Whether Man Be in the Estate of Damnation or Grace, Title page – To the reader
A Treatise tending vntounto a declaration whether a man be in the estate of damnation or in the estate of grace: and if he be in the first, how he may in time come out of it: if in the second, how he maie discerne it, and perseuere in the same to the end.
The points that are handled are set downe in the page following.
GiueGive all dilligence to make your calling and Election sure: for if ye do these things ye shall neuer fall.
2. Pet. 1. ver. 10.
Printed at London by R. Robinson, for T. Gubbin, and I. Porter.
The Contents of the Booke.
1 How farre a reprobate may go in Christian Religion.
2 The estate of a true Christian in this life: which also sheweth how farre the Electe being called, go beyond all Reprobates in Christianitie.
3 A Dialogue to the same purpose, gathered out of the sauorie writings of Maister Tindall and Bradford.
4 How a Reprobate may performe all the religion of the Church of Rome.
5 The conflicts betweene Sathan and a Christian.
6 How the word of God is to bee applyed aright vntounto the conscience,
7 Consolations for the troubled consciences of weake Christians
To the right Worshipfull and my Christian friend Maister Valentine Knightlie Esquire, one of her Maiesties Iustices of Peace in Northampton-shire.
SIR, I pray you consider with mee an especial point of Gods word carefullie to be waied: it is this. aMat. 25. 1 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Luk. 13. 24. A caueat to all Protestants of what estate or cō dition soeuer.Manie professors of Christ, in the day of grace, perswade them selues that they are in the estate of grace; and so the true Church esteemeth of thē too: yet when the day of grace is past, they contrariwise shall find themselues to bee in the estate of damnation remedilesse. A dolefull case, yet a most resolute trueth, and the reason is playne. Men that liue in the Church are greatly annoyed with a fearefull securitie and deadnes of hart, by which it comes to passe that they thinke it inough to make a common protestatiō of the faith; not once in al their life times, examining themselues whether they be in the estate of grace before the eternall God or not. b2. Cor. 13. 5. Psa. 119. 59And indeed it is a grace peculiar to the man Electe to trie himselfe whether he be in the estate of grace or not.
The further opening of the trueth of this point as also the danger of it, I hauehave enterprised in this treatise: which I am willing to bestowe on you; both for the profession of the faith, which you make as also for that Christian friendship, you hauehave shewed to me. Accept of it I pray you & vse it for your edification. cAct. 20. 32.Thus I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, that is able to build you vp further and giuegive you an inheritance among them which are sanctified. From Cambridge this 24. of Nouember. 1589.
Your Worships to command. William Perkins.
To the Christian Reader.
GOod Reader, it is a thing to be considered, that a man may seeme both vntounto himself and to the Church of God to bee a true professour of the Gospel, and yet indeede be none. All professours that are of this sort, are excellently described, Luke 8. vers. 13. in these words: And they which are vponupon the stonie ground are they, which when they shall heare, receiue the word with ioy: but hauing no roote, beleeue for a time, and in the time of temptation goe awaie: where are to bee noted three thinges. First, their faith, in that they are saide to beleeue for a season. Secondly, the fruits of that faith, in that they are said to receiue the word preached with ioy. Thirdly, their vnsoundnes, in that they are compared to stony ground, and in the time of temptation goe away.
Concerning their faith, whereas the spirit of God saith, that they doe beleeue, these thinges are to bee considered: first, that they hauehave the knowledge of the word of God: secondly, that they both can and doe giuegive assent vntounto the worde of God, that it is most true. Thirdly, in more speciall manner they giuegive assent vntounto the couenant of grace made in Christ, that it is most certaine and sure: and they are perswaded in a generall and confused manner, that God will verifie the same couenant in the members of his Church. I his is all their faith; which indeede proceedeth from the holie Ghost, but yet it is not sufficient to make them sound professours. For albeit they doe generally beleeue Gods promises, yet herein they deceiue themselues, that they neuer applie and appropriate the same promises to their owne soules. An example of this faith wee hauehave, Iohn 2. vers. 24. where it is said: that when our Sauior Christ came to Ierusalem at the feast of Easter, manie beleeued in his name, & yet he would not commit himselfe vntounto them, because he knew them al, and what was in them.
To come to the second thing, those professours which are indewed with thus much grace, as to beleeue in Christ in a confused manner, goe yet further: for this their faith, though it be not sufficient to saluation, yet it sheweth it selfe by certaine fruites which it bringeth forth: for as a tree, or a braunch of a tree that hath no deepe rooting, but either is couered with a few moules, or els lieth in the water, at the season of the yeare bringeth forth leaues and blossomes, and some fruite too, and that for one or two, or mo yeares: so one that is an hearer of the worde, may receiue the word, and the word as seed, by this generall faith may bee somewhat rooted in his heart and setled for a season, and may bring forth some fruits in his life, peraduenture very faire in his owne and other mens eies: yet indeede neither sound nor lasting, nor substantiall. What these fruits are, it may be gathered forth of these words, where it is saide, that they receiue the word with ioy, when they heare it: for here may be gathered: First,1. that they doe willingly subiect themselues to the ministerie of the word: secondly, that2. they are as forwarde as any, and as ioyfull in frequenting Sermons: thirdly, that they reuerence3. the Ministers whom they so ioyfully heare: lastly, they condemne them of impietie,4. which will not bee hearers, or bee negligent hearers of the word. Now, of these and such like fruites, this may bee added: though they are not sound, yet they are voide of hypocrisie. For the mindes of those professoursMark, that there is a true faith, wrought by the holie Ghost, verie like sauing faith, yet no sauing faith. are in part inlightened, and their hearts are indued with such a faith, as may bring forth these fruites for a time: and therefore herein they dissemble not that faith which they hauehave not: but rather shewe that which they hauehave. Adde hereunto, that a man being in this estate, may deceiue himselfe and the most godly in the worlde, which hauehave the greatest giftes of discerning, how they and their bretheren stand before the Lorde: like as the fig tree with greene leaues deceiued our Sauiour Christ as hee was man: for when in his hunger hee came vntounto it to hauehave had some fruit, he found none.
If this be so, it may be then required, how these vnsounde professours differ from true professours. I answere, in this they differ, that they hauehave not sounde hearts to cleaue vntounto Christ Iesus for euer. Which appeareth in that they are compared to stonie grounde. Now, stony groundes mingled with some earth are commonly hot, and therefore hauehave as it were some alacrity and hastines in them, and the corne as soone as it is cast into this ground it sprouteth out very speedily, but yet the stones wil not suffer the corne to be rooted deepely beneath, and therefore when Summer commeth the blade of the corne withereth with roots and all. So it is with these professours: they hauehave in their hearts some good motions by the holy Ghost, to that which is good: they hauehave a kinde of zeale to Gods worde, they hauehave a liking to good things, and they are as forwarde as any other for a time, and they doe beleeue. But these good motions and graces are not lasting, but like the flame and flashing of strawe and stubble: neither are they sufficiēt to saluatiō.
With the true professours it is farre otherwise: for they hauehave vpright and honest hearts before the Lord. Luke 8. vers. 15. And they hauehave faith which worketh by louelove. Galath. 5. vers. 6. And that Christian man which loueth God, whatsoeuer shall befall, yea though it were a thousand deaths, yet his heart can neuer bee seuered from the Lord and from his Sauiour Christ: as the spowse speaketh vntounto Christ of hir owne louelove, Cant. 8. vers. 6. Set me as a seale on thy heart, and as a signet vppon thy arme: for louelove is as strong as death: Iealousie is as cruell as the graue; the coales thereof are fierie coales and a vehement flame. Much water cannot quench louelove, neither can the floudes drowne it: if a man should giuegive all the substance of his house for louelove, they would greatlie contemne it.
Wherefore (good Reader) seeing there is such a similitude and affinitie betweene the temporary professour of the Gospell, and the true professour of the same: it is the duetie of eueryevery Christian to try and examine himselfe whether hee be in the faith or not. 2. Cor. 13. vers. 5. And whereas it is an harde thing for a man to search out his owne heart, we are to pray vntounto God that he would giuegive vsus his spirit to discerne betweene that which is good and euill in vsus. Nowe, when a man hath found out the estate of his heart by searching it, he is further to obserue and keepe it with all diligence. Prouerb. 4. vers. 23. that when the houre of death, or the day of triall shall come. he may stand sure and not be deceiued of his hope.
And for this purpose I hauehave described the most of these small treatises which follow, to minister vntounto thee some helpe in this examining and obseruing of thine owne heart. Reade them and accept of them, and by the blessing of God they shall not bee vnprofitable vntounto thee. 1589.