The Way to True Happiness, Introduction · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Shewing the Marks of the Unconverted.
WHile we keep aloof in generals, there is little fruit to be expected. It is the hand-fight that does execution. David. is not awakened by the Prophets hovering at a distance, in parabolical insinuations: he is forced to close with him, and tell him home, Thou art the man. Few will in words deny the necessity of the new birth; but they have a self deluding confidence, that the work is not now to do. And because they know themselves free from that gross hypocrisie, that doth take up Religion meerly for a colour to deceive others, and for the covering of wicked designs, they are confident of their sincerity, and suspect not that more close hypocrisie (where the greatest danger lies) by which man deceiveth his own soul, Iames 1. 26. But mans deceitful heart is such a matchless cheat, and self delusion so reigning and so fatal a disease, that I know not whether be the greater, the difficulty, or the displicency, or the necessity of the undeceiving work that I am now upon. Alas for my unconverted hearers! They must be undeceived, or undone. But how shall this be effected? Hic labor, hoc opus est.
Help, O all searching light, and let thy discerning eye discover the rotten foundation of the selfdeceiver; and lead me, O Lord God, as thou didst thy Prophet, into the chambers of Imagery, and dig through the wall of sinners hearts, and discover the hidden abominations that are lurking out, of sight in the dark. O send thine Angel before me; to open the sundry Wards of their hearts, as thou didst before Peter, and make even the Iron gates to fly open of their own accord. And as Jonathan no sooner tasted the Honey, but his eyes were enlightned: so grant, O Lord, that when the poor deceived souls, with whom I have to do, shall cast their eyes into these lines, their minds may be illuminated, and their consciences convinced and awakened, that they may see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and be converted, and thou maist heal them.
This must be premised, before we proceed to the discovery, that it is most certain men may have a confident perswasion, that their hearts and states be good, and yet be unsound. Hear the Truth himself, who shews in Laodicea's case, that men may be wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked, and yet know it not; yea they may be confident they are rich and increased in grace. Rev. 3. 17. There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness, Prov. 30. 12. who better perswaded of his case, than Paul, while yet he remained unconverted? Rom. 7. 9. So that they are miserably deceived, that take a strong confidence, for a sufficient evidence. They that have no better proof, than barely a strong perswasion, that they are converted, are certainly, as yet, strangers to Conversion.
But to come more close: as it was said of the adherents of Antichrist, so here; some of the unconverted carry their marks in their foreheads, more openly; and some in their hands, more covertly. The Apostle reckons up some, upon whom he writes the sentence of death, as in these dreadful catalogues, which I beseech you to attend with all diligence, Eph. 5. 5, 6. For this ye know that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath an inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience, Rev. 21. 8. But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death, 1 Cor. 6. 9, 10. Know you not, that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolators, and adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, or extortioners, shall inherit the Kingdom of God. See Gall. 5. 19, 20, 21. Wo to them that have their names written in these bedrolls: such may know, as certainly, as if God had told it them from Heaven, that they are unsanctified, and under an impossibility of being saved in this condition.
There are then these several sorts, that, past all dispute, are unconverted, they carry their marks in their foreheads.
1. The unclean. These are ever reckoned among the goats, and have their names, whoever be left out, in all the fore-mentioned catalogues, Eph. 5. 5. Rev. 21. 8. 1. Cor. 5. 9, 10.
2. The Covetous. These are ever branded for idolaters, and the doors of the Kingdom are shut against them by name. Eph. 5. 5. Col. 3. 5. 1 Cor. 6. 9, 10.
3. Drunkards, not only such as drink away their reason, but withall, yea above all, such as are too strong for strong drink. The Lord fills his mouth with woes against these, and declares them to have no inheritance in the Kingdom of God, Esay. 5. 11, 12, 22. Gal. 5. 21.
4. Liars. The God that cannot lie hath told them, that there is no place for them in his Kingdom, no entrance into his hill; but their portion is with the Father of lies (whose children they are) in the lake of burnings, Psal. 15. 1, 2, Rev. 21. 8, 27. Ioh. 8. 44. Prov. 6. 17.
5. Swearers. The end of these men without deep and speedy repentance, is swift destruction, and most certain and unavoidable condemnation, Iam. 5. 12. Zech. 5. 1, 2, 3. Railers and Back-biters, that love to take up a reproach against their Neighbour, and fling all the dirt they can in his face, or else wound him secretly behind his back; Psal. 15. 1. 3. 1 Cor. 6. 10. 1 Cor. 5. 11.
7. Thieves, Extortioners, Oppressors, that grind the poor, over-reach their brethren, when they have them at an advantage, these must know, that God is the avenger of all such, 1 Thes. 4. 6. Hear O ye false and purloining and wasteful servants: Hear, O ye deceitful tradesmen, hear your sentence. God will certainly hold his door against you, and turn your treasures of unrighteousness into treasures of wrath, and make your ill-gotten… silver and gold, to torment you like burning Metal in your bowels, 1 Cor. 6. 9, 10. Iam. 5. 2, 3.
8. All that do ordinarily live in the prophane neglect of Gods worship, that hear not his word, that call not on his name, that restrain prayer before God, that mind not their own nor their families souls, but live without God in the world, Ioh. 8. 47. Iob. 15. 4. Psal. 14. 4. Psal. 79. 6. Eph. 2. 12. & 4. 18.
9. Those that are frequenters and lovers of evil company. God hath declared, he will be the destruction of all such, and that they shall never enter into the hill of his rest, Prov. 13. 20. Psal. 15. 4. Prov. 9. 6.
10. Scoffers at Religion, that make a scorn of precise walking, and mock at the messengers and diligent servants of the Lord, and at their holy profession, and make themselves merry with the weaknesses and failings of professors. Hear ye despisers, hear your dreadful doom, Prov. 19. 29. 2 Chron. 36. 16. Prov. 3. 34.
Sinner, consider diligently, whether thou art not to be found in one of these ranks: for if this be thy case, thou art in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity; for all these do carry their marks in their foreheads, and are undoubtedly the sons of death.
And if so, the Lord pity our poor Congregations; Oh how little a number will be left, when these ten sorts are set out! Alas on how many doors, on how many faces must we write, Lord have mercy upon us! Sirs, what shift do you make to keep up your confidence of your good estate, when God from heaven declares against you, and pronounces, you in a state of damnation? I would reason with you, as God with them; How canst thou say I am not polluted? Ier. 2. 23. See thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done. Man, is not thy conscience privy to thy tricks of deceit, to thy chamber pranks, to thy way of lying? Yea are not thy friends, thy family, thy neighbours, witnesses to thy prophane neglects of Gods worship, to thy covetous practices, to thy envious and malicious carriage? may not they point at thee as thou goest, there goes a gaming Prodigal; there goes a drunken Nabal, a companion of evildoers; there goes a railer, or a scoffer, a loose liver? Beloved, God hath written it as with a Sun beam, in the book out of which you must be judged, that these are not the spots of his Children, and that none such (except renewed by converting grace) shall ever escape the damnation of Hell.
Oh that such of you would now be perswaded to repent and turn from all your transgressions, or else iniquity will be your ruine! Ezek. 18. 30. Alas for poor hardned sinners! Must I leave you at last where you were? Must I leave the tipler still at the Ale-bench? Must I leave the wanton still at his dalliance? Must I leave the malicious still in his venome? And the drunkard still at his vomit? However you must know, that you have been warned, and that I am clear of your blood. And whether men will hear, or whether they will forbear, I will leave these three scriptures with them, either as thunderbolts to awaken them, or as …earing Irons to harden them to a reprobate sense, Psal. 68. 21. God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one, as goeth on still in his trespasses, Prov. 29. 1. He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy, Prov. 1. 24, &c. Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded. &c. I will mock at your calamity —when your destruction cometh as a whirlwind.
And now I imagine, many will begin to bless themselves, and think all is well, because they cannot be spotted with the grosser evils above mentioned. But I must further tell you, that there are another sort of unsanctified persons, that carry not their marks in their foreheads, but more secretly and covertly in their hands. These do frequently deceive themselves and others, and pass for good Christians, when they are all the while unsound at bottom. Many pass undiscovered, till death and judgement bring all to light. Those self-deceivers seem to come even to Heaven gate with confidence of their admission… and yet are turned off at last, Mat. 7. 22. Brethren, Beloved, I beseech you deeply to lay to heart, and firmly to retain this awakening consideration: That Multitudes miscarry by the hand of some secret sin, that is not only hidden from others, but (for want of observing their own hearts) even from themselves. A man may be free from open pollutions, and yet die at last by the fatal hand of some unobserved iniquity: And there be these eleven hidden sins, by which souls go down by numbers into the chambers of death. These you must search carefully for, and take them as black marks (wherever they be found) discovering a graceless and unconverted estate. As you love your lives read them carefully, with a holy jealousie of your selves, lest you should be the persons concerned.
1. Gross Ignorance. Ah how many poor souls doth this sin kill in the dark, Hos. 4. 6. while they think verily they have good hearts, and are in the ready way to Heaven! This is the murderer that dispatches thousands in a silent manner, when (poor hearts!) they suspect nothing, and see not the hand that mischiefs them. You shall find whatever excuses you have for ignorance, that 'tis a soul… undoing evil, Esay. 27. 11. 2 Thes. 1. 8. 2 Cor. 4. 3. Ah would it not have pitied a man's heart to have seen that woful spectacle, when the poor Pro…estants were shut up a multitude together in a b…rn, and a butcher comes with his inhumane hands warm in humane blood, and leads them one by one blindfold to a block, where he slew them (poor Innocents!) one after another by the scores in cold blood? But how much more should our hearts bleed, to think of the hundreds in great Congregations, that ignorance doth butcher in secret, and lead them blindfold to the block? Beware this be none of your case. Make no pleas for ignorance. If you spare that sin, know that that will not spare you. Will a man keep a murderer in his bosom?
2. Secret reserves in closing with Christ. To forsake all for Christ, to hate father and mother, yea and a mans own life for him, this is a hard saying, Luk. 14. 26. Some will do much, but they will not be of the religion that will undo them; they never come to be entirely devoted to Christ, nor fully to resign to him. They must have the sweet sin. They mean to do themselves no harm. They have secret exceptions for life, liberty, or estate. Many take Christ thus hand over head, and never consider his self-denying terms, nor cast up the cost; and this error in the foundation marrs all, and secretly ruines them for ever, Luk. 14. 28. Mat. 13. 21.
3. Formality in Religion. Many stick in the bark, and rest in the outside of Religion, and in the external performances of holy duties; Mat. 23. 25. and this oft-times doth most effectually deceive men, and doth more certainly undo them, than open loosness; as it was in the Pharisees case, Mat. 21. 31. They hear, they fast, they pray, they give alms, and therefore will not believe but their case is good, Luk. 18. 11. whereas resting in the work done, and coming short of the heart-work, and the inward power and vitals of Religion, they f…ll at last into the burning, from the flattering hopes, and confident perswasions, of their being in the ready way to Heaven, Matth. 7. 22, 23. Oh dreadful case, when a man's Religion shall serve only to harden him, and effectually to delude and deceive his own Soul!
4. The prevalency of false ends in holy duties. Mat 23. 25. This was the bane of the Pharisees Oh how many a poor soul is undone by this, and drops into hell, before he discerns his mistake! He performs good duties, and so thinks all is well, and perceives not that he is acted by carnal motives all the while. It is too true, that even with the truly sanctified, many carnal ends will oft times creep in; but they are the matter of his hatred and humiliation, and never come to be habitually prevalent with him, and to bear the greatest sway, Rom. 14. 7. But now when the main thing that doth ordinarily carry a man out to religious duties, shall be some carnal end, as to satisfie his conscience, to get the repute of being religious, to bee seen of men, to shew his own gifts and parts, to avoid the reproach of a prophane and irreligious person, or the like, this discovers an un…ound heart, Hos. 10. 1. Zech. 7. 5, 6. O Christians, if you would avoid self-deceit, see that you mind, not only your acts, but withall, yea above all, your ends,
5. Trusting on their own righteousness, Luke 18. 9. This is a soul undoing mischief, Rom. 10. 3. When men do trust in their own righteousness, they do indeed reject Christ's. Beloved, you had need be watchful on every hand, for not only your sins, but your duties may undo you. It may be you never thought of this, but so it is, that a man may as certainly miscarry by his seeming righteousness, and supposed graces, as by gross sins; and that is, when a man doth trust to these as his righteousness before God, for the satisfying his justice, appeasing his wrath, procuring his favour, and obtaining of his own pardon: for this is to put Christ out of office and make a Saviour of our own duties and graces. Beware of this, O professors; you are much in duties, but this one fly will spoil all the ointment. When you have done most, and best, be sure to go out of your selves to Christ, reckon your own righteousness but rags, Psal. 143. 2. Phil. 3. 8. Esay 64. 6. Neh. 13. 22.
6. A secret enmity against the strictness of religion. Many moral persons, punctual in their formal devotion, have yet a bitter enmity against preciseness, and hate the life and power of religion, Phil. 3. 6. compared with Act. 9. 1. They like not this forwardness, nor that men should keep such a stir in religion. They condemn the strictness of Religion, as singularity, indiscretion, and intemperate zeal; and with them a lively preacher, or lively christian, is but a heady fellow. These men love not holiness, as holiness, (for then they would love the height of holiness) and therefore are undoubtedly rotten at heart, whatever good opinion they have of themselves.
7. The resting in a certain pitch of Religion. When they have so much as will save them (as they suppose,) they look no further, and so shew themselves short of true Grace, which will ever put men upon aspiring to further perfection. Phil. 3. 12, 13. Prov. 4. 18.
8. The predominant love of the World. This is the sure evidence of an unsanctified heart. Mar. 10. 37. 1 Ioh. 2. 15. But how close doth this sin lurk oft-times under a fair covert of forward profession? Luke 8. 14. Yea such a power of deceit is there in this sin, that many times when every body else can see the mans worldliness and covetousness, he cannot see it himself, but hath so many colours, and excuses, and pretences for his eagerness on the world, that he doth blind his own eyes, and perish in his self deceit. How many professours be there, with whom the world hath more of their heart and affections than Christ? Who mind earthly things, and thereby are evidently after the flesh, and like to end in destruction? Rom. 8. 25.. Phil. 3. 19. Yet ask these men; and they will tell you confidently, they prize Christ above all, God forbid else! and see not their own earthly mindedness for want of a narrow observation of the workings of their own hearts. Did they but carefully search, they would quickly find that their greatest content is in the world, Luke 12. 19. and their greatest care and main endeavour to get and secure the world, which are the certain discoveries of an unconverted sinner. May the professing part of the world take earnest heed, that they perish not by the hand of this sin unobserved. Men may be and often are kept off from Christ, as effectually by the inordinate love of lawful comforts, as by the most unlawful courses, Mat. 22. 5. Luke 14. 18, 19, 20, 24.
9. Reigning malice and envy against those that disrespect them, or are injurious to them, 1 Ioh. 2. 9, 11. O how do many that seem to be religious remember injuries, and carry grudges, and will return men as good as they bring, rendring evil for evil, loving to take revenge, wishing evil to them that wrong them, directly against the rule of the Gospel, the pattern of Christ, and the nature of God, Rom. 12. 14, 17. 1 Pet. 2. 21, 23. Neh. 6. 17. Doubtless where this evil is kept boiling in the heart, and is not hated, resisted, mortified, but doth habitually prevail, that person is in the very gall of bitterness, and in a state of death. Mat. 18. 34, 35. 1 Iohn 3. 14, 15.
Reader doth nothing of this touch thee? art thou in none of the forementioned ranks? O search, and search again; take thy heart solemnly to task. Woe unto thee, if after all thy profession, thou shouldest be found under the power of ignorance, lost in formality, drowned in earthly mindedness, envenomed with malice, exalted in an opinion of thine own righteousness, levened with hypocrisie, and carnal ends in Gods service, imbittered against strictness: this would be a sad discovery that all thy Religion were in vain. But I must proceed.
10. Unmortified Pride. When men love the praise of men, more than the praise of God; and set their hearts upon mens esteem, applause and approbation, it is most certain, they are yet in their sins, and strangers to true conversion. Iohn 12. 43. Gal. 1. 10. When men see not, nor complain of, nor groan under the pride of their own hearts, it's a sign they are stark dead in sin. O how secretly doth this sin live and reign in many hearts, and they know it not, but are very strangers to themselves! Ioh. 9. 40.
11. The prevailing love of pleasure, 2 Tim. 3. 4. This is a black mark. When men give the flesh the liberty that it craves, and pamper, and please it, and do not deny and restrain it: when their great delight is in gratifying their bellies, and pleasing their senses; whatever appearance they may have of Religion, all is un…ound. Rom. 16. 18. Tit. 3. 3. A flesh-pleasing life cannot be pleasing to God, They that are Christs, have crucified the flesh, and are careful to cross it, and keep it under, as their enemy, Gal. 5. 24. 1 Cor. 9. 25. 26, 27.
12. Carnal se…rity, or a presumptuous and ungrounded confidence, that their condition is already good. Rev. 3. 17. Many cry peace and safety, when sudden destruction is coming upon them, 1 Thes. 5. 3. This was that which kept the foolish Virgins sleeping, when they should have been working; upon their beds, when they should have been at the markets. Mat. 25. 5, 10. Prov. 10. 5. They perceived not their want of Oyl, till the bridegroom was come; and while they went to buy, the door was shut. And oh that these foolish Virgins had no successors! where is the place, yea where is the house almost, where these do not dwell? Men are willing to cherish in themselves, upon never so s…ght grounds, a hope that their condition is good, and so look not out after a change, and by this means perish in their sins. Are you at peace? Shew me upon what grounds your peace is maintained. Is it a Scripture peace? Can you shew the distinguishing marks of a sound believer? Can you evidence that you have something more than any Hypocrite in the world ever had? If not, fear this peace, more than any trouble; and know, that a carnal peace doth commonly prove the most mortal enemy of the poor soul, and while it smiles and kisses, and speaks it fair, doth fatally smite it as it were under the fifth rib.
By this time methinks I hear my reader crying out with the Disciples, who then shall be saved? Set out from among our Congregations all those ten ranks of the prophane on the one hand; and then besides take out all these twelve sorts of close and self-deceiving Hypocrites on the other hand, and tell me then whether it be not a remnant that shall be saved. How few will be the sheep that shall be left, when all these shall be separated, and set among the Goats? For my part, of all my numerous hearers, I have no hope to see any of them in Heaven, that are to be found among these two and twenty sorts that are here mentioned, except by found conversion they be brought into another condition.
Application. And now Conscience do thine office. Speak out, and speak home to him that heareth or readeth these lines. If thou find any of these marks upon him, thou must pronounce him utterly unclean. Levit. 13. 44. Take not up a lie into thy mouth: speak not peace to him, to whom God speaks no peace. Let not lust bribe thee, or self-love, or carnal prejudice blind thee. I subpoena thee from the Court of Heaven, to come and give in evidence. I require thee in the name of God to go with me to the search of the suspected house. As thou wilt answer it at thy peril, give in a true report of the state and case of him that readeth this book. Conscience wilt thou altogether hold thy peace at such a time as this? I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us the truth. Mat. 26. 63. Is the man converted or is he not? Doth he allow himself in any way of sin, or doth he not? Doth he truly love, and please, and prize and delight in God above all other things, or not? Come, put it to an issue. How long shall this soul lie at uncertainties? Oh Conscience bring in th… verdict. Is this man a new man, or is he …iot? How dost thou find it? hath there passed a through and mighty change upon him, or not? When was the time, where was the place, or what was the means, by which this through change of the new birth was wrought in this soul? Speak Conscience. Or if thou canst not tell time and place, Canst thou show scripture evidence, that the work is done? Hath the man been ever taken off from his false bottom, from the false hopes, and false peace wherein once he trusted? Hath he been deeply convinced of sin, and of his lost and undone condition, and brought out of himself, and off from his sins, to give up himself intirely to Jesus Christ? Or dost thou not find him to this day under the power of ignorance, or in the mire of prophaneness? Hast not thou taken upon him the gains of unrighteousness? Dost not thou find him a stranger to prayer, a neglecter of the word, a lover of this present world? Dost not thou often catch him in a lie? Dost not thou find his heart fermented with malice, or burning with lust, or going after his covetousness? Speak plainly to all the forementioned particulars: canst thou acquit this man, this woman, from being any of the two and twenty sorts here described? If he be found with any of them, set him aside, his portion is not with the Saints. He must be converted and made a new creature, or else he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.
Beloved, be not your own betrayers, do not deceive your own hearts, nor set your hands to your own ruine, by a wilful blinding of your selves. Set up a tribunal in your own breasts. Bring the word and conscience together. To the Law and to the Testimony. Isa. 8. 20. Hear what the word concludes of your estates. O follow the search, till you have found how the case stands. Mistake here, and perish. And such is the treachery of the Heart, the subtilty of the temper, and the deceitfulness of sin, Ier. 17. 9. 2 Cor. 11. 3. Heb. 3. 13. all conspire to fla…er and deceive the poor soul, and withal so common and easie it is to be mistaken, that it's a thousand to one, but you will be deceived, unless you be very careful, and thorow, and impartial in the enquiry into your spiritual conditions. Oh therefore ply your work: go to the bottom: search as with candles: weigh you in the ballance; come to the standard of the Sanctuary: bring your coyn to the touch stone. You have the archest cheats in the world to deal with: a world of counterfeit Coin is going: happy is he, that takes no Counters for Gold. Satan is master of deceits: he can draw to the life: he is perfect in the trade: there is nothing but he can imitate. You cannot wish for any Grace, but he can fit you to a hair with a Counterfeit. Trade warily: look on every piece you take: be jealous: trust not so much as your own hearts. Run to God to search you and try you, to examine you and prove your reins. Psal. 26. 2. Psal. 139. 23, 24. If other helps suffice not to bring all to an issue, but you are still at a loss, open your cases faithfully to some Godly and faithful Minister. Mal. 2. 7. Rest not, till you have put the business of your eternal welfare out of question. Pet. 2. 10. O searcher of hearts, put thou this soul upon and help him in the search.