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
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
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
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
secrets so far or whether according to Aquinas ideo dicitur nescire quia nos scire non faciet he therefore be said not to know because he will not suffer us to know I shall not dispute either of both will serve our turn Gods particular decree of election is a secret lockt up in the bosome of him who is the auncient of days of which either Christ himself as man was ignorant or concerning which to be sure he was so secret as neâ—er to reveal his fathers thoughts he was indeed as God the Privy-counsellor of eternity but a secret keeper of his fathers thoughts and counsels as well as an obedient Son to his commands in revealing his fathers will Christ indeed tells his Disciples Ioh. 15. 26. He had chosen them but it was though not because they beleeved that he chose them yet after that he had called them and they were come to him and had walked constantly and obediently with him that he told them so Christ hath not revealed particular election to any before Faith Secondly Nor ever will be Will Christ think you ever reveal the secrets of eternity to those that actually are his utter enemies Election is one of Gods secrets it is the roll wherein the eternall covenant betwixt this or that particular soul and the King of eternall glory is written and inrolled Now the Scripture indeed saith Psal 25. 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his covenant But hath the Scripture ever said the secrets of the Lord are with unbeleeving damned wretches for he that beleeveth not is damned already no when the soul is once called and beleeves on the Lord Jesus Christ then God in his due time reveals the secrets of eternity to such a soul and puts it on spectacles to reade the particular covenant that he hath made entred and enrolled in the court of heaven which is written in small and invisible characters and cannot be read but with enlightned eyes guided by the eternall spirit Besides Thirdly Consider the phrase of Scripture how it doth reveal to us our particular election Peter calls to them to Strive to make their calling and election sure First your calling then your election 1 Ioh. 2. 5. and 3. 6 10. 1 Joh. 2. 5. It is the constant language of Scripture 3 Ch. v. 6. 10. and the sense of all the Apostles that by our Faith and fruits of our sanctification which are the consequents and attendants upon Faith We must know whether we be in God or no whether we be the sons of God or no our particular election must be known to us by the effects doest thou therefore stick at this I must know that I am elected otherwise I cannot beleeve thou cuttest off the means by which thou shouldst attain to thy end Thy end is to know thy election Now the means by which thou shouldst attain to this particular knowledge and assurance must be Faith and the fruits of it This thou casts off a thing so absurd that thou wouldst condemne it in any worldly matter Thirdly 3 Con. Consider thou hast no ground for thee to thinke thou art not elected unlesse it be thy unbeleefe God hath made open Proclamation Whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life Whosoever commeth unto me I will in no wise turne him away Let all come and I will ease you Suppose a King should make a Proclamation concerning some Malefactors Let every one that will come to me and beg his pardon and he shall have it Though he hath a secret reservation of thoughts in his bosome to pardon none but such and such because he is confident the rest will be too proud and stout to come yet upon what justifiable ground shall any Malefactor think the King intends not to pardon him before he comes to him and humbly begs his pardon Shall he stand and at a distance say Let the King send me a particular pardon and then I will come for it and thank him but till I am sure he intendeth to give it I will never take the pains to go Upon what grounds shall such a malefactor think the King intends not to give him his life hath he not good cause to think his stoutnesse is the clearest and proximate cause God saith come beleeve and you shall live Thou saith now no I do not think I shall live let me know that and then I will beleeve what ground hast thou to think thou shalt not have the end but because thou wilt not use the means Suppose a man lay very sick his Physicians should prescribe him such and such means ☜ in order to his recovery no not he he remembers His time is in Gods hand and he cannot passe it he is sure he will see first whether God will let him live or no and if God will send him a lease of his life then he will use means Suppose now such a man should dye what might any think the cause why he dyed so soon What the period that God had set to his dayes or his own refusing the means to sustain his life But this will be further enlarged in a fifth consideration Fifthly Consider but this That all those whom God hath elected he hath not onely elected to the end but to the means Gods eternall decree of election is not entred thus in the Court-book Be it ordained that such or such a person shall live eternally But be it ordained That such or such a person shall in time be called and beleeve the Gospel and walk holily like one of my children and after receive the crown of glory We were predestinated That we should be to the praise of his glory Eph. 1. 12. and 2. 10. For we are his workmanship created in Iesus Christ unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them God hath ordained the means as well as the end and you must first know by your calling and beleeving that you are elected to them before you can know you are elected to eternall life the same God that hath made it a decree of eternity this and that man shall be saved hath also made it a decree that this or that man should beleeve Beleeving that I am elected and one chosen of God to eternall life is a piece of sense not of justifying Faith saith learned and pious Rutherford and it is a piece of sense too to think I beleeve as I have at large heretofore shewed but it is an higher thing to beleeve and be fully perswaded that I shall infallibly be saved then to think I truely beleeve it is a step higher the demonstration is plain because no Christian can think that he shall be undoubtly saved unlesse he thinks first that he doth truely and savingly beleeve Now therefore thy first work must be to get a sense of Faith to beleeve that thou beleevest for thou wilt never
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
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