The Christian Armory, Book 2 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Of doubting of Gods fauour, and louelove toward vsus.
Question.
WHether it be incident to any of Gods children to doubt of his louelove and fauour?
A. Yes verily, and that sundry times.
Q. For what ends?
A. First, that he should know, that faith, and a ful perswasion of Gods mercies is not naturall, or procéeding from the power of a mans owne frée will, but spirituall, and inspired of God by his spirite.
Secondly, that a Christian séeing his owne weakenesse,Luk. 17.5. and how busie Satan is to take the aduātage of his infirmity, should by prayer entreat the Lord to strengthen his faith, and to ease him of scruples and doubts.
Lastly, that hereby God might traine and exercise his elect in the spirituall battel; for they seeing their manifold doubts and ignorances, are hereby prouoked to search the scriptures,Ioh. 5.36.40. and to take notice of Gods promises, that by the due application hereof, their faith might bee fortified and strengthned, and the remainders of ignorance and doubting, be by degrees abolished.
Q. How shall Gods children comfort themselues, when by reason of the number and heinousnesse of their sins, they cannot be perswaded that they are Gods children?
Rom. 7.18 19.20 & 24. Psal. 103.10.11.12.A. By remembring and laying close to their consciences, these (or the like) rules and directions following; first, it is a great part of our perfection to learne out, and so to lament a mans errours, and imperfections.
Secondly, God will pardon all sinnes to them that beleeue, and repent, be they as the sands of the sea for number and waight: and hereupon we reade in the Scriptures, how that Iudas hauing committed incest; Dauid hauing in the pride of his heart numbred the people, and added thereunto adultery and murther; Salomon in his defection giuing a toleration to idolatry; Peter hauing thrice denied his Lord and Master; Mary the Adultresse, Paul a blasphemer and persecutor, Zacheus an extortioner, diuers Con…urers, whereof we read in the Acts of the Apostles, the incestuous Corinthian, repented, and were receiued into grace and fauour with God.
Thirdly,Eph. 5.2. Heb 2.14.15. Ioh. 6.35 37. Christ their Sauiour came into the world to saue sinners, and for this end gaue himselfe for them (to be) an offring and a sacrifice of a swéet smelling sauour to God, & by death hath destroied the diuell that had the power ouer death; and therefore he will deliuer them which for feare of death are in bondage.
Lastly, if they doe but hunger and thirst after grace, and in good sadnesse séeke the Lord, and the pardon of their sinnes, they shall neuer bee sent away empty,2 Ch. 15.4 but be filled with good things, and in Gods court get their quietus est, Luk. 1.53. Apoc. 21.6.
Q. What course must a Christian take that hee may bee eased and disburdened of his doubting?
A. First, he must be prouident that he doe not minister matter and nourishment to this doubting, by calling the power, truth, and mercy of God into question, and by giuing credite vntounto satan, who is alwayes a lyer,Ioh. 8.44. and a murderer, and seeketh his confusion; but hee must against hope,Rom. 4.18 19.20.21. belieue vnderunder hope, all that God hath promised, and vali…st the diuell, and hee will flée from him.
Pro 28 13 1 Ioh. 1.9.Secondly, he must often meditate vponupon Gods excellent and abundant mercies, and appropriate them to his owne vse, and by faith flie vntounto the throne of grace, and then he shall find help in time of need, namely, rest to his soule, & peace to his conscience. Psal. 103.9.10.11.12.13.14 15.
Cant. 3.2 3.Lastly, hee must not onelyonly conferre with and communicate his doubts and irresolutions to Gods Ministers, and his Christian friends, that may be the organs and instruments of God to perswade and comfort him; but importune the Lord by constant and earnest praier, to send downe his holy spirit, that may teach him al truth, and guide his feet into the way of peace, and then he cannot but speed well.
Q. How shall a poor distressed Christian bee informed and reformed in his perswasion, that doubteth whether that Christ be his Sauiour in particular, or not?
A. First, he must knew that Gods mercies in Christ cannot for length,Lam. 3.32. Psal 130.7 bredth, deepenes, and continuance bee comprehended, and like the sunne so shine vponupon all men, and like the running springs, so offer themselues to all sorts, that none are put by, and shut out, but by their owne vnbeliefe and wilfulnes: and therefore hee must entitle himselfe vntounto, and make claime of Gods generall pardon in Christ, and then hee sh…ll neuer miscarrie.
Secondly, if a man bee teachable and fractable, and doe humbly sue and seeke vntounto Christ for assurance of faith, he shall vndoubtedly obtaine it.
Lastly, seeing, that (in the worke of our redemption specially) God worketh by contraries, out of darkenes, he draweth light: out of sinne, sanctimonie: out of want, wealth: out of reproch renown: and out of death, life: &c he must with faithfull Abraham, contrary to hope, belieue vnderunder hope, and he shall (at length) be assured that Christ is his Sauiour.
Obiection. Where there is no Word of God there is no faith: but there is no particular word of God to ascertain mee that Christ is my Sauiour in particular, how then can I hauehave any speciall perswasion of faith?
A. Though thy name bee not mentioned and expressed in Scripture, yet there is that which is equiualent thereunto, namely, a commaundement to belieue, and a promise of saluation to him that beleeueth, Math. 28.18. & 19.
Secondly, if thou canst not at first be perswaded that Christ is thy Sauiour in particular:Heb. 10.24 & 25. Mal. 2.7. be a diligent hearer, frequent and feruent in prayer, an ordinary resorter to the Lords Supper, a conscionable liuer and conferre with thy Pastor, and christian brethren, and it shall be said vntounto thee, as vntounto the woman of Canaan, Great is thy faith, bee it vntounto thee according to thy desire.
Obiection But Hypocrites, Heretickes and prophane persons may make an apply of the generall promise, and yet bee farre wide of any true assurance.
A. Their application is but a meere deceit or illusion, for they make an application presumptuously, hauing neither the hand of faith, nor the seale of sanctification. The Diuell plaieth the iugler with them, and maketh them belieue that they see that which they see not, and to be full of faith, when they are starke banckrupts in all sauing grace. But it is farre otherwise with Gods children; for they being indued with the spirit of grace, appropriate Gods generall promises to themselues; for when God in the preaching of the gospell saith, Seeke yee my face, they answere, O Lord wee will seeke thy face: and when God shall say, thou art my people, they shall answere, The Lord is our God. Zach. 13.9.
Lastly, Gods elect when they are adulti, and tall men in Christ, they doe firmely beleeue, and so vndoubtedly know it, as a man that holdeth a pretious iewel in his hand knoweth so much,Simile. otherwise they should find no comfort in their calamities, nor be thankfull to God for graces receiued.Rom. 8.38. Math. 9.2. Math. 15 28. Psal. 143.12. Rom. 4.22.
Q But my faith is full of weakenes, ignorance, doubting, and therefore I feare that I hauehave no faith at all.
A. (Deare Brother,) you hauehave no such reason of feare and doubting; for albeit your knowledge which is the eye of your soule, be somewhat dimme, yet (blessed be God) it séeth him that is inuisible;Heb. 11.27. and though the application of faith in you (which is the very life of your faith) is but féeble, yet it is sufficient to touch the hemme of Christ his garment, and so to saue you, and as for other parts of it (such as are confessiō for sinne, godly sorrow for the same, hunger after grace, and earnest desire of pardon) they are strong, sound and sure, and of such force as the gates of hell shal not preuaile against them, and the least sparke of this faith quencheth all the fiery darts of the diuell,Math. 12.30. and no maruaile: for Christ your blessed Sauiour wil not quench smoaking flaxe nor bruise a broken réede, but will perfit the begun work of grace in you.
Secondly, (by your owne confession) a weake faith (so it hath Christ onelyonly, so as he is reuealed in Scripture for his onelyonly obiect) is a very true faith: a weak and sickly man is a true man,A comparison. so a weak faith is a true faith: and therefore it hath in the Scriptures the denomination of faith,Mark. 9.23.24. and is accepted with God for faith.
For as eueryevery graine of gold is gold, so eueryevery quantity of faith is faith, and the imperfections and failings in true faith, doe no more take away the name and nature of it, then a great mountaine of chaffe doth take away the name and nature from the corne contained in it, or the drosse in a great mine of gold, doth take away the name of it, (albeit the gold be the lesser part) for God accepteth it for the better part.
Thirdly, no man is absolutely perfect in faith,Rom. 8.24 for the most regenerate hauehave but the first fruites of the spirite,Luk. 17.5. i. some small portion of it: and hereupon the Apostles themselues besought Christ to encrease their faith; wherefore in this case we must not be daunted nor discouraged, but beséech God to confirme our …aith, and be frequent in hearing and reading of the scripture: for the Word preached that begat it, will encrease and strengthen it.
Obiection. But my calling is very laborious, and many difficult works offer themselues to bee performed, which I cannot see how I can vndergoe.
A. First, God that hath giuen thée thy calling and fitted thee for it, wil blesse thee so long as thou walkst in his waies,Psal. 90.17 hee will prosper thy handy worke, and perfite his power in thy infirmity, 2. Cor. 12.
Secondly, God according to giftes and graces receiued, measureth out to eueryevery man his calling,Mat. 25.15 and the labours thereof; for he obserueth a Geometrical proportion in distributing his temptations according to his seruants strength, and in employing them in seruices answerable.
Thirdly, the holy Ghost is the spirite of strength, who enableth thee to dispatch and absolue the most weighty, and dangerous workes of thy calling (as he did Abraham, Phil. 4.12.Dauid, Paul &c) and by the help of him that strengthneth vsus, we shall be able to doe all things.
Fourthly, no excellent worke can be performed, or notable act atchieued at home, or abroad, without labour, paines, diligence, continuance.
Lastly, God hath promised to blesse and assist vsus in the workes of our lawfull calling;Psal. 128.1 wherefore let vsus depend vponupon Gods commandement, and desire strength of him, and wee shall obtaine our desire.
Q. But the sacred Scriptures are so diuersly, yea and contrarily in sundry points and places expounded, that I cannot be perswaded that they are Gods word.
A. First, the diuersity or variety of interpretation doth not preiudice the truth of Scripture: for many scriptures, as for example the Canticles, diuers Psalmes of Dauid, as the 2. the 45. the 73. the 91. &c hauehave both a literall and an allegoricall sense.
Secondly, diuers places may bee diuersly expounded, and yet nothing expounded against Faith, Hope Charity, and then the exposition is not euill.
Thirdly, they that expound the scriptures in an absurd or contrarie sense, are but meere naturals and carnall men, who (for want of spirituall vnderstanding) cannot discerne the things of the spirit. For as the eye in the body cannot see without the light of the sunne: so the naturall man, (be he neuer so acute and criticall) cannot without the light of the spirit iudge of heauenly thinges.
Fourthly, though many parts of scripture be hard & obscure to the most regenerate man:Psal. 119.105. yet this darkenes is not in the scriptures, for they are light it selfe; but in our blindnes, ignorance, infirmity.
Lastly, no man vnderstandeth all things, but some man one thing, & some another,1 Cor. 3.13. according to the measure of grace receiued, and eueryevery day the truth is, and will be more fully reuealed.
Q. But how can the scriptures bee Gods vndoubted word, seeing that by the preaching, interpretation, and application of them, many are offended, and made worse?
A. First, the pure, powerfull, eternal, and holy word of God,Rom. 1.16. is not the cause hereof, for it is in it own nature the wisdome of God and power of saluation, the immortall séed and food of the soule; but the fault is altogether in the hearers, who either doe not vnderstand it, or belieue it not, or else contemn it: to them alone it is the sauor of death vntounto death:2 Cor. 2.16. they are owles, and cannot endure the light of the sunne; they are sicke of a burning feuer, and cannot abide the wine of the Gospel; they are filthy swine, and therfore cannot abide this delicious muskadell, but are thereby swelled vntounto death.
Secondly, the vaine and Atheisticall hearers, doe conceiue of the Scriptures as of a mans inuention, and not (as it is indeed) the sauing word of God, & hereupon they being offended at it, are (accidentally) made worse. And herein they are like to Samuel, who when God began to call him, as he did seuerall times heare the voice of God and not knowing it so to bee, but supposing it to bee the voice of Elie, returned to his naturall sléepe and rest: So the greatest sort of them that are outwardly called, because they heare Gods word as the word of men,2 Pet. 2.22 and so estéeme it; they like dogs and swine returne to their former filth and vomit of their sins.
Lastly, as we must not contemne nor condemn Iewels, pretious stones, artes and sciences, because the ignorant know not their worth, and so regard them not, so though some, or many, ignorantly or contemptuously refuse to be bettered by Gods word, we must not be offended at their abusing and despising of it, but rather condemne their madnes, & make benefite of it, and thanke God that hee hath giuen better light and more grace.
Q. Why doth God suffer the faith of his children to labor of so many doubts, wants, and imperfections?
A. First, to bring them to a true touch and sense of their sinne, & that they may perceiue in what need they stand of Christ, and of eueryevery drop of his bloud, that so they may sue & seeke vntounto Christ for recouery.
Secondly, to correct, abate, and pull downe pride, humour, and selfe conceite in them, to which they are so lyable, and enclinable.
Thirdly, to traine and practise them, in the daily fight and battaile against sinne, and to make them such expert soldiers,Luk. 22. v. 31.32. that Satan though seeking an occasion to sift them, shall be wholy disappointed of his expectation.
2. Cor. 12.9.Fourthly, to perfect his power in their infirmity, he will enable them to performe all, for his grace is sufficient for them.
Q. What vse are we to make hereof?
A. First, wee must bee thankefull vntounto God for the seedes and beginnings of grace,Math. 25.28.29 30. and for the least measure of true faith, lest otherwise wee prouoke God either to depriue vsus of, or (at least to diminish his graces bestowed vponupon vsus.
Secondly, we must bewa…le our manifold defects, wants, and back slidings, and diligently vse all holy meanes, to cherish, further▪ and confirme our begun faith, such as are the ministery of the word and sacraments, preaching praier, conference, meditation, and the holy practise of all good works.
Lastly, hauing a true faith (though for the present borne downe with the winter of affliction) let vsus perswade our selues that it will reuiue in the spring of Gods graces.