere Nay be not mistaken this thy Faith is 1 certaine and 2 strong as well as saving First It is saving That I have already shewed you when I fully shewed you that the essence and pith of justifying Faith was a fiduciall rolling our selves and hanging upon the Lord Iesus Christ for pardon Now as it is saving Secondly so it is strong That Faith saith a precious Authour is argued to be strong that hath no light of comfort but walkes in darkenesse upon the margin and borders of an hundred deaths Davids Faith was a strong Faith when though all Gods waves were upon him yet he called upon God daily Psa 88. 7 8 9. when the soule is so far from being perswaded that it is a lovely one in the Lords eyes that it conceives it self a damned wretch in the Lords sight and onely sees a sparkling light in at a crevis of the window and by a little pinhole a beam of hope comes in and it thinks well my sinnes are yet pardonable yet I dare not say there is no hope yet I know not what to think my sins are great Gaole-sinns I am perswaded if my name be in the Charter of grace it is in the bottom and it is sometimes ready to think that the little glimmering of light it sees is rather the counterfeiting light of a Glow-worm then the triumphing light of the Sun yet the soule is ravished with that particle of light and goes and kisseth the hole that gives it a passage and sayes well here 's all my comfort my sinnes are yet pardonable I see the ship of my soule is wrackt possibly this bit of board may save my life I will on to it if I perish I perish I will not lose this pin-hole light I will cry fast weep and pray Lord say my sinnes are pardoned I am perswaded thou canst pardon them and if thou wilt thou canst make me clean Lord here will I lie filthy bloody full of sores at the Poole of Bethesda I will not stirre a step from the Poole I will lie in the way till thou hast cured mee I say this doth argue a strong faith the perswaded assured soule hath cables of comfort who would fear the breaking of them God doth not rap his fingers so often as this poor soule This Believer hath but a twine thred to hang upon yet he catcheth hold and sayes this straw shall bear my souls weight yea God raps off his fingers often his life is full of doubts and feares yet he holds and will not stirre a step doth it not argue a great a reliance The woman of Canaan had no assurance of Christs favour Matth. 15. 21. she cryed he answered her not a word v. 23. nay when she made friends to him he would neither heare her nor her friends mediation though they were Christs own Disciples still she comes and worshippeth him he chides her this yet argued no assurance she replyes he sayes Great is thy Faith v. 28. Mr Ruâ—therford noteth sweetly upon that that the fewer Externals that faith needeth the stronger it is within little evidence much adherence speaketh a strong faith Now though that perswasion be an inward work yet the grounds are externals for the strength or weaknesse of perswasion is moved by the compasse of sence the lesser my grounds are if my adherence be the same the stronger is my faith if I will trust my friends little finger as much as his whole hand doth it not the more argue my confidence in his strength my reliance upon him that he will do what he can to hold me Oh! it is a sweet thing to see a soul hang upon Christs little finger that only apprehendeth a generall promise is perswaded that its sins are pardonable sometimes doubts of this too yet it cryes and hangs and weeps and relies scorns to lay its little finger upon any thing else any self sufficiency any creature-righteousnesse to bear it up it argues a strong faith O soul be not deceived Great is thy faith nay and such a faith may be certain too thou mayest live at uncertainties upon a certain faith The bruised reed is not broken the smoaking flax is not quenched thy faith is doubly certain though thy life of faith be full of incertainties 1. It is certaine in respect of the Object 2. It is certaine in respect of the Event 1. In respect of the Object A weak faith doth not argue weaknesse in Free grace or weak efficacy in the blood of a pretious Jesus the pur-blinde eye doth as certainly see the Sunne as he whose eyes are best the weak pur-blind-eyed soule doth certainly see apprehend and rely upon Christ though not so clearly and comfortably 2 Thy faith is certain in respect of the Event Even
ch 19. 6. 7. The journey was great which he had to go the frequent Stories of the Martyrs make this good when the Lord cald them to their great service at the stake he prepared them for their double work with double comforts ravishing their soules with glory and so often that God makes many of his deare Saints live upon short commons all their life time when he brings them to the hard work of dying he gives them a glimpse of glory This is a note of a pretious Divine Rutherford Tryal of faith who gives experiences of it and it is especially when they die strong torturing deaths for alwayes it is not seen it may be they have had all comforts before and may die in conflicts God will try how they can walk in the strength of what they have had or if they have had no bread till then God will hardly call them to die without giving them a crust yet as he sweetly sayeth God walks in liberty here and will not have us to limit the breathings of the holy Ghost to jump with the hour of our dying for we may make an idol of a begun heaven as if it were more excellent then Christ By this you see in stead of much might bee said that assurances may bee weaker and stronger yet true and this will be further made good by my last Conclusion which I will but touch And that is this Concl. 3. Thou mayest have had and againe have a true assurance and full perswasion and for the present have none at all I have spoken so much to this before that I shall need adde very little It is necessary to constitute the true direct act of Faith that it be a continued act and that soule never did truly rely at all that ever since it began to rely ceased to rely but for a reflex act it may be wanting even in the soule that hath had it and may have it againe if God will please to turne his face towards it nay I will question whither ever that Christian had true assurance or no that hath had it as he pretends without any intermission for so long as there remaines a Devill to tempt or a flesh to allure to sin there will be sometimes wants of full assurance yea if there were none of them both I would make it a great question whither the wise God would ever keep such a despensation of his love in a full Sun-shine to any soule though loved never so dearely I am afraid though we have much talk of Faith of assurance now adayes in the world if the Lord should come to sift the hearts of his poor creatures he would scarce finde the mustard-seed Faith of adherence 1. Overpowring temptations 2. Overgrowing corruptions 3. Naturall distempers of Melancholy 4. Divine desertions shall hinder assurance and make the act to cease and judge you then what soule it is probable shall have it an incessant constant act But I have done with this last thing and now I have shewed you what doubts and weaknesses may consist with every act of Faith in a truly gracious soule Now I should shew you from what principle these doubts arise and how they differ from the doubts of unbelieving desparing wretches The Thirtheenth SERMON LUKE 17. v. 5. Lord increase our faith CHAP. XIII How to comfort that soule that thinks it hath not true Faith because it doth not feele God strengthning it to those acts of Grace which it ought to act I Will take leave here apprehending it a seasonable place to bring it in to speak something to one scruple of conscience which doth often perplex many a good Christian and that is want of feeling of Gods love c. Ah! saith many a poore soule did I but indeed know that God and Christ were my Redeemer and portion then I think I should not need be muâ—h intreated to cast away this sadnesse and dejection of spirit but I cannot feele any such thing And this makes a Christian think that it neither doth nor may believe Now there is a double feeling for the want of which many good soules often complaine and upon the want of which they raise to themselves conclusions against believing For want of a distinction I will presume for once to coyne one There is a feeling of peace and a feeling of strength 1. The feeling of peace is when a poor Christian apprehends God appeased to its soule and feels him saying I am thy God the God of thy salvation this is that perswasion which is that highest reflex act of Faith of which I spake the last time and shewed you what degrees and abatements it might meet with in a true Believer Now this a true Christian may want though he doth feel Gods spirit carrying him on to acts of mortification and vivification c. Of this I shall not speak having spoken the last time how farre it may be wanted weakened or abated or discontinued even in Gods true and dear children 2. But there is another feeling which for distinction sake I call a feeling of strength when a Christian though he doth not feele Gods peace sealed up and assured unto his soule yet he cannot deny but hee feels his soul carryed out by God unto duties to love him to desire him to delight in him c. Now this latter feeling ought to satisfie the soul when though God doth not please as yet to apply the promise to his soule yet he feels God enabling him to apply himselfe to the promise when he feels God changing and renewing his heart and affections c. But here is that which many poore Christians want and complaine for the want of they will confesse that could they but feel God strengthening them against their corruptions and carrying out their hearts in acts of love and desire towards him c they would quiet themselves and bee very thankfull to him if he would but give them so much of the morsels of Free-grace as would keep spirituall life in them and keep their hearts from dying for want of mouth-fuls although God would not yet please to let them sit down at the banquetting table of assurance and eat of the sweet meats of that peace which passeth all understanding If God would please to give them but such sips of his flaggons as might stay them though they wanted such dishes of apples as to comfort them it would suffice but alas this they want and how can they believe c. Now all that I shall speak to a Christian in this perplexity I will reduce to these two heads 1. Something by way of Consolation And 2. Something by way of direction First By way of Consolation I should propound these few things as considerations which may tend through the blessing of God to the comforting of such souls in such streights Consid 1. That not feeling doth not argue a not being A thing may be though it be not felt it is no Logick to
Christ pronounceth such blest as hunger and thirst after righteousnesse we say in that sense a sincere desire to pray and believe Ruth p. 14â— is materially and by concomitancy a neighbour and neere a kin to beleeving and praying A verball or seminaâ—â— intention to pray beleeve love Christ do his will is in the seed of praying beleeving c. when the intention is supernaturall and of the same kind with the act as the seed is the tree we say not so of naturall intentions or desires As Abrahams sincere intentions to offer up his sonne was the offring of his son c. But I go to a third consideration Thirdly therefore consider that feeling at the best is but a deceivable and disputable evidence ofttimes conclusions grounded upon sense are false and sink in time If thou judgest thy condition by feeling thou mayest ofttimes think God doth nothing for thee though he be at that instant fully enlivening thee c. and againe think that God is at peace with thee and that hee carrieth thee out to duties c. when there is no such matter and it is nothing but the strength of natuarall parts that carrieth thee out c. Saul thought he had a great deal of feeling 1 Sam. 15. 13. when he came to meet Gods messenger he cryes out Blessed be thou of the Lord I have kept the Commandments of the Lord But yet the following part of that story will tell you that Saul was far enough off from any true feeling of peace and comfort So without question those in Mat. 7. 22. judged themselves to have a great deale of feeling of Gods strength when they had prophesied in Gods name and in his name cast out Devils and in his name done many wonderfull workes yet Christ professeth he would say to many such I never knew you depart from me yee workers of iniquity thou cryest thou dost not feele God carrying thee out in duties as many other Christians are and that which thou callest Gods spirit in them or in thy selfe may be no such matter it is not the courting of God with elegant eâ—â—â—essions that argues the strength of God assisting there is many a stammering non-sence prayer that hath more of the sweet spirit of God in it there may be a full heart though it runs not out of the lips so fast yea oftentimes the fulnesse of the heart causeth the straitnesse of the lips just as the fulnesse of the vessell may occasion the water to run slowly out of the hole for want of vent or wind The Apostle sayes that the Spirit of God helpeth our infirmities with cryes and groanes which cannot be uttered it doth not say it helpeth our infirmities with courtly expressions that cannot be paâ—alleled thou mayest when thou thinkest that God carrryes thee out with more strength and enlargement to duties call and misconstrue that to be the strength and assistance of the spirit of God which is occasioned meerly from thy owne clearenesse of naturall spirit when thou art in a little better vein of Rhetorick then thou wert Mistake not there is a distinction betwixt Praying gifts and Praying graces I observe it is said Iacob wrestled with God by vertue of strength from him subintellige This is the strength of the spirit the spirits worke is not to carry out our tongue in expressions but our heart in zeale and importunity It is not said that Iacob scraped leggs with God no he wrestled wee are but ill ludges of feeling commonly which makes feeling but a deceivable and disputable evidence Fourthly consider that No Christian feeleth alwayes alike yea perhaps hath no cause to feele alwayes aliâ—e God to the best of his dearest servants doth sometimes measure but an Ephah and sometimes but an Omer distinguish alwayes betwixt the truth of Gods love to his deare children and the actings I meane the visible actings of his love that of God which is not seene is alwayes full and certain to Christians I meane his elective love the yernings of his heart towards his deare children there is of God also that may be seen Psal 68. 24. They have seen thy goings O God even the goings of my God in the Sanctuary Gods goings in a poor soule are sometimes very visible to a gracious soule but sometimes his goings are more secret and invisible yet he is alwaies going in acts of love and grace to his poore fervants only his goings are more mysterious and dark God sometimes goes a meere foot pace just sets one foot before another in them and towards them sometimes hee goes faster and more strongly in them and apparently towards them First Gods soft going in the soule may sometimes bee a cause why the soule cannot feel Peter had no reason to feel the strength of God alike when he shamefully denied his Master in the high Priests Hall as when hee durst venture to walke on the Sea towards him Secondly God withdrawes some degrees of his strength sometimes to try whether a Christian can stand upon the true legs of Faith as well as upon the wooden legs of sense the mother withdrawes her hand sometimes to see how the child can goe without trusting to the feeling of her hand guiding and supporting it Thirdly another cause may be in the Christian why he cannot feele God carrying him out to acts of his grace in his strength alwayes alike The soule may possibly have lost its feeling the benummed member doth not feele In sicknesses and deseases of the body Nature may sometimes bee so much infeebled that sometimes the party affected falls into a dead swound wherein he is deiprved for a time not only of the use of his understanding reason and memory but also of his sense motion and vitall functions So it may be with a Christian sin or the violence of some temptations of Sathan may bee such that the Christian cannot feele any thing the soule cast into a swound and deprived of all the spirituall faculties of it faith love life c. no wonder the soule for the present doth not feele the leg of the soule is asleep the whole soule is benummed how should it feel but let it alone a little as such body if not quite dead will quickly returne to its sense again and live and feele and move c. so likewise will the gracious soule quickly come to recover its life and sense and motion againe though the soule seemes to the judgement of sense to have no sap or principle of life in it yet consider it is winter-time with the soule stay but till the spring and summer while the frost hath done nipping and discolouring and the soule will have its sap visible and recover iâ—s beauty againe there is fire in the soule though it be caked up in the night wait but till the morning that the ashes be blown away you shall see the fire of Gods spirit is not extinguished in the soule I sleepe saith the Spouse but my heart waketh
God We are not to live by faith upon the incertainty of sense All that that speakes is not Gospel but we have a more sure and certain livelihood even the unchangeable goodnesse and infallible goodnesse of a God that cannot lie nor repent Sense is deceiving truth is infallible doth sense say God doth not strengthen me and doth Gods word say these things I could not doe if God did not strengthen me whither it be now better to believe God or deceivable sense judge thou Fourthly Learn to acknowledged Gods little finger thou doest not finde God lending his whole hand perhaps not strengthening thee in such a measure to act grace in such a degree but know the least stirring of the soul in a spirituall manner to a spirituall action is from God flesh and blood could not doe it find ouâ— out Gods little secret workings look for these thou wilt finde some of them in thy soule Fifthly and lastly Act contrary to thy minde we bid the sick man eat against his stomack thou sayest I cannot pray I cannot believe why I doe not find God giving me an heart to it doe it against thy minde thou shalt finde strength to doe it and comfort from doing of it This learned Mr Rutherford gives great Reason for as 1. Because it is ordinarily seen that a Christian may begin to pray with sad and fleshly complaints of unbeliefe yet going on the breathing of the holy Ghost will fill the sailes c. if we be doing the Lord will be with us 2. Our indisposition is a sinne and doth not free us from our duty 3. Ruth We are to pray against weaknesse and indisposition Christ dying and for strength and freedome of spirit 4. We are commanded in the day of trouble and temptation to pray Psal 50. 15. Math. 6. 13. â— 5. It is a sinfull omission in us not to pray and act not to doe what we can though we feele a weaknesse c. and severall other Reasons he gives p. 486. 487. c. Now doest thou not feele the strengthening influence of Gods Spirit carrying thee on to thy duty yet doe it that is the way to come to have a feeling stirre up the grace of God that is in thee 2. Tim. 1. 6. God complained Esay 64. v 7. That there was none that cal'd upon his name or stirred up himself to lay hold upon him It is the ordinary practice of Free-grace to send in sense and strength upon thy endeavours yet freely not as merited by them And thus I have shortly dispatcht all that I have to say to this scruple of conscience where the soule complaines for want of feeling c. The Fourteenth SERMON LUKE 17. v. 5. Lord increase our faith YOu may remember my design is to direct you to such meanes as may encrease your Faith The first which I propounded was To remove such scruples as hinder the progresse of our souls in the work of believing the soule conceiting either that it ought not to believe or else that it doth not believe The latter sort of which as I have shewed you ariseth either from an ignorant mistake of the nature and act and degrees of faith or from a mis-judging of the effects of faith Where a mistake of the nature and acts of faith is the cause by way of satisfaction I propounded to your consideration these two things 1. That there are divers acts of faith every of which is not necessary to Justification 2. That faith is of so good a nature that it will consist in the soule with many doubtings and weaknesses I have shewed you how true faith will and may consist with many doubtings and with what weaknesses it may consist in respect of knowledge assent reliance and assurance to summe up this businesse fully I have only by way of conclusion to discover to you in what the doubtings which may be in Gods dearest Saints differ from the doubtings of unbelievers and reprobates This is my work at this time Alas saith a poore soule but I am afraid that my doubting is not such a doubting as is incident to the Saints of God but such as Devils and reprobates have doubting of despaire not opposite only but contradictory to faith c. How shall I know whither my doubts bee such as may consist with faith in a gracious soule yea or no c CHAP. XIV How to know whither our doubtings be such as may consist with true faith in a gracious soule IN regard of this it will bee necessary that I should difference doubts and shew you wherein the Christian may be comforted being assured his doubts are not such as are inconsistent with true faith for thy comfort therefore know that there is a vaste difference betwixt the doubts of Gods people and the doubts of reprobates apparent in these five particulars First they differ in their ground and principle from which they arise The principle from which the doubts arise which are in the Saints of God is infirmity Rom. 4. 19. 20. The Apostle sayes Abraham staggered not at the Promise of God through unbeliefe but was strong in faith giving glory to God He doubted not through infidelity saith Mr Ball but he doubted of infirmity when he took Hagar to his bed for the raising of him a seed Gen. 16. v. 2. 3. and God Gen. 15. v. 4. had directly promised him an Heire yea so many children that the Starres of heaven should be a lesser number yea did he not doubt Gen. 17. 17. when the Lord had promised him a sonne hee laughed and said in his heart shall a child be born to him that is an hundred years old and shall Sarah that is ninty yeares old beare I know St Austine sayes Abrahams laughing was risus exultantis non derisio diffidentis the laughing of one that rejoyced and not the scorning of one that distrusted but with all due reverence to that learned and pious man I doe not think that he hath fully solved the knot I doe not think it was a mocking of distrust nor yet that it was a bare laughter of rejoycing I humbly conceive there was an exulting but yet mixt with a little doubting or disputing he rejoyced considering the faithfulnesse of the word but yet his sence through infirmity quarrelled with his faith about it In the joy of his heart he said as Mary upon the like tidings Luk. 1. v 38. Behold the servant of the Lord let it bee now unto me according to thy word and yet through infirmity he said How can these things be and therefore in the very next words v. 18. he sayes unto God O that Ishmael might live before thee which words as they plainely expresse Abrahams good will and wishing to Ishmael yet under correction to better judgements I conceive also from a comparing of the words before and immediatly after that they intimate a kinde of doubting of Gods fulfilling his word As if Abraham should have said Lord I am