The Gales of Grace, Tract · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. The firſt propoſition handled out of the laſt part of the Text.
Sect. 1. Doctr. 9.THe former of theſe wanteth not proofe. For, that the Spirit is ſomtimes felt working by the regenerate in themſelues; and yet is no more knowne by them whence that worke commeth, then the winde by the bare ſound of it can be knowne from what particular corner (whether Eaſt or Weſt, &c.) it cometh, is as cleare a caſe in Diuinitie as can be. It was the Spirit (no doubt) that mooued Nicodemus to come to Chriſt; and it is very likely that hee heard a certayne ſecret ſound within him, telling him, that Chriſt was an extraordinary teacher, ſent from God, and that bade him come to Chriſt for inſtruction: yet Nicodemus did not know that this motion came from the Spirit of God. For if he had, he would neuer hauehave wondered ſo much as hee did at the ſpeech of Chriſt, when hee diſcourſed with him of the working of the Spirit in the hearts of the regenerate. Paul alſo (whoſe Story Saint Luke mentionethoActs 9. Compare the 3, 4, 5, and 6. verſes with the 18.) when he was caſt downe with the hand of God, ſo ſuddenly and violently (as he was trauelling with Letters from the high Prieſt towards Damaſcus, againſt the Saints) had a ſtrong and a ſtrange worke and page missing himſelfe into an Angell of light, telling the Chriſtian, there is a thing like repentance, which is not repentance; like faith, which is no true faith? and by this meanes hee driues the poore ſoule into ſuch a quandary, that it can not diſtinctly tell whether the holy motions which it hath be but meere flaſhes of ioy, of ſorrow, or whether the holy Ghoſt be the author of them. Seeing then many ſaints are but yonglings in piety, ſeeing the Diuell ſeekes by all cunning fetches to blinde their eyes, that they may not ſo plainely ſee the truth of their graces: wee need not account it any ſtrange poynt of Doctrin, To hold and affirme, that a man may hauehave the ſtirrings of grace in him, and yet not at all times know that the holy Ghoſt is the breeder of them.
Sect. 2.Before I come to the Vſe, a queſtion muſt be anſwered, which is fitly occaſioned by the Doctrine; and this it is:Queſt. Whether a man may hauehave the worke of Conuerſion and not know of it at all? To this I anſwerAnſw. negatiuely, A man cannot be conuerted, but he muſt needes know it, ſome way or other. And my reaſon is this: becauſe Conuerſion is a change; and can a man be changed and not finde an alteration in himſelfe? Yea but then will ſome ſay, I contradict my ſelfe; vnſay that which I hauehave now prooued. Not ſo. For though I ſay a man cannot be conuerted but he muſt needs know of an alteration in himſelfe, yet may hee bee ignorant of the trueth of his conuerſion for a time: to be turned he may finde himſelfe, but directly to know, and to ſay, I am truely turned by the worke of the Spirit, hee may poſſibly, not for a time; and heerein he may doubt and wauer: and though he hath receiued the holy Ghoſt to renue him; yet his condition may poſſibly be ſuch, that he ſhall ſay, I am not yet renued. But to be altered, and find no alteration at all in a mans ſelfe; I doe not ſee what one Scripture doeth warrant it. Yes will ſome ſay, There is Scripture for it.Obiect. For it is ſaid of ſomeqActs 19.2. that were in Epheſus, who were Diſciples, & of the number of Beleeuers, that they had not ſo much as heard whether there were an holy Ghoſt, or no. For Paul ſaid vntounto them; HaueHave ye receiued the holy Ghost ſince yee beleeued: and they anſwered him, Wee hauehave not ſo much as heard whether there be any holy Ghoſt. Now if ſuch as beleeued, neuer had heard whether there be an holy Ghoſt, then it is likely that they neuer felt the working of the holy Ghoſt in their conuerſion; neither one way nor other.Anſwer. But to this I anſwer; firſt of all, that it is a bad conſequent, to conclude, that becauſe the Diſciples of Epheſus had not heard of the holy Ghoſt, therefore a man can hauehave no knowledge of his conuerſion, though he be conuerted.
Anſwer.Againe, beſides this we muſt know that the holy Ghoſt is taken 3. waies in the Scriptures. Firſt, it ſignifieth the ſubſtance it ſelfe, or the perſon, of the holy Ghoſt, the third perſon in the Trinitie; ſecondly, it ſignifieth the ſanctifying and inuiſible gifts of the Spirit, which are conferred vponupon the Elect at their conuerſion; and thirdly, the viſible ſpirituall gifts, which Chriſt beſtowed vponupon the faithfull or ſome of them, in the Primitiue Church. Now, in this place of the Acts is neyther meant the perſon of the holy Ghoſt, nor the inuiſible ſanctifying gifts of the holy Ghoſt. For it had bin a moſt abſurd thing for Paul to hauehave eſteemed thoſe as ſuch as had neuer knowne whether there were an holy Ghoſt or no, or regenerating gifts of that holy Ghoſt yea or no, who were Diſciples, who had receiued the Baptiſme of that Iohn which in his courſe of baptizing had made mention of ſuch a Spirit and of ſuch gifts, when he ſaid,rMat. 3.11. I indeed baptize you with water to repentance, but there is one that cometh after me, who is ſtronger then mee, he ſhall baptize you with the holy Ghoſt, and with fire. It had beene an abſurd thing (I ſay) for Paul to hauehave doubted whether they had knowne of ſuch a Spirit & ſuch gifts: in neither of thoſe two ſenſes is the place therefore to bee vnderſtood; but it rather is to be meant of the viſible gifts which in thoſe times Chriſt did powre downe vppon his Church. Concerning ſuch gifts therefore Paul asketh the Diſciples of Epheſus, whether they had receiued them, yea or no; as, the gifts of tongues, and prophecie. And concerning ſuch gifts, they anſwer Paul alſo, We know not whether there be any holy Ghost: wee neuer heard whether euer Chriſt gaue any ſuch viſible gifts vntounto his Church, as the gifts of tongues and prophecying are. So that from that Scripture no ſuch matter can be gathered, that it is poſſible for a Chriſtian neuer to finde a change in himſelfe, and yet be changed. For if a man be conuerted by the Spirit of grace, he may know an alteration in himſelf, though he cannot ſo preſently vnderſtand that that change in himſelf is the right change, and ſuch as the holy Ghoſt produceth and cauſeth; and though at ſometimes (as the Doctrine ſheweth) the ſpiritual feeling which he hath within him, cannot ſo directly bee comprehended to come from the Spirit, as at another time it is, and may be. The Vſe followeth.
Sect. 3. Vſe.To teach the children of God when they hauehave any feeling in themſelues, and know not whence directly it is, to go and enquire at the word of God, at the Prieſts lips which preſerue knowledge, or at the mouth of ſome faithfull brother; and to compare their preſent ſenſe with what that word reuealeth, and to open their caſe plainely & faithfully to ſuch a Miniſter or ſuch a brother, telling them how it hath beene with them, or how it is with them, either in caſe of ſorrow, ioy, &c. intreating them to acquaint them with euidence from the Word, whether the griefe which they are ſometimes ouerwhelmed withall, or the comforts that they are at other times accheerd withall, be ſuch as are fruits of Gods ſanctifying Spirit. For, ſeeing there may be ſuch a feeling in a man, and not knowne by him to come from heauen, nor whence indeed; I thinke that it is very neceſſary for him to make ſuch an enquiry as I am now perſwading vntounto. Euen as a man therefore that heareth the noyſe of the winde abroad, that he may know in what corner it lieth, from what Angle it commeth, whether from the Eaſt or from the Weſt, &c. So when thou heareſt a kinde of ſpirituall ſound in thy ſelfe, blowing, eyther roughly to humble thee, or pleaſingly to accheere thee, or any way elſe to affect thee; if thou wouldſt know whether it be Sibboleth, or Shiboleth, whether a deluſion of Satan, or a right blaſt from heauen; as Philip ſaide to Nathanael in another caſe,ſIoh. 1.46 Come and ſee: So ſay I to thee in this, Goe and ſee, ſearch and trie, conſult with the booke of God, with the Ambaſſadors of God, with the Saints of God, whether what is in thee be of that qualitie which the Scriptures declare to be in thē that are ſanctified; & whether it hath the regenerating Spirit for the originall and fountain of it.
1. Is it Deſire that is ſet a worke within thee, to requeſt and ſeeke after the fauour of God? Search and trie whether ſome outward extremity that thou art in, or ſome externall caſualty thou art like to fall into, doth ſtirre thee vp to this ſeeking: or whether the ſweetneſſe of Gods louelove accounted by thee better then life it ſelfe, as it was by Dauid, doth allure thee to it,Pſal. 63.3 ſo that thou couldeſt be content to forgo all the pleaſures of this life, patiently to beare whatſoeuer the Lord inflicteth vponupon thee (if he ſeeth it meete) that thou mayeſt obtaine the light of this his louing countenance.
2 Doth griefe ſeize vponupon thee, doth ſorrow ſmite thee for ſin committed? See & looke, whether the puniſhment due, or the deed that is done againſt ſo good a God, doe moſt trouble thee.
3 Feeleſt thou the affection of louelove to ſtirre in thee towards the Almighty? Looke out and ſee whether it bee not rather with Saul for the kingdome, with Achitophel for honour, with Iudas for an office amongſt the twelue, with Courtiers for aduauncement, with Schollers for preferment, then with Dauid for holineſſe which thou ſeeſt in God deſeruing louelove at thy hands; then with a dutifull childe for the ſpeciall and ſpirituall goodneſſe of God in Chriſt Ieſus, reſoluing to louelove him though hee whippeth thee, to truſt in him though hee killeth thee, to obey him though hee takes away his outward benefits from thee.
4 Is it ioy and gladneſſe that ſpringeth vp in thy heart? Examine and trie whether acquaintance with worldly friends, countenance amongeſt great ones, command amongſt mean ones, credit amongſt all, riches, authority, dignity, hope of great poſterity and the like, be the ground of that ioy; or whether the preaching of the Croſſe of Chriſt, thy ſharing in the death of Chriſt, thy partaking of the graces of Chriſt, be the fountain & occaſiō of it.
5 Againe, art thou moued at ſomtimes to be a little ſuſpicious and iealous of the eſtate of thy ſoule; and whether it be with thee as it is and ſhould be with a ſound Chriſtian? Proue and try whether thou thus feareſt thy ſelfe onelyonly becauſe thou wouldſt fare well, and hauehave thy ſoule happy that thou mayeſt eſcape damnation (which a wicked man may attaine vntounto;) or chiefly becauſe thou wouldeſt do well, and hauehave thy ſoule holy, that thou mayeſt be a ſanctified veſſell to liue to Gods glory, which none but the Elect can reach vntounto. In a word, whatſoeuer the inward mouings & feelings be which ariſe and make a noyſe in thy ſoule; that thou mayeſt not be doubtfull, but vnderſtand with ſome certainety whence they come, compare thoſe feelings with the like in the Scriptures: and if thou wauereſt about the foundation and wel-head of them, and canſt not be reſolued and ſettled concerning that, acquaint ſuch with them as are fit to bee thy teachers and directors in this caſe; and then thou ſhalt know in what corner the winde lieth, from what Spirit the motion ariſeth, and ſo ſhalt find cauſe of humiliation or conſolation accordingly.