Conscience condemns thy person I confesse thou hast no reason to beleeve mercy for thy selfe If thy conscience tels thee to the face of God thou art in a foule sinfull course and hast been called upon by the voice of the Word and its voice to come out of it and thou dost not leave it nay art resolved to pursue it and to insist on it now God is greater then thy conscience and will assuredly condemne thee 2. If conscience condemns thy actions onely then thou mayest notwithstanding that condemnation beleeve on mercy My meaning is this Though the conscience by its discerming light represents unto thee much sinfulnesse in thy nature and former course and though it doth condemne these to be vile and most fit to be crucified abhorred and forsaken this condemnation hinders not the right of beleeving Nay no man indeed should beleeve unlesse his conscience doth condemne sin in him not onely shew him his sinnes but assure him that they are evill and unworthy his love nay most worthy of his detestation and mortification 2. Secondly you must distinguish of times when conscience doth condemne a man there are two times of a Christian 1. Some are open and free He is himselfe and besides that he heares both parties as well what is for himselfe as what is against himselfe yea and weighs matters in controversie in the right ballance of Gods Sanctuary not in Satans ballance of cunning suggestions Will conscience condemne thy person at such a time and under such circumstances Nay will not the Word of God acquit thee at such a time against all feares for the substance and reality of a pious condition 2. Some are clouded darkned either with melancholy or afflictions or temptations wherein the Christian seeth his face through a false glasse just as a Title is made by a deceitfull cunning Lawyer not according to truth not all of it but some of it What is past heretofore for action and affection or what hath falne out not in the course of life since a mans conversion but onely in case of surprisall and captivity Now perhaps conscience may condemne thee but this is an illegall sentence it is a corrupted judgement and is reversible God will not judge of thee as Conscience in such a case doth Nay he will repeale it and disanull it 4. A fourth cause of doubtings is a feare lest a man hath sinned that great sin against the holy Ghost And the main inducement to credit this is a sinning against cleare knowledge which is one ingredient in that sinne Now this is my condition saith a troubled soul I have not onely sinned but sinned against light shining in the Ministery and working on my conscience therefore I may rather conclude then question it Mercy belongs not to me To help a conscience thus Sol. inthralled I would wish that such a person would 1. Be informed 2. Be directed 1. The Information which I would commend in this case is fourefold First that the sinne against the holy Ghost is not any sin which a man commits through ignorance Whatsoever the sinne or sinnes have beene whereof the party stands guilty whether against the Law or against the Gospel suppose it be one or many hainous sinnes yet if the person be in a state of blindnesse and ignorance if there is a nescience of the fact if hee knowes not what he doth this ignorance priviledgeth the sinnings thus far that therefore they are not the sin against the holy Ghost Secondly the sin against the holy Ghost is not any sinne against the Gospel which is elicited and acted through a mis-beliefe or mis-perswasion If the sinne be a sleighting of Euangelicall doctrines nay a persecuting of them and of the professors of them yet if these acts of opposition depend totally on error in the judgment on a judgement mis-perswaded i. rather beleeving them not to be truths rather thinking those wayes to be false wayes I say this mis-beliefe preserves such sinnings yet from being sins against the holy 1 Tim. 1. 13. Ghost because the sinne against the holy Ghost supposeth light even to conviction and approbation See Heb. 6. 4. 5. Thirdly the sin against the holy Ghost is not every sinning against knowledge These are not reciprocall propositions every sin against the holy Ghost is against knowledg and every sinne against knowledge is the sin against the holy Ghost The former is true but the latter is not for many a converted man sinneth against knowledge who yet never sinneth the sin against the holy Ghost In two cases a man sinning against knowledge doth not yet sin that sin against the holy Ghost One is the case of a strong and violent temptation Another is the case of a sudden and turbulent passion It is the same with Peters case against his knowledg denying and forswearing his Master If Paul before his conversion had had Peters knowledge he had sinned this sin against the holy Ghost And if Peter in his denyall had had Pauls malice joyned with his knowledge he had also sinned that sinne but the mis-beliefe of the one before his conversion and the infirmity of the other after it preserved from this sinne Error mis-led the one and sudden feare surprised the other Fourthly there are three horrible sinnings which doe attend that sinne against the holy Ghost and the Scripture which wee were best exceeding warily to follow in resolving this case expresly delivers them 1. One is totall Apostasie from the truths of Jesus Christ knowne and tasted The truths of Christ must 1. be knowne and apprehended 2. knowne and tasted they must be approved 3. And then the person falls from these 4. Nay his fal is not particular which is incident to the best it is a totall fall not a falling in the way but a falling from the way of truth Heb. 6. 4. If they were once inlightned and tasted c. If ver 6. they shall fall away 2. A second is a malicious oppugnation of that truth which was once knowne and tasted and from which now the person is falne called Heb. 6. 6. A crueifying of the Sonne of God afresh And Heb. 10. 26. A And despiting the spirit of Grace wilfull sinning after that we have received the knowledge of the truth And it was evident in the Pharisees who saw and knew the light but hated and persecuted it unto the death 3. A third is finall impenitencie Whosoever sinnes the sin against the holy Ghost he neither doth repent nor can repent He is so justly and for ever forsaken of God and given up to a reprobate sense and a seared conscience that he cannot repent though perhaps he may see his course to be evill yet it is impossible saith the Apostle in Heb. 6. 6. to renew him to repentance FINIS
cleare expresse hee who runnes may reade them Busie thy self most in these study to be a good man and a good master a good man and a good servant c. Exercise thy selfe to know what concernes thee and then to pray thy selfe into the practise of that This is a wise way and setled and which is exempted from vaine turmoiles and many judiciall doubtings 6. Informe the conscience with the nature of a Christian and saving condition Some things are required towards salvation some things unto salvation some things give a being other things a comfortable being Of all which if a person had a speciall and distinct knowledge hee might walke more quietly without feares and doubtings Shall I give you an hint of some particulars Remember then these Propositions 1. Preparations to Grace are Four particulars worthy of weak christians distinct consideration different and unequall All men are not prepared by the same degrees or in the same manner for Christ Conviction of the naturall estate and attrition and anguish and those legall operations these are preparations for men must know their sinfull condition Ro. 7 7 9. Rom. 8. 15 Mat. 11. 28 they must have the spirit of bondage they must be heavy and weary before they can lay hold on Christ Now those legall impressions are different Every Beleever of ripe yeares hath felt them more or lesse yet all cannot say alike Every child feeles something in his birth Simile but some children are brought forth with more paines and others with lesse difficulty Lydia was quickly delivered but Paul lies by it some dayes Some people can say as David in another case Sorrow endured for a night but joy came in the morning Others may say as the same David Night and day thy hand was heavy upon me The Lord is pleased for he is an arbitrary Agent both for the matter and manner in our spirituall alteration to single out some persons to charge their sinnes deep upon their consciences and to pursue them with singular terrors to stick his arrows and their own sins so close that they know not which way to turne themselves He doth almost grinde Some persons greatly prepared them to powder and casts them to the dust and to the lowest amazements and distractions and then as the skilfull Artificer who hath bruised and battered and broken the masse into pieces and throwne it into the fire and melted it hee yet at length takes it out and fashions from all this a most comely and precious and usefull vessell So doth the Lord many times with some people he returnes them their old sinnes and powerfully mingles the Law and their sinnes and their consciences together and so with that hammer bruiseth and breaks their sinfull hearts and with that fire melts them and dissolves them as it were yet after a long and sad time of sensible conviction and horrible bondage hee graciously formes the Lord Jesus in their hearts and renewes his blessed image of grace and they become the most acceptable vessels of glory But with other persons hee deals not in this high measure He doth indeed arrest them Others gently prepared with the Law but doth not so fetter and iron them he doth not so imprison them but upon on their falling downe he is pleased to release them from their guilt and feares and to deliver them from the powers of darknesse into the marvellous liberty of the sons of God Therefore know this that Note when God hath attained his end he ceaseth in this way of legall operation Quest What is his end wil you say Sol. I answer his end is in these legall preparations 1. To evidence unto a man the foulnesse of his heart and life 2. To convince him of a totall Legall troubles workings cease whē God attaines his end unworthinesse 3. To produce most inward dislikes of such an abominable thing as sin is 4. To make a man willing upon Gods owne conditions to take and receive Christ Which is in some sooner in some later These are the ends which being in some sooner in others later accomplished the Lord doth cease the workings of preparation You know that if a piece of stone or wood will break with one or two blows we spare the rest and if the masse will yeeld Simile in one dayes firing we then let it out So c. But if yet the knottinesse be great and resistance long then knotty wood must have iterated blows and un-yeelding metall must have the greater fire From all this the doubtfull heart may perhaps be setled about his estate in grace Aske him Dost thou love God I doe Serve him with all thy might in all thy wayes I do Rest upon Jesus Christ I do Combat and war against sin I doe and yet I feare all is not right Why Because I never had such terrors as others Now then informe thy weak judgment If God hath shewn unto thee thy sinfulnesse If he hath abated thee and emptied thee of thy self If sin and thou are now at defiance If thou hast yeelded unto the receiving of Christ upon his owne termes and conditions though thy legall preparations were not answerable to others either for intension of strength and measure or for extension of length and time yet thy condition is good and safe For that humiliation which is accompanied with these issues is assuredly blessed and comfortable If the physick carries away the humour though Simile it doe not make the person so sick yet it is good And though a man want a storme to drive him to shore yet is he safe enough if he be landed with a softer gale and tide 2. The operations of Grace are also different and unequall notwithstanding that Christians may have one common principle and the same externall means of grace I beseech you observe this 1. There is one and the same specificall seed of regenerating grace in all Christians the same spirit of holinesse of faith of repentance of love c. All Christians are bottomed alike and rooted alike for the substantiall part of Grace 2. That many Christians may live under the same means of Grace as many people doe live under the same light and heat of the Sun and children under the same parents 3. That the exercises of their graces may yet be different as children having the same schoole may yet sit in Simile severall formes and having the same food may yet have severall agilities and abilities So Christians who have the same principles of beleeving and repenting and praying and doing and who have the same ministery and common assistances may yet vary and differ in the active part of graces and duties One may know more then another one may rest upon Gods Promises more then another one may pray with more fervencie then another one may do the other parts of duty more then another c. yet all of these may have truth of grace
be heires of the Promises The good of them shall be setled upon us See also Esay 25. 9. and Esay 49. 23. None shall be ashamed Esa 49. 23 who wait on me From all which we infer If God hath made sure Promises If hee hath hitherto performed those Promises unto such as wait upon him Then if we wait we shall surely speed c. 2. The things you desire are great and worth the waiting You would thinke him Simile a strange man who would not wait the sealing of the pardon which the King hath promised him It is a wonderfull thing that when God promiseth us pardon of sinnes wee cannot have patience to seek and wait the sealing of it Yet pardon of sinnes is such a thing as our very life lies in it So againe Is not grace a singular thing Is not mortifying of sin an excellent thing And is it much that the Lord puts us to more frequent seekings to iterated prayers and duties for those gifts and grants which are so high in their nature so admirable in their use so saving in their end can you be better imployed 3. The answers will sweeten and easily recompence all the times and labours of seeking When the man-child is borne all the labour in travail is forgotten the joy of it drownes the sense of that Let As the Wisemen when they saw the star rejoyced God but lift up the light of his countenance on thee it will answer and quit to all the prayers that ever thou madest in thy life I found him whom Cant. 3. 4. And David doth forget the aking of his bones c. when God did answer him my soule loveth I held him c. 4. Doubled services have usually doubled mercies for when God prepares the heart he will incline the eare and when he intends a great mercy he first enlargeth the heart to a greatnesse of desire and seeking Every true seeking of God opens the heart wider and secretly addes to the stock The more prayers we have put Prayers are our money at use up to use in the hands of God the larger will the returne of them prove When we have been long suiters God doth ordinarily at length dismisse us with more then what wee aske So that he will answer us not onely for our prayers but also for our time 4. We shall have the best things in the fittest times therefore we should not accufe our services as lost for God will answer them but then it shall be in the best things at the best times O will you say Is it not Ob. more then time that I had more grace and sin more subdued I answer Perhaps not God Sol. doth know that thou hast a proud temper and thou growest big and art apt to swell upon enlargements Thou art apt to despise others and to make glorious conceits of thy selfe and therefore he doth answer thee not by victory but by combat That is he doth not presently subdue thy sinne that it shall not trouble thee but lets it alone that it shall exercise thee thou shalt find matter to keep thee low and humble when still thou feelest such remnants and workings of corruption To the resistance of which God doth yet enable and after thy heart growes more emptied thou shalt have victory Againe though thou prayest against thy sins yet thou dost venture upon the provocations and occasions of sinne and therefore the Lord may justly hold up because thou holdst not in Now the Lord by his silence will teach thee in these times forbearance on thy part as well as forbearance on his part and then upon thy next prayers accompanied with this watchfulnesse and avoidance of occasions he will let fall more strength and power to mortifie thy sinfull dispositions Wherefore let us not faint in case of suspensions for God doth suspend his grants to the times when thou art fitted to receive them and when it is fit for him to open them Is it sin that thou wouldst have subdued Doe thou seek his subduing power and withall decline inviting occasions either from thy selfe or others and then God will heare thee Now thou art fitted and now is it fit for God to help thee but if thou wilt pray against the disposition and runne still upon the occasion God will not answer thee Is it grace and eavennesse in duty which thou wouldest have Then thou must use former grace and stick close with humblenesse and diligence and reverence to the meanes and now God will supply all thy wants Untill thou hast a more humble and doing heart thou art not fitted for more grace God giveth more grace to the humble saith James James 4. I say he will give thee more grace Thou shalt have enough for thy condition and enough for thy salvation although thou hast not such an equall measure with others whom God intends for more publique use and service then he doth thee 5. Gods forbearings should not occasion cessation but earnestnesse He is not silent that we thereby should become speechlesse but that our desires should grow more fervent You know that the skilfull Simile Angler doth not draw back his bait that the fish should not bite but that by this meanes he should the more greedily leap after the bait And the tender mother steps aside not that she would not have the child seek her but that it may even dote after her So doth God many times draw back and step aside and as the Prophet Jeremie speaks Jer. 11. 8. He becomes as a stranger and as a way-faring man who turneth aside c. And as David speaketh He is as one that sleeps Why What Is it that hee He knowes our thoughts long before doth not know us No. Is it that he doth not hear us No. Is it that he will not speed us No. His eare is open and before they call I will answer Esa Why then Surely because 1. He delights in this musick he smels a sweet odour and savour in all our humble sacrifices he delights in the broken Whiles they are speaking I will answer Loc. cit Ro. 15. 30. Hos 12. 3 4 heart 2. He loves that we should strive with him for his grants that is the phrase Rom. 15. 30 and wrastle with him as Jacob and so prevaile upon him And that we should give him no rest Esay 62. 7. untill he hath satisfied Esa 62. 7. our soules with mercy and established them with his grace 3. He would inhance the goodnesse of the things desired and make us to weare the answers with more thankfulnesse to himselfe with more comfort to our selves and with more benefit to others 8. An eighth cause of doubtings was weaknesse of judgmēt about the essentials of salvation which necessarily doth cause doubtings both in respect of those suspicions and errors mistakings to which it is subject as also in respect of that scrupulosity which ever adheres to the conscience
where weaknesse adheres to the judgment Now the remedy of this spring consists in these particulars 1. Get a distinct knowledge of Fundamentals It is the emptinesse of our minds that we be preposterous in our searches Many a Christian loseth himselfe in a sea of opinions before he hath squared himselfe with the first grounds of Religion Remember this that the first truths doe support and maintaine the rest as the corner-stone the rest of the building and are as the originall Will which decides many scruples in Law Hence is it Simile that some men doubt about speciall conclusions because they are ignorant of the generall principles which were they distinctly knowne the falsity of any conclusion would easily become evident unto them Men usually dispute first and know last As if a Simile Souldier would range an Army before he hath learned to handle his weapons How ordinary is it to heare disputes Ergo saith Paul Rom. 14. 1. Him that is weak in the faith receive you but not to doubtfull disputations of Originall sin of Predestination of Redemption of Faith and Justification of Assurance and Obedience of the degrees of grace and duty of the direct and absolute way of life c. I say it is ordinary to heare some arguing of these who yet are ignorant of the nature of these But Pauls method was to lay Heb. 6. 1. down his foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith towards God which if Paul thought fit to teach I think fit for us to learne That Ship rowls least which is well bottomed and that house shakes least which is well founded and that Christian True knowledg is as the day wherin wee walk more sted fastly and ignorance like the night in which we are full of feares and often stumble doubts least who is well grounded in the maine points of Religion For besides this that Primitive truths give an aime to all truths so likewise they uncase all errors and heresies and opinions and arguments which come to pervert the mind another way And surely when the mind obtaines an evidence by one truth for another and by truth also of errour contrary unto it it is in the least hazard of doubting for as much as doubtings ordinarily arise from some error or mis-apprehension in the minde 2. Get a distinguishing knowledge of Fundamentals from Accessories Every part of the house is not the corner-stone or the pillars A man Simile may take away much and yet the house may stand If you take away the painting and musick or some seelings and annexed posts yet the house may stand So may a Christians salvation though he know not many accessory truths nay although hee mistake about them nay although he deny them if this denyall be not accompanied with a proud perversnesse but arise onely from inevidence and inability There are three things about which it were good for Christians to have a distinguishing knowledge viz. 1. Fundamentalls 2. Consequents 3. Indifferents Fundamentals I call those Three things Truths which take up the work and way of salvation as the doctrine of sinne and of Christ and faith and repentance c. for these are such things without the knowledge of which no man can be saved Consequents I call those illations or inferences which doe flow from the primitive truths either virtute rei in the nature of the thing just as a streame â—lowes from the fountaine or virtute intellectus in the judgement of the person as the conclusion is made by such or such a mans conjecturall opinion to flow from such a principle or such a Text. Indifferents I call those actions which in themselves are neither holy nor evill neither is a man by any expresse Yet actioÌ„s in themselves indifferent in respect of circumstances may be offensive sinfull See Rom. 14. 14 15 c. command from God specificativè injoyned them or specificativè prohibited them Which things considered absolutely if a man doth use them he shall not be saved if he doth not he shall not be damned They doe no more constitute a Christian then a garment doth a man which whether he doth weare it yea or no yet still he is a man Now this distinguishing knowledge doth exceedingly assoyle the doubting heart which doth oft times shake and rowle about the lawfulnes of indifferents c. 3. Reduce all conjectures and consequent truths unto the first truth It is the counsell of the Apostle 1 Thes 5. 21. Prove all things And the Prophet Esaiah To the Law and to the testimony Esa 8. 20. It was a good speech of S. Austine to Manicheus contesting with him for audience Heare me Hear me said Manicheus Nay saith S. Augustine Necego te nec tu me sed ambo audiamus Apostolum dicentem Peccatum non cognovi c. Beloved we may see what weak creatures we are when truths fall downe amongst us and when we sit in the Tribunall alas what distractions what severall stamps doe our severall opinions set on them what distinctions limitations qualifications We will be sure every one of us to handle the question so that it shall be so far true as may stand with our owne delights profits aimes and ends We do many times for personall respects discourse and determine of truths But now reduce them to the first truths how do our empty and contrary opinions and fancies clatter and shiver to dust they fall downe before the word of God as Dagon did before the Arke of God for the Scriptures are the touch-stone which will easily decide counterfeit glosses and errors from genuine and proper truths Genuine truths are like the young Eagles that can with open eyes behold the light of the Sun and erroneous glosses and opinions are like sore eyes which cannot behold the Sun without twinckling and watering and closing And note by the way that if the truth be the truth of God it doth tend to these three things viz. 1. The glory of his rich grace Eph. 1. 12. 2. Setling of peace in the conscience Rom. 5. 1. 3. Mortifying of sinne Titus 2. 12. 4. Establish the minde in declared truths Beware saith the Apostle Peter seeing yee know these things lest ye being led away with the error of the wicked fall away from your owne stedfastnesse It is not unknowne that some like Pedlars wander up and downe and make a living by their errors subtill people and crafty to their owne confusion who have only a strength of parts to glosse over sins and errors and to weaken the strength of truths and wayes to heaven Most rendring children of Satan for they cease not to pervert the right wayes of the Lord. And yet so artificially do they vent their wares so neatly do they Act. 13. 10. set them out with the applause of reason and carnall licentiousnesse that many weak headed Christians swallow up their baits drink up their cups lick in their tumultuous and after are