Conscience condemns thy person I confesse thou hast no reason to beleeve mercy for thy selfe If thy conscience tels thee to the face of God thou art in a foule sinfull course and hast been called upon by the voice of the Word and its voice to come out of it and thou dost not leave it nay art resolved to pursue it and to insist on it now God is greater then thy conscience and will assuredly condemne thee 2. If conscience condemns thy actions onely then thou mayest notwithstanding that condemnation beleeve on mercy My meaning is this Though the conscience by its discerming light represents unto thee much sinfulnesse in thy nature and former course and though it doth condemne these to be vile and most fit to be crucified abhorred and forsaken this condemnation hinders not the right of beleeving Nay no man indeed should beleeve unlesse his conscience doth condemne sin in him not onely shew him his sinnes but assure him that they are evill and unworthy his love nay most worthy of his detestation and mortification 2. Secondly you must distinguish of times when conscience doth condemne a man there are two times of a Christian 1. Some are open and free He is himselfe and besides that he heares both parties as well what is for himselfe as what is against himselfe yea and weighs matters in controversie in the right ballance of Gods Sanctuary not in Satans ballance of cunning suggestions Will conscience condemne thy person at such a time and under such circumstances Nay will not the Word of God acquit thee at such a time against all feares for the substance and reality of a pious condition 2. Some are clouded darkned either with melancholy or afflictions or temptations wherein the Christian seeth his face through a false glasse just as a Title is made by a deceitfull cunning Lawyer not according to truth not all of it but some of it What is past heretofore for action and affection or what hath falne out not in the course of life since a mans conversion but onely in case of surprisall and captivity Now perhaps conscience may condemne thee but this is an illegall sentence it is a corrupted judgement and is reversible God will not judge of thee as Conscience in such a case doth Nay he will repeale it and disanull it 4. A fourth cause of doubtings is a feare lest a man hath sinned that great sin against the holy Ghost And the main inducement to credit this is a sinning against cleare knowledge which is one ingredient in that sinne Now this is my condition saith a troubled soul I have not onely sinned but sinned against light shining in the Ministery and working on my conscience therefore I may rather conclude then question it Mercy belongs not to me To help a conscience thus Sol. inthralled I would wish that such a person would 1. Be informed 2. Be directed 1. The Information which I would commend in this case is fourefold First that the sinne against the holy Ghost is not any sin which a man commits through ignorance Whatsoever the sinne or sinnes have beene whereof the party stands guilty whether against the Law or against the Gospel suppose it be one or many hainous sinnes yet if the person be in a state of blindnesse and ignorance if there is a nescience of the fact if hee knowes not what he doth this ignorance priviledgeth the sinnings thus far that therefore they are not the sin against the holy Ghost Secondly the sin against the holy Ghost is not any sinne against the Gospel which is elicited and acted through a mis-beliefe or mis-perswasion If the sinne be a sleighting of Euangelicall doctrines nay a persecuting of them and of the professors of them yet if these acts of opposition depend totally on error in the judgment on a judgement mis-perswaded i. rather beleeving them not to be truths rather thinking those wayes to be false wayes I say this mis-beliefe preserves such sinnings yet from being sins against the holy 1 Tim. 1. 13. Ghost because the sinne against the holy Ghost supposeth light even to conviction and approbation See Heb. 6. 4. 5. Thirdly the sin against the holy Ghost is not every sinning against knowledge These are not reciprocall propositions every sin against the holy Ghost is against knowledg and every sinne against knowledge is the sin against the holy Ghost The former is true but the latter is not for many a converted man sinneth against knowledge who yet never sinneth the sin against the holy Ghost In two cases a man sinning against knowledge doth not yet sin that sin against the holy Ghost One is the case of a strong and violent temptation Another is the case of a sudden and turbulent passion It is the same with Peters case against his knowledg denying and forswearing his Master If Paul before his conversion had had Peters knowledge he had sinned this sin against the holy Ghost And if Peter in his denyall had had Pauls malice joyned with his knowledge he had also sinned that sinne but the mis-beliefe of the one before his conversion and the infirmity of the other after it preserved from this sinne Error mis-led the one and sudden feare surprised the other Fourthly there are three horrible sinnings which doe attend that sinne against the holy Ghost and the Scripture which wee were best exceeding warily to follow in resolving this case expresly delivers them 1. One is totall Apostasie from the truths of Jesus Christ knowne and tasted The truths of Christ must 1. be knowne and apprehended 2. knowne and tasted they must be approved 3. And then the person falls from these 4. Nay his fal is not particular which is incident to the best it is a totall fall not a falling in the way but a falling from the way of truth Heb. 6. 4. If they were once inlightned and tasted c. If ver 6. they shall fall away 2. A second is a malicious oppugnation of that truth which was once knowne and tasted and from which now the person is falne called Heb. 6. 6. A crueifying of the Sonne of God afresh And Heb. 10. 26. A And despiting the spirit of Grace wilfull sinning after that we have received the knowledge of the truth And it was evident in the Pharisees who saw and knew the light but hated and persecuted it unto the death 3. A third is finall impenitencie Whosoever sinnes the sin against the holy Ghost he neither doth repent nor can repent He is so justly and for ever forsaken of God and given up to a reprobate sense and a seared conscience that he cannot repent though perhaps he may see his course to be evill yet it is impossible saith the Apostle in Heb. 6. 6. to renew him to repentance FINIS
THE DOVBTING BELEEVER OR A TREATISE CONTAINING 1. The Nature 2. The Kinds 3. The Springs 4. The Remedies of Doubtings incident to weak Beleevers BY OBADIAH SEDGWICK Bachelor in Divinity and Minister of Coggeshall in Essex LONDON Printed by M. F. for Thomas Nicols and are to be sold at his shop in Popes-head Alley at the sign of the Bible 1641. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE ROBERT Earl of VVarwick Baron of Leez c. My Noble Lord and free Patron MY LORD RENEWED heart is a very Heaven in our little world and Faith is the onely Sun in that Heaven The sinner never comes to be precious till he comes to be pious and the value of that piety still advanceth according to the quantity of true faith as the Ring is the more considerable with the Diamond I cannot conceive of a more compendious way for any Christians full and constant revenues then this To get faith and stil to use it The summe or product of which would be this Grace and Glory Heaven and Earth are ours Satan well knowes what a serviceable channell Faith is for all our traffique either for our ship to lanch out into duties or for Gods ship to come laden in to us with mercies therefore there is no Grace which hee batters and conflicts so with as with faith If we weaken or shake foundations this hath a spreading influence into the whole building A Christians faith cannot be wronged but presently all the spirituall frame becomes sensible of wrong and losse In my weak judgement it were a great prudence to secure that which being secured now secures all Nothing grows weake where faith growes strong My Lord This poore Treatise which I presume to front with your name is like Aaron and Hur who staid up the hands of Moses So doth this Treatise indeavour to stay the hand of faith in a weak Beleever who hath an ample estate on the shore and at land but those waves of doubtings when he is thrusting in too often make him to fall back and stagger Whence followes this great unhappinesse That whereas his faith might have served in many precious comforts it is almost a whole life imployed onely to answer fears and doubts I humbly present the subsequent Work to your Lordships personal use and publique patronage Be pleased at your leasure to peruse it and regard it as the first cognizance of my thankfulnesse to your Honour for the Living which you did so freely and lovingly confer upon me wherein I shall desire faithfully to serve your Lord and mine Now the Almighty God and blessed Father abundantly inrich your noble heart with all saving graces and continue you long to be an instrument of much glory to himselfe comfort to his Church and good to our Common-wealth Your Honours perpetually obliged Obadiah Sedgwick To the Christian Reader THis Treatise which now is presented to a publike cōstruction was many years past the subject of my private Meditations and Sermons I did not affect any farther publication of it then in the Pulpit but the importunity of others hath compelled it thus to appeare in print Not that the manner of handling the Subject here insisted on is excellent or exquisite but that the matter handled may be supposed to be of common use and benefit as a little star hath influence though not that glory which is proper to the Sun The Case which is here put and discussed is a Case of common experience There is no Beleever but some time or other will confesse it is his The Sun being seated in an heavenly Orbe shineth with a very pure and constant light but the candle though set and burning in a golden candlestick yet burnes with a snuffe and much variablenesse When Christians are translated and transplanted from earth to heaven then their graces shall become perfections There are no defects in heaven there are no mixtures in heaven but whatsoever is pure there it is altogether pure Yet on earth it is otherwise neither the habits of Grace nor the acts of Grace are alone 〈◊〉 any Christian When I would doe good evill is present with me said Paul And I beleeve Lord help my unbeliefe said that poore man in the Gospel Where is the Beleever who insists not more on his fears then on his faith and is not oftner lamenting his doubts then rejoycing in his assurances None have an interest in Christ but Beleevers None have title to a solid and settled peace but they And yet we see the children fearfull and bondmen confident the best of men still in suit and the worst of men quiet as if in full possession none doubting lesse then such as have most cause to doubt and none doubting more then such as have most cause to triumph in Christ And in truth thus it will be whiles grosse ignorance veiles over presumptuous sinners and mis-belief is incident to tender spirits And is not the hand of Joab in this businesse too Is not Satan in all the sins of wicked men and in most of the troubles of good men either he tempts us to sinne and that will cause us to doubt or else he tempts us to doubt and that will cause us to sin Surely it is not the shortest of his wiles and arts in matters of Religion to keep the judgements of some still staggering and in matters of a soules interest in Christ to keep the heart still doubting Doth he not know that the Christian cannot so happily improve Christ who is still in suit to prove his title to Christ For the better expediting of these soule-suits peruse if thou pleasest this ensuing Work which is I confesse not a garden for every one to walk in but onely physick for the sick or weak It is intended as an Hospitall for the lame onely for a troubled sinner onely for a weak beleever And the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort even he who establisheth us in Christ prosper it for his glory and the help of some one or other Thy Faiths servant Obadiah Sedgwick A Table of the Heads in this TREATISE CAP. I. THe nature of doubtings page 6 CAP. II. Foure sorts of doubtings 11 Those of inquietation are Either 1. Reall or 2. Personall 13 CAP. III. Quest Whether doubtings may consist with a true faith Sol. They may This is 1. explicated 16 2. Proved 17 CAP. IV. The springs of doubtings are 1. Originall sin 24 2. Imperfection in faith 26 Which 1. Wants ability to argue 28 2. Insists most on discouragements 29 3. Is unacquainted with our armory 31 3. The life of sense pa. 33 What it is 34 Three demon strations that it is a cause of doubtings 35 4. Restraining of faith 38 5. Special sins after conversion 46. Foure reasons thereof for doubtings 47. to 53 6. Spirituall indispositions 55 Two knots are made by them 1. Whether our graces betrue 56 2. Whether our services can be accepted 58 7. Fruitlesse endeavours
Faith cannot well perswade if Conscience can yet truely charge and condemne Therefore saith S. John If our hearts condemne us not then 1 Joh. 3. 21 have we confidence towards God i. If sin be mortified if conscience finds no sinne harboured but condemned if it cannot condemne us for not condemning our sins then wee have confidence towards God i. Then if we come to God in Prayer and aske any thing of him in the Name of Christ Faith may confidently rest upon it that God doth heare and will answer Whatsoever wee aske we receive of him ver 22. There are two effects of our sinnes 1. They keepe downe our faith I am so troubled saith David that I cannot look up See the place Psal 40. 12. Innumerable Psa 40. 12. evils have compassed mee about Mine iniquities have taken Two effects of sin hold on me so that I am not able to look up They are more then the haires of my head therefore my heart faileth me You see here that his sinnes made his heart to faile to misgive it selfe and like a heavy rheume they fell on his eyes that hee could not well look up They are a hinderance to faith our naturall inclination is a very clog unto the spirit of faith and when faith would doe some good for us it ever like a malicious person throws in doubts scruples and breeds with-holding arguments and reasonings against the Truths and Promises of God 2. They make the incouragements By contrary reasonings and denyals of faith to be difficult they keep off the things which would edge quicken our faith As Peter said in another case Depart from me Lord for I am a sinfull man So the heart here God is or will depart from me because I am such a sinner He will not hear my prayer because of my sins nor be gracious to me because of my sins nor may I pitch upon his Promises because of my sins Now consider if that which did keep downe faith in respect of its proper inclination for faith naturally bends upward and in respect of its operation that it cannot exercise it selfe without interruption were removed would not faith be higher If the chain and bolts were off if the rheume were dryed should we not walk better should we not look better Againe If the incouragements of faith were kept close to faith if faith could see them and dwell upon them would not our doubtings sinke Therefore it is more then evident that our doubtings would sink if our naturall corruption did sinke if our sinfull lusts did sinke which doe breed those indispositions those interruptions those continuall difficulties unto our faith Faith would rise if its contrary did abate Cast Gen. 21. 10 out this bond-woman and her son said Sarah to Abraham for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heire with my son So say I cast out this bond-woman and her sonne cast out naturall corruption and infidelity that Isaac may be alone that faith may be as much as may be alone and then it will possesse the Promises and the soule too with more quietnesse But here the soule replyes Obj. No question but doubtings would sinke if sinfull corruption did fall If the fountaine did decay the streams would lessen But alas 1. Who can mortifie his sinfull nature 2. What kind of mortifying of it is requisite 3. What way may be taken to effect it I will briefly say something to each of these demands Sol. 1. To the first Who can mortifie his sinfull nature I answer Of himselfe no man can naturally he hath neither will nor power thereto But as Chrysostome spake in the businesse Tu non potes sed Dominus tuus potest of Repentance Thou canst not turn thee but yet thy God can turn thee That I say here in the businesse of mortifying Thou canst not mortifie thy sins but God can doe it He can doe it for thee though thou canst not doe it for thy selfe Though thy naturall corruption be a spreading leprosie he can heale it Though it be a violent plague he can cure it God hath put enough in Christ to save a sinner and therefore enough to heale a sinner Remember one thing In all commands the duty is thine and the power is Gods He who commands thee to mortifie sinne is ready enough with sufficient power to effect it if he be sought unto Neverthelesse observe by the way that Mortification may be effected two wayes 1. Passively as when the Lord doth infuse holy principles of Grace which are contrary in their nature and vertue to the nature and power of sin working out sinfull corruption by degrees 2. Actively as when the renewed and converted soule doth by faith successively apply and draw down the crucifying vertues of Jesus Christ Though the meere naturall man can doe nothing to the mortification of sinne yet the renewed person having received grace from God is by the help of Gods Spirit to stir up the grace that is in him and especially his faith to trust on Jesus Christ for the further subduings and crucifyings of his sinfull nature 2. But now for the second demand What kind of Mortification is most requisite so as in more measure to free the heart from doubtings In a word this be sure the mortifying be 1. Radicall lay the axe to the root As all Graces thrive most when their springs are quickned so all sinnes decay most when their roots are mortified Corrupt acts will fall quickly if a corrupt heart were more sanctifyed The strength of sinne is inward there are the strong holds which need most to be cast downe By all means set up a crucifying Christ in thy bosome 2. Impartiall It is true one sin may trouble more then another but it will be thy wisdome to trouble all sin Sins are chained together as well as Graces and one sin serves to help another and the neglected sinne may perhaps suddenly wound thee and make thee to stagger The whole body of sinne in every member of it must be the object of thy mortifying work This will testifie the truth of Grace received and the sincerity of thy conscience and consequently will remove many bottomes of feares and doubtings 3. Diurnall i a daily work Perhaps sometimes thou art fervent in the work when conscience is struck or when afflictions strike thee but afterwards thou art negligent and then sinne gets strength againe But as thou shouldst live by faith daily so thou shouldst die to sinne daily Watch thy spirit resist the motion of it insist on divine promises implead the strength of Christ every day Thou shouldst so beleeve still as if thou never yet hadst enough of Christ and so live still as if thou wert to live thy last and so mortifie sin still as thou didst at the first time wherein God looked on thee 4. Speciall If thou wouldst make thy battell strong in any part doe it then against Infidelity and whatsoever upholds
where weaknesse adheres to the judgment Now the remedy of this spring consists in these particulars 1. Get a distinct knowledge of Fundamentals It is the emptinesse of our minds that we be preposterous in our searches Many a Christian loseth himselfe in a sea of opinions before he hath squared himselfe with the first grounds of Religion Remember this that the first truths doe support and maintaine the rest as the corner-stone the rest of the building and are as the originall Will which decides many scruples in Law Hence is it Simile that some men doubt about speciall conclusions because they are ignorant of the generall principles which were they distinctly knowne the falsity of any conclusion would easily become evident unto them Men usually dispute first and know last As if a Simile Souldier would range an Army before he hath learned to handle his weapons How ordinary is it to heare disputes Ergo saith Paul Rom. 14. 1. Him that is weak in the faith receive you but not to doubtfull disputations of Originall sin of Predestination of Redemption of Faith and Justification of Assurance and Obedience of the degrees of grace and duty of the direct and absolute way of life c. I say it is ordinary to heare some arguing of these who yet are ignorant of the nature of these But Pauls method was to lay Heb. 6. 1. down his foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith towards God which if Paul thought fit to teach I think fit for us to learne That Ship rowls least which is well bottomed and that house shakes least which is well founded and that Christian True knowledg is as the day wherin wee walk more sted fastly and ignorance like the night in which we are full of feares and often stumble doubts least who is well grounded in the maine points of Religion For besides this that Primitive truths give an aime to all truths so likewise they uncase all errors and heresies and opinions and arguments which come to pervert the mind another way And surely when the mind obtaines an evidence by one truth for another and by truth also of errour contrary unto it it is in the least hazard of doubting for as much as doubtings ordinarily arise from some error or mis-apprehension in the minde 2. Get a distinguishing knowledge of Fundamentals from Accessories Every part of the house is not the corner-stone or the pillars A man Simile may take away much and yet the house may stand If you take away the painting and musick or some seelings and annexed posts yet the house may stand So may a Christians salvation though he know not many accessory truths nay although hee mistake about them nay although he deny them if this denyall be not accompanied with a proud perversnesse but arise onely from inevidence and inability There are three things about which it were good for Christians to have a distinguishing knowledge viz. 1. Fundamentalls 2. Consequents 3. Indifferents Fundamentals I call those Three things Truths which take up the work and way of salvation as the doctrine of sinne and of Christ and faith and repentance c. for these are such things without the knowledge of which no man can be saved Consequents I call those illations or inferences which doe flow from the primitive truths either virtute rei in the nature of the thing just as a streame â—lowes from the fountaine or virtute intellectus in the judgement of the person as the conclusion is made by such or such a mans conjecturall opinion to flow from such a principle or such a Text. Indifferents I call those actions which in themselves are neither holy nor evill neither is a man by any expresse Yet actioÌ„s in themselves indifferent in respect of circumstances may be offensive sinfull See Rom. 14. 14 15 c. command from God specificativè injoyned them or specificativè prohibited them Which things considered absolutely if a man doth use them he shall not be saved if he doth not he shall not be damned They doe no more constitute a Christian then a garment doth a man which whether he doth weare it yea or no yet still he is a man Now this distinguishing knowledge doth exceedingly assoyle the doubting heart which doth oft times shake and rowle about the lawfulnes of indifferents c. 3. Reduce all conjectures and consequent truths unto the first truth It is the counsell of the Apostle 1 Thes 5. 21. Prove all things And the Prophet Esaiah To the Law and to the testimony Esa 8. 20. It was a good speech of S. Austine to Manicheus contesting with him for audience Heare me Hear me said Manicheus Nay saith S. Augustine Necego te nec tu me sed ambo audiamus Apostolum dicentem Peccatum non cognovi c. Beloved we may see what weak creatures we are when truths fall downe amongst us and when we sit in the Tribunall alas what distractions what severall stamps doe our severall opinions set on them what distinctions limitations qualifications We will be sure every one of us to handle the question so that it shall be so far true as may stand with our owne delights profits aimes and ends We do many times for personall respects discourse and determine of truths But now reduce them to the first truths how do our empty and contrary opinions and fancies clatter and shiver to dust they fall downe before the word of God as Dagon did before the Arke of God for the Scriptures are the touch-stone which will easily decide counterfeit glosses and errors from genuine and proper truths Genuine truths are like the young Eagles that can with open eyes behold the light of the Sun and erroneous glosses and opinions are like sore eyes which cannot behold the Sun without twinckling and watering and closing And note by the way that if the truth be the truth of God it doth tend to these three things viz. 1. The glory of his rich grace Eph. 1. 12. 2. Setling of peace in the conscience Rom. 5. 1. 3. Mortifying of sinne Titus 2. 12. 4. Establish the minde in declared truths Beware saith the Apostle Peter seeing yee know these things lest ye being led away with the error of the wicked fall away from your owne stedfastnesse It is not unknowne that some like Pedlars wander up and downe and make a living by their errors subtill people and crafty to their owne confusion who have only a strength of parts to glosse over sins and errors and to weaken the strength of truths and wayes to heaven Most rendring children of Satan for they cease not to pervert the right wayes of the Lord. And yet so artificially do they vent their wares so neatly do they Act. 13. 10. set them out with the applause of reason and carnall licentiousnesse that many weak headed Christians swallow up their baits drink up their cups lick in their tumultuous and after are
speak a bold truth To have sinne remitted and yet to be exposed to punishment I speak onely of satisfying punishment cannot stand with that unspotted justice of God for no man is justly punished but by reason of unsatisfied guilt In peccato fundatur reatus poena saith Aquinas well Now if Christ hath fully and perfectly satisfied for the guilt then punishment hath no ground unlesse wee will say that God will punish for that which is already satisfied or that Christs satisfaction is not totall but partiall i. he satisfied for a part and left some parts of satisfying punishment to us which is the opinion of the Papists for their humane satisfactions But to draw up again What a comfortable stay and support is this unto a distressed soule to see and find all in Christ When a person brought to the true sight and sense of sin and loathing and forsaking of it and to the giving of himselfe up unto Christ shall behold his many fore-past guilts and see these charged upon Christ nay and discharged by Christ nay and so discharged that they shall never be charged upon him againe nay and all the consequents of guilt removed so that Christ hath set him at liberty he hath made him a freeman and that against all Satans accusations He may hold out the bloud of Christ which will answer all I am a sinner but Christ was made sin for me I deserve damnation but Christ was made a curse for me If Beleevers did skill the nature and extent and vertues of remission by the bloud of Christ if they did know and were possessed more with this part of Justification they would strengthen their faith and their comfort more and their doubtings and fears would sink more Be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven thee 5. One thing more which I had almost forgotten falls in which is this That the substantiall part of Justification is alike to all Beleevers What is that It is this God for the bloud of Christ doth not onely charge the sins of strong beleevers on Christ but of weak beleevers too and these onely are not discharged but those also True faith in any degree may take out all the benefits of Justification For as Justification doth not admit of degrees no more is it made over to the degrees but to the truth of faith So that not onely Abraham the father of the faithfull who was strong in faith but the father of the child who cryed out with tears I beleeve help mine unbeliefe he also hath all the reall interests the very same reall interests in the bloud of Christ You know the arme hath not an interest in the head and influences thereof because it is big or because it is strong but because it is a member by reason whereof the least â—inger and weakest member doth also claime and hath a share So because every Beleever by true faith is made a member of Christ he hath therefore a concurrent share in the bloud of Christ in the Justification purchased by Christ And therefore it is a weaker argument of weak beleevers to deny or doubt their discharge by Christ True say they Christ is a Ob. strong Saviour and hath strong merits and by him is pardon of sinne and by his Name a person is justified but this is onely for men of stronger faith then mine Doe not deceive nor unnecessarily Sol. afflict thy selfe Christ hath done great matters for great sinners and a weak faith is a joynt possessor though no faith can be a joynt purchaser of sins remission And thus have I briefly informed you with some notions about that part of Justification which respects our sinnes there is yet another part which respects our graces and duties from the weaknesse and mixture of which do arise many doubtings and such as are not to be disputed downe by any thing in our selves but onely to be answered with the doctrine of Justification O saith the humbled sinner Ob. and experienced in himselfe what a broken estate is here what an imperfect draught of holinesse My very light is dim and in all my duties there is yet undutifulnesse my righteousnesse is defective in my faith much unbeliefe in my prayers much coldnesse irreverence distraction when I have sorrowed for my sins I may even grieve for grieving no more and may hate my selfe that I cannot otherwise hate my sins How can I stand before God who is of purer eyes then to behold sin Will the Lord accept of such a person of such discharging of duties c. Let me stop the complaint Sol. close up the doubtings with a little more inlargement of the doctrine of Justification Therefore remember 1. Our persons stand not before God in their own righteousnesse nor our owne services in their owne strength Indeed the Lord requires holinesse in our natures and holy duties from us we are his children we are his people therefore we should be holy as our Father is holy therefore the people of his pasture should serve him An unholy Beleever were a monster upon earth and an undutifull son is a plain unbeleever for though Christ did die for those who were once rebellious yet he dies for none to make them licentious So that holinesse inherent grace is absolutely required to salvation To salvation I say But to Justification in no wise What is that That is though a man cannot be saved without inherent holinesse yet is he not justified by it When he comes to account it with God he may not say this Lord loe here I am see if there be any sin in my person or defect in my holinesse I have not offended thee I need not any help any mercy my heart is totally cleane and my duties performed at all times in every respect for matter and manner to the full as thou requirest Enter into judgment with me if thou pleafest I will be tryed by my owne holinesse 2. But in the righteousnesse of Christ I desire saith Paul to be found in him not having my owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Phil. 3. 9. See more in Rom. 5. 19. 1 Cor. 1. 30. 2 Cor. 5. 21. There is such a thing as the * So called not as if the act of faith were our justifying righteousnesse for that act is but 1. An perfect thing 2. A transient thing 3. A part of inherent holinessâ— but because faith only layes hold on makes us to fly unto rely on the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ righteousnesse of faith it is none other then the righteousnesse of Christ We think little of it we make little use of it there is a kind of Popery in us all we look downward too much on our righteousnesse for a Justification and when we are to be pronounced just and righteous when either we or our services expect acceptation it is in and by that righteousnesse of
neglects of his Word by the silences of our consciences And assuredly something is ordinarily amisse when Conscience speaks unto us neither good nor bad 3. Sometimes Conscience is silent to make us look higher then Conscience and that wee might know there is a higher Court to which wee must make our addresses 4. Sometimes Conscience is silent to make us see upon what bottomes our faith is grounded whether we can beleeve because God saith as well as rejoyce because Conscience speaketh 3. But to make Conscience speak what must we doe We have had its gracious testimonies by which we have been much comforted and supported How shall we recover it to speech againe I answer 1. Speak to God and then The waies to recover conscience to speeâ—h againe God may speak to Conscience and Conscience will speak to thee God hath a greater command over Conscience then it hath over us It is with God and Conscience as with a King and his Courtiers let the King speake kindly to a Petitioner the Courtiers will then imbrace him lovingly and indeed Conscience will carry Gods face and expresse his dispositions of love Therefore this doe speak to the Lord 1. To shew thee the cause of Consciences silence 2. To give thee the testimony of his owne Spirit which will draw with it againe the testimony of thine owne conscience Rom. 8. 16. 2. Speak to duty Be sure thou doe not displease Conscience If thou hast repent and adde no more to make Conscience displeased or silent 4. But how may we support our selves in the times of silence I answer thou mayst comfort thy selfe if 1. The Word can approve thee the testimony of the Word is ever open though that of Conscience be not What is the reason Because men may have a constant audience and tryall of their estates And take one thing by the way If the Word which is alwayes open and speaking if it acquits thee Conscience though now silent whensoever it speakes will cleare thee 2. Thou hast and dost approve the Word How is that That is If the Word be thy rule thy light by which thou hast and dost walk for when Conscience comes to speak it gives its sentence from the Word by which thou walkest and of thy frame and course which thou preservest in an upright answerablenesse to the directions of the Word An Addition of foure other causes of Doubtings with a briefe resolution of them 1. SEnse of sinfull workings O! saith a distressed soul Certainly my condition is stark naught and I have no right to Christ nor to any mercy I may not beleeve Why Because I never found such vile workings of heart as of late I feele a wonderfull rebellion in my heart I cannot think on any good nor set upon any good but an army of evill is in me opposing and hindering me To a soule in such a condition Sol. I would for his help prescribe these five subsequent considerations 1. When grace comes in truth it is ever of that power to make such discoveries and to raise such stirs as the soule never felt before for Grace is a new nature and a new light and a new active principle It is put into the soul for that very end to find and lay out sin yea and to expell and thrust it out The judgement was never so convinced before nor Conscience so qualified before nor the will and affections so spiritualized before therefore never marvell at the strange workings When a child is conceived in the wombe it is not now with the woman as in former times and whensoever Christ is formed in the soule it is not with that soule as in old times There is that now falne in which must purge thee and rule thee 2. If good be wrought evil will work and 〈◊〉 When Christ was born all Jerusalem was troubled so when grace is wrought sin will stir Indeed if grace came into the soule either by a finall and totall cessation of sin that there were no sin residing in the soule into the which grace comes then thou shouldst feele no stir at all Thus it shall be in heaven Grace there shall be alone Holinesse and nothing but holinesse there and therefore no combat no stir But thus it never will be on earth Sinne may be alone in some mens hearts but grace is never alone in any mans heart in this life Or if grace came into the soule by a peaceable resignation if sinfull flesh would without any more adoe make a full and free surrender and give it possession without any dispute and cavill then also thou mightst expect a calmnesse and a cessation of armes no vile stirrings But O Christian Grace and sin The Spirit Gal. 5. 17. and the flesh are contrary one to the other and therefore they lust one against the other Fire and water will not lie quiet Sad indeed were thy condition if thou hadst such a frame of vaine good against which no sinfull part in thee would oppose Every regenerate man hath a double man in him the new man and the old man that would doe good this would not doe good that would pray this would not that would mourn this would not that would beleeve this would not 3. But then thirdly thou who feelest such a rebelling and opposing flesh in thee what is that which thou dost oppose It is true thou feelest an untoward rebellious nature yet within thee but what side takest thou It is not I said Rom. 7. Paul but sin that dwelleth in me Sin in him opposed good but Paul himselfe approved good and delighted in good and willed good The same Apostle speaking of the co-habitation and the co-operation of flesh and spirit in regenerate persons that the one did lust against the other and the one was contrary to the other and that by reason of the rebellion and unrulinesse of the one we could not Gal 5. 17. doe the good which we would he yet comforteth them in such a condition in the next words If ye be led by the Spirit ver 18. ye are not under the Law As if he had said Notwithstanding all this rebellious opposition of your flesh if yet ye yeeld not to be servants to it but approve of and incline unto and follow in your hearts courses the rules of the Spirit the condition is very good safe So that though the evill remaining in us doth oppose the good in us yet if we our selves oppose not the good our condition may be good 4. Fourthly as there is evill in thee opposing of thee in any good so there is something in thee also opposing of that evil Dost thou not condemne that hardnesse which hinders thee from mourning and sheddest many a teare because thou canst not mourne Dost thou not strive with the Lord by many prayers and in the use of all his ordinances against that unbeleeving and rebelliously working nature of thine Dost thou not with Paul conflict with it