The Christians Daily Walk in Holy Security and Peace, Treatise · Chapter 16 · Section 1
SECTION 1.
THe ſecond head to which I reduced impedimēts to true peace, is falſe feare; for if you doubt, feare, or deſpaire of your eſtate without cauſe, it wil much diſturbe and hinder your peace.
There is an holy feare and deſpaire Needfull feare before converſion.wrought in man, when GOD firſt convineeth his heart and conſcience of ſinne; whereupon (through ſenſe of GODS wrath and heavy diſpleaſure, together with a ſenſe of his owne diſabilitie in himſelfe to ſatisfie and appeaſe Gods wrath (he is in great perplexity, being out of all hope to obtaine GODS favoua, or to eſcape the vengeance of Hell by any thing which he of himſelfe can doe, or procure. This is wrought more or leſſe in every man of yeares before converſion, as in thoſe which were aAct. 2. 37pricked at heart at Peters Sermon, and in bAct. 9. 9.Saint Paul himſelfe, and in the cAct. 16. 29Iaylor. This is a good neceſſary feare, ſerving to prepare a man to his converſion. For in Gods order of working, he firſt ſendeth the *Rom 8. 15Spirit of bondage to feare, before he ſendeth the Spirit of Adoption to enable a man to cry Abba Father. This feare, and trouble of Conſcience riſing from it, is good; and as the Needle to the thred, maketh way unto true peace.
Moreover, after that a man isHoly and good feare after converſion. converted, though he have no cauſe to feare damnation; yet he hath much matter of feare, by as much as hee is yet ſubject unto many evils both of ſinne and paine; as, leſt hee offend GOD, and cauſe his angry countenance, and his judgements; alſo, leſt he ſhould fall backe from ſome degrees of grace received, and leſt he fall into ſome dangerous ſin, and ſo loſe his evidence of heaven, and comforts of the Spirit. Wherefore we are commanded to dPhi. 2. 12worke out our Salvation with feare and trembling; e1 Pet. 1. 17.and to paſſe the whole time of our ſoiourning here in feare.
This feare, while it keepeth due meaſure, cauſeth a man to bee circumſpect and watchfull, leſt he fall, it ſpurreth him on forward to repent, and quickens him to aske pardon and grace to recover when he is fallen, yea, an excellent means to prevent trouble, and to procure peace of Conſcience. But the feare of which I am to ſpeake, and which, becauſe it diſturbeth true peace, is to be removed, is a groundleſſe and cauſeleſſe feare, that a man is not in ſtate of grace, albeit hee hath given his name to Chriſt, andCauſeleſſe feare. hath not onelyonly given good hope to others; but (if he would ſee it) hath cauſe to conceive good hope that hee is indeed in the ſtate of Grace.
This feare may riſe either from Naturall diſtempers, Satan joyning with them; Or from Spirituall temptations, riſing from cauſeleſſe doubts.
By natural diſtempers, I meaneThe kinds of cauſeleſſe feare a diſpoſition to frenfie, or height of Melancholy, in which ſtates of body the ſpirits are corrupted through ſuperabundance of choler and melancholy, whereby firſt the braine (where all notions, and conceits of things to be underſtood, are framed) is diſtempered, and the power of Imagination corrupted, whence ariſe ſtrange fancies, doubts, and fearfull thonghts. Then, ſecondly, by reaſon of the intercourſe of the ſpirits between the head and the heart, the heart is diſtempered and filled with griefe, deſpaire, and horror, through manifold feares of danger, yea, of damnation; eſpecially when Satan doth convey himſelfe into thoſe humours, which as hee eaſily can, ſo he readily will doe, if GOD permit.
Where there is trouble of thisStrange effects of feare riſing from natural diſtempers. ſort, it uſually bringeth forth ſtrange and violent effects, both in body and minde, and that in him that is regonerate, as well as in him that is unregenerate. Yea, ſo farre, that (which is fearefull to thinke) even thoſe who (when they were fully themſelves) did truly feare God, have in the fits of their diſtemper (through impotency of their uſe of reaſon, & through the Devils forcible inſtigation) had thoughts and attempts of laying violent hands upon themſelves and others, whom they have dearely loved. And when they have not well known what they have done or ſaid, have beene heard to breake out into oathes, curſing, and blaſphemous ſpeeches againſt GOD and his Word, who were never heard to doe the like before.
Theſe troubles may be knowneDifferēce betweene trouble riſing from bodily diſtemper, and that of trouble of conſcience. from true trouble of Conſcience, by the ſtrangeneſſe, unreaſonableneſſe, abſurditie, and ſenſeleſneſſe of their conceits in other things, as to think they have no heart, and to ſay they cannot doe that which indeed they doe, and a thouſand other odde conceits which ſtanders by ſee to be moſt falſe. Whereby any man may ſee that the root of this diſturbance is in the Phantaſie, and not in the heart.
Albeit, both the regenerate andSome difference betweene regenerate, and unregenerate, in theſe diſtempers. unregenerate, according as they are in a like degree diſtempered, are in moſt things alike; yet in this they differ; Some beames of holineſſe will glance forth now and then in the regenerate, which doth not in the unregenerate, eſpecially in the intermiſſions of their fits. Their deſires will be found to be different, and if they both recover, the one returneth to his wonted courſe of holines with increaſe: the other (except God worke with the affliction to converſion) continueth in his accuſtomed wickedneſſe. It pleaſeth God, that, for the moſt part, his owne children who are thus diſtempered, have the ſtrength of their Melancholy worne out and ſubdued before they dye, at which time they have ſomeſenſe of Gods favor to their comfort; But if their diſeaſe continue, it is poſſible that they may die raving and in ſeeming, (if you judge by their ſpeeches) deſpairing, which is not to be imputed unto them, but to their diſeaſe, or unto Satan working by the diſeaſe; if they gave good teſtimony of holineſſe in former times. When theſe troubles are meerly from bodily diſtempers, though they be not troubles of conſcience, yet they make a man uncapable of the ſenſe of peace of conſcience. Therfore whoſoever would enjoy the benefit of the peace of his conſcience, muſt doe what in him lyeth, to preuent or remove theſe diſtempers. And becauſeThe beſt meanes to quiet the heart in bodily diſtempers▪ they grow for the moſt part from naturall cauſes, therefore naturall as well as ſpirituall remedies muſt be uſed.
1. Take heed of all ſuch things as feed thoſe humors of Choler and Melancholy, which muſt be learned of experienced men, and of skilfull Phyſicians, and, when need is, take Phyſicke.
2. Avoyd all unneceſſary ſolitarineſſe, and as much as may be keep company with ſuch as truly feare God, eſpecially with thoſe who are wiſe, full of chearefulneſſe, and of joy in the Lord.
3. Forbeare all ſuch things as ſtirre up theſe humours; as, overcarefull ſtudy, and muſing too much upon any thing, likewiſe all ſudden and violent paſſions of anger, immoderate griefe, &c.
4. Shun Idleneſſe, and according to ſtrength and meanes be fully imployed in ſome lawfull buſineſſe.
5. Out of the fit, the party thus affected muſt not oppreſſe his heart with feare of falling into it againe, any more then to quicken him to prayer, and to cauſe him to caſt himſelfe upon God.
6. Out of the fits (and in them alſo if the partie diſtempered be capable) ſpirituall counſell is to be given out of GODS Word, wiſely, according as the partie is fit for it, whether to humble him, if he hath not beene ſufficiently humbled, or to build him up and comf… him, if he be already humbled.
7. Laſtly remember alwayes that when the troubled perſon is himſelfe, that he be moved to prayer, and that others then pray much with him, and at all times pray much for him.
When theſe troubles are mixt, comming partly from naturall diſtemper, and partly from ſpirituall temptation: then the remedie muſt be mixt of helpes naturall and ſpirituall. What the natural helps are, hath bin ſhewne, alſo what the ſpirituall in generall, and ſhall be ſhewed more particularly, in removing falſe feares riſing from ſpirituall temptations.
The feares which riſe for theDiffrence betweene thoſe fears which riſe chiefly frō Melancholy and thoſe which are chiefly from trouble of conſcience. moſt part from diſtemper of body, may be knowne from thoſe, which for the moſt part, or onelyonly, riſe from the ſpirituall temptation, thus. When the firſt fort are clearely reſolved of their doubts, and brought unto ſome good degree of chearefulneſſe and cōfort, they will yet, it may be, within a day or two, ſometimes within an houre or two, upon every ſlight occaſion and diſcouragement, returne to their old complaints, and will need the ſame meanes to recover them againe. But thoſe whoſe trouble is meerly out of ſpirituall temptation and trouble of conſcience, although for the time it is very grievous, and hardly removed, and ſometimes long before they receive a ſatisfying anſwer to their doubts; yet whē once they receive ſatisfaction and comfort, it doth hold and laſt untill there fall out ſome new temptation, and new matter of feare. This is becauſe their Phantaſies and memories are not diſturbed in ſuch ſort as the others were.
The ſeeming grounds of fearesThe groūd of falſe feares. that a man is not in ſtate of grace when yet he is, are for varietie almoſt infinite. I have reduced them into this order, and unto theſe heads:
Firſt, they who are taken with falſe feares, will ſay their ſinnes be greater than can be pardoned.
Secondly, when they are driven from that, they ſay then that they feare GOD will not pardon. When they are driven from this by cauſing them to take notice of the ſignes of Gods actual love to them which give proofe that he will ſave them. Then,
Thirdly, they will question the truth of Gods love, and favour. But being put upon the ttyall whether God hath not already juſtified them, and given them faith in Chriſt; which are ſufficient proofes of his love: then,
Fourthly, they will ſeeme to have grounds to doubt whether they have faith, from which they are driven by putting them to the tryall of their Sanctification: then,
Fifthly, they doubt, and will obiect ſtrongly, that they are not ſanctified, which being undeniably proved: then,
Sixthly and laſtly, they feare they ſhall fall away and not perſevere to the end. Which feare being taken away alſo, and all is come to this good iſſue, they ſhall have no cauſe of diſquiet feare.
This is the eaſieſt, moſt familiar, and the moſt naturall method (ſo farre as I can conceive) both in propounding, and in removing falſe feares.