and fell down at their feet and said sirs what must I do to be saved Take the great convert Paul Act. 9. what astonishing sorrow was he swallowed up in he was even humbled to the grave before you read of his Faith Let every Christian examine his own experience whether ever he should have received or prized Christ if he had not first been strucken with the sence of his own misery Enough hath been said for it let us hear a little what can be said against it 1. Obj. No man will be humbled except he beleeve what shall make me run to God and mourn except I beleeve he will pardon Answ We do not dispute of any Faith but a justifying Faith To beleeve and be perswaded I may be pardoned is not a distinguishing act of a justifying Faith this was granted before t is one thing to beleeve I may be pardoned so may an hypocrite T is another thing to beleeve I am pardoned or to relye on Christ for pardon this is proper to a justified person nor can he beleeve he is pardoned till he is humbled 2. Obj. Repentance is the effect of Faith now the cause must alwayes go before the effect Answ We distinguished before of Repentance Repentance hath two parts The aversion of the soul from sin and the conversion of the soul to God the latter part of it is onely an effect of Faith the former part of it the turning of the soul from sin is also an effect but not onely an effect it is begun before Faith though it be not ended till our life be at an end Secondly The turning of the soul from sin and the imbittring sin to the soul is an effect of Faith or rather a consequent of Faith viz. a generall common Faith in the beginning but not alwayes a consequent of saving justifying Faith 3. Obj. Christ must work this humiliation or it is good for nothing now if Christ be in the soul working humiliation then there is Faith Therefore Faith must go before humiliation Ans First Though Christ work this humiliation in the soul yet it doth not follow that Christ is in the soul for it may be a work of common grace and Christ is not in every soul upon which his common grace works But secondly to answer more fully I am of the minde of Master Shepheard and Master Hooker that although there be an humiliation which is indeed the work of common grace which an hypocrite may have yet there is an humiliation which is the work of special grace and that this likewise precedes the exercise of Faith And although it is true that Christ cannot be in the soul but in the same instant the soul is in Christ for Faith is the marriage grace yet it doth not follow that the soul is inabled by an act of Faith to apply Christ to it self assoon as Christ is in the soul and the habit of Faith is infused into the soul and therefore the question is stated not concerning the habit of Faith but concerning the act of Faith viz. Whether God gives the soul power to receive relye upon and apply Christ or receive any comfortable apprehensions of Christ and the soul in respect of us who can onely judge of the habit by the act cannot be said to have Faith before it hath acted humiliation or repentance The question is not which the soul must have first in respect of Gods gift but which it acts first for our apprehension 4. Obj. The preaching of this puts souls upon diâ—pair and hinders Faith they do not beleeve because they cannot finde that they are so humbled as God requires Ans 1. The sun must not be hid because it hurts fore eyes What is the truth of God must not be concealed because wicked men and seducers grow worse and worse Secondly No â—oul that is elected can dispaire if God hath given them to Christ the Devil shall never pluck them out of his hand the word must be preached though to some it must prove the savour of death unto death To the Gentiles foolishnesse Thirdly We do not say they must repent to such and such a degree mourn so many tears we dispute not how much sorrow there must be but maintain there must be some Fourthly True sorrow ought not to hinder Faith for the end of it is onely to bring the soul to be willing to exercise the grace of Faith by comming to Christ resting and relying upon him for salvation c. 5. Obj. But God works not his acts of speciall grace after the manner of men he works them together therefore faith and repentance are together wrought Ans We dispute not how God works them but how the soul acts them not which is in the soul first but which appears out of the soul first Iacob and Esau may be twins and in their mothers womb together but shall it therefore follow that they shall come out together may not Esau put out his hand before Iacob and be seen first by the mother and world too 6. Obj. But this is to take away free grace to say God will not save a poor creature before it be thus and thus humbled Ans 1. It is not to take away the freenesse of grace but to teach men to take heed that they do not turn the grace of God into wantonnesse it does not destroy free grace to enjoin qualifications and conditions of Gods own making Secondly You may as well say it destroyes free grace to say none shall be saved but those that beleeve which is the expresse language of Scripture He that beleeveth not is damned already Thirdly Free grace is established hereby For 1. Is it not free grace to give a soul Christ if it will but mourn and be humbled and beleeve is it not a free gift to give a kingdom unto me upon condition I will throw away a knife with which I was about to cut my own throat 2. We do not say that this humiliation and precedent sorrow doth deserve any such free grace for the performance of the action therefore the grace is still free 3. We say that free grace works this humilation a man can as well break a rock as break his own heart without the work of this powerfull spirit and the spirits operations are free even like the winde that blows where it listeth Ioh. 3. 8. We exalt free grace and make it yet more free onely we would not have men turn the grace of God into wantonnesse to their own confusion and therefore their vain objection that this brings us again under the covenant of works do this and ye shall live falls in pieces of it self for we neither hold that it is in the power of any creature to do this to break his heart and mourn for sin nor yet that any shall merit any salvation by doing of it we abhor that doctrine of merits that God justifies either for any works of grace acted of our own or for the
drink Though I begd my bread and wanted water all the dayes of my life O that I had the robes of his righteousnesse to cloth my soul though I went naked O give me Christ O give me Christ above all for all instead of all or else I dye Here now be comforted the end is wrought again and thou hast no ground not to beleeve because thou art not enough humbled The cause must not destroy the end The end of humiliation is as you have heard What serves humiliation for but to bring thee to it If thou beest already by humiliation brought that thou art grieved for sin past that thou hatest sin present that thou loathest the thoughts of embracing sin for the time to come that thou art made willing to close with Jesus Christ that thou prizest him above all the earths contentments whatsoever thou hast no ground nay thou sinnest in letting thy Faith stumble upon this threshold 4. Consider that it is possible thou mayest mis-judge thy self in this point of the measure of humiliation too The fountain of humiliation is often so deep that we cannot fadom it the well may be deep though we see but a little of it First Consider that in thy humiliation you must measure length and bredth and all Secondly Consider thou must measure inside as well as outside Thirdly You must remember it is not done though it may be done enough for thee to apply a promise and rest upon Iesus Christ and receive and apply him to thy soul First Many Christians mistake upon this Principle Why doest thou think thy humiliation is not enough They will answer you alas I was never in such a depth of amazing sorrow as Paul was as I have heard such and such a Christian was they were even in the jawes of hell My work was a slight work to theirs Half so much broad-cloth of a great bredth will make a suit as well as so much again of some that is not half the bredth the bredth makes amends for the length of the other Others God hath given them deep sorrow but short perhaps he hath given thee long sorrow but not so broad and deep there may be as much water in a shallow pond that is broad as in a deep well that is straight It may be thou hast been divers moneths weeks years under thy sorrow though it was not such an heart-rending sorrow as others might be They had sorrow that even rent their heart in pieces but it lasted not so long as thine before they had joy God measured out their measure in depth and thinc in bredth Secondly Consider if you will measure your humiliation right you must measure both inside and outside Possibly you judge you are not humbled enough because you have not shed so many tears as others have you measure it onely in the outside alas many tempers are not so disposed to tears as others Suppose two men were wounded the one bleeds nothing or little at all the other bleeds that the blood stains all his apparell runs down the streets you see scarce a drop of blood come from the other but the wound closeth will you therefore say that the one bleeds not so much as the other nay surely you will say that he bleeds more desperately he bleeds inwardly The seat of humiliatiō is the heart not the eye Humiliation is not to be measured by wet handkerchiefs the swoln face is not alwayes the outside of a most broken heart possible your heart weeps your soul is ready to burst with groanings but you want the vent of your eyes they are tongue tied The measure of your humiliation for all this may be greater then the other Thirdly Possibly some may say O but can I think that God requires no more tears no more sadnesse for those thousands of sins that I have in my life time committed against him Consider therefore Christian that your humiliation is not past when you have apprehended and applyed Christ to your souls You must reserve some tears for the time to come you have humiliation-work after Faith Zach. 12. 10. Though the seven Devils be cast out and Mary be set by Christ yet she may wash his feet with the tears of her eyes and wipe them with the hairs of her head She may come again and stand behinde him weeping you have to do to look upon him whom you have pierced and mourn As the man that takes physick it works before he takes his broth but that sets it working again and more So though before you apply Jesus Christ there will be some humiliation yet your receiving him and resting upon him by Faith doth not stop up your fountain of tears you shall have a mourning time after that save an handkerchief to wet then Fifthly For thy comfort consider that humiliation ought not to be 1. A ground of Faith 2. Is not a ground of acceptation The first will depend upon the latter First Consider thy humiliation is not a ground of thy acceptation Thou art not therefore accepted because thou art thus and thus humbled If we watch not our nature saith reverend Sibbs There will be a spice of Popery which is a naturall Religion in this great desire of more grief as if when we had that we had something to satisfie God withall and so our minde still runs too much upon works If free-grace did not clarifie tears and the greatest sorrow we could have for sin those bitter waters would be more filthy then the puddles of the street If the blood of free-grace doth not cement a broken heart and accept it and merit for it hell is its desert and portion for all any merit in it It is a good piece of a prayer Psal 20. 3. The Lord accept thy sacrifice or make far thy sacrifice or turn thy sacrifice into ashes A broken and a contrite heart is the Lords sacrifice which he will never despise Psal 5◠17. But the Lord must 1. Turn it into ashes 2. Make it fat 3. Accept it And therefore this can be no sufficient remora in thy way of Faith For couldst thou make thy head a fountain of water and thine eyes rivers of tears they should merit no salvation heaven is not to be bought with sighes nor art thou therefore accepted because thou art humbled but even thy humiliation must have an acceptation otherwise God should save us not for his own sake and for his Name sake as indeed he doth but for our tears sake for our humiliation sake for our works sake for Christians must warily consider that God doth not save his people and accept his children for those works which his own spirit worketh in them This is a Doctrine of Popery who to wash their hands of the Doctrine of merits wherewith they are charged tell us they hold no such matter as that a Christian may be saved by his own works but God gives him grace to work good works and for them he accepts for
them he saves We say no for even the works of Gods spirit of grace acting in us are our works and salvation is not of works but of grace And this Evangelicall lesson is hinted to us even in the Ceremoniall Law The Lord commands a yearly day of atonement Levit. 16. for the sins of the holy Place To prove this I might instance in all those Text of Scripture of which the Epistle to the Romans and Galatians are especially full and so the Epistle to the Ephesians which treat concerning the Doctrine of Justification and clear it not to be of works neither internall nor externall but of grace But I will instance but in one Titus 3. 5 6 7. But after that the kindenesse saith he and the love of God our Saviour toward man appeared Not by works of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration Mark ye by it not for it Gods mercy and free-grace is the ground of the souls acceptation and therefore consider upon what principle thou runnest that concludest I have not yet been enough humbled for to be accepted as if thy humiliation were the reason and ground of Gods acceptation Indeed we ought never to think that we are enough humbled yet we ought alwayes to think that humiliation too much and that sense of our sins too much which hinders Faith for it destroyes its end Therefore why art thou thus troubled Christian with this conceit that your Faith is no Faith because before it you wept not just so many tears It is Faiths work to beleeve and apprehend the souls acceptation before God Now Gods acceptation as you have heard is never for the souls humiliation and therefore what should hinder thy Faiths working in apprehending thy acceptation before God because thou art not accepted for this work any more then any other Nay Secondly Thy humiliation is not a ground of Faith Thou doest not therefore apply Christ because thou art so and so humbled Put case that a great Prince should be willing to bestow his son in marriage upon a poor peasant onely saith he I will make this term or condition that when you come to marrie him you shal come in sackcloth to shew what ye are he shal give you a better garment afterwards wil any one say that this maids coming to the marriage arraied in sackcloth is a ground of her so rich mariage or will any say it is a meritorious condition that she deserveth such a match to come so attired Surely no the ground of all is the Princes delight in her this is the ground of his taking her to wife and yet the King commanded that attire So the Lord saith Poor vild wretch I will give thee my Christ in marriage but thou shalt come weeping to shake hands with him weeping for thy sins he shall afterwards take off thy sackcloth garments Can any say that this is either a meritorious cōdition or a ground of acceptation or Faith Consider Christian wert thou never so much humbled thou couldst not say I will therefore beleeve because I am humbled Humiliation is a necessary antecedent to Faith 〈◊〉 ground of Faith Let 〈◊〉 that therefore be a stumbling block to thee which cannot be a pillar and foundation to thee if thy Faith cannot stand upon it let it never stumble upon it And thus I have done with the second thing I propounded which was to propound such considerations to such souls as were under this temptation as might comfort their hearts and strengthen and stablish them Onely I beseech you remember to whom I have been speaking all this while not to hard-hearted stony souls but to broken and humbled souls not to those that regard not to get their souls humbled at all but to those that are humbled that they can be humbled no more and that groan under the hardnesse of their own hearts not to those that presume to apply their hot boiling lusts and corruptions to the blood and wounds of Jesus Christ flattering themselves with a notion of Faith and conceiting they do beleeve but to those that are humbled though they cannot have a good thought of themselves I would not be misunderstood to have spoken one word to slight the work of humiliation or to cherish that licentious novell Doctrine that there is no need at all of it and a Christian shall not need regard it but what I have spoken hath been not for dead men what should they do with cordialls but for dying fainting swooning Christians not for them that consider their sins too little but for them that so dim their eyes with poring on them that they cannot see the absolute covenant of God and the free-grace of Christ and lay hold upon the promises of life There is an extream on either side the sober Christian avoids either and keeps the mean So I have done with the second thing I propounded viz. to propound some considerations which might comfort the afflicted soul under this affliction and strengthen it to resist this temptation For without question as the Devil hath a designe upon many a soul to run it upon a rack of presumption and carry it on in a blind notion of Faith so he hath a designe upon some souls to wrack them upon the sands and sink them in a pit of despair The Devils devouring voice to souls is either There is no need of humiliation or there is no humiliation enough I come now to the last thing which I propounded which is to give some directions to such souls as are burthened with this affliction and groan under this temptation how to demean themselves and what to do I will reduce all that I shall speak by way of direction to these heads First Eye the nature of the covenant and grace and promises of God more Secondly Eye the nature and cause of humiliation more Thirdly Labour to get thy heart more humbled First of all Eye the nature of God declared in the free dealings out of his grace to thee This I shall enlarge in three instances 1. Eye Gods covenant and the nature of that 2. Eye Christs grace and the nature of that 3. Eye the Promises and the nature of them First Eye the nature of God in his covenant more The cause of this affliction is Christians too much eying and poring upon their sins and themselves the penitent beleever ought to have two eyes one to look downward another to look upward This is that which David comforted himself with when he considered his own unworthinesse and the unworthinesse of his house 2 Sam. 23. 5. Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is my salvation and all my desire although he maketh it not to grow David though a man according to Gods own heart yet had a wicked house Absolom had slain his brother rebelled against his Father
condition that the soul should be thus and thus deeply humbled O saith a gratious soul do you set me to eye them they undo and ruine me I finde the promises of Gods giving Christ to my soul run all upon conditions of hungring and thirsting Isai 55. 1 2 3. Of being weary and heavy laden Mat. 11. 29. Of being lost and undone and this is that which I stick upon I will answer thee in this particular First T is true such is the tenor of the promises they do require hungring and thirsting c. Though not as meritorious conditions yet consider That they require no more then God hath promised to givâ— See this Zach. 12. 10. Ezek. 11. 19 20. and 36. 26 27. Where God hath promised to give that same tender broken contrite heart which other promises require the soul to have that doth apply them to it self Secondly Consider that those promises that seem to require humiliation and brokennesse of heart as conditions or qualifications call them what you will do no where require such and such a measure they require rem but not mensuram Lastly And for thy great comfort consider that those originall promises in which God hath promised to give that tendernesse and brokennesse of heart which he seemeth to require in other promises as a condition and qualification for the soul to whom of due it belongs to apply those promises I say those promises are absolute for this take but two instances Ezek. 11. 19 20. and 36. 26 27. which are much the same And I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within you and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them aâ— heart of flesh that they may walk in my statutes c. As if he should say they cannot walk in my statutes and keep my ordinances untill their stony heart be gone and they have an heart of flesh Secondly They cannot have this heart of flesh till I give it them And thirdly I will give it them Now sit down and eye the promises say thus It is true God doth require an heart of flesh before I can apply the promises of pardon to me but the same God hath promised to give it me and there must there can nothing be done of me in relation to that first gift God hath freely promised to prepare me to apply his salvation and to walk in his statutes by taking away my heart of stone and giving me an heart of flesh and beleeve but this that God will fulfill this free and absolute promise unto mee It is thy duty not onely to beleeve that God will pardon thee but also to beleeve that God will humble thee and not to stick upon I am not humbled enough to apply the promise but to say I will labour to apply the promises of salvation and to beleeve that God will humble me more and make good amongst others that promise to my soul that he hath made to his people that he will take away their heart of stone and give an heart of flesh c. And thus I have done with the first direction to the afflicted soul Eye the nature of God more in his covenant Secondly In the dispensations of his grace Thirdly In his promises I come now to my second direction and that is Secondly Consider the nature of humiliation and this thou mayest consider First In its originall Secondly In the manner of the operation of it Thirdly In its end The two latter I have handled at large in my considerations I propounded to comfort the soul in its affliction I will but name them First Think that thy humiliation may be as great as it should be though not so deep as others have been it may be it hath been longer Secondly It may have a more inward work Thirdly Its working is not done it will have a work as long as thou livest 2. Consider the nature of it in its end First Meditate that the end of thy humiliation is but to bring thee to loath sin secondly Leave sin and thirdly To make thee prize Christ If this be done it hath done its work But this I enlarged my self upon before 3. which should have been indeed first Consider the nature of humiliation in its originall and efficient cause which is God Zac. 12. 10. Ezek. 11. 19. 20. and sit down now and say Certainly God hath a good work begun in my soul otherwise why should sin trouble me at all or why should I be troubled that I am not troubled for my sin and now how unreasonable a thing is it for me to start from applying the promises because in my conceit I am not enough humbled It is God that hath humbled me at all and it is he that must perfect the work in my soul and surely if he sees it is not enough he will work more and he must do it if he will have it for I am not able to humble my soul Thus far my direction hath reached to help thee to ease thy self and direct thee what to do in point of meditation and consideration My third reacheth thy practice Lastly Labour after more and more humiliation Neither keep thy heart from beleeving in infidelity out of a conceit of the want of it nor yet slight and neglect it Both these rocks must be avoided as pernicious rocks for poor souls and between which there is a safe passage Let the world think what they will Sound beleever p. 104. and opinion 〈◊〉 cry down that great work Want of humilitation saith Master Shepheard is the cause of so much counterfeit 〈◊〉 Ib. p. 146. as is in the world and again saith he we shall observe if there be little humiliation there is little of Christ if much of humiliation much of Christ if inconstant humiliation inconstant fruition of Christ if reall humiliation reall possession of Christ if false humiliation imaginary fruitâ—on of Christ Therefore though I would not have thee so weep but thou should I have a spare eye to look up to the free grace of Christ yet I would not have thee so much fix thy eye upon the mercy and free grace of Christ that thou shouldst have never an eye to weep for thy sins Humiliation and Faith are two things that are consistant together That 's the last direction Labour to get the soul more humbled I know thou wilt say how shall I do that truely I might give infinite directions Ib. p. 150. but this is so ordinary a point in which so many pious men have laboured that I shall but name to you some directions that they point out as helps to the soul in this work Master Shepheard gives those helps 1. Remember whose thou art Rom. 9. 20. 2. Remember what thou art a vild wretch Job 40. 1 3 4. 3. Remember what thou hast been and how long thou hast been so and why should God choose thee 4. Remember what thou wilt be Isa
64. 6. good for nothing in his service c. Doctor Preston gives these directions vol. 4. 1. Labour to see the greatnesse of thy sin 2. To see the inability to help thy self For the first he propounds this 1. Fix your thoughts upon some great sin 2. Think of the number of thy sins 3. Make past sins present think of youth sins c. 4. Be not willing to exiâ—nuate or excuse any sin 5. Make sorrow abide upon your hearts 2. Consider the inability to help thy self 1. Think of Gods greatnesse and strictnesse 2. Of thy weaknesse and sinfulnesse And in another place he gives these directions 1. Every day search thy heart for the sins thou hast committed that day 2. Study the Scriptures they will discover your vile hearts more to you 3. Keep your hearts and wayes upright that is the way to keep them from haâ—dning 4. Bediligent in your calling 5. Remember times and sins past 6. Distinguish betwixt grace in thee and thy self of thy self Many other directions have been and may be given I will reduce all to these two or three heads 1. Consider the nature of thy sin 2. Consider the mercy of thy God 3. Run unto God Now these may be branched out into severall particulars 1. Consider sins in the filthinesse of them 2. In the greatnesse of them 3. In the multitude of them 4. In the aggravations of them 5. In the effects of them 6. In the dangerous consequence and guilt of them 2. Consider the mercy of God 1. That hath spared thee from hell so long 2. That yet will pardon thee 3. That yet will give thee heaven and glory 3. But when thou hast done all what thou canst this way these are but poor helps the surest way is to Fly to God by prayer and intreat him to work his own work So the Church Hos 14. 2. Here thou mayest plead with God First His promises Zach. 12. 10. Ezek. 11. 19 20. Secondly Thine own inability to do any thing towards this work though thou hast tried much and after all this rest upon God to such doubting Christians Now there are divers other things which lye in the souls way in relation to this also some of which I will speak something to being such as are more ordinary and as I my self have met with from some Christians either arising from their too curious inquisition into Gods hidden decrees or too much poring upon their own unworthinesse For the first of these I shall speak something to it at this time Cap. 3. How such Christians may be satisfied and comforted as think they have no warrant to beleeve because they conceive they are not elected or do not know whether they be elected or no. ALas saith a poor Christian why do you tell me of beleeving Sure I am none can be saved that is not elected I can see no ground to make me think that God hath chosen me to life before the foundations of the world nay I am confident God hath not elected me but past me over in his eternall decree Now to this trouble of spirit I will speak something first by way of promise secondly by way of consolation and direction First By way of promise It is an ill way of curing such a wound by breaking truths head to make a plaister as the Arminians Papists and Antinomians do Let me therefore first shew you what the truth is and then shew you with what considerations in a consistancy with the truth a Christian so unwarrantably by this scruple stopt in its way of beleeving may be set a going again and there will be left an even-path upon the road of truth for a troubled spirit to goe on in its way of beleeving and that both steadily and nimbly Know therefore First It is a truth That from all eternity God made choice of a particular and determinate number of persons to save them and none other nor can any be saved but those who were so elected and whosoever are so elected shall not fall away This is the truth of God which must stand firm against whosoever they be that either say there is no election or an election at random as the Arminians hold or a slippery one that is alterable as Papists hold or that it is made in time c. Secondly It is a truth That God never elected any because he foresaw they would beleeve and repent and walk holily but because he hath elected them therefore they beleeve and repent c. Thirdly It is a truth That those that are thus from all eternity elected may come to knew and particularly and fully and assuredly to know they are so elected and chosen of God Nay fourthly It is a truth That it is the duty of every Christian to strive to make his calling and election sure to labour to know that his name is written in the book of life It is that which the Apostle Peter calls for at Christians hands Nay fiftly It is a truth That there are but a very few elected and whosoever is elected shall beleeve and more then are elected neither can nor shall beleeve Many are called and few are chosen and those that are ordained to the end are ordained to the means they are created to good works These are those propositions which I desired to premise and those which the Devil and his instruments abuse to the unwarrantable perplexing of poor souls These are all the truths of God which do and shall remain true though all the world be found liars but what of all this I know none of these premises that will warrant such a conclusion as this Then I have no ground to beleeve except I knew that I were one of those few whose names God hath written in his book of eternity The Papist and Arminian and Libertines now take another course to cure the perplexed spirit and make no bones of it to stay a truth to heal a conscience To this end they have devised such charms to hang about the necks of sick souls as these are There is no such matter as any decree of election or God elects us for foreseen works and if there be an election it is not particular but the decree is entered thus at randome in the Court rolls of eternity All that beleeve shall be saved without a particular entrance of the number or names as if God had not said I know thee by name and if there be any elected they stand upon slippery ground Elected names may be blotted out or added in as if Gods book were more blotted then a Mercers shop-book Or if there be any elected yet it is impossible to know that I am elected nor can I have any assurance of my mansion-house in glory till I have taken possession of it But this is to bruise the head for a plaister for the heel On the contrary another generation maintain election to be the object of Faith and ignorantly maintain Faith to be the eye
secrets so far or whether according to Aquinas ideo dicitur nescire quia nos scire non faciet he therefore be said not to know because he will not suffer us to know I shall not dispute either of both will serve our turn Gods particular decree of election is a secret lockt up in the bosome of him who is the auncient of days of which either Christ himself as man was ignorant or concerning which to be sure he was so secret as neâ—er to reveal his fathers thoughts he was indeed as God the Privy-counsellor of eternity but a secret keeper of his fathers thoughts and counsels as well as an obedient Son to his commands in revealing his fathers will Christ indeed tells his Disciples Ioh. 15. 26. He had chosen them but it was though not because they beleeved that he chose them yet after that he had called them and they were come to him and had walked constantly and obediently with him that he told them so Christ hath not revealed particular election to any before Faith Secondly Nor ever will be Will Christ think you ever reveal the secrets of eternity to those that actually are his utter enemies Election is one of Gods secrets it is the roll wherein the eternall covenant betwixt this or that particular soul and the King of eternall glory is written and inrolled Now the Scripture indeed saith Psal 25. 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his covenant But hath the Scripture ever said the secrets of the Lord are with unbeleeving damned wretches for he that beleeveth not is damned already no when the soul is once called and beleeves on the Lord Jesus Christ then God in his due time reveals the secrets of eternity to such a soul and puts it on spectacles to reade the particular covenant that he hath made entred and enrolled in the court of heaven which is written in small and invisible characters and cannot be read but with enlightned eyes guided by the eternall spirit Besides Thirdly Consider the phrase of Scripture how it doth reveal to us our particular election Peter calls to them to Strive to make their calling and election sure First your calling then your election 1 Ioh. 2. 5. and 3. 6 10. 1 Joh. 2. 5. It is the constant language of Scripture 3 Ch. v. 6. 10. and the sense of all the Apostles that by our Faith and fruits of our sanctification which are the consequents and attendants upon Faith We must know whether we be in God or no whether we be the sons of God or no our particular election must be known to us by the effects doest thou therefore stick at this I must know that I am elected otherwise I cannot beleeve thou cuttest off the means by which thou shouldst attain to thy end Thy end is to know thy election Now the means by which thou shouldst attain to this particular knowledge and assurance must be Faith and the fruits of it This thou casts off a thing so absurd that thou wouldst condemne it in any worldly matter Thirdly 3 Con. Consider thou hast no ground for thee to thinke thou art not elected unlesse it be thy unbeleefe God hath made open Proclamation Whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life Whosoever commeth unto me I will in no wise turne him away Let all come and I will ease you Suppose a King should make a Proclamation concerning some Malefactors Let every one that will come to me and beg his pardon and he shall have it Though he hath a secret reservation of thoughts in his bosome to pardon none but such and such because he is confident the rest will be too proud and stout to come yet upon what justifiable ground shall any Malefactor think the King intends not to pardon him before he comes to him and humbly begs his pardon Shall he stand and at a distance say Let the King send me a particular pardon and then I will come for it and thank him but till I am sure he intendeth to give it I will never take the pains to go Upon what grounds shall such a malefactor think the King intends not to give him his life hath he not good cause to think his stoutnesse is the clearest and proximate cause God saith come beleeve and you shall live Thou saith now no I do not think I shall live let me know that and then I will beleeve what ground hast thou to think thou shalt not have the end but because thou wilt not use the means Suppose a man lay very sick his Physicians should prescribe him such and such means ☜ in order to his recovery no not he he remembers His time is in Gods hand and he cannot passe it he is sure he will see first whether God will let him live or no and if God will send him a lease of his life then he will use means Suppose now such a man should dye what might any think the cause why he dyed so soon What the period that God had set to his dayes or his own refusing the means to sustain his life But this will be further enlarged in a fifth consideration Fifthly Consider but this That all those whom God hath elected he hath not onely elected to the end but to the means Gods eternall decree of election is not entred thus in the Court-book Be it ordained that such or such a person shall live eternally But be it ordained That such or such a person shall in time be called and beleeve the Gospel and walk holily like one of my children and after receive the crown of glory We were predestinated That we should be to the praise of his glory Eph. 1. 12. and 2. 10. For we are his workmanship created in Iesus Christ unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them God hath ordained the means as well as the end and you must first know by your calling and beleeving that you are elected to them before you can know you are elected to eternall life the same God that hath made it a decree of eternity this and that man shall be saved hath also made it a decree that this or that man should beleeve Beleeving that I am elected and one chosen of God to eternall life is a piece of sense not of justifying Faith saith learned and pious Rutherford and it is a piece of sense too to think I beleeve as I have at large heretofore shewed but it is an higher thing to beleeve and be fully perswaded that I shall infallibly be saved then to think I truely beleeve it is a step higher the demonstration is plain because no Christian can think that he shall be undoubtly saved unlesse he thinks first that he doth truely and savingly beleeve Now therefore thy first work must be to get a sense of Faith to beleeve that thou beleevest for thou wilt never
not lay my hand upon it c. But Fourthly Christ dying p. 27. saith he Actuall doubtings may be in a soule who hath habituall faith for as he saith they are not opposed as life and death but as cold and heat water may have some cold and some heat in it at the same time Rutherford as life and sicknesse saith Mr. Rutherford sicknesse is neighbour with life Nay fifthly I may say more I thinke Faith and Doubting may be at the same time in the soul though not in the same thing I cannot beleeve this truth and yet doubt the same but I may beleeve this and doubt some otherâ— Yea Sixthly There is no beleever lives but hath had or hath doubtings Abraham Gen. 15. 2 3. David Psal â—16 11. See more p. 17 18 19. ib. The morning dawning of light may be light though there be some darknesse mixed with it Now to prove this position that Faith may consist with Doubtings Christ dying I can say no more then precious Mr. Rutherford hath said p. 27. who proveth it by these five Arguments First because Faith and Doubtings are not contradictories as life and death which mutually deny and expell one another but opposites as sicknesse and health in the same body may be successively Secondly Because Christ when he rebuked doubting yet supposed faith and acknowledged faith though a little faith in his Disciples Mat. 14. 31. Thirdly Because the Disciples prayed Lord increase our faith what needed that they had been at Ela at the highest pitch and note of faith if they had been above all doubtings Fourthly Because Christ prayed for Peter that when Satan winnowed him his faith might not fail it could not faile if every true faith were above all doubtings Fifthly and lastly from the various condition of the Saints of God here sometimes they have a full Moon â—non no Moon-light at all but a dark Eclipse I might adde the constant experience of Gods Saints Who lives and doth not thus sinne against God I appeale to the best experiences of Gods earthly Saints These things I thought good to premise for the right understanding and for the proving of this conclusion Now I will not enter into so large a field as to shew you all the Doubts that Christians may have Mr. Sedgwick hath done a great deale in this work in the Book before quoted but thus much I will doe First I will shew you what doubts and weaknesses and imperâ—ections may consist with true Faith in a gracious soule in relation to the severall acts of it Secondly I will shew you the differences betwixt those Doubts which often arise in and are consistent with Faith in a gracious soul and those which are damning dispairing doubts of Reprobates And first of the first of these CHAP. 8. What Doubtings and weaknesses in respect of knowledge may consist with true Faith in a gracious soule and how to satisfie the soule in this trouble THough some dispute knowledge to be aâ— act of Faith yet we say that it is required to the lowest and meanest act of Faith which is assent rather then an act of Faith of it self yet in regard many Christians that strive and labour after knowledge having wanted those meanes that others have had either in regard of hearing the Word or in regard of education have not attained to what they desire walk yet troubled about their condition in respect of their ignorance and because of this are ready to deny the grace of God in the work of true Faith in their soules Give me leave a little to speak something by way of satisfaction to such poor souls you shall heare them complain in this manner Complaint Alas I beleeve I have not yet stept the first step of a Christian. I have not so much as a knowledge of Gods Word I am a poor ignorant soule I know not halfe the mysterious doctrines of salvation can such an ignorant wretch as I be a beleever Besides for what I know I am ready to deny it sometimes I think this is the word and truth of God sometimes again I think it is not I fully beleeve nothing I know nothing I cannot read nor understand when I heare many things in Scripture I know not and for what I know I know nothing as â—ought to know it Here 's the complaint now satisfaction Now to speak a word or two by way of comfort and stay to the soule that labours under this trouble For thy knowing nothing as thou oughtest to know as thou complainest it is happy for thy soule if thou speakest from thy heart that God hath wrought thy heart into so low an opinion of thy self See what the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 8. 2. And if any man think that hee knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know it But now for thy reall ignorance that thou so much complainest of I shall propound a few considerations which wil shew thee how much ignorance may consist with true faith in the soule and then conclude all with a caution or two For the first First consider Thou mayest be ignorant in many points of Religion which are fundamentall in some sense and yet have faith true faith I think when we speak of fundamentals we ought to distinguish some fundamentalls are absolutely necessary our salvation stands upon them as to beleeve That Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners that he became man a Iesus a full Savior that he dyed for us that we might live that there is no salvation in any other but in him and that in him there is a fulnesse of salvation c. These now are those pillars upon which our salvation stands and the knowledge of which is alwayes supposed to true justifying faith none can be ignorant in these and beleeve For how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard which was the Apostles question but now there are other doctrines which are ordinarily called fundamentalls because they are such as Christians learn even in the beginning of their conversion such as are first taught and laid for a foundation to build other truths upon the doctrine of the imposition of hands resurrection of the dead c. are reckoned up by the Apostle for fundamentalls Heb. 6. 1 2. Now for these it is very possible that a Christian may be ignorant of them and yet have a true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ The Doctrine of the Trinity of the persons viz. That in the Deity there are three distinct manners of being three distinct subsistences distinguished each from other by their severall properties This is without question a fundamentall point of the second sort such as is usually taught Christians as a piece of the foundation of Religion yet I do verily beleeve that a Christian may beleeve and be in the state of grace and yet not be instructed fully but be ignorant in this Suppose a Minister should go preach to Heathens
twelve Tribes under temptations apply those generall promises of a crowne of life made unto Gods people that endure any afflâ—ctions to their particular sufferings in their afflictions and under their particular temptations And for those promises that are particular they are also to bee generally applyed as for that particular promise made to Moses Exod 4. v. 12. I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say it cannot be literally applyed to every Christian particularly that at all times God will be with him in going into Pharaoh and teach him what to say for he is not call'd to go in but thus it may and ought to be applyed by any particular Christian That when God cals him to a publike service and he finds a warrantable calling and an inability he may by faith particularly rely upon that promise though not by a particular application for assistance just at such a time and in such a manner as the promise was made good to Moses yet in generall for some kind of assistance in the undergoing of his works and such a generall application Christ warrants every particular Apostle to make of that promise as you may see Mark 13. v. 11. And so for that particular promise which was made to Iacob going to Padan-Aram Gen. 28. 15. Behold saith God I am with thee and will keep thee in all places whithersoever thou goest c. A Christian cannot now particularly apply this so as to resolve upon going to Padan-Aram leaning on the staffe of this promise But as there is no warrant for such a particular application so neither ought this to be rejected as a promise of no concernment to a Christian but to be generally applyed and thus far every particular Christian may apply this viz. when he is called to take an hazzardous and dangerous journey he may apply this promise for Gods protection of him in it and this Christ warranted to us Ioh. 15. 11. 20. Praying that God in keeping up their faith would fulfill that Promise which he had made to Peter Luk. 21. 32â— Luke 22. 32. This is one Rule which will help thee to understand the full extent and vertue of the promises and this you see will easily divide it selfe into these particular Branches 1. That those promises which for spirituall mercies God hath made to his people in generall have such vertue in them that we may in times of need particularly apply them to our soules As for example that promise Hosea 14. 4. I will heale their backslidings and love them freely It was made to the people of God in generall Now a Christian that hath been a backslider may rest upon this as his proper and peculiar portion and so for other 2. That those promises which are made for grace and spirituall good things in generall may and ought to be particularly applyed to our soules for any speciall good thing or any particular dispensation of grace which our soules want As suppose I want faith and I am to pray for it praying is but suing a Bond where shall I have a promise to ground my prayer for this dispensation of Grace possibly I cannot finde out or call to mind any particular promise for that dispensation of grace yet I may apply that promise Psal 84. 11. or Zach. 12. 10. where God hath made a promise of all grace to his people if he hath promised to give all then will hee give that 3. That those promises which are made to particular persons and for particular occasions or for particular mercies though I cannot particularly apply them in that latitude and with those particular circumstances with which they were made to them yeâ—â— may apply the substance of them generâ—ly to my selfe in particular and so farre they have particular vertue for me As suppose that I be haled to prison and be to be called before Magistrates and be afraid I shall not be able to carry my selfe so as to credit the cause of God and I cannot remember any promise made to the people of God in that condition I may so farre apply that promise which was particularly made to Peter and Iames and Iohn and Andrew Mark 13. 3. 11. as to rely upon God either to keep me from appearing before them or to be with mee when I am before them c. If I be to take a long journey and for the present possibly cannot finde a promise in generall of Gods protection to his people I may rely upon that particular promise made to Iacob Gen. â—8 15. thus far that God will some way or other protect me and provide for me c. A second Rule is this Whatsoever promises thou findest in the Word of God made to any particular people for spirituall and soul-mercies thou mayest apply to the still continuing Church and any member thereof those promises which were made to the Jewes are good to Gentiles those which were made to them and their seed for generall and spirituall mercies are good to us and our seed This the Apostle evidently makes good Act. 2. â—9 where Peter speaking concerning the Promise of salvation sayes The Promise is unto you and unto your children and unto those that are afarre off That is the Gentiles even as many as the Lord our God shall call and the Apostle urgeth this in severall places he speaks of the Corinthians as having and being possessed of the Promises 2 Cor. 7. 1. and Peter writing to scattered strangers saith 2 Pet. 1. 4. To us are given many great and precious promises 1. And this thou mayest be sure of if thou dost but consider 1. That that God that hath promised is an immutable God he is the same God to all the faithfull with him there is no shadow of change 2. If thou dost but consider That the promises made to the Iewes were not made to them under the notion of Iewes but under the notion of beleevers as they were the faithfull people of God Indeed the promises in Genesis are many made to Abraham and his children and seed But as you have lately heard by my reverend Brother in another place upon another subject Abraham had a starry seed and a dusty seed according to Gods twofold promise I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth and again I will make them as the starres of heaven Now the promise is not made to Abrahams dusty seed to the bare children of Abraham according to the flesh but to the starry seed to all the faithfull This was all the Jewes brag O! we are the children of Abraham to us belong the Law and the Promises and the Priviledges c. But our Saviour Christ decideth this question Ioâ— 8. 39. If ye were Abrahams children you would doe the works of Abraham that is if you were the children of Abraham according to the faith his starry children those Beleevers that do the works of Abraham and beleeve with the faith of Abraham they are the
ch 19. 6. 7. The journey was great which he had to go the frequent Stories of the Martyrs make this good when the Lord cald them to their great service at the stake he prepared them for their double work with double comforts ravishing their soules with glory and so often that God makes many of his deare Saints live upon short commons all their life time when he brings them to the hard work of dying he gives them a glimpse of glory This is a note of a pretious Divine Rutherford Tryal of faith who gives experiences of it and it is especially when they die strong torturing deaths for alwayes it is not seen it may be they have had all comforts before and may die in conflicts God will try how they can walk in the strength of what they have had or if they have had no bread till then God will hardly call them to die without giving them a crust yet as he sweetly sayeth God walks in liberty here and will not have us to limit the breathings of the holy Ghost to jump with the hour of our dying for we may make an idol of a begun heaven as if it were more excellent then Christ By this you see in stead of much might bee said that assurances may bee weaker and stronger yet true and this will be further made good by my last Conclusion which I will but touch And that is this Concl. 3. Thou mayest have had and againe have a true assurance and full perswasion and for the present have none at all I have spoken so much to this before that I shall need adde very little It is necessary to constitute the true direct act of Faith that it be a continued act and that soule never did truly rely at all that ever since it began to rely ceased to rely but for a reflex act it may be wanting even in the soule that hath had it and may have it againe if God will please to turne his face towards it nay I will question whither ever that Christian had true assurance or no that hath had it as he pretends without any intermission for so long as there remaines a Devill to tempt or a flesh to allure to sin there will be sometimes wants of full assurance yea if there were none of them both I would make it a great question whither the wise God would ever keep such a despensation of his love in a full Sun-shine to any soule though loved never so dearely I am afraid though we have much talk of Faith of assurance now adayes in the world if the Lord should come to sift the hearts of his poor creatures he would scarce finde the mustard-seed Faith of adherence 1. Overpowring temptations 2. Overgrowing corruptions 3. Naturall distempers of Melancholy 4. Divine desertions shall hinder assurance and make the act to cease and judge you then what soule it is probable shall have it an incessant constant act But I have done with this last thing and now I have shewed you what doubts and weaknesses may consist with every act of Faith in a truly gracious soule Now I should shew you from what principle these doubts arise and how they differ from the doubts of unbelieving desparing wretches The Thirtheenth SERMON LUKE 17. v. 5. Lord increase our faith CHAP. XIII How to comfort that soule that thinks it hath not true Faith because it doth not feele God strengthning it to those acts of Grace which it ought to act I Will take leave here apprehending it a seasonable place to bring it in to speak something to one scruple of conscience which doth often perplex many a good Christian and that is want of feeling of Gods love c. Ah! saith many a poore soule did I but indeed know that God and Christ were my Redeemer and portion then I think I should not need be muâ—h intreated to cast away this sadnesse and dejection of spirit but I cannot feele any such thing And this makes a Christian think that it neither doth nor may believe Now there is a double feeling for the want of which many good soules often complaine and upon the want of which they raise to themselves conclusions against believing For want of a distinction I will presume for once to coyne one There is a feeling of peace and a feeling of strength 1. The feeling of peace is when a poor Christian apprehends God appeased to its soule and feels him saying I am thy God the God of thy salvation this is that perswasion which is that highest reflex act of Faith of which I spake the last time and shewed you what degrees and abatements it might meet with in a true Believer Now this a true Christian may want though he doth feel Gods spirit carrying him on to acts of mortification and vivification c. Of this I shall not speak having spoken the last time how farre it may be wanted weakened or abated or discontinued even in Gods true and dear children 2. But there is another feeling which for distinction sake I call a feeling of strength when a Christian though he doth not feele Gods peace sealed up and assured unto his soule yet he cannot deny but hee feels his soul carryed out by God unto duties to love him to desire him to delight in him c. Now this latter feeling ought to satisfie the soul when though God doth not please as yet to apply the promise to his soule yet he feels God enabling him to apply himselfe to the promise when he feels God changing and renewing his heart and affections c. But here is that which many poore Christians want and complaine for the want of they will confesse that could they but feel God strengthening them against their corruptions and carrying out their hearts in acts of love and desire towards him c they would quiet themselves and bee very thankfull to him if he would but give them so much of the morsels of Free-grace as would keep spirituall life in them and keep their hearts from dying for want of mouth-fuls although God would not yet please to let them sit down at the banquetting table of assurance and eat of the sweet meats of that peace which passeth all understanding If God would please to give them but such sips of his flaggons as might stay them though they wanted such dishes of apples as to comfort them it would suffice but alas this they want and how can they believe c. Now all that I shall speak to a Christian in this perplexity I will reduce to these two heads 1. Something by way of Consolation And 2. Something by way of direction First By way of Consolation I should propound these few things as considerations which may tend through the blessing of God to the comforting of such souls in such streights Consid 1. That not feeling doth not argue a not being A thing may be though it be not felt it is no Logick to