The Mystery of Self-Deceiving, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Of the deceits of the temporary beleeeuers Faith and feelings.
VVEe come now to the fourth sort of these deceiuers, the temporarie beleeuer, described Temporaries Deceit, touching Mat. 13.by our Sauiour in the parable of the stony and thorny ground, and by the Apostle, Heb, 6. They heare the word, and are inlightened in their vnderstandings, yea rauished, one would thinke, in their affections: for they heare it saith our Sauiour with ioy: where by one of the cheefest affections, wee are by like proportion to vnderstand all the rest, euen the affection of greefe it selfe; that as they reioyce in hearing of the comforts, and such like doctrine, which requireth ioy, so when the nature of Mat. 13. 20. explained.doctrine requireth griefe, they are also affected with sorrow, and therefore at the hearing of the word, with those Israelites, do often euen draw buckets of water and shed riuers of teares. Euen this a so is to be vnderstood by their hearing the word with ioy, because they reioice euen in this griefe, tasting of the sweetnesse of the word, & finding a comfortable relish therein. These men we see go very far, so that, as the Apostle speaketh, they are in some sort, made partakers of the holy Ghost, they taste of the powers of the world to come, & expresse their inward grace by outward obedience, bringing forth fruit very speedily, far sooner than others, as the stonie ground is more quicke & forward than other soiles. And yet for all this these also, being rotten at the heart, are to be ranked in the number of selfe-deceiuers, as falsely iudging themselues to be in the state of grace. The deceitful argument wherby they thus iudge, is this.
Whosoeuer hath true faith, repentance, obedience, is in the state of grace.
But I hauehave these three, saith the Temporary: Therefore I am in the state of grace.
This deceit is far more deep and dangerous, then any of the former three: for their error was in the ground, whereon their argumēt was built, not in the application thereof, as in the argument of the rich worldling; Whosoeuer hath outward prosperitie is in Gods fauour. But I hauehave outward prosperitie. Heere the deceit is in the proposition, not in the assumption: for he truely assumes to himselfe outward prosperitie; but his proposition is false, that Outward prosperitie is an argument of Gods fauour. So the Ciuil man erres not in his application of ciuill and outward righteousnesse to himselfe; but in his ground, that this ciuill righteousnesse is enough to get saluation. And so the loose Protestant rightly applies to himselfe outward profession, hearing of the word &c. but his ground is deceitfull, that this is sufficient to make one a good Christian. But heere it is otherwise. The ground of the temporarie beleeuers argument is most certaine and agreeable to the word, namely, that whosoeuer hath true faith, repentance and obedience is in the state of grace; all the deceit is in the application: for the Temporarie, when he assumes those things to himselfe, presumes. His assumption: But I hauehave true faith &c is nothing but meere presumption. And therefore he is harder to be deliuered from this his deceit, than the other: for with them their needed no more adoe, than to shew the falsenesse of their grounds, which might easily bee done; but heere the falsenesse of the application of their grounds must be discouered; which is very hard, because of the neere affinitie and likenesse betwixt the faith, repentance, obedience of the true and temporarie beleeuer: which is so great, that euen the most judicious, and discerning Christians cannot perfectly distinguish betwixt them. Hence Iudas among the disciples, and Annanias and Saphira and Nicolas the Deacon, among them in the Primitiue Church, till God detected them, went for true beleeuers: for this difference of these two faiths howsoeuer in generall we know it, as it is reuealed in the word; yet in speciall wee know it not, as it is in men, that wee can say, before the euent declare it, This man is a Temporarie only. This is discernible only to him, that is greater then our hearts, and therefore knoweth our hearts better then our selues. Neuerthelesse the Temporarie, if he would deale vnpartially in the trying of his owne heart, by the rule of the word, hee should easily come to espie out the deceit thereof.
And first as touching his faith, it is euident it is 1. His faith both thenot sound: for Christ dare not trust it; as wee see in them that are said in the Gospel to beleeue in Christ, and yet could not be beleeued by him. Many (saith Ioh. 2. 23. 24.Iohn) beleeued in his name when they saw his myracles, but Iesus did not commit himselfe vntounto them, because hee knew them all. But of the true beleeuer Christ saies, Ioh. 6. 64.that hee reiects none that comes vntounto him. Iudas was an arch-temporarie, and yet, that he neuer truely beleeued, appeareth by the same Euangelist thus commenting vponupon those words of Christ [But there are some of you that beleeue not] for Iesus knew who they were that beleeued not, and who should betray him. Marke how the Euangelist rankes the traytour among the non-beleeuers; and how, being to giuegive a reason why Christ said all of them beleeued not, he saith Christ knew who should betray him. And more plainly doth this appeare afterward in Christs answere to Ver. 70.Peter, professing in the name of the whole twelue, Wee beleeue &c. HaueHave not I chosen you twelue, and one of you is a Deuill? As if he should say, no Peter, al of you doe not beleeue, though thou speakest generally of all. One of you is a Deuill. Let vsus see then how this temporarie deceiueth himselfe, in thinking hee hath that faith which hee wants. The deceitfull argument whereby he would conclude faith to himselfe is drawen, first from the partes of faith: secondly the signes. The parts of faith are two, first knowledge of the word in generall with assent: secondly application 1 Parts which are.of the promises in speciall to ones selfe. Both these the temporarie thinkes hee hath, and therefore also faith. First for knowledge it cannot be denied, but he may hauehave an excellent measure thereof; insomuch as hee may not onelyonly apprehend all the 1 Generall knowledge, which is discouered to be deceitfull because neitherpoints of Religion himselfe, and be able to talke of them, but also teach them vntounto others; as Iudas did, and many others, whose plea shalbe at the last day, Lord hauehave wee not taught in thy name? And in the parable the lampes of the foolish virgins blaze as much as the wise ones. Yet for all this, there are deceits Math. 7.in this knowledge whereby it is differenced from the knowledge of true faith.
First, the knowledge of the Temporarie is not so wel grounded either vponupon the testimonie of the Scriptures, 1 Grounded.or vponupon experience as is the knowledge of the true beleeuer. To which may that seeme to appertaine, which is said in the Gospell, that they hauehave no roote, their knowledge is not a rooted and well setled knowledge: for neither hauehave they that care which the true beleeuers hauehave, to build themselues on the sure authorities of the Scriptures, neither yet at all doe they nourish their knowledge with a holy practise, that so they might hauehave a practicall, a feeling an experimentall knowledge; wherein indeede the knowledge of faith excelleth the knowledge euen of the Deuill himselfe: for though hee excell vsus, as in all other knowledge, so also in diuine, yet he knowes not the chiefe points thereof, such as are faith, repentance, louelove, the presence of the spirit what they be, by his owne experience, as doth the meanest and poorest Christian. Herein the poorest idiot, being a sound Christian, goeth beyond the profoundest Clerkes that are not sanctified, that hee hath his own heart in stead of a commentarie to help him vnderstand euen the most needfull points of the Srripture. The knowledge therefore of the Temporarie is but shallow to that of the true Christian: whose priuiledge it is, not only to know the things themselues vttered, but also that intent and meaning of God therein. The secret of the Lord, saith Dauid, is reuealed to them that feare him. This secret is hid from the wicked.
Secondly, the knowledge of faith is a through 2. Nor heating.heating knowledge, which warmes a man at the verie heart, working louelove of the truth knowen: for truth and goodnesse differ no more than the seale and the print. Truth, truly knowne, stampes goodnesse in the heart. But the tempotaries heart receiues no such impression, still it remaines an euill & vnsound heart, a nourcerie of many secret corruptions, in which no goodnesse. Therefore his knowledge is only a flame that giues light by blazing, but no sound and durable heat by burning.
Thirdly, the knowledge of faith is an humbling 3. Nor humb. Iob. 42. 5.knowledge. Now mine eye hath seene thee, saith Iob, therefore I abhorre my selfe in dust and ashes. But the the temporaries knowledge is a swelling knowledge, puffiing him vp in the conceit of himselfe.
Secondly, for application, which indeede the very pith and marrow of sauing faith; no doubt but 2. Speciall Application which is.the Temporary doth in his own conceit apply Christ: for Christ bringeth him in threatning kindnesse vponupon him & so chalenging entrance into his kingdome, euen at the day of iudgement, which sheweth that Math. 7.he might both liue and die in this perswasion, that he was the member of Christ, and so in the application of the promises: But this conceit of his is meere deceit: for in truth he applies nought but an idol, a fansie, a shadow: for as the disciples, when they saw Christ on the Sea, were deceiued taking him for a walking spirit: so contrarily, these temporarie beleeuers, when they see & heare nothing indeed but the diuell, (haply transforming himself into an Angell of light, yet they thinke they see, & heare Christ himselfe. This applicatiō of Christ is like to the Es. 29. 8.aplication of bread & drink in a dreame. Doth the dreamer therefore eate bread or drinke beere, doth he truly apply these things to himselfe, because hee thinkes so? No more dost thou eate Christs flesh or drinke Christs bloud, because thy doting braine so dreameth. Aiax in his frensie tooke simple sheepe for his craftie enemies. And when hee had slayen the cattell, thought verily hee had slayen his enemies. His deceit was great to take sheepe for men: thine greater to take a shadow for a substance, nay Sathan for Christ: for that thou dost not apprehend proued false, andtrue Christ may appeare by this, that true faiths apprehension of Christ is mutuall. It doth not so lay hold on Christ, as wee take hold of a tree, or some such like senselesse thing, but as wee vse to do in our salutations, when wee imbrace one an other, there is a mutuall hold on both sides. Whence the act of foreign Heb. 11. 13. inlightened.the Patriarches faith in apprehending the promises, is elegantly set out by the Apostle, by the metaphore of saluting; They saluted, kissed or imbraced the promises. So that true faith, kissing Christ, is kissed of him, embracing Christ is reimbraced of him, and it so apprehendes Christ that at the same time the beleeuer is apprehended of Christ, as Paul sheweth in Phil. 3. 12.his owne example. Now those whom Christ hath once gript with his hand, predestinating them to eternall saluation, such no power can euer wring out of his hands. No man can take my sheepe out of my handes. Whence that, He that beleeueth hath eternall Ioh 10..life, and shall neuer come into condemnation. And againe, Ioh. 5 24. Ioh. 6. 37 38. 39.He that commeth to mee I cast not away. For I came downe not to doe mine owne will, but my fathers, and this is his will, that of all he hath giuen me I should loose nothing, but should raise it vp at the last day. If any say, though Christ cast them not away that beleeue, yet they may cast away themselues; I answer, neither can that be: for in the 39. verse he saith, that hee shall loose nothing that is giuen him. But, if the beleeuer might cast away himselfe, Christ should then loose something giuen him. As the prodigall child, though of himselfe, he left his father, yet is called the lost child. Christ then cannot so loose any Luk. 15.true beleeuer, but that he shall raise him vp at the last day to eternall life. But temporary beleeuers, as we see in Iudas, may finally fall awaie from Christ, and go to their owne place; ergo they were no true Acts 1.beleeuers, they apprehended onelyonly an idol that could not hold them, and not Christ, whose hand is a sure hold-fast, neuer letting go that which once it hath seized on. The true beleeuer is rooted in faith, Eph. 1. Math. 13.but of the temporary Christ saith, he hath no rooting, and therefore his faith is nought.
Obiect. Why then is it said Luk. 8. 13. these men Luk. 8. 13.doe beleeue, if they doe not?
Answ. 1 The Scripture in many things speaketh according to the probable and common iudgment of men. Thus the moone is called one of the two great lightes, when indeed the least of all. Thus Gen. 1.the Diuell called Samuel, because in his likenesse, and so thought of Saul. And thus the fancie of the temporary, is called faith, because, hauing some resemblance of true faith, it goes for true faith both with him that hath it, and with others. 2. They hauehave indeed true faith in their kinde, namely a ioyful assent to the truth of the Gospel: but not the iustifying faith of the elect which they thinke they hauehave.
But you will say, shew vsus then the deceits of this Discouered by the Markes of true faiths application. 1 Conflict in beleeuing.faith, that both the true beleeuer may be deliuered from false feare, and the temporary from false ioy.
I answere. 1. The true beleeuer beleeues with much conflicting, as in him in the Gospell that cried, Lord I beleeue, helpe my vnbeleefe. The combate was not so great betwixt Michael, and Sathan concerning Moses dead body, as it is betwixt Sathan, and eueryevery true beleeuer, concerning Christs liuing body. When faith goes about to lay hold of it, the Diuell striketh at her handes, and would plucke them awaie from it. Hence faith is faine to tugge, and wrestle, euen till it sweate againe. And therefore Paul cals it the difficult worke of faith; because the foreign. 1. Th…s …. 1.beleeuer hath such adoe to beleeue; not only in regard of the opposition made by the flesh (full of infidelity) which as in all good things, so specially in beleeuing, we must beate downe with Paul; but 1. Cor. 9.also in regard of the violent assaults of Sathan, impleading our faith, as naught, and so often putting vsus to our shiftes, making vsus to search, and trie our faith, to pray earnestly for our faiths confirmation, and so with much feare and trembling to worke out our owne saluation. It is nothing so with the temporary beleeuer in his faith. He findes it very easie to beleeue. Sathan troubles not him. for then he should be diuided against himselfe, who begat that presumptuous faith in him. Naie rather Sathan confirmes him in this his deceit. And therefore our Temporary doth not so suspect himselfe, doth not so trie and examine himselfe, doth not so worke out the worke of his faith with those stronge cries of feruent praier, with that feare, and ielousie, and with those bitter bickerings with infidelitie, that the true beleeuer doth.
2 Faithes application of Christ to the beleeuer 2. Applicat. of our selues to Christ, and therefore are▪ there Two handes of faith.is with application of the beleeuer to Christ. For faith hath as it were 2. hands. One receiuing Christ from God: the other giuing the beleeuer to God. And both these handes it exerciseth at once. At the same time the beleeuer applies Christ to his owne heart, he applies his heart to Christ, and cleaues to him with full purpose of soule. This was notablie shadowed out vnderunder the ceremoniall law, in the coniunction of the sinne-offring which noted Christ, and the burnt-offring which, as Paul hath interpreted Rom. 12. 1.it, more specially signified the sacrificing of the flesh, the crucifying of old Adam. True faith offers both these at once. But the temporaries faith is lame on that hand, which should offer the burnt offering, he onelyonly takes Christ, hee giues not himselfe to Christ: hee offers the sinne offering without the burnt offering. And therefore applying Christ to himselfe, and not himselfe to Christ, hee misapplieth. Indeed hee may make some shew of giuing himselfe to Christ, but in trueth hee reserues himselfe to himselfe, hee nourishes some speciall sinne or other in himselfe, and so giues himselfe to Sathan, to sin, not to Christ. As Herod gaue himselfe not to Christ, but to Herodias, to his lust; & Iudas gaue himselfe not to Christ, but to the bagge, and to the baggage of his couetousnes.
3. A third property of true faiths apprehension is 3. Beleeuing against sense. Rom 4.set out in Abrahams example, who is saide to hope against hope: when the beleeuer is in heauy agonies, and feeleth a very bel in his conscience, yet then can he apprehend heuen, & with Ionas in the whales belly cal vponupon God in faith: for faith is the subsistence of Heb. 11. 1.things that are not, much more thē of things which indeed are, though not in appearance: If it can giuegive subsistence to things that are not subsistent, much more then apparance, and uisibility, to things that are not visible & apparant: so that faith can see one contrary in another, in the very depth of hell, heauen, in the very extremity of misery, happinesse, in the very middest of anger, mercy: and the Woman of Canaan, Mat. 15. can picke comfort out of the reproachfull name of dogge: and when nothing but war to be seene in Gods face, yet then can it pierce through all the thicke clouds, and behold the sweet sunshine of Gods fauor and grace in Christ: through the bent browes of the irefull iudge can it see the earning and relenting bowels of the compassionate Father: the eye of true faith can looke vponupon God not onelyonly smiling, and inuiting vsus to himselfe by a sweet and gratious, but also lowring, and driuing vsus away with a darke and cloudy countenance: but then is our temporaries faith cleane dashed out of countenance. will the hypocrite pray alwaies? saith Iob, and Iob. 27. 10.so, will he beleeue alway? No, a little wind blowes downe the spiders webbe of his hope: When Gods hands are full of gifts to bestow, then his faith is ready to lay hold on them. Hee is like to children that come running to their Father when there is an apple in his hand to tolle them, but not when the rod is in his hand to correct them: or rather like to dogges, which if they see a crust in your hand, come fawning and glauering; but if they see a cudgell, and that you come toward them to strike, either they fearfully runne away, or desperately flye in your face. But the true beleeuer goes further, and when there is a naked drawne sword in Gods hands, yet hee dares venter and presse towards God: though the Lorde set neuer so sterne a countenance against him, hee will not bee outfaced, but in a holy kinde of impudency hee will outlooke him, and say, Lord though thou looke vponupon mee as though thou wouldest slay me, yet still will I looke vntounto thee for helpe, though thou kill me, yet will I trust in thee: But in such a case the temporaries former iolly confidence vanisheth, Iob. 13.heere is the triall of faith.
Thus the temporary deceiues himselfe in the parts of Faith. The signes of faith are those feelings, those delights & ioyes which are felt in hearing the word, 2 And the signes, his ioy, and feelings, discouered by theirin praier, in meditation of the promises: for as in feeding vponupon sweet and pleasant meate there is a naturall, so also in faiths feeding vponupon the promises there is a spirituall gladnesse: and in this spirituall food also that coniunction of filling the heart with food & gladnesse Acts 14. 1. Pet. 1. 9.is true. Therefore Peter ioynes both these together, We beleeue and reioyce: now these comforts and ioyes the temporary in some sort feeles. Christ saies, they receiue the word with ioy. Paul saies, they Mat. 13. Hebr, 6. Ioh, 4.tast of the good worde of God, and of the powers of the life to come. The Iewes are saide to reioyce in the light of Iohns ministery. Herod is saide to heare Iohn willingly or cheerefully: and hence hee concludes faith to himselfe; but the truth is, there is exceeding much deceit in this ioy, and feeling: it is not solide, but onelyonly superficiary, only a tast as the Apostle termeth it, no eating to any purpose, a slipping, no soaking, no through digesting, a floting aloft in the riuer of Christs bloud, no diuing downe to the bottome, and as it were burying as the Apostle speaketh: And this may appeare by 4. properties of the ioy of true Rom, 6,faith which do not at al agree to the temporaries ioy.
1. Property is sincerity, whereby the beleeuer reioyceth in the word, because of the worde it selfe, & 1, Vnsoundnesthe goodnes, & holines therof, but the delight which the temporary beleeuer taketh in the word, is rather for the nouelty of the doctrine deliuered, or for some affectiō they carry to the Preacher, for some cōmon & outward gifts, either of life, or learning, or for his elocution, action, words, phrases in deliuery, or any such like respect: This was Saint Augustines delight Confess.which before his conuersion hee tooke in Saint Ambroses sermons, more for the eloquence of the words then the substance of the matter: and this also was the delight which Ezechiels auditours tooke in his preaching. He was vntounto them as the pleasant voice of a musition, and they commended him much, but Ezek, 33.yet their hearts ran after their couetousnesse, as did Herods after his incest, for all hee delighted so much in Iohns ministery. If his ioy in the word had beene sincere, he would hauehave reioyced as well in the doctrine of the seuenth commandement, as in any other: but this galled him. Thus is it with our temporary, hee can delight in the worde, as long as it troubles him not in his beloued sinnes: but let it once touch him there, he spurns presently, and flings away. Therefore he delighteth not in the word sincerely because it is the word of God, for then one part therof Rom. 7. 22.would be as welcome to him, as another. Now the true beleeuer euen when the word crosseth his corruption can yet then say with Paul, I delight in the Law, concerning the inner man.2. Sleightnesse Ioh, 15.
2. True ioy is a full ioy, as our Sauiour speaketh to his Disciples, That your ioy may bee full. The true beleeuer so reioyceth in things spirituall, that hee wholly despiseth the ioy of things temporall, & in them reioyceth slightly and ouerly, as though he reioyced 1, Cor, 7. Esay, 9.not. His ioy is a shouting ioy, such as is the ioy of haruest. Thou hast giuen me more ioy saith Dauid, then Psalm. 4. 8.when their corne and oyle abounded. But the ioy which our Temporary findeth in things spirituall is nothing comparable to that in temporall. Iudas ioy in the bagge was aboue that he tooke in Christ, and his Doctrine. Herod tooke greater delight and contentment in Herodias then in Iohn, and in the prophane damsels dancing, then in the holy Prophets preaching. For among those many powerfull Sermons which he heard him preach, when was hee euer so affected, as to say, Iohn, aske what thou wilt, & it shall be giuen thee, euen to halfe of the kingdome? If the spirituall ioy of the Temporary were full, what need he then to fill it vp with this carnall and sinfull ioy? Hee that is full saith Salomon loatheth the honycombe. So hee that is full of this sweet spiritual ioy, loatheth the sweetest and most delicious honycombes of the flesh, or the world. But the Temporaries teeth water after them. Hee is like those foule that as they flye aloft, so also they swimme in the Leuit. 11. 19.waters: which as they were vncleane vnderunder the law, so also is hee, for that seeming to mount vp in spirituall ioyes, he yet withall swimmeth, yea batheth himselfe in the waters of carnal delights. Hence it is that the ioy of the temporary is but an obscure & muddy ioy: for carnall ioyes mixed with spirituall are as a dampe to put out their light, and as mud to trouble, and distemper their cleere riuers; whereas the ioy of the true beleeuer, beeing free from such distemperature, is farre more cleere, and lightsome.
3. True ioy, is a strong ioy, according to that in 3 Faintnes, and that Neh, 8, 10.Nehemiah, The ioy of the Lord is your strength. And this strength it sheweth specially in three cases.
1. In our passiue obedience, in induring afflictions. S. Paul giueth this reason, why the faithfull 1 In not suffering.are so vnconquerable in their afflictions, still by meane of their patience possessing their soules, because the louelove of God is spred abroad into our harts by the Rom. 5.holy ghost. Lo the power of true, and liuely feelings of Gods sweetnesse in Christ: it can make vsus hold vp the head in the greatest deiections: Except thy Law had beene my delight saith the Prophet, I should now Psal. 119. 92▪hauehave perished in mine afflictions: beeing ouercome by the extremity of my tribulation, I should hauehave done that which in effect Sauls persecutions bad me do, namely renounce the true God, and goe, and serue other Gods. Where then there is a sound delight 1. Sam. 26. 19.in the word, it keepes a man from such kind of perishing for as the Apostle excellently saies; The peace of God guardeth our hearts in Christ Iesus, that Phil. 4 7.though our troubles, and crosses would plucke vsus from Christ, yet where there is true peace, true ioy in the holy Ghost, it is so sweete, and comfortable, that it holds vsus fast to Christ, & for al our troubles, makes vsus to say with Peter, It is good being heere, we know not where to mend our selues: but the temporary beleeuer is not alwaies thus kept from perishing in affliction: for our sauiour of one kinde of them saith, that When persecution for the worde commeth, Mat. 13. 21. Luke 8. 13.then he is offended, and in the time oftentation departeth away. Now true ioy, as we saw, is as a fountaine of water to refresh and releeue vsus in the greatest drought, and in the most scorching heat of persecution: but the temporaries ioy is as a standing poole, which is dried vp in the heate of the summer, in persecution hee shrinks, and therefore his ioy is not the ioy of true faith.
2. The ioy of the Lord is our strength in our actiue 2. In not obeying.obedience, which is daily to bee performed in the whole course of our liues. When thou hast inlarged my Psal, 119, 32. cleered.heart (saith Dauid) I shall runne the waies of thy commandements. Now it is spirituall ioy that inlargeth a Christians heart, euen as griefe contracts it. And when the Christians heart is thus inlarged, hee hath such fresh life, and spirit put into him, that it makes him runne, euen with the feete of the hind, swiftly, in the Christian race. It is as oyle, wherewith the body being suppled is the more agile, and nimble for action: as in Iacob, after that hee had beene soaked in this oyle, and bathed in this bath of heauenly comforts in Bethel, as it were a generous, and manly horse refreshed with a baite in his iourney, the text saies then he lift vp his feete, that is went cheerfully, Gen. 30, 1.and with good hart and courage, forward in his trauell: But our temporary after his best refreshing with the spirituall delicates, riseth vp with those Israelites to play, he is as weake and impotent as before, either for resisting temptation, or performing any good duty. So farre is he from lifting vp his feet with Iakob, to runne the waies of Gods commandements with Dauid. The trauailer that by the way drinke a good draught of wine is refreshed, and thereby inabled for his trauell: but if hee onelyonly sippe of it with his mouth, still he will remaine faint, and weary, vnable to hold on in trauell. So is it with the temporary beleeuer, that onelyonly sippes of this spirituall wine, hee cannot possibly hauehave Dauids strength to runne the waies of Gods commandements. Heere then is the discouery of the deceit of his heart in this kinde: he feeleth often many comforts, and is sometimes, in praier, hearing, receiuing the Sacraments, and such like exercises euen rauished againe; but yet for all this, the fruit of a well ordered heart and life follows not. And therefore in trueth hee cannot hauehave any sound cōfort in them, as any euidences of iustifying faith. for excellently hath Zachary coupled these two Luk. 1, 79. interpreted.things together, To giuegive light to them that sit in darknesse, and in the shadow of death (which I interpret as well of the light of ioy and comfort in the affections, as of knowledge in the vnderstanding) and to guide our feet into the waies of peace. So that if once beeing refreshed with the warmth of this light, of this fire, we rise not vp to walke in the waies of peace, but sit still in the chaire of sloth, holding the hand in the bosome: it is an argument it was no true light, but onelie a sudden and deceitfull flashing that shone vntounto vsus.
3. The ioy of the Lord sheweth it strength in recouering 3. In not rising vp after fals. Psalm. 4. 7, 8.vsus after our fals, temptations, deiections. As we may see in Dauid. In temptation & distresse feeling the absence of the spirit, and Gods estranging of himselfe from him, hee praies, Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance, striuing to recouer his losse. But how, and by what argument? by the experience of the ioy which formerly hee had felt in the apprehension of Gods fauour; Thou hast giuen me more ioy then they hauehave had in aboundance of corne and oyle. Lo the ioy that Dauid had felt in Gods fauour in time past, set his teeth on edge after it againe: a notable property of true spirituall ioy; It makes vsus cleaue fast to God, who is the matter of our ioy, euen then, whē either he is departing from vsus, by withdrawing his face from our eie, or wee are departing from him, by withdrawing our necks from his yoake: we hauehave an example in the Apostaticall Church of the Israelites, conceiuing a purpose of returning againe to the Lord, for that it was better with her before, then Hos. 2, 7.since her reuolt. And so the prodigall sonne, when he was pinched with famine, calling to minde the former goodfare at his Fathers house, resolueth thereupon to returne home againe. hence it was that Christ going about to recouer the Church of Ephesus something fallen, hee puts her in mind of her former estate, and the happy priuiledges therof which now shee wanted; Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent, &c. that is, consider what kinde of estate thou wast in, in the time of thy first louelove, how full of peace, ioy in the holy Ghost, liberty of spirit, &c. and then, repentance and doing the first workes will follow: for he that hath once tasted of the sweet of his ioy, is so affected therewith, that with Paul he would rather dye, then loose it. And therefore, feeling Luke 15. Reuel, 2. 5.it to be somthing eclipsed by his fals, he can neuer be at rest, til, by renewing of his repentance, hee be againe repossessed of it. But now it is farre otherwise with the base counterfeit ioy of the temporarie beleeuer: the true beleeuers ioy ariseth from a through apprehension of Gods mercy by faith, from a through feeling of the warmth of the Euangelicall wine, cheering him euen at the very heart, and therfore this ioy obtained the chiefety and soueraignty in his soule, for the ioy in outward things was but as a shadow, and in them as before was said, hee reioyced, as though he reioyced not. Hence then it commeth to passe, that sinne hauing prophaned & somthing obscured his ioy, notwithstanding al outward comforts in great variety, & abundance present thēselues, & their seruice, yet they are in his accoūt, but miserable comforters no for all them he droupes, & hangs downe the head, and hangs vp his harps, remēbring the comforts of Sion, & those sweet songs of the night, wherwith God was once wōt to fil his mouth, Psalm, 137. Psalm, 77, 6.he begins to think with himselfe: O in what happy case was I, whē I walked faithfully, & vprightly with my God! O the sweet songs of the night, & heauenly inspirations of the almighty! O the gracious visitations of the spirit, & teachings of the reins in the night seasō! How was I then fed with the bread of Angels, & feasted with the daintiest of those heauenly delicates? Why then do I depriue my selfe of al these cōforts by mine owne negligence? Why returne I not againe to my good God, to enioy his heretofore tasted sweetnes? But now the tēporaries ioy ariseth only from a very slight & superficiall apprehension of the promises, only frō a sipping of this wine in the mouth & not frō any operation therof at the hart: And therfore his ioy, as wee shewed was greater in outward things thē in spiritual: & hence it comes to passe that when for the retaining of these temporall comforts hee begins to fall, his spirituall ioy, by this meanes once interrupted, quite dieth: for it was not of that force, to leaue so deepe an impression in his heart as that afterward he should be affected with the remembrance thereof in so powerfull a manner, as thereby to be raised vp againe, to seeke the Lorde afresh by a renued act of faith, and repentance. But the ioy and comfort of the true beleeuer had such a quickning and reuiuing vertue in it, that hee cannot but remember it, euen in his more grieuous fals, and with the Prophet, in the remembrance thereof, say, I wil neuer forget thy precepts: for by them thou hast Psal. 119. 93.quickned me.
IV. The ioy of true faith is a more orderly, and leysurely ioy, it comes not comes not all on the sudden, but vsually 4 Vnseasonable hastinesse.by certaine steppes and degrees, in this manner. First the beleeuer sees his owne sinfull wretchednesse, cleerely represented to his eies in the glasse of the Law, and thereupon, agast with so fearefull a sight, he is in great distresse, feeling how bitter, and burdensome his sinnes are for which being throughly pricked and perplexed in conscience, and knowing there is no remedy but faith in Christ, he beginneth to hunger for Christs righteousnesse, and for faith to apprehend it, yawning in his desires, euen like the dry and thirsty ground. This faith when at length hee hath got by many strong and loud cries sent vp to the throne of Grace, he feeleth his minde calmed, and beginneth to reioyce in the saluation of the Lord. An example of ioy thus wrought wee hauehave in those conuerts of Peter, who were first pricked, and wounded in spirit, crying out to the Apostles Acts 2. 37. 38. 46.for some reliefe, and then afterward, hearing the promises and receiuing the sacraments, they were replenished with the ioy of the holy Ghost But the temporaries ioy comes not on so slowly, but it sprouteth forth, like Ionas gourde, suddenly in one night. And therefore in the parable it is said, that the seed in the stony ground incontinently sprung forth. And in the exposition of the parable Christ saies that immediately vponupon the first hearing; without any foreign.touch of conscience, without any through humiliation going before, they receiue the word with ioy. But the good ground brings forth, as other of hir fruits, so this of ioy, with patience, as Luke hath it: or as the Greeke word may beare, in expectation or tariance, foreign. Luc, 8, 15. expounded.namely for the fit season. It is spoken, I take it, in opposition to the stony ground, which was said to bring forth presently vponupon the receipt of the seed But the good ground doth rather restraine, or keepe in it selfe, it doth not so suddenly put forth it selfe, as the stonie ground, but retaines the seede within, till the iust time of bringing forth be come. Wherefore this ouer violent hastinesse, that is in our Temporaries ioy, and so also other of his graces, giueth vsus iust cause to suspect them as deceitfull, and to feare in them the truth of the common prouerbe, Soone ripe, soone rotten. As in trauailers, he that at the first is so free and frolike, and spurres it, and gallops it so lustily, hee ouertakes indeede many in the way, and leaues them behind, but at length his horse is tyred, and then he is ouertaken to his shame, of the more sober and moderate rider, whom erewhile he passed by, as an ouerslow cōpanion: so in this spiritual iourney our Sauiour noteth it, that many of the first that outstript their fellows, shall be last, when the last shall be first. How farre was Iudas at first, before Nicodemus? Nicodemus came closely, and by stealth to Christ, and was onelyonly a night professor: Iudas followed him openly in the day, in the sight of all men: when Nicodemus was but a slow scholler, scarse capable of the first elements of Christianity, as namely of the doctrine of Regeneration, Iudas was a forward and zealous Preacher. And yet at last, Nicodemus, that was last, became first, and Iudas that was first, became last; when Iudas did trecherously betray Christ in the night, he did faithfully professe him in the day, and when Iudas his great faith was turned into hellish despaire, that hee went and hung himselfe, then did Nicodemus his little faith, become strong and bold, that the durst openly begge, and honourably bury the body of Iesus. Hee that runnes ouer Math, 19, 30. Iohn. 3.eagerly at the first beginning of his race, quickly runnes himselfe out of breath, and cannot possibly hold out. Vntimely fruits, children that come before their time, are vnshapen, and vnformed children, and doe not liue. So are these temporaries, whose graces come out of the wombe, before they hauehave their iust conception, mishapen, and deformed Christians, and such kind of graces quickly vanish: It fareth with them, as with children, that are too timely witty & wise aboue their age; of whom wee say, and experience shewes as much, they are not long liued: when we see a Christian, at the very first dash breake foorth into zeale, aboue the age of his Christianity, it is but an ill signe, a presage of no durable soundnesse. The flattering of the Sunne raies often drawes forth the blossomes very early: but afterward come cold nippes, and then al is marred, and it had bin better they had not beene so forward: It is good then for Christians, that would not deceiue themselues, to take heede of the stony grounds ouerforwardnes: in their first beginnings to be wisely moderate: when they are but children in Christ to speake, and doe as children, and as Dauid 1. Cor. 13. Psal. 131.speaketh in another case, not to vndertake, or venter on things too high for them, rather to imitate Pythagoras scholers, of whom the best and most towardly Gell. noct. Att. lib. 1.were to hold their peace for the two first yeares, and not, before thus throughly ripened, to shew themselues. Then may they hauehave ioy as of other of their gifts, so of these ioyes and feelings which now we speake of. But the temporaries reioycing is not good. Though God giuegive him some tasts and feelings, yet they are not as any earnest of a greater payment to follow, so as they are to the elect, euen the first fruits, promising an ample haruest, but onelyonly a say of pretious wares, which oftentimes is giuen to chapment that neuer buy, and purchase the whole: for this ioy wanteth both sincerity, being defiled: fulnesse, being slight and defectiue: strength, being faint, and feeble: moderation, being vnseasonable, forward and hasty: And therfore, though a kind of spirituall ioy, yet for this deceit, deserueth the same checke wherewith Salomon rebuketh the carnall, Thou art Eccles. 2.mad, what is it that thou doest.