the present And in this sense an unrenewed man is said to be in a better or worse condition for the present in comparison with other unrenewed men or with himself at another time In which sense Mark 12. 34. Christ speaking to the Scribe who answered him in all things discreetly saith thou art not far front the kingdom of heaven The condition for the present of this Scribe was better then his fellows and better then his own at another time and yet his person was in the state of wrath because he was not entered in the state of grace or in the kingdom of heaven howsoever he was not far from it In this more strict sense the judicial state of the mans person is fixed so long as the judicial sentence of the Judge binding the unconverted to the curse that is pronounced in the Law or in the Gospel lousing the converted from the curse doth stand But the morall disposition and the condition of the man whether in the state of grace or nature is variable and changeable to the better or worse in comparison with others or himself at another time Whence it is that one and the same person may be in a better or worse condition his state remaining the same to wit good if he be renewed and evil if he be still in nature unrenewed 2. But here we are about the condition of the renewed man only which may be better at one time and worse at another time as his disposition and caâ—â—age in order to the duties of religion and righteousnesse falleth out to be better or worse according as his actions and behaviour are more or lesse conform to the revealed will of God and as his conscience doth its duty more or lesse commendably Sometimes his conscience upon good grounds speaketh good to him while he studieth to walk before God unto all well-pleasing and then he may say with the Psalmist Ps. 26. 12. My foot standeth in an even place in the congregation will I blesse the Lord. To this good condition we need not say much because there is no present disease which calleth for cure of this case Only it is for the child of God in this case necessary to observe dyet and exercise to maintain his good condition and to watch over his heart and wayes that he may continue and go on therein All that we have to deal with is the ill condition of the true convert when his conscience doth deceive him or doth not discharge its duty for in this case only remedy and cure is called for 3. As that condition wherein the convert is best pleased with himself is not alwayes the best So neither is that condition wherewith he is worst pleased alwayes the worst But that is the best condition wherein the holy Spirit doth most bear down the power of sin and advance the work of sanctification of the man and that condition is the worst wherein sin most prevaileth And as the goodnesse of a mans condition is is not to be estimat by any eventual accident but by its own nature and proper effects So the illnesse of a mans condition is not to be estimat by any eventual accident but by its own nature and proper effects as God in the Scripture giveth grounds of judgment of a good or ill condition for otherwayes by the default of the renewed man the best condition may degenerat in a very ill condition As when a man doth abuse divine consolations and after receiving of the renewed earnest of the inheritance from the holy Spirit groweth carnally secure and negligent in his duties or when after some grosse pollution of himself in body or soul having grieved the holy Spirit he doth not humble himself as became him but by Sathans suggestion of wicked thoughts against God and his former work in him doth fall in suspicion of all former gracious operations of the holy Spirit in him and mis-calleth all these former experiences and in his tentation esteemeth and nameth them among Sathans delusions or else at least suspecteth and feareth they shall prove no better then such On the other hand the worst conditions of the renewed man by the wisdom mercy and power of God may be turned to advantage in order to Gods glory and the renewed mans salvation as the experience of the Psalmist doth shew us Psal. 116 3 4. c. 4. An evil condition is so called either 1. in respect of the evil which the convert not only feeleth really but laments it seriously or 2. in respect of the converts estimation only who laments his good condition without cause or 3. in respect of a reall evil which the convert lamenteth not at all but lyeth under it securely Of the first sort is the condition of the convert when he seeth his own blindnesse nakednesse and misery the hardnesse of his own heart and the deceitfulnesse of it and doth flye for remedy thereof to Christ the true Physician to cover and cure all his diseases This condition is evil only in respect of felt evil but in respect of the converts making the right use of the discovery of these evils and flying unto Christ for relief therefrom it is a good condition because the diseased convert carryeth himself well and wisely in this exercise Of the second sort is the converts condition when his faith is put to tryall by manifold afflictions and tentations and he conceives himself to be in a very evil condition wherein he ought not to afflict himself but to judge this condition to be a good condition according to the Apostles exhortation Iam. 1. 2 3. My brethren count it all joy when ye fall in divers tentations knowing that the tryall of your faith worketh patience Of the third sort is the condition of the convert who when for example he feels himself unapt and unable to pray or praise or discharge any duty heartily doth not trouble himself with this his ill case but either layeth-by the doing of the duty or doth the work negligently and perfunctoriously and pleaseth himself in so doing for a time This condition is evil indeed both in respect of his spiritual diseases and of his sinfull slighting the duty of seeking relief thereof 5. For rectifying the judgment of the conscience in any or all of those conditions first let difference be put between the sinfull diseases and distempers of our spirit which are evil indeed and the discovery thereof unto us which is a benefit in it self and a gift of eye-salve bestowed by Christ upon us and the right use of that discovery by flying unto Christ which is yet a greater blessing even the work of God drawing us to the Saviour of souls the remedy of every evil Secondly let difference be put between tentation or tryal of faith and yielding to tentation under affliction The observation of tentation offered to make us depart from the truth in tryal is a matter of joy but yielding is a sin and mater of
Prison and Stocks pinching and pressing the bound sinner and the part of the Burrio scourging and tormenting him But the Conscience after examination finding the man either innocent and free of the crime or forgiven and reconciled to God by Christ after repentance and faith embracing the Redeemer it doth the part of an honest Friend carefully comforting the innocent or penitent and the part of an Advocat excusing and defending the man against all challenges and the part of Witnesses compurgatours and the part of the Iudge absolving and the part of the Rewarder And so much concerning the nature and use of Conscience as may suffice our purpose CHAP. II. Of Cases of Conscience in general A Case of Conscience taken in a large sense comprehends every accident which any way affects or qualifieth the Conscience And in this sense the perswasion and certainty which the Conscience may have the soundness health and strength of the Conscience may be called Cases and good Cases of the Conscience So also any effect which the Conscience doth work on the soul such as are peace of conscience comfort and joy in the heart may be called Cases of the Conscience also But the Cases whereof we are to treat are the ill Cases of the Conscience whereby it is fallen from the soundness and streightness it should have which we call by the name of wounds diseases and sickness of the Conscience whereunto that we may descend to speak more orderly a twofold difference is to be observed 2. First we must put difference between a healthy and a sick Conscience A healthy Conscience is that which after examination of our wayes according to the rule of Gods Word doth justly absolve us and speaketh peace to us toward God Of such a conscience it is said by Solomon A sound heart is the life of the flesh Prov. 14. 30. by the heart he meaneth the conscience which ordinarly in Scripture is called the heart And he saith the sound conscience is the life of the flesh because the body is so much in better case that the conscience be at peace toward God And this blessing is allowed upon every believer in Christ in his orderly walking 2 Tim. 1. 7. God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound mind A Conscience in this disposition needeth not medicine but spiritual nourishment and exercise in all Christian-duties A sick Conscience we call that which either is senseless of its own evils and dangers it is in and sitteth down securely and resteth without a warrand Or which is justly wounded and labours under the sense of its pain or which is unquiet upon mistakes and ignorance of making use of the true remedy of such a sick Conscience we are to speak if possible by Gods blessing a word in season may be spoken to waken a secure conscience or to refresh the weary soul that being recovered from its malady it may be able to feed upon the bread and water of life and work the works of God in the strength of Christ. 3. Secondly we must put difference between a troubled Soul and a troubled Conscience for the Soul is more largely taken then the Conscience The Soul comprehendeth all the powers and faculties of the man but the Conscience as we speak of it is only one faculty of the mind judging of the mans moral ill or well-being and so all cases of the Conscience are cases of the Soul but all the cases of the Soul are not cases of the Conscience For the Soul may be troubled while the Conscience is not troubled at all yea a man may have a commendable trouble in his soul when he seeth God dishonoured or His Church in hazard whereby his conscience is so far from being troubled that such a holy trouble strengthens his conscience in his address to God as is in many places of the Psalms to be seen Again a mans mind may be troubled by sundry natural or civil motives while the conscience is allowably quiet as in losses of things temporal fears pains or unexpected inconveniencies occurring yea there may be passions and perturbations of the mind in persons that are not capable for the time of the exercise of Conscience as may be seen in young infants and in the elder sort in fits of feaver melancholy and phrensie and yet further it is possible that passions perturbations and troubles of soul may be found without any disease of the Conscience because our Lord Jesus in the dayes of his humiliation was a man acquainted with sorrows but was not obnoxious to sin or any self-challenging for he knew no sin in himself He had trouble in his soul but could not have trouble of conscience Iob 12. 27. Now is my soul troubled and what shall I say â—ather save me from this hour but for this cause came I unto this hour Of the cases of the Soul we speak not here but of the sinfull diseases of the Conscience 4. There is also a third difference to be observed between common cases of Conscience and these that specially concern Regeneration Common cases comprehend all these questions and doubts wherein the Conscience is seeking light and resolution about the rule of faith and maners that it may better inform it self about the sense of Scripture and about the application thereof in the point of direction in faith and practice These common cases are of as large extent as the bulk of Divinity as large as the Doctrine held forth in Scripture concerning faith and maners for there is not any one article of faith or duty prescribed as a point of piety or righteousness about which questions may not be moved and cases propounded wherein the Conscience may seek satisfaction Of this hudge great tree we take but only one branch to speak of so far as maketh for our purpose concerning Regeneration CHAP. III. Of Regeneration what it is and the regenerat man who he is WE speak not here of the regeneration of elect infants dying in their infancy God hath His own way of dealing with them but of the regeneration of those who are capable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word which we may thus describe Regeneration being one in effect with effectual caling is the work of Gods invincible power and meer grace wherein by His Spirit accompanying His Word He quickeneth a redeemed person lying dead in his sins and reneweth him in his mind will and all the powers of his soul convinceing him savingly of sin righteousness and judgment and making him heartily to embrace Christ and Salvation and to consecrat himself to the service of God in Christ all the dayes of his life 2. The main thing we must take heed to in this work is to give to God intirely the glory of His Grace and Power and Wisdom so that the glory of mans regeneration be neither given to man nor man made sharer of the glory with God but God may have
faith and to follow hard after the growth of sanctification without which no man shall see the face of God and let us so extoll the covenant of Grace and freedom of the believer from the covenant of Works that we neglect not to keep up the authority of the moral Law and the commands thereof as the perpetual rule of new obedience the use whereof is very profitable in the whole course of a Christian life to hold forth the duty of believers in Christ and to shew unto them by their short-coming in duties the poyson and power of corruption remaining in the Saints and to make them sensible of the necessity of flying daily to that imputed righteousnesse by faith in Christ and of drawing strength from Christ to bring forth more aboundant fruits whereby Christ shall be more and more precious in our eyes and be acknowledged absolutely necessar for our justification sanctification and salvation 15. When question is made concerning Christian vertues and operations of the holy Spirit in us the order of Gods working held forth to us in Scripture is carefully to be marked by us which is that sense of sin should go before faith in Christ for the Law is a pedagogue to Christ for he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Matth. 9. 13. And faith in Christ goeth before the fruits of faith and the fruits of faith before the sensible approbation of them and approbation of the fruits by Scripture goeth before the sensible fealing of the believer and the quieting of the conscience in its approbation of what the Scripture approveth for after we have believed we come to be sealed Ephes. 1. 13. Now for the not observing this order many real Christians do make unto themselves a very un-comfortable life for albeit they be convinced of sin and humbled in the sense of their own inability to help themselves and are fled to Christ for pardon and help and do lead a life blamelesse yet do they unhappily suspend the acknowledging of the work of faith bestowed upon them and do disquiet themselves so as they cannot rest on Christ but do quarrel the reality of their faith till they shall feel and perceive with approbation of their conscience such and such fruits of faith in themselves and that in such a measure as they have fore-imagined to be the necessar evidences of faith yea and they refuse to account themselves persons justified because they cannot perceive such mature fruits in themselves as they conceive must not only be but be acknowledged also to be in the justified person before he can lay hold on justification Such persons do in effect invert the order which they should observe for when it were their part to flye unto Christ the only Mediator because they come short of new obedience and because they are loaden with sin that in him they might have God reconciled to them and by his Spirit pouring in of his grace in their souls to make them more holy they take another and contrary course by suspending their faith upon their works and do exact of themselves works before faith and so do weaken their own faith and hinder it to bring forth such fruits as they do require It is reason indeed to prove our faith by our works and it is just that such a faith be accounted dead which is not accompanied with the purpose and endeavour to live holily justly and soberly But it is against all reason and equity to condemn weak faith accompanied with the purpose of a new life as if it were no faith because it hath not as yet brought forth so fair and fully ripe fruits as the weak believer would It were their wisdom when they perceive such impotency to do what is good and such strength of the body of death in them to flye unto the Redeemer so much the more and in him to seek remission of sin and strength to bring forth good fruits and to be sucking juice and sap out of him as the true Vine for if we come to him and abide in him we shall bring forth much fruit Iob. 15. 4 5. For faith in Christ in order of nature goeth before good works for only they who come to Christ and abide in him do bring forth aboundant fruit and not they who upon the apprehension of their want of fruits do loose or slacken their grip of faith and upon discouragment are ready to depart from the living God 16. The like wisdom is required in dealing with the consciences of men concerning the preparatory dispositions of such as may confidently come unto Christ to be justified sanctified and saved for albeit it be true that all that come to Christ ought to come in the sense of their sin and acknowledgment of wrath and death deserved for their sins ought to come with contrition of heart with godly sorrow for their sins and a humble renunciation of all confidence in themselves yet must not such persons as do not satisfie themselves in the measure or sincerity of such preparatory dispositions in themselves be keeped back or debarred from coming to Christ because they not only want as they conceive both the humiliation and sorrow of heart for sin and fear of wrath required in such as have accesse unto Christ but also do perceive in themselves such blindnesse of mind and vanity thereof such stupidity of conscience and stubbornesse of a proud heart as is not fit as they conceive to be received by Christ or fit to be comforted by him such persons I say are not to be forthwith debarred from coming to the throne of grace for oft-times sincerity of conviction compunction and humiliation is to be found in such as are displeased with their own short-coming in such preparatory dispositions more then in many others who make a fairer shew and profession of their godly sorrow and humiliation and are well pleased with themselves in that respect We must be wary also while we require sorrow and humiliation and other like preparatory dispositions in them who may come unto Christ least we secretly import and insinuat a sort of merit to be in such dispositions so as if he that doth not perceive himself thus qualified could expect no good at Christs hands except he have in his hand such preparatory dispositions as if it were a price of purchasing adresse to Christ. But let us hold this fast that the more poor and empty a man be in his own eyes he ought to draw the more near unto the riches of grace in Christ because in him only are to be found all the treasures of every saving grace and preparatory dispositions for receiving thereof he is that exalted Prince who giveth repentance unto Israel Act. 5. 31. he is the author and finisher of faith unto whom all they who in the sense of their want of repentance and faith do sigh in themselves ought and safely may come that they may have from him a more ample
let the convert thus mistaken after his experience felt that he hath been carnally confident not be discouraged as if his confidence which he seemed to have placed on God were altogether vain and in no degree spiritual but let him first be humbled before God and submit himself to the Lords rod let him acknowledge the wisdom justice and mercy of God who hath removed this prop of carnal confidence and reduced him from going astray to depend more on God then he hath done 2. Let him strengthen his faith in Christ according to the renor of the covenant of Grace and that so much the more as he finds his own unrighteousnesse in following and relying on creature-comforts to have been great 3. Let him set his affections upon things spiritual which are above the earth and to be found in Jesus Christ who is at the right hand of the Father Col. 3. 1. 23. and to loose his estimation and affection from these things that are on earth 4. Because this sicknesse is not well observed except in the time of adversity let the afflicted person approvâ— himself in the point of sincerity of adherence unto God by his trusting in God now when he wanteth means and creature-comforts as Iob did who in this condition blessed God for the giving of the benefits and blessed God at the removing of them from him Iob. 1. 21. For by so doing he shall learn both to have and want and in every condition to be content as the Apostle was taught Phil 4. 12. and this is for the first sort of carnal confidence The other sort of carnal confidence is that which too much leaneth to some apparent measure of the operation and fruits of the holy Spirit observed by the convert in himself and this sicknesse may be taken up and perceived chiefly by comparison of the converts stronger confidence of the love of God toward him so long as he can find evidencâ— signes of his regeneration and work of the holy Spirit 〈◊〉 himself with â—is weaker confidence of the love of God toward him under the cloud of descrtion or under some powerfull temptation when these evident signes of his conversion are darkened or do not appear so clearly unto himself as they did 〈◊〉 In which case his confidence is greatly weakned and his faith not a little shaken with doubting In both the one and the other condition the câ—venant of Grace standeth fixed and the promises of the Gospel remain the same and the convert still adhereth to the covenant and claimeth interest in Christ more or lesse confident Whence cometh then this difference between his former confidence which was strong and his weaker confidence now in the change of his case being brought low Certainly it proceedeth from the smiting of the pillar whereupon his former confidence was too much fixed for whensoever the mist is cleared up and he findeth the livelynesse of the work of grace in himself his confidence convalesceth and returns to it 's former strength as it seemeth to him and when his graces are darkened he falleth in a languishing weaknesse of faith This sicknesse is so frequently incident to the Saints that few shall be found who are not again and again overtaken in it for how few are they who are not much more confident when they find a heart freely poured forth in prayer when they injoy the peace of God in their heart when the love of God is shed abroad in their heart when they find the consolations of the holy Spirit when they observe the â—ruits of the holy Spirit in themselves when the candle of the Lord shineth in their soul and the tokens of Gods savour toward them are manifest and on the other hand when they find their spiritual condition changed when darknesse falleth on their spirit when they find themselves unfit for worship and unable to do service but most of all when they perceive tokens of fatherly wrath against them super-added unto the foresaid evils in this case who is he that beside the inevitable perturbation of mind incident to those who are strongest in faith doth not find a diminution of his former confidence and a conflict with temptations fears doubts and difficulties which diminution and abating of his confidence in his tryals and inward exercises doth evidently prove that in his best condition he hath laid too much weight upon on the mutable disposition of his soul and hath not so stucken to the Word of Gods grace through Jesus as became him 2. That this sicknesse may be the more easily cleared and cured it is expedient to answer some questions which being discussed may inform and edifie the afflicted Question 1. THe first question which the afflicted may propound is this Seing the signes of Gods favour manifested in the bestowing and continuing of common benefits and gifts outward and inward do certainly serve to confirm a mans faith in God is it not very reasonable to say that the signes of Gods wrath manifested in the removing of those benefits do certainly serve to debilitat and weaken a mans faith Ans. 1. Signs of Gods favour and signs of Gods wrath are not inconsistent because God can carry love and favour to a man and be angry at him also for the present ill disposition wherein he is for love and fatherly wrath are not opposit and inconsistent but love and hatred are inconsistent 2. Let it be granted that any signes whatsoever of Gods favour may be made use of by the convert for strengthening of his faith yet it must not be granted that the taking away of those signes of favour should be made use of for weakening of a mans faith For many things may encourage a man to do his duty which being removed must not discourage him or justly hinder him to do his duty 3. There is a great difference between the man who never found any other sign of Gods favour beside prosperity in common benefits and the man who beside common benefits hath felt a work of grace upon his spirit bringing him unto the sense of sin and chasing him to Christ and making him to take on his yoke The first sort of men can neither from the having nor wanting or removal of common benefits conclude eh is loved or hated for so are we taught Eccles. 9. 1 2 No man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before him all things come alike to all c. But a man of this sort hath reason to judge that the sending on him adversity and wakening of him out of a flâ—shly and deadly security doth speak more of Gods favour to him then his prosperity did And this other sort of men who have felt a work of special grace on their hearts may make use both of their prosperity and adversity for confirmation of their faith 4. Put case that a convert chased unto Christ in the sense of his sin and resolved to bear Christs yoke upon him shall find common benefits taken back
sin but did not seek mercy and pardon Neither is it sufficient to boast of acquaintance with Christ and professe great respect to him because many do cry Lord Lord who neither renounce their confidence in their own righteousnesse nor worship God in spirit for of such Christ saith Matth. 7. 21. Not every one that saith to Him Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of God Neither is it sufficient to pretend the worshiping of God in spirit for all they who think to be justified by their own works do esteem their manner of serving of God true and spirituall service and worship as may be seen in the proud Pharisee glorying before God in his own righteousnesse and acknowledging that God was the giver unto him of the holinesse and righteousnesse which he had Luke 18. 11. I thank Thee O God saith he that I am not like other men extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this publican for of this man Christ saith he returned to his house unjustified that is a man lying still in sin unreconciled Neither is it sufficient to prove a man regenerat to confess sin and by-gone unrighteousnesse and to promise and begin to amend his wayes and future conversation for so much may a Pharisee attain And there are many that professe themselves Christians who think to be justified by the merits of their own and other saints doings and sufferings and do disdainfully scoff and mock at the doctrine of the imputed righteousnesse of Christ how many are they also who think their bygone sins may be washen away and be recompenced by their purpose to amend their life in time to come How many are they who being willingly ignorant of the righteousnesse of God which is of faith in Jesus Christ go about to establish their own righteousnesse as the Jews did Rom. 10. 3. And how few are they who follow the example of the Apostle who carefully served God in spirit and truth but did not lean to his own righteousnesse but sought more and more to be found in Christ not having his own righteousnesse which behoved to be made up of his imperfect obedience of the law but that righteousnesse which is by faith in Jesus Christ Philip. 3. 9. But that man who daily in the sense of his sinfulness and poverty sleeth unto Jesus Christ that he may be justified by His righteousnesse and endeavoureth by faith in Him to bring forth the fruits of new obedience and doth not put confidence in these his works when he hath done them but rejoyceth in Jesus Christ the fountain of holinesse and blessednesse That man I say undoubtedly is regenerat and a new creature for so doth the Apostle describe him Philip. 3. 3. CHAP. IV. Of divine Covenants about the eternall salvation of men and in speciall of the Covenant of redemption shewing that there is such a Covenant and what are the articles thereof BEcause the healing of the sicknesse of the conscience cometh by a right application of divine Covenants about our salvation therefore it is necessary that some measure of the knowledge thereof be opened up 1. A divine covenant we call a contract or paction wherein God is at least the one party contracter Of this sort of covenants about the eternall salvation of men which sort chieflly belong to our purpose there are three The first is the covenant of redemption past between God and Christ God appointed Mediatour before the world was in the council of the Trinity The second is the covenant of works made between God and men in Adam in his integrity indued with all naturall perfections enabling him to keep it so long as it pleased him to stand to the condition The third is the covenant of grace and reconciliation through Christ made between God and believers with their children in Christ. 2. As to the covenant of redemption for clearing the mater we must distinguish the sundry acceptions of the word redemption for 1. Sometime it is taken for the contract and agreement of selling and buying-back to eternall salvation of lost man looked upon as in the state of sin and misery In which sense we are said to be bought by Christ both souls and bodies 1 Cor. 6. 19. 20. Ye are not your own for ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods And this may be called redemption by paction and agreed bargain 2. Sometime redemption is taken for the paying of the price agreed upon In which sense Christ is said to have redeemed us by suffering of the punishment due to us and ransoming of us Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us 3. Sometime redemption is taken for the begun application of the benefits purchased in the covenant by the price payed Ephes. 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through His blood even the remission of sins according to the riches of His grace 4. Sometime redemption is taken for the perfect and full possession of all the benefits agreed upon between the Father and Christ His Son the Mediatour In which sense we are said to be sealed with the holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance untill the redemption of the purchased possession Ephes. 1. 14. and Ephes. 4. 30. it is said Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption which is the day of Judgement when Christ shall put us in full possession of all the blessednesse which He purchased by bargain and payment for us In this place we take redemption in the first sense for the covenant past between the Father and Christ His Son designed Mediatour about our redemption 3. When we name the Father as the one party and His Son Christ as the other party in this covenant we do not seclude the Son and holy Spirit from being the party offended but do look upon the Father Son and Spirit one God in three Persons as offended by mans sin and yet all three contented to take satisfaction to divine justice for mans sin in the Person of the Son as designed Mediatour to be incarnat Whereby the Son is both the party offended as God one essentially with the Father and holy Spirit and the party contracter also as God designed Mediatour personally for redeeming man who with consent of the Father and holy Spirit from all eternity willed and purposed in the fulnesse of time to assume the humane nature in personall union with Himself and for the elects sake to become man and to take the cause of the elect in hand to bring them back to the friendship of God and full enjoyment of felicity for evermore When therefore we make the Father the one party and the Son designed mediatour the other party speaking with the Scripture for the more easie uptaking of the Covenant let us look to one God in three Persons having absolute right and soveraign
power according to His own pleasure to dispose of men looked upon as lying before God to Whom all things are present in sin and death drawn on by maâ—s own deserving and yet for the glory of His grace resolving to save the elect so as His justice shall be satisfied for them in and by the second Person of the Trinity the co-eternall and co-essentiall Son of the Father 4. This covenant of redemption then may be thus described It is a bargain agreed upon between the Father and the Son designed Mediatour concerning the elect lying with the rest of manking in the state of sin and death procured by their own merit wisely and powerfully to be converted sanctified and saved for the Son of Gods satisfaction and obedience in our nature to be assumed by Him to be given in due time to the Father even unto the death of the crosse In this bargain or agreement the Scripture importeth clearly a selling and a buying of the elect Acts 20. 28. Feed the Church of God which He hath purchased by His own blood 1 Cor. 6. 20. ye are bought with a price and 1 Pet. 1. 18. The seller of the elect is God the buyer is God incarnat the persons bought are the Church of the elect the price is the blood of God to wit the blood of Christ who is God and man in one person This covenant of redemption is in effect one with the eternall decree of redemption wherein the salvation of the elect and the way how it shall be brought about is fixed in the purpose of God who worketh all things according to the counsell of His own Will as the Apostle sets it down Ephes. 1. unto the 15 verse And the decree of redemption is in effect a covenant one God in three persons agreeing in the decree that the second Person God the Son should be incarnat and give obedience and satisfaction to divine justice for the elect unto which piece of service the Son willingly submitting Himself the decree becometh a reall covenant indeed But for further satisfaction that there is such a covenant between the Father and the Son as we have said for redeeming of the elect Scripture giveth us evidence six wayes The first way is by expressions which import presuppose a formall covenant between the parties buying and selling the second way is by styles and titles given to Christ the Redeemer the third is by expressions relating to an eternall decree for execution and performance of the covenant of redemption the fourth is by representation of this covenant in the Leviticall types the fifth is by Christ the Redeemer now incarnat His ratification of the covenant and the sixth way is by holding forth to us the heads and articles agreed upon wherein the covenant consists The first poof AS to the expressions importing a formall covenant first Ephes. 1. 7. it is called a redemption or a buying of the elect out of sin and misery by blood shewing that no remission of sin could be granted by Justice without sheding of blood and Christ undertook to pay the price and hath payed it Again the inheritance which the elect have promised unto them is called a purchase importing that the disponer of the inheritance to the elect must have a sufficient price for it and that the Redeemer hath accepted the condition and laid down the price craved for it Ephes. 1. 14. and so bought back lost heaven and forfeited blessednesse to so many sinners who otherwayes for sin might justly have been excluded and debarred therefrom for ever A third expression is holden forth Acts 20. 28. wherein God disponer and God Redeemer are agreed that the elect shal go free for God the Redeemer's obedience unto the death who hath now bought them with His blood A fourth expression is in plain terms set down by Paul 1 Cor. 6. 20. Ye are bought with a price God the disponer selleth and God the Redeemer buyeth the elect to be His conquest both body and spirit And Peter more particularly expresseth the price of redemption agreed upon to be not gold or silver but the blood of the Mediatour Christ the innocent Lamb of God slain in typicall prefigurations from the beginning of the World and slain in reall performance in the fulnesse of time 1 Pet. 1. 18. 19. 20. 21. A fifth expression is that of our Lord Jesus in the institution of the Sacrament of His Supper Matth. 26. 28. This is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for remission of sins Here an agreement between the Redeemer and God disponer that these many which are the elect shall have remission of sins for the Redeemers ransom of blood payed for them The purchase of this ransom of blood He maketh over in the Covenant of grace and reconciliation to believers in Him and sealeth the bargain with them by the Sacrament of His Supper The second proof THe second evidence of this Covenant of Redemption past between God and God the Son Mediatour designed is from such titles and styles as are given to Christ in relation to the procureing of a Covenant of grace and reconciliation between God and us First He is called a Mediatour of the Covenant of reconciliation interceeding for procureing of it and that not by a simple intreaty but by giving Himself over to the Father calling for satisfaction to Justice that reconciliation might go on for paying a compensatory price sufficient to satisfie Justice for the elect 1 Tim. 2. 5. 6. There is one God and one Mediatour between God and man to wit God incarnat the man Christ Iesus who gave Himself a ransom for all to wit elect children to be testified in due time Another title is given to Him by Job Chap. 19. 24. Where He is called a Redeemer a near kinsman who before His incarnation had oblieged Himself to take on humane nature and to pay the price of Redemption represented by slain sacrifices for the elect His kinsmen A third title is held out in that He is called a Surety of a better Covenant Heb. 7. 22. Whereby is imported that God would not passe a Covenant of grace and reconciliation to men except He had a good Surety who would answer for the debt of the party reconciled and would undertake to make the reconciled stand to his Covenant And Christ undertook the Suretyship and so hath procured and established this Covenant of grace much better then the Covenant of works and better then the old Covenant of grace with Israel as they made use of it This necessarily imports a Covenant between Him and the Fathers Justice to whom He becometh surety for us for what is suretiship but a voluntary transferring of anothers debt upon the Surety oblieging to pay the debt for which he ingageth as Surety A fourth title given to Christ is that He is a reconciliation by way of permutation the atonement Rom. 5. 11. We have by Christ received the atonement that is
to prove a man to be regenerat but he must be proven also a true believer in Christ a man reconciled to God a man justified and an adopted child 2. It is necessary therefore for proving a man to be regenerat to know the right description of the regenerat man which is given by the Apostle Phil. 3. 3. We are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Iesus Christ and have no confidence in the flesh Wherein the Apostle holdeth forth the truly regenerat circumcised in heart 1. He is not sinlesse but so sensible of his sinfulnesse as he hath no confidence in himself nor any thing else in himself 2. He is not free of accusations or tentations and doubts but he flyeth to Christ for righteousnesse 3. He is not an idle and unfruitfull branch but a worshiper of God in spirit and truth 1. He is burdened with sin 2. He cometh to Christ for relief 3. He puts on Christs yoke Math. 11. 28 29. If a man have these three properties joyntly in him he is a regenerae man and may defend his interest in the state of grace and right to righteousnesse and eternall life through Jesus Christ. 3. Divine operations and saving graces which accompany salvation such as are faith repentance unto life hope Christian love to God and men for Gods cause effectual vocation justification reconciliation adoption go together in time by Gods gift but one of them goeth before another in order of nature for effectual calling goeth before faith and faith goeth before hope and before charity or love Again these graces which are given to the redeemed child of God joyntly in respect of time do not shew themselves in their evidence alike soon in time nor do they equally manifest themselves when they do appear in time And so the evidences of repentance may be discerned in not a few converts before faith in Christ do shew it self in them clearly So also love to God and his Saints oft-times may be discerned in a regenerat man before he himself dare affirm any thing of his faith in Christ. 4. Albeit there be many regenerat persons who for the present time cannot perceive in themselves any undoubted signs of their conversion yet it is certain also that there be many who to their own unspeakable comfort are assured of their regeneration and that they are translated from death to life and that they have received the spirit of adoption and earnest of eternal life as is pointed out in the experience of the Ephesians chap. 1. 14. And this is certain also that all who are fled to Christ for refuge should by all means labour to make their calling and election clear and certain to themselves 2 Pet. 1. 10. And to this purpose we are commanded to examine our selves and try whether we be in the faith or not whether Christ by his Spirit be in us or not 2 Cor. 13. 5. for otherwise except a convert know certainly the blessednesse of his own state and that he standeth in grace and favour with God it is not possible for him to give hearty thanks to God for the change of his state from being an enemy to be made a reconciled subject and child of God It is not possible for him to rejoyce in the Lord or set chearfully himself to serve God or comfortably call on God as a father to him in Christ Wherefore all who in the sense of their sins and fear of deserved wrath are fled for refuge unto Christ should deal by prayer earnestly with God that he would graciously grant unto them his Spirit by whose operation in them they may know the saving graces which he hath freely bestowed upon them of which gift of the holy Spirit the Apostle doth speak 1 Cor. 2. 12. 5. The knowledge of a mans own regeneration hath many degrees of clearnesse and assurance by reason of the variety of conditions wherein a man truly converted may be For many doubts may arise in the man regenerat which may darken his sight and hinder the assurance of saving grace granted unto him whereof sundry causes may be found and in special these four among others 1. In a man illuminat and renewed by the holy Spirit there remains a great deal of ignorance much doubting mixed with faith by reason of unskilfulnesse of the convert to examine and discern this blessed change made in him where through that cometh to passe in many young converts which will be seen in infants who have a soul indeed but do not know or perceive that they have a soul till they come to some years of discretion yea many sound Christians are oft-times at a stand about their regeneration and know not what to make of their faith or repentance especially when they feel the power of the body of death the strength of natural corruption in themselves and great indisposition for any spiritual exercise they are forced with the Apostle to cry miserable man that I am who shall deliver me Rom. 7. 24. mean time for weaknesse of their faith they are not able at the first to wrestle against discouragment and to come up unto the Apostles thanking God through Christ. 2. By the tentation of Sathan oft-times the perswasion of holy men is darkened so as they cannot see the evidences of their own regeneration clearly for Sathan sets himself to vex the Saints who are delivered from his kingdom and bonds whom albeit he know that he cannot destroy them yet he will not cease to trouble them that at least he may make them some way unfit for Gods service and marr their cheerfulness in his service and because he feareth harm from them unto his kingdom by their dealing with the unconverted to repent their sins and to turn unto God therefore he finds them work at home in their own bosome and puts them to defend themselves and to forbear to invade his subjects till they be setled themselves 3. Oft-times the Lord is offended by the sins of the regenerat and specially by their grosse transgressions for which his Spirit being grieved doth for a time cease from comforting them and doth not bear witnesse with their spirits that they are the children of God as he hath formerly used to do 4. Oft-times the Lord by suffering doubts to arise in their hearts useth to try and exercise the faith of his children and thereby to stir them up to the pursuing of the duties of piety and righteousnesse more vigorously and sincerely that after victory obtained over these tentations they may be more confirmed in their faith and more diligent in his obedience 6. It may come to passe that while the true convert doth most doubt of his own regeneration that the work of Gods special grace may be observed in him and clearly seen by others more experienced in the wayes of God and indued with the spirit of discretion The reason whereof is because howsoever the weak convert and child of light walking
sinners to repentance And the promises of the Evangel are made to the poor in spirit to the hungry and thristy for the righteousnesse of Christ which only can satisfie a hungry soul Mat. 5. 3 6. yea the sense of unworthinesse is in effect that self-loathing whereof Ezek. speaketh chap. 36. 31. which sense of unworthinesse may be seen in Iob as a special act and evidence of his repentance Iob. 42. 6. Secondly let him consider that because by reason of sin no worthinesse can be found in us therefore God hath freely loved the world and provided grace in Christ that all that flye to him may out of his fulnesse receive grace for grace Ioh. 1. 16. Thirdly the three sold office of a Mediator wherewith Christ hath cloathed himself doth obviat and meet the doubts of the humbled soul under the sense of unworthinesse for albeit he be ignorant and slow to understand and believe the revealed will of God about mens salvation and his prescribed service yet upon 〈◊〉 flying to Christ he hath Christ offered and given to him for his wisdom a Prophet able to inform him to open his eyes and perswade him to imbrace by lively faith all saving doctrine Albeit he be exceeding sinfull and worthy of condemnation yet he hath Christ aâ— Priest made of God unto him righteousness and sanctification upon his flying to him for refute from sin and wrath undertaking also powerfully to sanctifie him by mortifying his corruptions and perfecting at last the Image of God in him And albeit he have the world and his own flesh and the power of all principalities and spiritual wickednesse with many miseries in this life to wrestle with yet he hath Christ Jesus as King made of God unto him redemption upon his flying to Christ for refuge against all his enemies So that he may be sure to be found among them whom he hath redeemed by price-paying and for whom he hath undertaken powerfully to sustain them in all this warfare whatsoever misery they may be in and at last to bring them out of all sin and misery to a perfect rest in everlasting glory And to what end hath our Lord taken on the office of a Mediator and Redeemer if not to open the eyes of the blind that flye to him for eye-salve to cover the naked flying unto him with the precious garment of his imputed righteousnesse and to enrich the poor needy and unworthy out of the store house of his unsearchable riches of grace Rev. 3. 18. Fourthly let him consider the constant course of grace and practical dispensation thereof in all ages toward all the converted Are not all they to whom the Gospel cometh in the state of corrupt nature when God cometh to convert them For never was there any person called unto the state of grace but he was found in his sins and in the state of lost sinners by nature none but children of wrath and enemies by nature are reconciled none but they who by the law are condemned are justified none but they that in their own sense are lost do obtain salvation for Christ doth plainly tell us I came to seek and to save them that are lost Did he ever reject any that fled unto him because they were unworthy No for it is said Ps. 9. 10. They that know thy name will trust in thee for thou never forsook them that sought thee And Ioh. 6 37. he saith These that come unto me I will in no case cast out 2 Tim. 1. 9. Not according to our works but according to his own purpose and 〈◊〉 hath he called us Fifthly let him consider the worthinesse of Christs person and merits who because he being God and man in one person hath paid a price of infinit value for redemption of sinners who flye unto him is worthy for whose cause the unworthy sinner flying to the throne of grace should be received in favour and made fit for eternal life by the sanctification of his Spirit Sixthly let him consider that if he stand a-back from Christ and do not flye unto him how unworthy soever he think himself he remains under wrath and the condemnatory sentence of the law Ioh. 1. 8. but let him rather remember that he is warranted by a command of God the Father to flye to Christ 1 Ioh. 3. 23. This is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Iesus Christ and love one another as he hath commanded us And therefore let him say of his own soul with thâ— Centurion speaking of his servant to Christ Luke 7. 6 7. I am not worthy that thou should come under my roof but say the word and my servant shall be healed The word is said frequently in Scripture let the afflicted rest himself on it CHAP. III. Wherein the regener at mans doubts arising from the multitude and weight of his sins against the Law and the Cospel and against the light of his conscience are answered AS in the pangs of the new birth this doubt hath much weight to keep a soul a-back from imbâ—â—â—eing Christ and receiving pardon through him So after a man is regenerat and made quiet in his conscience when through sad affliction and sore temptation these wounds of his conscience begin to bleed again his pardon and peace is called in question Of this exercise there are three degrees the first is when sins against the law are mustered and led in an hoste against a soul which was the case of the afflicted Psalmist for a time till by faith he over-came the doubt Ps. 40. 12. Innumerable evils have compassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold on me so that I am not able to look up they are more then the hairs of mine head therefore my heart faileth me The second degree is when beside the mans sins against the Law his sins also against the Gospel against Christ and the means of salvation do arise in battel against him and do drive him to cry out with these not yet converted sinners Act. 2. 37. men and brethren what shall we do The third degree is when the regenerat man for some grosse sins against the light of his conscience is given up for a time to be scourged with the temptations and accusations of Sathan as if he had sinned against the holy Ghost and no more mercy were reserved for him and this was the case of the Prophet Ionah when being guilty and conscious to his late rebellion against God he is pursued and apprehended by God and casten in the sea he falleth in a â—it of desperation till God gave him victory by faith Ion. 2. 4. Then I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again to thy holy Temple which was the trysting place of God with sinners in a Mediator This was also the case of David for a time after that his conscience is wakened by the message of God sent unto him in the mouth of Nathan the Prophet when he
do acknowledge that they deserve death for their sins do confesse they stand in need of Christ do thirst for his righteousnesse do desire earnestly to be united unto him by faith do follow the exercise of Religion and do endeavour to keep their consciences undefiled in all things and yet for all this do not only doubt whether they be renewed but also do esteem it a presumptuous rashnesse in them to approach unto Christ or to cast themselves over on him by faith before they be more seriously humbled before they feel a more hearty sorrow and grief before they feel the pangs of the new birth more sharp before they be more pressed with the burthen of their sins and do feel in themselves the spirit of fear and trembling and bondage in a higher measure From whom if you ask a reason of their doubt they shall answer that they are not yet called to come unto Christ because these are only called to come unto Christ who are weary and loaden in the superlative degree and are so born down with the weight of sin as they cannot be more and not despair for so do they interpret that saying of Christ Matth. 11. 28. Christ is sent only to the contrite and broken in heart who sit in the dust under the spirit of bondage that is to say as they take it to them who are under grief unspeakable as they expound Isa. 61. 1 2 3. So in their opinion Christ came to save only those who in their own sense are lost that is who are on the brink of desperation wherefore in respect they are not gone down deep enough as they think into this gulf and hell of anguish and sorrow they dare not approach or look toward Christ. Mean time they lye daily mourning and weeping and will not grant that their grief is worthy of the name of grief which sorrow they cannot dissemble or hide but do bewray it in their countenance habite walking and frequent sighing and will professe that they can hardly think they have right to eat or drink of Gods creatures and were it not for fear of adding yet more sin to the former they would not eat or drink at all oft-times they chatter as swallows and sigh as the turtle dove and oft-times their bowels sound out as if their parents or children or nearest relations were dead and yet for all this do not satisfie themselves in sorrow but do complain that they are stupid and senslesse of their sinfull and miserable condition wherein they do lye bound and though they do confesse that sometimes they mourn yet they alledge their mourning is but like the early dew or morning cloud that goeth soon away All the while it is in vain to offer to the afflicted consolation in Christ because saith he I am not one of the mourners in Sion whom he will comfort and in this their mistake they do confirm themselves by another error saying that the measure of repentance and sorrow should answer unto the measure of sin my sins saith he go far beyond the sins of others This and the like objections they cast in whereby they do obstruct their own way unto Christ and keep themselves aback from him till they be satisfied with their own prescribed measure of sorrow which case indeed deserveth much compassion for who would not commiserat their case who being in a very miserable condition dare not seek relief from their own misery which they do feel and all because they are not yet more miserable and when they are asked cannot determine what measure of affected humiliation they would stand at as sufficient 2. In the cure of this case as much must be yielded to the afflicted as reasonably can be and first it must be confessed that it is the duty of all who approach unto Christ to come in the sense of sin and acknowledgment of their miserable condition and that the due deserving of their sin is everlasting death It must be confessed also that the measure of compunction contrition and lamentation for sin may possibly be exceeding great as we see in the experience of Heman the Ezrait Psal 88. 11. I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted And David Ps. 38. This also further must be yielded unto him that the operation of the spirit of conviction by the law doth ordinarily and of its own nature go before the spirit of adoption or the operation of the spirit of the Gospel according to the covenant of grace so that no man can in earnest embrace Christ as a Physician as Mediator and Saviour of his soul except he be sensible of his disease acknowledge his natural enmity against God and his own lost condition being by nature under the curse of the Law Secondly when these things are agreed upon the afflicted person may be posed concerning the measure of the sorrow for sin whether it must be the same in every convert to wit in that extremity and superlative degree which he doth miss and desiderat in himself and how long that sorrow in this eminent measure must continue By this question he cannot choose but be at a stand and unable to answer with Scripture-warrand for the Scripture doth indeed require serious repentance but the measure of sorrow and sadnesse it doth not prescribe for Matth. chap. 3. v. 2. 6. many upon the hearing of Iohn Baptist preaching were convicted of their sins and did confesse their sins in the general and forthwith were baptized by him And Act. 2. 37. 41. three thousand souls at the hearing of one sermon of Peter were convinced of their sin pricked at the heart repented and fled to Christ for grace were converted baptized and entered members of the Christian Church all in one day Again the afflicted may be posed with another question seing he desiderats such a measure of sound hearty sorrow in himself before he can make his addresse unto Christ out of what fountain mindeth he to draw this sorrow of himself he hath it not and from Christ by his grounds he cannot seek it for he saith for want of his imagined measure of sorrow for sin he dare not approach unto Christ because as he alledgeth none are called to come unto Christ except such only as are in a superlative degree weary and loaden and so full of the spirit of heavinesse that he must be at the point of desperation near by But the Scripture doth teach us that Christ is that exalted Prince to give repentance unto Israel in what measure of sorrow he pleaseth and that therefore such as are convinced of and in any measure sorrowfull for offending God should run unto Christ that he may give them a better measure of repentance Thirdly the evils and danger which accompany and follow upon this practical error may be represented unto the afflicted for first by this his error he giveth way to Sathans tentation who when he perceiveth the
and bring the believer fled unto him on upon his way till he put him in full possession of fredom from all sin and misery But yet this felicity is brought about not all at once but peece and peece and not without conflict with the enemies of our salvation and not without use of the meanes appointed of God Wherefore let the afflicted be exhorted to take courage unto him as becometh a souldier of Christ and let him go on in the wayes of the Lord in hope and patience being assured that whatsoever God hath promised he will surely perform in that maner measure order and time and by his own appointed means as he hath set down in his holy Scriptures 6. The third practical error of the afflicted in the foresaid case is that he doth not judge rightly of his own faith nor of the fruits thereof for of his own faith he judgeth no otherwayes than of the faith of another man whileas there is a diverse way to judge of my own faith then of another mans faith for because I cannot reach to the internal acts of the soul of another man therefore I must judge only by the outward effects according to the rule that Iames giveth chap. 2. ver 10. Shew me thy faith without thy works and I will shew thee my faith by my works Yet of my own faith I may judge not only by the external effects of it which in the first closing with Christ are not yet observable possibly but also by the internal act of faith which the holy Spirit who knows the heart doth reveal unto me by making me not only heartily to embrace Christ offered in the Gospel and love him but also can make me reflect and turn back mine eye upon his own gift and grace in me according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 2. 12. we have received the Spirit of God that we might know the things freely given to us of God Again the afflicted doth not judge rightly of his own fruits of faith according as the truth is and as the Lord in his Word doth judge he should distinguish between the sincerity of the work and the perfection of it a work may be done uprightly and yet be imperfect he should distinguish what is Gods part in the work from that which is wrong and corrupt flowing from the remainder of sin in him These things he doth confound and doth so fix his eyes upon the defects and imperfection of his work that he seeth nothing but what is wrong when it is his duty both to observe what is wrong that he may be humbled and cast away all confidence in his work and to observe also what is good and right in his work proceeding from the grace of God in him and so praise and thank God for it in Christ who will not quench the smoaking flax Isa. 42. 3. 7. For remedy therefore of this error let the afflicted first look upon the acts of his faith both internal and external both on the elicit acts of faith and the imperat acts as they are called in the Schools and let him judge of both according to what is right and equitable that whatsoever be the measure of new obedience it may be differenced from the mixture of infirmity defects or corruption And let him not judge of his work according to the suggestions and calumnies of Sathan who alwayes condemneth so far as he can what is good in Gods children or if he cannot condemn it doth labour to have it abused Secondly let the afflicted observe the due order both in doing his duties and in judging thereof for of necessity he must first put forth an act of faith and love on Christ before he can passe judgment on it and let him first do the work commanded to the believer and then passe sentence that he may be strengthened to do moe duties and so to present them to God to be washen accepted and amended in his following service Thirdly let him carefully look unto the end which he should propose to himself in judging of his acts of faith and obedience for the end of judging our selves and our works should be to confirm our faith in Christ when we find any thing done according to the rule and to â—lye to Christ for pardon and grace if we conceive all is wrong after we have examined maters 6. The fourth practical error is that the afflicted first suffereth his faith to be wounded and weakened by Sathans tentation and then to be drawn forth to the field to give a proof of the strength of his faith in some difficile duty before the wound of faith be bound up or healed for it is a great disadvantage to enter the lists with Sathan about the fruits of faith whether they be sincere or not when faith is wounded yea fainteth and is brought in question whether it be true faith or not Now this is a special stratageme and wile of Sathan by whatsoever mean he can to hurt the faith of Gods children that he may by that marr communion-keeping with God and cut off if he can the conduit whereby the power of Christ is conveyed to the believer for making him give acceptable obedience unto God And certainly it is no lesse difficile when faith is wrested and for a time out of joynt to set about acceptable service then it is to make a man to set upon his work when his armes are out of joynt Therefore for remedy of this error let the afflicted so soon as he findeth his â—aith wounded incontinent set himself down before God humbly and acknowledge his foolishnesse want of watching unworthinesse and inability either to know how he hath grieved Gods Spirit and made open a door for the Tempter to fall in upon him or to repent the sins which he knoweth might have provoked God so to exercise him and next let him look unto God in Christ reconcileing the world to himself and lay hold on the hornes of the altar on the throne of grace for strengthening his faith that he may find help for the present need and thereafter also to walk more wisely for this is the counsell which Christ doth give to the corrupt Church of Sardis Revel 3. 2. Strengthen the thing which remaineth and is ready to die Thus may the afflicted recover strength of faith and ability to resist Sathan and furniture for bringing forth unquestionable fruits of faith CHAP. VIII Wherein the regenerat mans doubt whether he be in the state of grace arising from his unquietnesse of spirit is answered THis case is incident to many dear children of God and may befall Champions in time of sad affliction as we see in the Prophet Ps. 42. 11. and 43. 5. why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me But even in time of outward prosperity or when no great affliction bodily lyeth on many who in the sense of their sinfulnesse have fled to Jesus Christ and have taken
of eternal life Other some doubting of the soundnesse of their conversion because the â—error of God and fear of condemnation and hell prevailed more with them for changing their course then the love of God and true holinesse did and both the one sort and the other do conceive the chief rise of their change to have been natural or carnal self-love fearing harm and loving life 2. For removing of this doubt we grant that there are many who after some notable delivery from death or some notable benefit received or after some sharp rod of chastisement for their sin have changed their outward way of living left off grosse vices and led a more civil and blamelesse outward life and yet have neither seriously repented them of sin nor seriously fled in unto the grace of Jesus Christ offered in the Gospel neither knowing what saving faith is nor carefull to know it but of such we do not speak here for we are speaking of the true convert and renewed man who in the sense of sin is fled to Christ in the sense of his unworthinesse maketh the grace offered his refuge and in the sense of indigence looketh up to Christ and seeketh supply of him in all things and by the holy Spirit is striving against sin endeavouring in some measure of sincerity to bring forth the fruits of faith and repentance and yet for all this he doubteth of the sincerity of his own conversion for the reasons foresaid To this souldier and wrestler we say as before we said to him that doubteth of his conversion because he cannot design the time of his conversion it is not material by what way or means or motives a man is brought unto Christ provided he doth come and indeed adhere to Christ it is all one whether the rise of the mans turning from sin to God was love alluring or terror driving him whether a benefit or a sharp rod whether fear or hope did at the first beginning of his change move him to seek God provided God manifested in the flesh Christ Jesus the Redeemer of sinners be now his beloved Lord and precious in his eyes for he that is most sweetly allured to come to God and without much fear is converted who possibly after serious conviction of sin and deserved death is not keeped long at the door of mercy but forthwith is admitted to the throne of grace and tenderly entertained by the Spirit of consolation may fall in hard exercises afterward This is evident in the experience of the Prophet David in whom his brethren living in the same family with him did not perceive any signes of a sorrowfull or heavy heart as his brother Eliab's words do shew 1 Sam. 17. 28. I know thy pride and the naughtiness of thy heart Thus did Eliab judge of David's chearfull carriage whereof also we have some evidence that David was of a ruddy and beautiful countenance and for some years of his youth did passe the time pleasantly serving God with his songs and harp while he was feeding his sheep in the wildernesse now none can justly question his conversion all this time or his sincerity in this service yet afterward he was otherwayes exercised for oft-times he felt the power of the Law upon his spirit and was tossed with the terror thereof and made to mourn and weep heavily Such doth Iob's condition seem to be in his youth as it is described Iob 29. but afterward in the tryal of his faith what a conflict with temptation he had the sacred History doth testifie Therefore there is no reason why any in whom these evidences of a true Israelit are found in any measure should suspect the sincerity of his regeneration because he hath been gently handled in his conversion for it may come to passe that the same person may fall in firy tryals and so hard temptations as he may fall in doubt of his conversion in regard of the sad afflictions inward and outward whereby he is exercised In which case he will be found to be mistaken no lesse then he was mistaken in the former case and condition for some dear children of God may possibly both in their conversion and most part of their life be exercised with the terrors of the Law and yet retain fast hold by faith on Christs grace in their deepest afflictions For instance we offer that precious soul Heman the Ezrait who came near unto Solomon in the point of wisdom 1 King 4 31. and yet how bitter his afflictions of spirit were the 88. Psalm beareth witnesse specially v. 13. 14 15. But unto thee have I cryed O Lord and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee And why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted c. And therefore there is no just cause that any in whom the evidences of faith and repentance may be found should call the sincerity of his own conversion in question how hardly soever he seem to be handled of God for whosoever is joyned to the Lord Jesus and will neither suffer himself to be driven from him nor yet will endure sin to remain in himself uncontrolled is certainly a true convert As for these who for some temporal cause are come to Christ as many did come in the dayes of his flesh that they might be delivered from some temporal evil or obtain some temporal benefit and for that cause do doubt of their conversion or sincerity thereof they need not dispute much about the occasions of their first seeking after God provided that they have learned what Christs grace is and do seek righteousnesse and salvation in him for we read in the Evangel that sundry that they might be cured of leprosie palsie blindnesse c. came unto Christ who afterward came and adhered to him by faith as the only Redeemer and Saviour of their souls from sin and misery Wherefore in such doubtings let not the afflicted trouble himself nor call his conversion in question but let him give all diligence to strengthen his faith and to increase in holinesse making his calling and election sure by well-doing for if he do this he shall neither be found idle nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus as the Apostle promiseth 2 Pet. 1. 8. CHAP. XI Wherein the converts doubt of his being in the state of grace arising from heavy afflictions and grievous tentations is solved SOme true converts sometime fall into great suspicionâ— of their regeneration of their effectual calling and of the love of God unto them and that because they meet with sore outward afflictions and are assaulted also possibly with horrible inward tentations which do befall them unexpectedly and are ready to swallow them up for whereas after divers conflicts in their conversion and peace of conscience following after these sad exercises of mind they hoped to have injoyed Gods peace still after
they do meet possibly with sad calamities which they did not foresee nor fear and being yoked in conflict with more fearfull tentations then ever before which they find themselves unable to overcome they seem to themselves to have just cause to call in question all the former work of grace in themselves and to doubt of their regeneration and of their reconciliation with God Of this sort some who lived in great wealth and outward prosperity do fall in so deep poverty that they are neither able to sustain themselves nor their families but are forced to live on the private charity of others or openly to beg Other some do fall in heavy sicknesses yea in uncouth diseases which but rarely do befall any which seem to be evidences of the wrath of God Other some do fall in horrible tentations and are troubled with blasphemous suggestions against God and the holy Scripture and the way of the Saints which as fiery darts do stick fast unto them and disquiet them continually Other some are tempted unto hainous sins and to such wickednesse against themselves or others as nature doth abhor to which acts of wickednesse they find themselves so powerfully solisted as they fear God hath decreed to give them over and that they shall be overcome with the tentations some after one way some after another way by one sort or other of vexation are tossed so as they suspect God is pursuing them in wrath and dealing with them otherwayes then with any of his children Whereupon oft-times they break forth in sad complaints and misbelieving suspicions saying if God loved me he would not deal thus and thus with me if I were a true convert and reconciled with God he would not thus pursue me my case is not the case of the children of God for any thing I know and other such like regrates and lamentations are uttered by them 2. For solving this doubt we neither esteem such exercises and tentations proper to the regenerat man or a token of regeneration neither do we deny that such exercises may befall true converts for all sorts of afflictions and calamities are common to the good and evil to the godly and the wicked so that by those troubles and miseries neither the love or hatred of God can be certainly concluded but thus much may be said in reason if these calamities do befall a man while he is walking in his own sinfull wayes then are they undoubtedly to be interpret as evidences of Gods wrath at least fatherly anger against the afflicted and to be esteemed as forewarnings of more and more heavy calamities to come upon him yea and finall perdition also if he do not repent 3. In which case the afflicted shall do well to humble himself before God and give a good construction of Gods purpose in sending on him such calamities in regard when he might forthwith have destroyed the sinner he hath sent forth these sad afflictions to waken his conscience and to warn him to flye from the wrath to come least he perish utterly 4. He shall do well also to consider with himself and to acknowledge that such a bitter potion was necessary in so deadly and desperat-like disease as his soul was lying into for what should the Lord do unto those who despise the worth of their own souls and of eternal life and do seek their felicity in vain and perishing pleasure profit and honour what shall he do with those whom he will not suffer to perish with this evil world but break their Idols in pieces and put themselves to grief who vex his holy Spirit Wherefore let the afflicted read his sin in the rod wherewith he is beaten if he be deprived of temporal goods or earthly comforts which he hath abused to the hazard of his own soul let God have the glory of his justice and mercy also in that he by cutting off earthly things from him is sending him to seek things spiritual and everlasting in heaven where Christ is at the right hand of the Father Col. 3. 2. If he be vexed with tentations unto blasphemies and such horrid fearfull sins which even nature doth abhor let him consider that misbelief of threatenings and promises are no lesse in effect than real asserting of blasphemies and that entertaining of sinfull lusts which fight against his soul is in effect a defiling and destroying of his own soul by which afflictions and tentations if the afflicted take not warning and repent he may justly fear these calamities and tormenting tentations are but the beginnings of sorrows But if these calamities and fearfull tentations befall a man walking in the wayes of God who is a believer in Christ who hath casten his anchor within the vail and studieth in any measure of uprightnesse to please God let not such a man be afraid for God is not pursuing him in wrath as Sathan his adversary suggesteth but as a most wise and loving father is trying and training his faith and bringing forth the evidence of grace bestowed upon him to the praise of his own name shaming of Sathan and edifying all beholders of this manâ— exercise Wherefore let the afflicted comfort himself in the Lord and be strong in the faith of holy Scripture which is granted to the Church for upholding of believers in patience and hope of the promised reward for even Iob the holiest man on earth in his generation was both sudainly surprized with a multitude of concurring calamities and also deprived of all consolation from God and man for a season for at once he was spoiled of all his goods deprived of all his children tempted by his wife to dispair despised by his servants judged to be a hypocrit by his most intire godly friends stricken by Sathan with an unusuall plague of botch-biles and how far the Lord did hide all comfort for a time the history of his complaints make evident Yea our blessed Lord Jesus Christ hath sanctified in his own person the hardest exercises of this sort which his children can fall into for albeit he could not be defiled with sin yet he was tempted of Sathan unto most abominable sins in special he was tempted to cast himself down from the pinacle of the Temple which was to kill himself he was tempted to fall down and worship the devil which O how horrible blasphemy is it yea for a time power was given to Sathan albeit not to hurt Christ yet to carry his body from one place to another as we read in Matth. 4. and therefore let this be for consolation to such of Gods children as are vexed with vile and blasphemous tentations and solistations to abominable sins Heb. 2. 18. for in that our Lord himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted 4. But if the afflicted insist and say he is so put to it by Sathans tentations to commit sin against his light and is ready to succumb because he neither hath strength in himself to
resist and stand out nor is their appearance or hope of Gods assisting him in his conflict because God seemeth to have not only deserted him but also to have given him over in the hands of an unclean spirit to be vexed Unto this tentation we answer first that the dearest of Gods children have been exercised after this maner for even to the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 12. 7. there was given to him a thorne in the flesh the messenger of Sathan to buffet him to keep him from pride which tentation was so strong and violent that he could not resist it by any strength in himself but was forced to flye unto God by prayer and beg strength from Christ to bear him out against the tentation and to be delivered from the power of it Secondly let the afflicted under this exercise put a difference between the sin of Sathan the tempter of him and his own sin under the tentation for the fiery darts of Sathan and suggested blasphemies are Sathans sins and not properly the sins of the afflicted to whom these wicked tentations are not pleasant but are his greatest affliction It is true indeed that tentations unto sin in some measure draw on some degree of pollution oft-times in sinfull men because it is not with us as it was with Christ for when the prince of this world came to tempt him he had no stuff of his own in Christ to work upon but when he cometh to sinners he findeth our corrupt nature and inclination to yield to his tentations as his own materials to work upon ready to be kindled by his fiery darts and yet must we still distinguish the sin of Sathan suggesting and tempting from the suffering of the poor afflicted child of God who is vexed with the tentation for if the afflicted shall own the tentation as his own sin and confound Sathans part and his own part in that exercise he is in danger to be swalloâ—ed up in the sense of the sin which is not his own but Sathans Thirdly the afflicted must put difference between sin and troublsome exercise for God is the author of trouble whereby he is about to try exercise and train the faith of his child to reach him patience and hope under his trouble but Sathan is the author of the sin whereunto he doth tempt the afflicted and shall be punished for it Fourthly let the afflicted wisely observe Sathans drift and wiles to drive him unto sin one way or other by these his horrid and bitter tentations for though he prevail not with his grosser tentations to cause the afflicted commit or consent unto that wickednesse which he suggesteth by his fiery darts yet he in some measure prevaileth oft-times by new tentations following on the back of the other for when he hath troubleed the soul of the afflicted child of God with these terrible tentations then he beareth in upon the mind of the afflicted that he hath acted or consented to these vile blasphemies and solliciteth him to impatience under this trouble and to doubt of Gods love to him and of his being in the state of grace and to suspect he is not one of the elect and to fear that God will not deliver him from these evils whereunto he is tempted Now these latter tentations oft-times prevail so far with the afflicted as he hearkens unto them yields unto them in some measure and suspects Sathans false alledgance to be too true And so these acts of unbelief impatience and discouragment become indeed the sins of the afflicted because they are not so resisted disclaimed abhorred and sorrowed for as the first sort of tentations were which do most vex the afflicted These wiles of Sathan the afflicted must beware of least he continue in or foster these ordinary sins whereinto that Sathan might cast and catch him he did lay his net in these extraordinary tentations Fifthly let the afflicted after he hath perceived Sathans wiles and malice and his own foolishnesse and weaknesse look upon the Lords wise purpose who by suffering his child so to be exercised is calling him to a deeper acknowledgment of his original sin that he may be humbled yet more before God and loath himself yet more and have Christs righteousnesse imputed to the believer in higher estimation Upon which consideration let him so presse the removing of the troublesome tentation as in the mean time he submit himself unto God and patiently endure the trouble and put repentance and faith hope and love to God in exercise following his external vocation as he is able least Sathan take advantage of him if he be idle and withal let him have such a care of his bodily health as he may be fitted the better for Gods service in his calling for we are not our own but Christs who hath bought us with a price and are bound to glorifie God both in our bodies and spirits which are the Lords 2 Cor. 6. 19 20. and therefore whether we eat or drink or whatsoever else we are about which is lawfull we ought to do it in his name aud so to glorifie him 1 Cor. 10. 30. CHAP. XII Wherein is solved the converts doubt of his conversion arising from the power of his corruption manifesting it self more after his entry upon the course of new obedience then it did before he began to repent SOme converts being yet but young souldiers in the Christian warfare when they find the corruption of their nature breaking forth more powerfully then it did before they did ingage their heart to serve the Lord do readily fall in deep discouragment and sad suspicion that the renewing grace of God was never bestowed upon them whatsoever were their purposes promises and beginnings to mortifie their lusts and affections And we must confesse that this is no small tentation for they who have renounced the service of their lusts and have consecrat their life to Gods service when they find their lusts prevail and like to reign in them no wonder they suspect their state in grace for 2 Pet. chap. 2. ver 20. it is told to us If men after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ they are again intangled therein and overcome the latter endis worse with them then the beginning for it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousnesse then after they have known it to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them But it is happened unto them according to the true proverbe the dog is turned to his own vomit again and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire 2. This condition indeed is perilous when after profession of repentance sin doth recover its strength again and prevail over the whole man and shew forth its victory over him in the grosse pollution of the external man But most of all is it perilous when the overcome and inslaved sinner lyeth still in his sin
dissimilitude of manners or discrepance of judgment or contention about any mater then partiality hindereth a right judgment one of another and affection marreth reason many times that it cannot discern what is right Therefore let the person afflicted with this tentation turn himself to God who searcheth the reines and let him humble himself in his sight renewing the exercise of repentance and faith in Christ and let him apply to himself what the Scripture doth pronounce of these who in the sense of their sin do flye to Christ Jesus that in him they may have remission of sin and amendment of their life for so did the Prophet in the whole Psal. 17. when he had to do with his uncharitable friends and kinsfolk and so let the afflicted do CHAP. XV. Wherein the converts doubting of his being in the state of grace so oft as he doth not feel the sense of his reconciliation with God is examined and answered SOâ—e true converts are who indeed are indued with the saving graces of faith hope and charity and give evident proof of the in-dwelling of the holy Spirit in them and do rejoyce now and then in God their Saviour when his love to them is shed abroad in their heart but when a cloud cometh over their eyes and they do not feel the warm beams of the Sun of righteousnesse shining in their soul as they before have felt they are assaulted with doubting if any saving grace be in them at all and do entertain these tentations oft-times so far as to suspect and expresse in words that there is no solid faith in themselves no lively hope no christian charity no mortification of sin no purity of heart and such like if when they are thus tempted and tossed they lay hold on Christ as in their first conversion and find the sensible comfort of the holy Spirit by the word of the Gospel applyed unto them then all is well their doubting is overcome for the time they rejoyce and praise God But if the Lord shall delay for his own wise ends to renew their sensible consolations and to renew the earnest-penny of their inheritance forthwith they begin to doubt again and to hearken to Sathans suggestions and to suspect that their former feelings were but temporary and not the special operations of the holy Spirit and at length break forth in many sad complaints And in a word they do not maintain the work of saving grace in themselves longer then the sun shine of spiritual felt consolations abideth with them And albeit their exercise be no wayes so hard as was the Prophets Psal. 77. yet they fall out in the same complaint which the Prophet expresseth ver 7 8 9. Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise fail for evermore hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies 2. For clearing of this case two diseases may be perceived in the afflicted which is here described The one is this the afflicted setteth himself to live rather by sense then by faith and doth put his faith on work of set purpose that he may obtain or recover consolation shortly but if his desire be not shortly granted he maketh not use of the formerly felt consolations to strengthen his own â—aith when consolation is withdrawn The other sicknesse is this the afflicted doth not take up the nature of saving graces nor perceive the beauty thereof except in the sun-shine of sensible divine approbation thereof he doth not take up the right definition or description of saving graces for saith is to him nothing if it be not a full perswasion except he can pour forth tears alwayes he thinks he doth not repent except he find a joyfull expectation of Christs coming in glory he thinks his hope not lively and so of charity and patience temperance righteousnesse and holinesse if he do not find them in some eminent measur as they may nearâ—by stand before the law the afflicted of whom we are now speaking thinketh he hath nothing of saving grace in him We grant that this sicknesse is very rare and few they are that are troubled with it yet where it appeareth it must be speedily cured but with great circumspection cured for the earnest desire he hath of feeling the sweet sense of the joy of the holy Ghost must not be disallowed but commended to him and he taught to cry as it is said Cant. 2. 5. Stay me with flaggons comfort me with aples for I am sick of love yet with holy submission unto Gods will for time maner and measure 2. He is also to be commended that in his trouble he goeth to God in Christ not altogether without faith which he putteth forth in active exercise thereof by confession of sin by supplication and otherwayes but here is he to be reproved that while he is actually exercising faith love hope c. he reckoneth all he doeth to be nothing no faith no hope c. because it is not in such a measure as he would 3. He is to be commended that he doth aime at the highest degrees of faith love hope patience mortification of sin and practice of holinesse and all commanded vertues but here he faileth that he counteth all as nought when consolation and sensible approbation of what he hath is not felt for here he despiseth the day of small things and unthankfully mis-regardeth the lower degrees of these saving graces which notwithstanding are bought to the redeemed by the same price wherewith the highest degrees are bought to wit with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. 3. Wherefore let the afflicted consider first that the will of God revealed requireth of us that we walk by faith and under the sense of our sinfulnesse and afflictions whatsoever hold fast the covenant of grace in Christ Jesus and by adhering unto him hold up our heart and entertain spiritual life in us Secondly let him consider that this way of living by faith and dependence on the word of Gods grace doth please the Lord well for without faith it is impossible to please him and thus living by faith in him doth give more glory of truth grace mercy and constancy unto God then when we suspend the glorifying of him till we find the sense of consolation from him for if we believe in God only because we find the consolations of his Spirit our faith in that case is weak and leaneth more upon the pledge and sensible evidence of his truth bestowed upon us then upon his promise without a pledge for no man will refuse to give credit to a man upon a pawn but God is worthy to be credited upon his word without a pawn yea when his dispensation seemeth contrary to his promise Thirdly let him consider that the Lord useth to give sensible consolations not only to help our faith in the time of consolation but also to help our
and for drawing him to Christ to be his refuge in his worst condition CHAP. XXVIII Wherein is solved the doubt of the true convert concerning his regeneration because he findeth the power of the body of death in the pollution of the imaginations of his heart vigorous and powerfull THere are some true converts who albeit they be cleansed from the pollutions that are in the world and have their conversation blamelesse and without giving scandall unto them they live among yet frequently are troubled with doubting of their state in grace because they feel in themselves such a power of in-bred corruption of their hearts as can hardly consist as they conceive with regeneration and saving saith because Iames chap. 3. ver 11. maketh the question thus doth a fountain send forth at the same plâ—ce sweet water and bitter c. unto the end of the Chapter This doubt the afflicted wrestles with and saith with himself what shall I think of my self whose heart is so polluted that it casteth forth continually dirt and mire how shall I reckon my self among the Saints how shall I incrude my self among the justified who find so little evidence of the work of sanctification in me For faith should purifie the heart from this pollution whereof I do justly complain 2. For solving of this doubt many things are already spoken which serve for the curing of this case and comforting the afflicted in this condition but because one and the same doubt doth diversely present it self now in one shape then in another and doth vex the afflicted in sundry wayes we shall answer this doubt proposed as it is set down First therefore let the afflicted examine himself whether he may with some measure of honesty say with the Psalmist Ps. 66. 18. I do not regard iniquity-in my heart I do not so delight in sin but that sin is still my affliction and my daily grief Secondly let him examine himself whether the power of corruption doth break forth in words and deeds or not or if it do burst out in some passionat fits whether he doth open the sluce and give it way or whether he sets himself to oppose the out-breaking of sin and is humbled for what doth break forth Thirdly let him examine whether he flyeth to Christ to wash him and help him against the power of sin or not If after examination he can in any measure of honesty joyn with the Apostle in his lamentation and recourse unto Christ for delivery Rom. 7. 24 25. he may be assured he is in the state of grace For there is a vast difference between a mans being sold unto sin by his native corruption captivating him and a mans setting of himself unto sin as a voluntary servant of sin for a renewed man may be in sundry cases a captive to sin and is a fighter against sin But a man selling himself to sin is a slave voluntarily suffering sin to reign in his mortall body Let the afflicted therefore comfort himself because in him there is a perpetual conflict between the flesh and the spirit between his native inclination to sin and the new creature or inclination to holinesse Neither let him by mis-understood Scripture formerly cited vex himself for his faith is indeed upon the work and the way of purifying his heart first because he doth flye to the bloud of Christ which cleanseth him from all sin in respect of remission granted Secondly there is a constant endeavour to be more and more holy and to draw vertue by faith from Christ to bring forth good fruits well-pleasing unto God Thirdly he is about to mortifie his lusts by the Spirit of Christ and to purge out the leaven of all filthinesse of flesh and spirit albeit he cannot purge it out all at once or wholly in in this life And fourthly because albeit his doubting of his estate in grace be not allowable yet it doth bear witnesse that the remainder of pollution in him is his grief affliction and vexation So also that other Scripture Iames 3. 11. which faith that out of the same fountain proceedeth not salt water and sweet is not to be understood so as if no rotten speech could possibly proceed out of the mouth of a regenerat man at any time for Iames doth witnesse that in many things we sin all in thought word and deed But the meaning is that he that bridleth not his tongue his religion is vain and nothing but a presumptuous boasting of that wich is not reall and in truth and that it is inconsistent with regeneration that out of a mans mouth pretending to blesse God cursing of men who are made after the similitude of God should flow forth as waters flow forth from a running fountain without controlment CHAP. XXIX Shewing how to quench the fiery darts of Sathan and resist his sinfull suggestions whether of shorter endurance or of longer continuance SOmetime on a sudain Sathan casteth a fiery dart of tentation unto some sin as his messenger seeking to prepare the lodging for him which tentation he doth so furiously presse as if he would not be refused or could not be resisted and possibly may so bear-in his tentation as the convert may be afraid that Sathan shall prevail finding himself as it were over-powered and unable to bear out in such a case as the Apostle had experience of 2 Cor. 12 7 8 9. who found himself as it were buffeted and abused by the messenger of Sathan and unable of himself to resist him The remedy whereof is that the afflicted with the Apostle be humbled in himself in the sense of his in-born sinfulnesse and inability to overcome tentations 2. That he flye to Christ the captain of militant souldiers and do pray unto him instantly to help to bear out in the conflict and to be rid of the Tempter 3. Let him hold fast the faith of promised grace and wrestle on so long as it shall please God to exercise him so With such a tentation Iob also was exercised which so far prevailed as to make carnall and corrupt nature speak for it The tentation was very fearfull and no lesse then self-murther Iob 7. 13 14 15. When I say my couch shall ease my complaint then thou scarrest me with dreams and terrifiest me with night-visions so that my soul chooseth strangling and death rather then life The remedy whereof is with Iob to flye to the Redeemer and fix faith upon him and to present the tentation unto God by prayer and humble lamentation striving against the suggestion and never to give over relying on God as he did 2. Sometime Sathan when he cannot find instruments to charge the convert with hypocrisie and a course of wickednesse as he found in Iobs tryall by his uncharitable friends he useth immediately to fall a railing against the whole course of the work of grace in the convert and charge him falsely with deep guiltinesse as calumniators use to do in their furious flyting and slandering
conscience and felt wrath pursuing me for sin may be clear to me by its own light and scriptural evidence albeit it being possibly the very instant of my conversion I cannot produce any fruits or evidences of my conversion past or else what shall be said of malefactors on the scaffold presently to be put to death and possibly not wakened in conscience before not fled to Christ before What shall be said of sick persons near unto death who being self-condemned do betake themselves in their last agony unto the grace of God in Christ offered to self-condemned sinners in the Gospel 2. I must put difference between a reason to prove that I have believed and a reason why I may and must now believe The reason to prove that I have believed is from the effect to prove the cause thereof to wit faith to be in me but the reason why I may now and must believe is from the cause to infer the effect that should be in me the cause of believing in Christ is Gods command to self-condemned sinners which command I must now obey left I perish and so if I find fruits I prove I have believed because I feel the love of God shed abroad in my heart and that I love God who hath freely loved me and here I reason from the effect to prove that the cause of this fruit to wit saâ—ing faith hath preceeded and is gone before Again I prove that I should believe because the offer of the Gospel and of free grace in Christs made to all self-condemned persons renouncing confidence in their own worth or works is made to me with a command to believe in the Son of God Christ Jesus for which cause I may and ought to cast my self upon his grace who justifieth the ungodly flying to him without the works of the Law 3. I must put difference between my having fruits of faith in me and my observing and finding these fruits in me for a true convert may have both faith and fruits and for the time being under tryal and temptation may be so darkened that he can see nothing in himself but sin and apparent wrath pursuing him for sin as may be seen in Ionah in the belly of the fish Ionah 2. 4. and David Ps. 51 9 10. 4. I must put difference between my perswasion that I have been and am a true convert and a sincere believer and my perswasion that I have right reason and good warrand to believe in Christ in my lowest condition howsoever then I find my self emptied of all signes of saving grace in me for the time yet my perswasion that I should in this sad condition flye to Christ and believe in him doth serve to make me consent heartily unto the offer of the covenant of grace in Christ doth serve to make way for my justification and looseth all doubts and objections of Sathan tempting me to mis-believe and to run away from Christ and the offered mercy in him 5. And last of all I must put difference between making use of good fruits brought forth by me for confirmation of my faith and my putting confidence in or laying weight on these good fruits for many true converts do here fail and do not mark the mistakes for when they find love to God and his Saints with fear and holy reverence and such other like signes of grace in their hearts and outward fruits thereof in their life then they do believe in Christ and rejoice in him but when at another time they find hardnesse of heart profanity and perversenesse of a wicked nature in themselves they are like to quite their interest in the covenant of Grace and to stand aloof from Christ like strangers when they should most be humbled and creep in to him for remission of sin aâ—d hiding of their nakednesse by his imputed righteousnesse And what is this in effect else then in the first place to lean on their works and holy disposition as if there were merit in them and then after in the next place to believe in Christ who hath furnished them those fruits whereas they should in the sense of their sin and unworthinesse first flye to Christ and firmly adhere to him by faith that out of his fulnesse they may receive grace for grace according as we are taught to do by Christ himself Ioh. 15. 5. He that abideth in me and l in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me you can do nothing CHAP. VII Concerning the case of the convert in some point of doctrine deluded and pleasing himself in this condition TO speak of delusion and bewitching in the general requireth a large Treatise It shall suffice our purpose to speak of it as it hath place in the point of doctrine and practice erroneous Which we describe thus Delusion is a powerfull operation of a lying Spirit whereby he obtrudes to men some noysome error in doctrine or practise contrary to true doctrine fairded over with sophistical deceits and doth perswade inconsiderate souls effectually to receive the error for truth and to defend and spread it in their rash zeal For explication of which description we say 1. delusion is a powerfull operation of a lying Spirit wherein Sathan in Gods judgment is permitted to put forth his power in lying effectually Therefore in all his effectuall delusions there is a concurring righteous judgment of God in loosing reins to the rempter that by delusion one sin in one degree may be punished by a following sin in a higher degree No wonder therefore that a lying Spirit do work more effectually when he is not restrained by the powerfull hand of God 2. We say that delusion is in some dangerous error tending to the damage of the Church and hazard of souls And this we say not as if we did think that any sin doth not draw with it the merit of death for the wages of every sin is death but because Sathan is not so busie to spred and foment such errors as are lesse perillous as he is active in such errors which do most tend to pester the Church and divert the professors of religion from the path way of saving doctrine And to this purpose he essayes all means that he may obscure and darken the truth and devise and spread abroad the most pernicious errors Mean time he is not idle in sowing and spreading lesser errors that he may stir up contention and jangling in the Church whereby precious time which should be spent for mutual edification may be idly wasted in needlesse disputes and mens minds may be prepared to receive grosser errors Thirdly we put some difference between errors in doctrine and errors in practice albeit there cannot be one error in practice whether it be in the external worship or government of the Church or in outward conversation which being stiffly maintained hath not some error of judgment and doctrine joyned with it or else it should not be contrary to sound doctrine
yet there may be an error in doctrine and judgment of the mind when in the outward practice the error may lye hid and men of contrary judgment may consent and agree in the same practice Fourthly we presuppose the errors whereof we are speaking to be coloured and covered with fair pretenses and to be found deceitfull sophistry For otherwayes a disciple of Christ could not be easily insnared if the error were seen in its own colours if it were demonstrat unto him with sound reason to be contrary to sound doctrine and pernicious to the welfare of the Church and to mens souls For in this case every ingenuous and honest mind would keep off from the error as from a deep pit But Sathan setteth forth the error as if it were no error but most consonant to wholsome doctrine and profitable for mens souls and the Churches good And by plansible pretenses sets out the error so as it may seem lovely and worthy to befended and spred abroad by all means Fifthly in this delusion we are speaking of we presuppose that in the person deluded there is a perswasion stronger then any probation which he hath can support For there the efficacie of error doth specially appear when the lying Spirit by probable conjectures appearance of advantage and sophistical disputation doth perswade the deluded soul that the error is as sure as if by divine oracle it were revealed and declared to be a truth How this can be and how Sathan worketh this perswasion it is not to our purpose to make inquiry For lying Spirits have their own way unknown to us whereby they insinuat and suggest their errors unto men It may suffice us that the Scripture hath taught us that Sathan can form objections against our faith Ephes. 6. 10 11 12. and throw them at us as fiery darts and work strong perswasions in unstable or ignorant souls Such was the perswasion of the Galatians which the Apostle avoucheth to have been procured not by God who had called them Gal 5. 8. Sixthly we presuppose in a powerfull delusion a bastard and misled zeal making the deluded man ardently to defend and promove the error which he hath embraced For this is Sathans main endeavour when he hath leavened with error one or moe in a Church to make all the use of them he can to leaven the Church with the same error And to the intent this mater may be the more usefully spoken of three questions must be answered so briefly as may be The first question is whether such a powerfull delusion may befall a true convert We answer it is possible and experience proveth it that it is possible we learn from the Apostles fear 2 Cor. 11. 3. I fear least by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtility So your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity which is in Christ He was feared also for the Colossians lest they should be deluded Col. 2. 4. This I say lest any man beguile you with intising words And ver 8. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the traditions of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ. Wherein it is clear that this sort of delusion may befall the Saints Now that it hath indeed and in experience befallen some true converts it is evident by what Christ saith to the Church of Thyatira Rev. 2. 20. I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Jezabel which calleth her self a prophetesse to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed to Idols And the Apostle shews the mater evidently to have befallen the Galatians Gal. 3. 1. O follish or mad Galatians who hath be witched you that you should not obey the truth Secondly that this delusion drew deep and was very dangerous appeare Gal. 1. 6. I marvel that you are so soon turned from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel And Gal. 5. 2. they were in danger to lose all benefit by Christ and ver 4. in danger and on the way to fall from grace Thirdly the Galatians did erre both in doctrine and practice in doctrine because they sought to be justified by the works of the Law Gal 5. 4. In practice they erred Gal. 4. 10 11. ye observe dayes aud moneths and times and years I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain Fourthly their error was fairded with the pretense of the truth which made them greedily embrace the error for Gal. 4. 9 they turned themselves back to Mosaical rites and ceremonies now abolished under the pretense of sometime commanded duties And ver 21. they desired to be under the Law and so run themselves under the curse Fifthly their error was not by a light opinion held by them but by a full perswasion wrought in them not by Christ but by a lying spirit Gal. 5. 8. Sixthly this bastard and unhallowed zeal was evidenced both in the seducing teachers and in the misled Galatians Gal. 4. 17. They zealously affect you but not well yea they would exclude you that you might affect them that is draw you away from the society of Christ and his true Apostles that you might be their affectionat disciples And as for the Galatians deluded by Sathan by their means they turned their ardent affection toward the Apostle almost in hatred against him Gal. 4. 15 16. Am I become your enemy because I tell you the truth Hence it is clear that true converts are subject to this evil and ready to fall in it except they watch carefully and earnestly deal with God to keep them from deceivers for many young converts are like lambs and sheep very simple and being lately turned unto the course of holinesse they are easily taken with every appearance of piety whereof if they do apprehend any seeming signs in seducers they suspect no guile in wolves clad with sheeps skins wherethrough they are overtaken unawares and moved to separat from the society of the Saints by the fleshly authors of division who by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Rom. 16. 17 18. Quest. 2. As for the second question what are the effects and marks of such a delusion We answer there is a delusion active wherein Sathan and his seducing instruments do set themselves on work to delude and there is a passive delusion in the party deluded by Sathan and his instruments The effects of the deluding or lying spirit and the marks of delusion in the party deluded do concur for the effects of Sathans powerfull delusion do appear in the party deluded as signs and evidences of the effectual delusion These effects and signs albeit they be many we shall content our selves to specifie some of them The first and chief effect and sign of delusion is the rejecting of a point of true doctrine and the avouching of a false error
convert being chased by the law to lay hold on Christ who is the end of the law for righteousnesse unto every one that believeth shall stand aback from laying hold on the highest priviledges of Saints and the greatest promises made to justified souls because of his own unworthinesse doth he not say in effect if I were more worthy and like in holinesse unto such and such Saints I could be more confident to lay hold on these high promises which ground if it be once holden it makes the reason of the mans confidence to be his own well-deserving and not the meer and only grace of God the free promiser thereof and so the way of salvation by grace should be undermined and over-turned which is absurd because the Apostle Ephes 2. 8. saith that by grace we are saved through faith and that not of our selves it is the gift of God Therefore let not the humbled convert think it presumption to lay hold on Christ and the fulnesse of all promised grace in him how large soever it be CHAP. XIII Of the condition of the convert fearing that the joy of the holy Ghost which he hath felt be found only to be either the joy of speculation common to temporal believers or a meer delusion OF this sort also is this case wherein the convert doth suspect that the joy of the Spirit which he hath felt at some times was either a joy of speculation or contemplation only such as Philosophers may find in their study of humane learning or else a delusion of Sathan also This case may fall upon the true convert in the time of affliction and felt desertion when not only the sense of consolation is withdrawn but also sorrow and heavinesse have seized on his spirit when the sharpnesse of affliction takes up the whole soul and sorrow doth fill the heart At such a time the memory of by-past joy is greatly darkned and the sense of present grief inflameth the whole man For as it falleth forth in a mans body that both sweet and sour liquor do affect the sense of tasting most when they are presently felt but when they are past the memory of them doth affect the imagination only and that but lightly in comparison with present sense As the sense of a fiery coal doth otherwayes affect us when it touches our flesh then the memory of the pain we have felt doth move us when the pain is past So it is in the passions of the soul for joyes spiritual shine for a while when they are lately raised up in the soul but after a time they are darkned and in some sort worn out especially when grief doth arise then they are swallowed up with sorrow or are well near forgotten or lightly esteemed and rejected My soul refused comfort saith the Psalmist Ps. 77. 2. Such was Davids condition Ps. 116. 11. when he said in his haste all men are lyars at which time whatsoever joy he had felt in believing the promises made to him by Samuel or other Prophets he counted all to be but deceiving of him and delusion This mistake is strengthened ordinarily by Sathans tentation and wicked suggestion watching upon all occasions to traduce and slander all Gods words and operations The complaint of Ieremie savours of this malicious suggestion which the Prophet layeth out before God to be rid of it Ier. 20. 7. Thou hast deceived me and I was deceived Yea oft-times it cometh to passe that our old man and corrupt inclination taketh part with Sathan and when occasion doth offer scorneth all the spiritual affections of the new man as Ishmael mocked Isaacs devotion 2. This evil except it be speedily and solidly cured not only casteth the convert in a miserable condition but also calleth in question his state whether at all he be regenerat reconciled and in the state of grace for if the joy of the holy Spirit granted to the supplicant praying to God in Christ for confirmation of his faith granted to the mourner for sin that he may be comforted shall be esteemed as the effect of speculation only then the comfort of the earnest-penny and first fruits of the spirit is lost the confirmation of faith by that consolation is enervat and weakened thanksgiving formerly offered for the comfort sometime felt is recalled and the testimony of Gods Spirit speaking according to the word in oft-repeated experience is laid aside And so the afflicted soul shall seem to himself in worse condition then when he was lying in his sins because he shall seem to himself to have lost his labour from the time that he renounced his sins Wherefore it is necessary that this sicknesse be speedily cured lest it prevail 3. For remedy of this evil let the afflicted lay aside the dispute for a time whether his joyes and spiritual experiences of the Lords working in him have been reall as they sometime seemed and let him turn his eyes upon his present miserable confused condition let him take a new view of his sins and unworthinesse let him observe Sathans malice power and wiles to weaken faith and what need now he standeth in of Christ Mediator Redeemer Surety and Physician by office after a new discovery of his sinfulnesse and let him look upon the riches of the grace of God offered in the Gospel to every hungry and thristy â—oul flying to Christ for refuge and let him say to God Lord there was never a time wherein I had more need of Christ for righteousnesse and salvation behold I flye unto thee I welcome and embrace Christ offered in the Gospel and heartily do consent unto the covenant of grace through him and do accept embrace and relye upon remission of sins through him and the imputation of his satisfactory righteousnesse made over to such as flye unto him or else I should perish utterly and do give up my self to thee that thou mayest write thy law more powerfully on my heart By this means the confidence of the afflicteds interest in the covenant of Grace shall be more fixed and made sure to him and Sathan disappointed of his design to cast the afflicted by his tentations in mis-belief and separation from Christ. 4. Thus when he hath renewed the grips of faith in Christ let him now enter the lists and dispute the solidity of his former felt experiences by discussing the objections which did weaken his estimation of the former felt joyes of the Spirit One objection against them was because they were of short endurance and therefore seemed not solid The answer may be this The short staying of the joy of the Spirit is no proof against it as not true joy for it is sufficient earnest of the promised salvation if when the Word of God in the Gospel speaketh peace to the man fled to Christ he findeth the Word believed to be confirmed to the believer by peace and joy albeit the sense of it remain but a short while After you believed saith the Apostle you were
sealed with the spirit of promise Ephes. 1. 11. As it is not sufficient to prove that wholsom water given to a feaver-sick person is not a wholsom drink because the cooling refreshment by it endureth but a short while So it is not sufficient to prove that consolation and joy given to a sorrowfull sinner seeking favour through Christ is not solid and true joy because it stayeth but a short while It is sufficient that it hath stayed so long as was needfull for after the word of promise was believed the joy was sent to ease the afflicted souls present grief and to give him earnest that full and lasting joy should be given in due time unto him When the messenger hath done his commission let him return to his master As the sheet let down in the vision from heaven to Peter after it had served for Peters instruction it was taken up to heaven again Act. 10. The Spouse in the Canticle knew by experience that her spiritual joyes would not last long and therefore chargeth the daughters of Ierusalem that they waken not her beloved till he pleased 5. Another objection is this If my joy had been solid saith the afflicted it should have brought forth better fruits then it hath done but joy spiritual as I then called it did degenerat into a carnal security and I was not the more holy by it To which objection the answer may be this the blame of this is not to be laid on spiritual joy but upon the abuse of this mercy by ingratitude for this gracious blink of felt favour negligence in the use of means to entertain this sense by sleepinesse of conscience and other sins and namely the laying too much weight upon this sense and not fixing the heart by so much more upon the word of promise when felt consolation may be withdrawn is a just cause for spiritual joy is not given to any to build upon its continuance but to make the convert hold the confirmed word of promise so much the faster when for the exercise of faith comfortable feelings are withdrawn The spouse in the Canticle after a feast of this kind falleth a sleep and giveth slight entertaining to the Bridegroom when called upon by his word for which she is chastised by his withdrawing of his comfortable presence Cant. 5. 1 2 3. c. But let us put the case that the felt joy of the spirit were not abused yet is it not unusual for God to withdraw consolation and to send trouble and anguish on the soul of his dear child to try his faith and train him on to hold the word of his grace in the hardest condition he can be into as he did exercise Iob and Ieremie the Prophet Ier. 20. and the Psalmist Ps. 77. In which condition to suspect that the consolation and joy of the spirit speaking to the heart by his word is not his gracious operation or is a delusion cannot but exceedingly grieve the Lord and give him cause to chastise this suspicion with desertion 6. But how may I know saith the afflicted that my joy was solid and was indeed the gracious operation of the holy Spirit For answer 1. If this joy was given to him when or after he was lamenting his sins and fearing wrath deserved and flying unto Christ offered in the Gospel he hath reason to reckon that joy to be such as the Word of the Gospel doth promise and approve 2. If during the time of his sweet feeling of peace and joy through Christ he found his faith in God and love to Christ confirmed and strengthned if the Word of the Gospel was in more estimation with him if his heart was inlarged to blesse praise and thank God for manifesting himself in Christ reconciled if the purpose of following after holinesse was renewed in him he hath no reason to suspect his joy and comfort 3. If after the removing of this sweet feeling he is going on in the study of holinesse believing in Christ how heavy in heart soever he may be by affliction and tentation he may be assured his sometime felt joy of the Lords Spirit was solid and his present suspicion thereof to be an evidence of his infirmity and of a tentation from Sathan This was the way how the Psalmist wrestled out of his sad condition Ps. 77. CHAP. XIV Of the converts suspecting that his zeal for God and against the sins of others hath been fleshly severity and imprudent temerity IT cometh to passe that they who love God sincerely and cannot endure the out-breakings of the wicked do sometimes transgresse the bounds of moderat zeal and being overtaken in some miscarriage for which being rebuked by their friends or by them in power censured or civilly chastised do in stead of moderating their zeal in time coming grow more slack and remisse in their zeal suspecting themselves inclined to unreasonable severity and rashnesse and ready to be esteemed haters of mens persons by those among whom they live as in some by-gone experience they have already felt And upon this occasion the tentation of Sathan falleth on tending to extinguish the fervency of true zeal required in all true converts And here there is danger lest true zeal grow cold and the convert become luke-warm both in curbing sin in others under his charge and in pursuing duties in his own person In which sicknesse he may be the better pleased with himself by so much as his friends and others do commend him for his moderation and prudence as they shall call it 2. As to the remedy of this evil there is no doubt but that may befall true zeal which is common to other vertues of which there is none so perfect but some in-lake or excesse may be observed in them And therefore as it is without reason to go back from pursuing duty in the exercise of other vertues because imperfections therein are remarkable from time to time So is it without reason to grow luke-warm in zeal which may render a man loathsome unto Christ Rev. 2. 3. Wherefore let the convert take heed what the Lords Word doth require of him in his calling and labour to discharge his duty towards others so as he may be found both zealous and prudent that in the expressions of his zeal against sin meeknesse and love to the offender may be manifested 2. To this intent let the convert carefully take heed to entertain these three properties of commendable zeal which are 1. The fear of God 2. Humility of heart 3. The love of his neighbour for the fear of God will not suffer the convert to depart from his commandments Humility of heart will make the man modest in his expressions and the love of his neighbour will make him mix meeknesse and compassion toward sinners with his zeal against offences This is the right seasoning of zeal which the Apostle calleth the zeal of God according to knowledge CHAP. XV. Of the converts suspecting his aiming at circumspect
strengthened and set forward to glorifie God in Christ in necessar duties As for the maner and measure to be keeped in the use of things lawfull prudence must be asked of God who will direct us in this as in other Christian duties CHAP. XVI Concerning the converts suspicion that his softness of heart is nothing but a natural disposition to weep upon any occasion VVHen the Lord hath taken away from the sinner a heart of stone and hath given unto him a heart of flesh so that he dar not any more harden himself against the threatnings of Gods Word but doth tremble at the hearing thereof as speaketh Isaiah 66. 2. and in his prayer doth pour forth his heart ordinarily with tears he may as experience hath taught fall in a suspicion of this ordinar or frequent melting of heart as if it were nothing else but a childish or woman-like temper of body and spirit and no evidence of contrition for spiritual causes which the Scripture requireth and commendeth in the penitent 2. In this case there is danger on either hand if the convert be not wary and circumspect in this condition for on the one hand he is in hazard of making light account of the work of God who hath taken from him the heart of stone and given him an heart of flesh On the other hand he is in hazard of laying too much weight on his tears if once he be satisfied about the suspicion he hath of his own tears and made clear that they were proofs and evidences of his sincerity in his prayers to God That there is a danger on either hand experience hath taught for some sincere converts having entertained the suspicion that their tears in prayer proceeded from the soft temper of their natural complexion disposition of spirit have resisted their inclination to mourn and striven against letting forth of tears so far that they have become so dry for a long time and have prayed more perfunctoriously then before that when just causes of grief and tears were given unto them they were not able to bring forth one tear for easing of their grieved heart On the other hand experience hath taught that some looking upon the expressions of the Saints in Scripture concerning their tears have laid so much weight upon their tears as they have numbered in a manner all the drops of their eyes and from the lesse or more quantity of them made reckoning of their own better or worse condition and of Gods acceptation of their prayers lesse or more 3. This tendernesse of heart and easinesse to be moved unto tears for spiritual motives is a rare gift Few they are who with sense of the body of death and original sin bearing them down do lament their natural sinfulnesse in their best condition with Paul Rom. 7. 24. Few shall be found so affectionat to the glory of God and salvation of peoples souls as to pour out tears both in secret and openly for promoving thereof as the Apostle did Act. 20. 19 21. and 2 Cor. 2. 4. Few like Timothy whose heart was so tender that the Apostle could not but observe his tears and remember them 2 Tim. 1. 4. Yet we doubt not that from age to age sundry be who by the grace of God have this constantly melting heart according to the measure of Gods free donation some with tears some without tears And therefore if there be found in such mourners an honest endeavour to walk circumspectly let not the suspicion that their tendernesse is but natural weaknesse of spirit or bodily complexion be entertained Only let the giver of the grace of a tender heart be relyed upon and not their tears as if they were any more then witnesses of their honest affection in spiritual exercises for such prayers may prove sincere and acceptable to God both when they cannot mourn and also when their heart seemeth withered hard and dry CHAP. XVII Concerning the converts suspicion that all his devotion is but lip-labour which is not joyned with a tender and melting heart and with Gods sensible approbation AS some are suspicious of their condition because of their ordinar tendernesse and melting of heart So other some are suspicious of their condition because they find not their heart tender and soft in their devotion All converts do agree in this that God must be worshiped in spirit and truth and that it is not acceptable worship to God if a man draw near him with his lips when his heart is far from him whereupon every convert when he is mindfull of his duty goeth about to worship God with understanding and inward affection of heart to confesse sin deprecat wrath ask of God things necessar interceed for others give thanks to God for his benefits and praise him for his works and working so as his affections may be conform to his expressions and the conscience may approve both his words and his hearty affections and God may with his peace and consolation approve the worshiper But some converts are who albeit in sincerity they worship God yet they count all their devotion to be but lip-labour except they find their affections wakened up and their heart tender and some vigour of spiritual life in their exercises and the sense of Gods approbation of their worship by giving sense of his peace and consolation to them in their worship Hence oft-times doth suspicion arise without just ground that they are deserted of God that he is displeased with them and this suspicion being entertained doth send forth complaints and bringeth on coldrifenesse in prayer and discouragement 2. This unjust suspicion of the grace of prayer the Lord doth oft-times chastise by with-drawing peace and comfort and order in prayer and of words also that he who complained that his devotion was but lip-labour because he sound not such measure of affection as he would have had nor that consolation which he wished to have shall find himself in worse taking after his complaining then he was in at first when he began to suspect his condition It is true that confusion of mind and want of words to expresse the case wherein he is may fall on a convert by reason of afflictions and manifold temptations and yet he may be free from this suspicion of Gods affection and acceptation of his person and prayers as the Apostle doth teach us Rom. 8. 26. Likewayes the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered But when this cutting short of the gift of prayer in any measure doth follow after suspicion of Gods respect and good will toward the complaining and discouraged convert it is a fatherly chastisement from God threatning the convert with a greater measure of desertion and heavier temptation except he repent his folly and return to God whom by his suspicion and misbelief he hath offended 3. For remedy of