and contributes unto it It is granted that the Radicall principle of thy doubts is originall sinne but then the immediate principle of it is remaining Infidelity Out of it immediately come all thy staggerings and reelings and questionings and doubtings That is it O weak beleever which disables thy apprehension of the Covenant of Christ of the Promises of thy Title That is it which perverts thy judgment and mis-perswades it with cunning reasonings so that either thou canst not discerne the full truth of Gods Promises or thou canst not see prevailing reasons to perswade thy selfe that they belong to thee Therefore let the main care and work of thee be to strike at unbeliefe Be humbled much for it beseech the Lord to cure thee more and more of it to remove the ignorance of the Covenant out of thee and to cast downe carnall and proud reasonings which give the lye to the way of Gods free and full Grace which would have thee to be first and of thy selfe that which thou canst never be without Christ and to doe and bring that which God never imposed on thee to doe or to bring but hath told thee plainly the working of it in thee belongs onely to himselfe and hee is also really and graciously willing to bestow upon thee 3. As for the third demand What way thou mayst take for the mortifying of all this sin I answer 1. Generally touching all of it Do but insist in the ways on which already thou art falne Did any vertue in the death of Christ laid hold on by faith did that heretofore help against sinne It will doe so still Did any love of God help thee the more to hate sin It will doe so still Did any assurance of a reconciled God in Christ freely and abundantly pardoning of thee weaken sin in thee It will doe so still Did solemne confessions of sin selfe-judgings speciall mournings sufficiently help thee with conquest of sinnes They will doe so still Did the humble application of thy self to the Ordinances of Jesus Christ through which he is pleased to reveale his arme confer any strength against thy sins It will help still Did any holy feare any tendernesse in conscience any declining of occasions Did vehement wrestlings with God in Prayer Did serious meditation and consideration Did close society with the Saints Did studies of farther holinesse Did frequent reviewings of thy condition and renewings of Covenant with thy God in his strength Did holy watchings Did resistings of the first births of sin Did these any of these all of these or any other spirituall course besides these cause thy sinfulnesse to be vile unto thee to be abhorred by thee to be cast downe in thy judgement to be cast out in thy affections to be cast off in thy life Goe on with these and sinne will then be more and more mortified and doubts will be more and more weakned the more that thy conscience is thus sprinkled from dead works the more shalt thou be able to draw neere unto God in assurance of faith 2. Particularly for the mortifying of remaining Infidelity doe three things 1. Study exactly the Covenant of Grace in the Author of it foundation of it matters contained in it and all the adjuncts and termes of graciousnesse sutablenesse fulnesse faithfulnesse c. appertaining to it 2. Study JESUS CHRIST throughly know him distinctly in the person of a Mediator and offices and effects and works Then 3. To much meditation in these abound in Prayer that God in particular would cause thee by faith to set thy seale unto them But more of this will follow in answering some other causes of doubtings 2. The second spring was weaknesse and imperfection in faith The cure and remedy of which is to perfect and strengthen faith put more strength more growth more ripenesse into faith and your doubtings will be lesse The Simile more purely the fire burnes the lesse smoke it hath and when the light and heat of the Sunne are greatest then the clouds and misty vapours are fewest Faith and Doubtings are like a paire of scales where the waight of the one beares away the other The Disciples I remember prayed Lord increase our faith and so did he of whom you heard in Mark 9. Mar. 9. 24. Lord help my unbeliefe You will say No man can Ob. deny that if his faith had more strength then his heart should have lesse doubting But how may that be done How may faith be strengthened I answer Sol. 1. God who gave faith can strengthen it for every grace depends upon him not onely for birth but also for complement his strength must lead us on frō strength to strength from faith to faith he who is the Author is also the finisher of it And therefore if thou wouldst have a strong faith thou shouldst goe to a strong God and beg of him Lord increase my faith My knowledge is dim lighten that candle open mine eyes yet more that I may see thy truths My assents many times shaking but do thou establish and comfirm my heart in thy truths My embracings applications very trembling and broken and interrupted but doe thou guide mine eye to look upon my Saviour do thou guide my hand to lay hold on him doe thou Doe thou perswade me and I shall be perswaded enable my will and affections to embrace all the goodnesse of thy selfe of thy Christ of thy Word It is Gods method to lay in at the first weak faith that we might beg for more faith and give him the honour of all Had we it strong at first he should not heare of us but he dispenseth it by degrees that in all our gettings and in all our victories over doubtings c. his strength may-have the glory Therefore goe to God and say Lord I would have more faith thou wouldst have me to perfect it but all perfection is in thee and I cannot by my meere strength ripen what thou givest but thou canst water what thou plantest though it be sowne a weak body yet thou canst make it rise a strong body though faith at first be but as a graine of mustard-seed yet thoucanst cause it to blossome and to spread it selfe into a high measure Therefore thou who alone canst doe it doe it for thy weak servant Thou must take charge of thine own graces and if thou givest my faith more strength my beleeving will bring thee in the more glory c. 2. The studying of Christ and the Promises more will bring more strength and perfection to faith It is with the Christian as it is with the Scholar let the Scholar study Simile more the objects of knowledge and then his knowledge will grow to be more large So let the Christian study more the matters of faith and his faith will rise to be more full Hence the Apostle prayes that the Ephesians Chap. 3. 19. Eph. 3. 19. might know the love of Christ that they might be filled
lest And that we might bestow our tears not our tongues on others sinning he should be over-exalted so to many Christians the Lord doth returne unto them the sensible sting of some notable guilt to abase their hearts to put them in mind of themselves For this reduction of former gilt it gives up unto us our base and treacherous natures and the births of our owne hearts Ah! faith such a person this heart this nature of mine what was it what is it if the Lord leaves it See here the grapes the sowre grapes of this wild-vine little reason have I to be so highly conceited of my self as long as I perceive such loath some accounts and issues from my selfe And veriâ—y it makes us oft-times to despise our selves to abhorre our selves in dust and ashes And this is one great Our present graces make us good and the sense of former sins keeps us humble end and use which the Lord makes of former sins To keep the heart in a very humble frame We must have something or other still put unto us of our owne which will let us see how foolish we are by nature that is Davids phrase and how brutish we were that is Solomons phrase 3. To make us more carefull For the sharp remembrance of sinne doth in a godly heart work stronger detestation and stronger watchfulnesse God doth make their Remembring the gall the wormwood Lam. 3. new considerations to be our present preventiâ—â—s Future commissions of sinâ—â—e are many times prevented by new impressions of former sins What should I sinne thus again saith the humble heart have I not reason to crush these births to crucifie that bitter root to pray against it to watch against it to resist it to deny it which hath beene and is now a sword in my conscience But now consider that there is a double carefulnesse wrought by the new rising of sinne 1. One respects the guilt of it and here our care is to get our acquitance renewed and inlarged O how doth the Lord by these risings of sin soone cause the soule to rise up in suing out his grace and favour It causeth many a teare many a prayer many a wrestling with God many pressings upon the promises many an earnest beseeching to have our pardon and discharge more fully sealed unto our consciences by the bloud of Jesus Christ and testimony of the Spirit 2. Another respects the sins themselves in their corrupt qualities and inclinations and motions and this is a greater study against them firmer resolutions strengthning of covenants confirmations of grace of circumspection of detestation of resistance of any thing or way by which the powers of sin may be more subdued and cast downe 4. To make us more thankfull Perhaps the Lord hath pardoned those sins which rise anew in thy heart they doe not alwayes rise because God hath not discharged their guilt but because thou hast not discharged thy new debt they arise as a debt for the discharge of a debt as we use to put men in mind of their former miseries not that thereby they are made miserable but because thereby they should be made thankfull Beloved to have former sins discharged it is mercy I say mercy yea and a rich mercy greater then to give a condemned person life or to give an imprisoned person liberty far greater No such mercy as that which blots out our sins which saves a soule from hell and gives it pardon and life Now great mercies should be answered with great thankfulnesse Thou didst in the sense and sting of thy guilt go with an heavy heart with bitter sighes with deep oppressions O that I had mercy O this burden O this wound O this sinne Yea and with deep protestations If the Lord will but pardon it If he will shew me mercy If he would receive me graciously he should have the calves of my lips I would love him indeed I would serve him I would praise and thank him I would speak good of his name I would say Who is a God like him that forgiveth iniquities transgressions and sins and passeth by the sins of his people Well the Lord hath shewed himselfe like himselfe a God very gracious and mercifull but we perhaps have shewed our selves like our selves in distresses earnest and full of promises but in our exemptions flat and full of forgetfulnesse Now the Lord doth exceedingly dislike this vanity and doubting of heart he loves that mercy should be still acknowledged to be mercy he would have us to look back as well as to look up and to give him thanks for that mercy for which not long since wee would have given all the world and our soules too And therefore doth he cast unto us our accounts he lets us thereby see what they were and what he hath done that wee may confesse our error for not answering great mercy with great thankfulnesse But perhaps you will inquire Ob. What if we our selves for our part be the cause of reviving of former guilt and sting of former sins I answer If it be by way of Sol. humiliation to seek the pardon and to make confession to the God of mercy and to get victory over them this should no way discourage us for this is no more hurt or prejudice to the soule then the after laying open of the wound to the Chirurgion to dresse and cure it is prejudiciall to the safety and welfare of the body But if it be by way of commission either by relapsing into the same sins or multiplying of sinne in another kinde both which will dig up again our buried and fore-past guilts then I know no way of peace and safety no way to allay these renewed accusations and stings but by renewed sorrow and repentance And verily what I delivered unto you heretofore about recovery from relapsing that is the course presently to be taken here O let us haste in before the Lord with hearts trickling down with tears of bloud for old and present wounds the very abundance of sorrow the bitternesse of griefe the art of self-affliction I cannot say that sorrow of sorrow that hatred of hatred that indignation of indignation that revenge of revenge that repentance of repentance which are here necessarily required and that too with longest continuance Doe what thou wilt shuffle off cut to thy selfe a peace thou shalt never have it thy sinnes shall ever and anon gall and vexe and wound thee untill thou hast renewed thy bitternesse of most humbled sorrow for renewing thy filthinesse and basenesse of thy audacious sinning But then suppose that Satan Ob. through his malicious art doth revive our former guilt by his accusations for our greater interruption and disquietment what is now to be done I will shew you here briefly Sol. two things 1. One is how you may know that the reviving of former guilt be from Satan or no. 2. Another is what is then to be done by us 1. You may know that
who hath performed the oath to Abraham the father of the faithfull they look not upon Christ who hath by his blood ratified and sealed the Covenant they look not upon that mighty spirit of grace in them they look not upon other standing Christians who can tell them that God is true in all his promises and assuredly righteous and a present help and who never fails them that trust upon him and wait 3. They cannot repaire unto the establishments of faith as strong beleevers can They are not yet so acquainted with the Armory of faith the Promises The Armory of faith they are the Armory of faith but now these Promises are many and are graciously framed to the variety of our conditions which because the beginning Beleever knows not therefore in the times of changes being not so ready having not his weapons nor being so presently able to send them out hence it is that doubtings doe so arise yea and so grow upon him in such streÌ„gth that he is like to faint You shall experimentally Note finde many good people who have in some cases maintained their ground with credit to their faith for they have traversed a particular vein of the Promises they have found them out they have applyed them and made use of them by vertue of which they have borne down the many risings of doubt and fear in that kind and have singularly enabled and comforted their hearts against distrust and feare But these self-same persons on a sudden have been and are strangely puzled distressed afraid doubtfull full of fears and dejections and all that they can doe is to bear up yea and that is hardly done too Why what is the matter have they not faith Yes and doth not that faith work Perhaps it doth in a generall way but with particular efficacie they cannot yet observe it How so This there is a new kind of trouble a new burden which yet they were not put unto and they cannot find any promise to reach that same and hence it is that their fears and doubtings doe exceedingly sprout up and distract them And this is found to be very true that in particular and sensible distresses be the matter Till faith doth settle we shall be unsetled and kind what they may be the soul remains in a hurried perplexity in a waveing unsetlednesse untill that faith can find out a Promise to answer it either expresly or virtually One of these two wayes it must reach us in our conditions or else our feares are up â— The studying of the life The third cause of doubtings of sense This is another spring of doubting which is evident in Thomas John 20. 25. Except Joh. 20. 25 I shall see in his hand the print of the nailes and thrust my hand into his side I will not beleeve He must see and feele or else he is faithlesse Now to study the life of sense is this viz. To place the disposition of God and the issues The life of sense what it is of our condition in our feelings and sensible apprehensions As to beleeve that God is my God because I find him so That he is gracious because I find a sensible answer of my prayers That he doth accept of my services because I finde that life of affections So on the contrary that he is not my God because I finde not those â—ensible reports of his favour I find not that quicknesse and former smartnesse of affections I find not present answers unto all my desires requests That I am not in the estate of Grace because I feele not the vigours and secret increasings of grace That I doe not beleeve because I do not rejoyce nor see my sinnes blotted out c. Which kind of life must verily be exposed unto infinite and continuall doubtings Three demonstrations that the life of sense causeth doubtings For 1. The soule here hath no constant bottome to settle upon our feeling is sometimes more sometimes lesse sometimes none at all Indeed it is A bowle upon a bowle c. true that faith may bâ—eed feeling but then it is as true that faith may be without it As Sense meets with contrarietics cannot resolve them but faith can reconcile all by resting on God and his Word Daâ—id Iob and Paul c. the soule doth breed seeing and hearing in the eyes and eares yet the soule may be in the man when these doe not see and these doe not heare A man cannot but be perplexed in his thoughts if he holds this opinion That meat doth not nourish him unlesse hee presently sees how the parts grow bigger by it or That his father doth not love him because hee is not alwayes smoothing and stroking of him or That his seed is lost because it is not a present harvest or That the channell will shortly be dry and without water because the Tide is gone out and hath left it naked In Conclusions can never bee firme which depend upon variable changeaable principles like manner to conclude against our soules from Sensibles and Mutables exposeth it to the labyrinth of daily fears and scruples But secondly the soul hereby doth advantage Satan in his suggestions for the life of sense like the rowling sea is open to all winds it hath a secret restlesse unquiet distemper of its own but besides that it is open to the singular disturbances and inquietations from the devill For the life of Note sense hath made two propositions for him of the despairing Syllogisme and he can easily make the other viz. He who hath not the sense The syllogisme of sense of Gods favour present answers from God feelings of his graces in their nature and measure cannot be in the state of grace and salvation this is the Maxime of sense But thou saith Satan hast not the sense of Gods favour c. Ergo saith he Thou art not Ergo also sayest thou I am not in the state of grace and salvation Loe here the issues of the life of sense And now no marvaile if the soule gives not on upon Christ or the promises but is tossed to and fro and hangs in extreame suspence Yet thirdly it is a life which doth much dishonour God and therefore exposed to many feares and unsetlednesses What To measure the truths of God by our feeling and the graciousnesse of God by our sense what is this but to arraigne God both for truth and graciousnesse What is God will not stoop to our unbeleeving way of sense but we must rise to his granting way of faith this but to set upon God and give the sentence which he hath kept in his owne hands What is this but to limit the holy One of Israel yea to correct his wisdome as not being skilful to order the businesse of our salvation unlesse we alwayes have an eye or a finger at every turn to know his particular intentions and proceedings with us It
see here is ground of doubtings yet if a man could look out of himselfe and know that his righteousness is to be found in Christ and God hath appointed it so that I am to be justified by that righteousness onely now the soul may have a stay to rest on Yet my Saviours righteousnesse was perfect was accepted and he is mine and his righteousnesse is mine 3. Till we know the dispositions if I may so speak in God about our justifying we cannot but doubt for a man reasoneth thus I have committed great sins which now do grieve me and I hate them and I have left them but I know not how they may be pardoned those will now cause doubtings Untill wee know that God for Christ will justifie us frō great sins as well as small 1 Cor 6. 8 9. and that 1 Cor. 6. 8 9 10. he blots out the thick cloud as well as the cloud Esay 44. 22. Esa 44. 22 I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins and that there were expiatory sacrifices not onely for infirmities but also for enormities all which typified the vertue of the blood of Christ which justifies from great sins c. But I have nothing to move Ob. God to pardon them Yet pardoning is a gracious Sol. work God pardons sins not for thy sake but for his owne sake Esay 43. 25. I even I am Esa 43 25 he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake and for his Christs sake Eph. 1. 7. In Eph. 1. 7. whom onely we have redemption even the forgivenesse of our sinnes But God will call me hereafter Ob. to account again though for a while he seems to be graciously pleased No the Lord in his new Covenant Sol. of Grace assures the contrary Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive Jer. 31. 34 their iniquity and I will remember their sinne no more So that you manifestly see how the ignorance of our Justification leaves the soule in great doubtings because 1. A man knows not where to cast his burden 2. Where to find his righteousnesse 3. What is the vertue and fulnesse and love and graciousnesse the fidelity and irrevocablenesse of God in justifying a sinner by Christ 10. A tenth cause of doubtings A tenth cause of doubtings is disputation against the Promises You have heard heretofore that the ignorance of the Promises is an occasion of doubting and now I am to shew you that the arguing of the soule against them is also another cause But you will say Doth any Ob. man dare to dispute against Gods Promises I answer The Promises may Sol. The Promises considered two wayes be considered 1. In respect of their absolute truth and goodnesse thus they are not disputed against unlesse by Atheists and positive unbeleevers as were those scoffers 2 Pet. 3. 4. who said Where is the promise of his comming 2. In respect of their application and extent Thus many weak beleevers are subject to argue against them Not whether they be verity and mercy not whether righteousnesse and peace doe meet in them but whether these doe reach to them and may be applyed by them Nay that is not all they do ofttimes upon unjust grounds thrust away the Promises from themselves And now the soule must needs be hurried with feares and doubtings in case the condition be sensible because 1. The Promises are to faith Three reasons of it as ground unto the Anchor cast out an Anchor and if it hath not ground to fasten or Simile hitch in the Ship rowls still This is a truth If faith cannot pitch and fixe the soule cannot be quiet and setled David in one place useth the comparison of a bird that his soule did hye unto God as a bird unto her nest Whiles the bird is in Noabs dove foūd no rest for the sole of her foot the ayre it is hovering and flying and restlesse so is it with the soule untill faith can settle it under the wings of a Promise Nay againe the Promises are called the breasts of consolation When the child is hungry and distempered nothing quiets it but the breasts And assuredly if the Promises doe not still the soule nothing can Now when a man will rove from this ground of faith when he will fly from his rest when he refuseth the breasts of consolation no marvaile if his soule be full of doubts and feares For this is all one as if a lame man should throw away his crutches or a weak man his staffe or a sick man his cordials or a sinking man the bough which holds him up The goodnesse of the Lord promised to David was that Psa 27. 13 which did hold up all his faintings and so all Gods people have still been held and staffed up by Gods Word And therefore that person must needs be full of doubts who withdraws his shoulder from such a stay and rock upon which hee should leane and rest himselfe 2. This is but selfnesse which is ever accompanied with unquietnesse for why dost thou refuse to apply those Promises which God hath made Is it not because 1. Thou wouldst have more goodnesse first 2. Lesse unbeliefe first And is not this a self-seeking yea in some sort a self-standing What an odde and unseemly Note So thou hast promised to pardon sins c. method of worshiping of God is this Lord I have but weak grace and thou hast promised to strengthen it and perfect and finish it but I will not beleeve thy Promise belongs to me untill I have first a greater increase of my grace Or thus Lord I find much unevennesse in duty and thou hast promised to give thy Spirit which shall cause mee to walk in thy way but I will not beleeve this Promise untill I be first more enabled in duty Or thus Lord I find much sinfulnesse in me and thou hast promised to change cleanse the heart and to subdue iniquity but I will not beleeve this Promise untill first I see my sins subdued When I find my graces increased then I will beleeve that thou wilt increase them when I find my Whē thou hast done it then I will beleeve that thou wilt doe it obedience continued and my sinnes subdued then will I beleeve that thou wilt cause me to walk and wilt subdue sins q. d. If thou wilt performe thy Promise before I doe beleeve thy Promise then I will beleeve thy Promise This is as Simile if a man would see the blood in the veines before the veins are opened or wash his hands cleane before he hath turned the cock to let out the water 3. A man is still held by the powers of his corruption And where corruptions or wants are still found in their former measure there the tender soule will doubt and feare Let a man bestow himselfe much in hearing or much in praying or much in conferring yet if he have the