elect and chuse us I finde that all this work thus wrought in time yet is said to be present before God in all time and therefore he is called the Lamb slain so long ago and we are called chosen in Christ before the foundations of the world were laid So as all I can finde out of this glorious mystery which is made up of such contrary wayes and workings of sin and grace justice and mercy an old Adam and a new and predestination or election of grace will onely amount to this That man sinned God had mercy and gave his Son which was God with him from everlasting to be that for man and in man which he could not be in himself righteousnesse and true holinesse And thus man becomes a new creature to God again not in himself but in another God still is the same but man was not nor is God the lesse unchangeable because of some several carriages or distributions of the same work about man mans falling and redemption in Christ mans sin and Christs suffering may be said to be but the love of God ordering man to the praise of his free-grace through several conditions of innocency sin and righteousnesse Yet this I finde further that the main and glorious work of Redemption was that full and final work ordered by God the Father with himself So as mans sin was onely serviceable to this and was but for the bringing about of this though not decreed of God but occasioned by man God fore-knowing the changeablenesse of his creature and so working by that not taking any new counsels upon this change in man which he took not before but ordering this to that salvation he had ever ordained nor is the revealing of Gods predestination or election in Christ so much to let us see into the order of his Counsels for who hath known the minde of the Lord as to set up God in the glory of his power will and wisdom before our eyes that we may not look at any thing as happening from its own causes and to order us from conceiving any change in God as if our sin and Christs suffering had wrought any alteration in him either to enmity or love If you would know this Mystery without confusion yet in admiration know that all this work of free-grace and mans salvation in Jesus Christ was ever the same with God who calleth things that are not as if they were and mans sinning and Gods revealing Christ in promises and in the flesh and in the Gospel is That the creature may partake of it and whereas there is a work of sin of time of persons of order of Scripture-notions of manifestation These are but so many several ways by which the work of grace love sin Christ and salvation is finished in the things themselves and all these several parcels of Law Gospel Sin Righteousnesse Free-grace Election c. go to the making up this Body of Christ the Elect the law could not have been wanting for then there had been no transgression and sin could not for then there had been no free-grace and righteousnesse could not for then there had been no redemption and free-grace could not for then there had been no mercy and election could not for then there had been no everlastingnesse of purpose of God So as this one infinite work of salvation is manifested in many parts to us who could neither enjoy it nor know it otherwise not in that fulnesse nor infinitenesse as it is in God And these many parts make up that one work of our Redemption in Jesus Christ nor can we know any thing of it but thus in parts not in the whole or glorious intirenesse of it We know but in part IV. The Son of God how considered in the work of Salvation THere are certain Scriptures which contain the Mystery yet in the letter of them hold it forth under a divers notion or word 1. God so loved the world that he sent his onely begotten Son c. Joh. 3.16 with other Scriptures of this kinde as 1 Joh. 4.9 10. c. 2. Of the other sort are these Scriptures God hath chosen us in him before the foundations of the world Ephes. 1.4 God hath saved us according to his own purpose and grace which was given to us through Jesus Christ before the world was 2 Tim. 1.5 with other Scriptures of this kinde Now these words say that God loved us and gave Christ and that he loved us in Christ And these may be both true according to the manifestation of this mystery to us for one Scripture contains not all of this mystery of Gods love to sinners Some holds forth onely so much of it as to make power and will in it appear some so much of it as to make free-grace appear in it some so much of it as to make love appear in it some so much of it as to make predestination and election appear in it some so much of it as to make Jesus Christ appear as the Lamb slain before the world for sinners some so much as to make Jesus Christ crucified in time for sinners some so much as to make Gods love appear in giving Christ some so much as to make Christs love appear in giving himself some so much as to make Gods love appear compleat to us in Christ some so much as to make Jesus Christ appear the Son of God some so much as to make him appear a son of man and a saviour of men some so much as to make him appear to die for all and for the world and some so much as to make this all and this world such onely as were his before the world and onely all such as he had loved and chosen And thus is the Mystery opened to the sons of men in each part of Scriptures which like so many several Stars give out their beams and light for the manifestation of this Mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh Now we must be sure in our conceptions and notions concerning this redemption that we raise not up nor form any thing to comprehend this mystery which God himself would not fold up in any single word or notion there being so many discoveries and appearances of God who though he be but one simple pure glorious essence yet his creature man cannot behold him so but as in so many scattered parts and beams of glory Man cannot take God nor the mystery of God in but by way of parts and several kindes of excellency and so view him in one thing with another and so in Jesus Christ So as when we would consider the work of salvation in and by Jesus Christ we must take heed of straitning it into any such thing as the effect of Gods love onely lest something be left out by our narrow conception whereby the mystery is but in part represented and the other parts of the work have no room by which though we may know more
will say How if a soul answer I cannot beleeve for all this I answer This being a Scripture-way and the clearest way revealed to salvation I shall commend such to the Lord who is the onely Author and finisher of Faith Heb. 12.2 And for establishing souls upon any works of their own as a way means or ground of assurance as that upon such a measure of repentance or obedience they may beleeve by I dare not deal in any such way of our own righteousnesse because I finde no infallible mark in any thing of our own sanctification save in a lower way of perswasion or motive I finde in the Old or New Testament scarce any beleever that stood the surest but they had some cause through sin and corruption and that unregenerate law in their members to suspect their righteousnesse as David and Peter and Paul c. And likewise the stream of the Word runs all against our own righteousnesse But you will say What are all the divers Scriptures which set us upon trial and examination of our saith and works I answer There is another kinde of analogy and rule to interpret these by more principal and not of assurance for salvation These are rather marks for others then our selves to know us by as in the Epistles of John and James c. And for those other few Scriptures they are rather to be interpreted to the testimony of the Spirit of God witnessing and perswading then to the mixt spiritually carnal works of our obedience and holinesse which can give but a mixed act of assurance at the best being of a mixed nature of flesh and spirit But you will say What way of assurance would you commend to a soul thus troubled I answer Christ in the Word and Promise to beleeve in for assurance This was that way the Lord himself commended to his Disciples as to Peter when he knew he should deny him and foretold him of it and knew how it would discourage him and wound him yet he puts not Peter to this course saying Peter thou art an holy obedient loving Apostle remember this to comfort thy self under thy denial But he says Peter I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not And thus he laid him in an encouragement from a word or promise to beleeve by and not from any thing in himself and so to his Disciples when he was to leave them he laid them not in assurances thus O my Disciples though I am from you yet ye have been thus and thus penitent humble loving obedient and let this be your ground and assurance when I am gone But he layes in words and promises You beleeve in God beleeve also in me I will sâ—â—d the Comforter and I will see you again And these are the grounds for their assurance to beleeve by and this was Abrahams way He beleeved the promise in hope against hope And so all that walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham II. The unstablenesse of such as are not converted in a pure Gospel-way I observe that the calling and conversion which souls have in a legally-Gospel-way not from a pure and clear apprehension of Jesus Christ revealed in the Gospel Covenant or Promises though there may be truth in such a calling and Christ received yet the manner being not in the way of pure Gospel-dispensation the soul may be exceedingly puzzled and perplexed so though Christ may be truely there yet being not in a Gospel-form but a legal the soul may mistake and lose the knowledge of Christ as when Christ was in the habit of a Gardiner many knew him not and when he walked with the two Disciples to Emans they knew him not And thus many under the Law though they had Christ as truely then as now yet not in that form not manifested in the flesh and the free Promises as now And Christ observes this to his Disciples Ye beleeve in God says he implying how their Faith was more carried out to God as then then to himself and therefore he addes Beleeve also in me that is Now let me manifested in the flesh be the truth whom you beleeve III. The several wayes which the Lord makes use on to salvation I observe That the Lord doth improve many ways and means to bring a soul under the power of the Gospel as several accidents and occasions though those things are not properly or principally to be called the ministery of Christ or the Gospel-Ordinance for revealing Jesus Christ but they are like the Chariot in which the Eunuch rid which was onely an outward accommodation to his receiving Christ but the proper and more immediate means was the Book of the Prophets which he had with him in his Chariot We see Paul was by a sudden accident brought into a way for the Gospel to have the free passage to his soul nor did that accident or occasion serve as the means of his receiving Christ but Ananias was sent to him the means instituted by the Lord to be a way of conveying the power of Christ upon his soul Faith cometh by hearing and the Gospel is that Power of God unto salvation and the Spirit comes by the preaching of Faith IV. The want of pure Gospel knowledge in Jesus Christ is the cause of many distractions in beleevers I observe When the Lord sends the light of Jesus Christ into a soul that hath formerly been in darknesse and in the shadow of death then it begins to see its corruptions and lusts and if there were any master-sin or chief-sin which had dominion as lust in some pride in others revenge in others worldly mindednesse in others then the soul presently is pricked upon the discovery of that and there is a remorse and perplexity in the soul They in the Acts after Peter had laid open their sin of shedding the blood of Christ were pricked to the heart for it and were inwardly troubled and wounded saying Men and Brethren what shall we do And if there be not a clear understanding of Jesus Christ and the Gospel the soul thus wounded will groan under many legal convictions the soul will hardly distinguish its condition from a worse or more miserable even that of sorrowing under the power of the Law Had not Peter been assured of the love of Christ and had his word that his faith should not fail his tears and Judas sorrowing had been all of one colour and kinde to the present and not clearly enlightned apprehension as Joseph who till he had opened himself to his Brethren was mistaken by them for a cruel and a harsh Governour but when they saw it was their Brother Joseph O what meltings and embracings were then amongst them Many a soul convinced by that Spirit which Christ hath sent to reprovo the world of sin walks sadly under the wound or burden not knowing the nature or condition of such a spiritual wound and many Preachers like some Chirurgions who keep their Patients
and I could powre out my soul in much sorrow and remorse for sin O me thought I could spend a whole night in praying for what my soul wanted That which I much desired in prayer was still that my sinful soul might be healed of sin and that running issue of sin that ran and ceased not might be stopped Yet in this my time and those dayes I seldom desired pardon of sin till I were fitted for mercies But now I see we are pardoned freely I cannot even now but say this O rest not therefore in your own duties lest you perish in the sparks you kindle as I had almost done I observed a good providence of the Lord to me in providing me still many Christians to complain to in this my condition OBSERVATIONS on the former Discourse I. Of the Preachers several dealings with this Party to settle them and not in a way of beleeving first I Observe That now this soul questioning the truth of all their assurances they labour to perswade it to faith or beleeving upon a ground of Sanctification in themselves which hath no evidence nor for the present can bring any demonstration to the spirit For Satan and the Parties own suspecting heart will not let them beleeve any truth in that which they have found so faulty As for instance a man that hath had cause to be jealous of his wife hath seen some miscarriages all the friends she can make are not able to satisfie and take away all grounds of fear jealousie from him by their perswasion but he will still suspect because he once had some real ground and unlesse they can take away this they cannot perswade him to that So in that soul where there hath been real failings and a spiritual discerning of its own unrighteousnesse all the perswasions of others cannot make it have any good opinion of it self nor perswade it of its righteousnesse unlesse they can take away that unrighteousnesse sin and make it to be no sin and no unrighteousnesse For the soul which is onely troubled for sin must be setled upon some thing which is not sin and upon a righteousnesse either in it self or some other or there can be no setlement peace or comfort in that soul And yet this is the common way of dealing with souls and bringing them up into assurance as thus Repent and pray and live an holy life and walk according to the Law of God and if they answer they cannot do thus O then say they can you not desire to pray and repent and if they say they cannot desire O but then say they can you not desire that you may desire And thus they winde them up by acts of their own spirit and run them out to the end of their own workings when alas these desires of desires and the spining of such fine threds in divinity are not strong enough to binde up a broken spirit This is but the broken work of a soul for how many have desired to enter in have not been able Nay Who is there not that have a desire All the world of common beleevers are carried on by this principle of a desire We see now the vanity of such reasonings with a soul troubled for sin and questioning the truth of the spiritual work in themselves Such kinde of arguing may give some hints to the soul that hath the Spirit of God in it some spiritual actings to pacifie and perswade it a while because it findes something in it self agreeable to such a discourse but these are too narrow and weak to bear up the burden of sin and legal terrours like the bottom and point of a top which being so small may for some time that it is in motion bear up the body of the top as wee see but when the motion is done the top fals having nothing proportionable to support it So the soul turns upon some hints of comfort a while but flattens again And this is the furthest and strongest satisfaction the discourse of such Divines can give yet I despise them not in this Light they have so they contend not against the more glorious light of truth but the Lord if he please reveal more unto them But you will say how will you deal then with a soul thus puzzled and questioning I answer I shall not dare to place them on any bottom of their own righteousnesse or to satisfie themselves by something only in themselves that were to take the disease for the Physitian to give them no oyntment but blood of their own wound to heal them nor should I take that other way which many do that are of this legal strain too as to apply promises to them first which many times instead of drawing the soul to Christ puts it further off bringing some conditions which the soul questioning in themselvs dares not meddle with before it be prepared by Christ and his freenesse But you will say what way will you take then I answer That way which the Scriptures reveal to me First the laying down and establishing and bringing forth a perfect righteousnesse even the righteousnesse of Christ and then shewing forth the way of common right and interest to this righteousnesse which is contained in the freest promises for bringing souls to close with and partake of this perfection and righteousnesse more plainly thus Christ crucified is the foundation and corner-stone and rock for sinners The righteousnesse of this Christ is every way perfect and compleat This righteousnesse is that which hath taken away the sins of the world so as no sin is now to be satisfied for nor no new righteousnesse to be wrought by any for salvation onely all that will be saved are to beleeve their interest and right in this righteousnesse and already purchased salvation And for the way of coming by a right or purchasing an interest in this righteousnesse or salvation it is held out without price or works in the freest clearest promises of salvation to sinners onely for taking and receiving beleeving in all being wrought to our hands So us this is as good a ground for one to beleeve on as another without exception and in this way of salvation to beleeve is life eternal and not to beleeve is condemnation He that beleeveth hath everlasting life and he that beleeveth not is condemned and this being a Scripture way I would leave the soul upon these principles and under this Commandment Beleeve on the Lord Jesus Christ for this is the Commandment that ye beleeve on his Son c. But you will say what if a soul answer I cannot beleeve I am not elected I shall answer then to such a soul thus You are bound to beleeve because it is a Commandment and you are not to make an objection from election or reprobation against your beleeving for that were to set one part of the truth against the other And thus you misinterpret both God and his Word But you
which exceeds in glory till with open face they behold as in a glasse the glory of the Lord Which glory would exceedingly force away the darknesse and clouds of ignorance fears and doubts from the soul which like smoak arises from the fire and kindling of the Law in weak beleevers We know green wood with any fire in it will set all the room on a smoak so beleevers whose spiritual Principles are but green and have any sparks of the Law and the curse for sin kindling in them will be fuller of smoak then light therefore they are called smoaking flax I will not quench the smoaking flax CHAP. III. Of the Parties falling into the same sins in some measure which they had lived in in their unregenerate estate from whence all their late bondage hath been Quest I Pray relate to me how long you continued in your back-sliding till the Lord let you see it to the terrour of your soul as you thought Answ No long time for I saw it shortly after then I had great terrours almost in a despairing way and then I questioned all my assurances and evidences of Gods love I had and promises I had received Then I went to my friend the Preacher full of terrour who desired to know the cause and I told him Then he asked me how it came to be so with me I told him through violence of temptation and natural corruption He told me the sin was not mine but so far as I consented but that could not satisfie me He asked me If God were not able to forgive it I told him I questioned not Gods ability but his will I desired some particular instances of him of any falling into the same sin again I knew the Saints of God had faln into divers great sins but not into the same He then alleadged to me that of the Prophet of back sliding Israel but because he could not clear to me that it was the same sin I was not comforted by it Many and divers promises both he and all the rest applied unto me I was sometimes refreshed yet but for a while They chid me oftentimes and said I lookt for such a measure of grace which I did not but the truth of grace in me and indeed they never told me of any promises but still there was such qualifications in them as I questioned all Quest It seems then this was your case You could not perswade your self of the truth of your light because of your returning to sin nor finde such conditions in your self upon which you could rightly as you thought apply the promises I pray let me know some particular temptations you have had if you think good Answ I was tempted to make away my self lest the longer I lived the more I should dishonour Religion Satan came again to me to eat something with pins in it to choak my self that it might not appear how I died which I did but in mercy I found no harm the Lord prevented it I know not how Many times I have been tempted by divers means to destroy my self but was still prevented by several providences I have been much tempted to keep alone The temptations I had came in alwayes most violently and furiously I could scarce hold I was not my self The Lord once when I thought to have stabbed my self sent in a wicked fellow who brought a Book and read by which I was mercifully prevented I found still in all my temptations I was prevented by some providence and upheld If in the temptation I could but get to consider once then it ended and in this course I have lived and continued most OBSERVATIONS I. The danger of placing assurance most in mortification of sin I Observe That Satan doth tempt our naturall corruption exceedingly to the same sins which have reigned most in us in the times of our unregenerate condition for by that he may the more easily draw us to unbeleef and perswade us against the love of God in Christ and to question our calling because we are naturally apt to take measure of our graces and Gods love to us first by the mortification of sin in us and dying to former lusts and if we finde that otherwise then we would we presently let go our hold upon the promises and slaken our beleeving and perswade our selves that because it is thus and thus with us and corruption quickening again we were deceived in our selves that sure the Spirit was never in us because we finde some goings back and fallings again in the same way we did at first I confesse in natural causes and things the outward working and effects do give the best assurance concerning the truth of their essence or being but that is not the onely way of spiritual assurances they are more by way of word and promise then work and operation Abraham beleeved in hope against hope Rom. 4. II. The danger of drawing our comforts most from the change in the outward man I observe That the soul naturally examines its spiritual state or condition by calling to minde former wayes and times of uncleannesse and by comparing times and seasons the latter with the former and the assurances and comforts of many are raised upon this very foundation of comparison Therefore if Satan can force them or entice them into any part of the former conversation he knows he can exceedingly puzzle and perplex them keep them long under bondage I know the Apostle sets forth the Churches state of Corinth c. by comparing times Such were some of you but ye are washed c. But this is not by way of putting true beleevers upon a method for assurance but in describing and comparing the outward state of the Church-way with what they were before And hence it is that relapsing fallings again into the same sins do bring such anguish and terrour upon such souls even almost to confusion of face nay he makes many souls by this one snare go desperatly forward to sin upon a new score or tally as if it were in vain for them to perswade themselves of Christ or the love of God but rather to sin it out in this life not considering that the Blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 and that if we sin we have an Advocate with the Father 1 Joh. 2.1 but go upon an empty and half despairing beleef for salvation like some bankrupts that having once broken ran desperately into more and more debt and finding themselves unable to discharge some they take no care for any as they who said It is vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinance Mal. 3. III. The spiritual condition in this life more in being justified from sin then cleansed from sin I observe likewise That a soul which is once brought into these entanglements of back-slidings such as have no clear Gospel-light nor understanding to undeceive unwinde themselvs fall under very sad