The Right Method for a Settled Peace of Conscience, Direction 18
DIRECTION XVIII.
18. Next, that you may yet further underſtand the true Nature of Assurance, Faith, Doubting and Deſperation, I would have you obſerve this; That God doth not command every man, nor properly any man, ordinarily by his Word, to Bel…eve that his ſins are forgiven, and himſelf is Juſtified, Adopted, and ſhall be ſaved. But he hath preſcribed a way by which they may attain to Aſſurance of theſe, in which way it is mens Duty to ſeek it: So that our Aſſurance is not properly that which is called A Certainty of Belief.
I Have ſaid enough for the proof of this Propoſition in the third Part of my Book of Reſt, Chap. 1…. whither I muſt referre you. But there is more to be ſaid yet for the Application of it. But firſt I muſt briefly tell you the meaning of the words. 1. God commandeth us all to believe (wicked and godly) that our ſins are made pardonable by the ſufficient ſatisfaction of Chriſt for them; and that God is very mercifull and ready to forgive: and that he hath conditionally forgiven us all in the New Covenant, making a deed of gift of Chriſt and pardon and Life in him to all, on condition they Believe in him and Accept what is given. 2. But no man is commanded to Believe that he is Actually forgiven. 3. Therefore I ſay our Aſſurance is not ſtrictly to be called Belief▪ or a Certainty of Belief. For it is only our Certain Belief of thoſe things which we take on the meer credit of the Witneſſer or Revealer, which we call, Certainty of Faith. Indeed we commonly in Engliſh uſe the word Belief to expreſs any confident, but uncertain opinion or perſwaſion: And if any will ſo take it, then I deny not but our Aſſurance is a Belief. But it is commonly taken by Divines for an Aſſent to any thing on the credit of the word of the Revealer; and ſo is diſtinguiſhed both from the ſenſible Apprehenſion of things, and from Principles that are known by the meer Light and help of Nature; and from the Knowledge of Concluſions which by Reaſoning we gather from thoſe Principles. Though yet one and the ſame thing may be Known as Revealed in Nature, and Believed as Revealed Immediatly of Supernaturally. And ſo we both Know and Believe that there is one onelyonly God, who made and preſerveth All things. 4. But our Aſſurance is an Act of Knowledge, participating of Faith and internal ſenſe or Knowledge reflect. For Divine Faith ſaith, He that Believeth is Juſtified and ſhall be Saved. Internal ſenſe and knowledge of our ſelves ſaith, But I Believe. Reaſon, or Diſcurſive Knowledge ſaith, Therefore I am Juſtified and ſhall be ſaved.
Only I muſt adviſe you, that you be not troubled when you meet with that which is contrary to this in any great Divines: For it is only our former Divines whoſe Judgements were partly hurt by hot Diſputations with the Papiſts herein, and partly not come to that maturity as others ſince them have had opportunity to do. And therefore in their expoſitions of the Creed and ſuch like paſſages in the Text, they eagerly inſiſt on it, that when we ſay, We Believe the Forgiveneſs of ſin, and Life everlaſting, every man is to profeſs that he Believeth that his own ſinnes are forgiven, and he ſhall have Life everlaſting himſelf. But our later Divines, and ſpecially the Engliſh, and moſt eſpecially theſe that deal moſt in Practicals, do ſee the miſtake, and lay down the ſame doctrine which I teach you here, God bids us not Believe as from him, more then he hath revealed. But only one of the Propoſitions is revealed by Gods Teſtimony, He that Believeth ſhall be Saved. But it is no where written that You do Believe, nor that You ſhall be Saved; nor any thing equivalent. And therefore you are not commanded to Believe either of theſe. How the Spirit revealeth theſe, I have fully told you already. In our Creed therefore we do profeſs to Believe Remiſſion of ſinnes to be Purchaſed by Chriſts death, and in his Power to give, and Given in the Goſpel to All on Condition of Believing in Chriſt himſelf for Remiſſion: But not to Believe that our own ſinnes are Actually and Fully Pardoned.
My end in telling you this again (which I have told you elſewhere) is this, That you may not think (as I finde abundance of poor troubled ſouls to do) that Faith (much leſs juſtifying Faith) is a Believing that you have true Grace, and ſhall be ſaved; And ſo fall a condemning your ſelf unjuſtly every time that you doubt of your own Sincerity; and think that ſo much as you doubt of this, ſo much unbelief you have: and ſo many poor ſouls complain that they have no faith, or but little, and that they cannot Believe, becauſe they Believe not their own Faith to be Sincere: and when they wholly judge themſelves unſanctified, then they call that Deſperation, which they think to be a ſinne inconſiſtent with true Grace. Theſe are dangerous Errours, all ariſing from that one Errour which the heat of contention did carry ſome good men to, that Faith is a Belief that our ſinnes are forgiven by Chriſt. Indeed all men are bound to apply Chriſt and the Promiſe to themſelves. But that application conſiſteth in a Belief that this Promiſe is true as belonging to all, and ſo to me, and then in Acceptance of Chriſt and his benefits as an offered gift; and after this in Truſting on him for the full performance of his Promiſe. Hence therefore you may beſt ſee what Unbelief and Deſperation are, and how farre men may charge themſelves with them. When you doubt whether the Promiſe be True, or when you refuſe to Accept Chriſt and his Benefits offered in it, and conſequently to Truſt him as one that is Able and Willing to ſave you, if you do Aſſent to his Truth and Accept him; this is Unbelief. But if you do Believe the Truth of the Goſpel, and are heartily Willing to Accept Chriſt as offered in it, and only Doubt whether your Belief and Acceptance of him be ſincere, and ſo whether you ſhall be ſaved, this is not Unbelief, but ignorance of your own Sincerity, and its conſequents. Nay, and though that Affiance be wanting which is a part of Faith, yet it is but a hindering of the exerciſe of it, for want of a neceſſary concomitant condition; for the Grace of Affiance in the Habit and Virtually is there: ſo that it is not formally Diſtruſt or Unbelief, any more then your not Truſting God in your ſleep is Diſtruſt. If a friend do Promiſe to give you a hundred pound on condition that you thankfully Accept it: If you now do Believe him, and do thankfully Accept it; but yet through ſome vain ſcruple ſhall think My thankefulneſs is ſo ſmall that it is not ſincere, and therefore I doubt, I do not perform his condition, and ſo ſhall never have the gift. In this caſe now, you do Believe your friend and you do not Diſtruſt him properly; but you Diſtruſt your ſelf, that you perform not the condition; and this hindreth the exerciſe of that Confidence or Affiance in your friend which is habitually and virtually in you. Juſt ſo is it in our preſent caſe.
The ſame may be ſaid of Deſperation, which is a Privation of Hope: When we have Believed the Truth of the Goſpel, and Accepted Chriſt offered, we are then bound to Hope that God will give us the Benefits promiſed: So hope is nothing but A Deſirous expectation of the good ſo promiſed and believed. Now if you begin to Diſtruſt whether God will make good this promiſe or no, either thinking that it is not True, or he is not able, or hath changed his minde ſince the making of it, and on theſe grounds you let go your Hopes, this is Deſpair. If becauſe that Chriſt ſeems to Delay his coming, we ſhould ſay, I have waited in Hope till now, but now I am out of Hope that ever Chriſt will come to Judge the world and Glorifie Believers, I will expect it no longer: this is Deſpair. And it hath its ſeveral Degrees more or leſs, as unbelief hath. Indeed the Schoolmen ſay that Affiance is nothing but ſtrengthened Hope. Affiance in the propereſt ſenſe is the ſame in ſubſtance with Hope; only it more expreſſeth a Reſpect to the Promiſe and Promiſer, and indeed is Faith and Hope expreſt both together in one word. So that what I ſaid before of Diſtruſt, is true of Deſpair. If you do continue to Believe the Truth of the Goſpel, and particularly of Chriſts coming and glorifying his Saints, and yet you think he will not glorifie you becauſe you think that you are not a true Believer or Saint; This is not Deſperation in the proper ſenſe. For Deſperation is the privation of Hope, where the formal cauſe, the heart and life of it is wanting. But you have here Hope in the Habit, and Virtually do Hope in Chriſt: but the Act of it as to your own particular ſalvation is hindered, upon an accidentall miſtake. In the forementioned example, If your friend Promiſe to give you a hundred pound on condition of your thankfull Acceptance, and promiſeth to come at ſuch an hour and bring it you: If now you ſtay till the hour be almoſt come, and then ſay, I …m out of Hope of his coming now; he hath broke his word; this is properly a Deſpair in your friend. But if you only think that you have overſtaid the time, and that it is paſt, and therefore you ſhall not have the gift, this may be called a Deſpair of the event, and a Deſpair of your ſelf; but not properly a Deſpair in your friend; only the Act of Hoping in God is hindered as is ſaid. So it is in our preſent caſe. Men may be ſaid to Deſpair of their Salvation, and to Deſpair in themſelves, but not to Deſpair in God, except the formal cauſe of ſuch Deſpair were there preſent; and except they are drawn to it, by not believing his Truth and Faithfulneſs. The true nature of Deſpair is expreſt in that of the Apoſtles, Luke 24.21. We truſted that this was he that ſhould Redeem Iſrael: Only it was but imperfect Deſpair: elſe it had been damnable. Their hopes were ſhaken. And for my part, I am perſwaded that it is only this proper Deſpair in God, which is the damnable Deſperation, which is threatned in the Scripture: and not the former: And that if a poor ſoul ſhould go out of this world without any Actual Hope of his own Salvation, meerly becauſe he thinks that he is no true Believer, that this Soul may be ſaved, and prove a true Believer for all this. Alas, the great ſin that God threatneth is our Diſtruſt of his Faithfulneſs, and not the doubting of our own ſincerity and Diſtruſt of our ſelves. We have great reaſon to be very jealous of our own hearts, as knowing them to be Deceitfull above all things and deſperately wicked, who can know them? But we have no reaſon at all to be Jealous of God. Where finde you in Scripture that any is condemned for hard thoughts of themſelves, or for not knowing themſelves to have true Grace; and for thinking they had none? It is true unbelief in Gods Promiſe that men are condemned for: even that ſinne which is an Averſion of the Soul from God. But perhaps you will ask, Is doubting of our own ſincerity and Salvation no ſin? I anſwer, Doubting is either taken in oppoſition to Believing; or in oppoſition to knowing or to conjecturing.
1. Doubting as it ſignifieth only A not-believing that our ſins are pardoned and we ſhall be ſaved, is no ſinne (ſtill remember that I take Believing in the ſtrict proper ſenſe, for The Crediting of a Divine Teſtimony or Aſſertion) For God hath no where commanded us ordinarily to Believe either of theſe. I ſay Ordinarily (as I did in the Propoſition before) becauſe when Chriſt was on earth he told a man perſonally Thy ſinnes are forgiven thee (whether he meant only as to the preſent diſeaſe inflicted for them, or alſo all puniſhment, Temporal and Eternal, I will not now diſcuſs) ſo Nathan from God told David, His ſinne was forgiven: But theſe were Priviledges only to theſe perſons, and not common to all. God hath no where ſaid, either that All mens ſinnes are actually forgiven; or that yours or mine by name are forgiven: But only that All that Believe are forgiven: which ſuppoſeth them to Believe before they are forgiven, and that they may be forgiven; and therefore it is not true that they are forgiven before they Believe: and therefore this faith is not a Believing that they are forgiven, but a Believing on Chriſt for forgiveneſſe. Elſe men muſt Believe an Untruth to make it become True by their Believing it.
2. But now, Doubting, as it is oppoſed to the Knowledge of our Remiſſion and Juſtification, in thoſe that are Juſtified is a ſinne: (For it can be no ſinne for an unjuſtified perſon to know that he is unjuſtified.) But then, I pray you mark, how farre it is a ſinne in the Godly, and what manner of ſin it is. 1. It is a ſinne as it is part of our natural ignorance and original Depravedneſs of our Underſtandings, or a fruit hereof and of our ſtrangeneſs to our own hearts, and of their deep Deceitfulneſs, Confuſion, Mutability or Negligence. 2. And further as all theſe are increaſed by long cuſtom in ſinning, and ſo the diſcerning of our ſtates is become more difficult, it is yet a greater ſinne. 3. It is a ſinne as it is the fruit of any particular ſinne by which we have obſcured our own graces, and provoked God to hide his face from us. And ſo all ignorance of any Truth which we ought to know, is a ſinne, ſo the ignorance of our own Regeneration and ſincerity is a ſinne, becauſe we ought to know it. But this is ſo farre from being the great condemning ſinne of unbelief which Chriſt threatneth in his New Law, that it is none of the greateſt or moſt hainous ſort of ſinnes, but the infirmity in ſome meaſure of every Chriſtian.
And let me further acquaint you with this difference between theſe Doubtings, and your Fears and Sorrows that follow thereupon. Though the Doubting it ſelf be your ſin, yet I ſuppoſe that the Fears and Sorrows and Cares that follow it may be your Duty. Yet Reſpectively and by remote participation even theſe alſo muſt be acknowledged ſinfull; even as our prayers for that pardon which we have received and knew it not, may by remote participation be called ſinfull: becauſe if we had not ſinned we ſhould not have been ignorant of our own hearts: and if we had not been ignorant we ſhould not have Doubted of the leaſt true Grace we have: and if we had not ſo Doubted, we ſhould not have Feared or Sorrowed or Prayed for that Remiſſion in that ſenſe. But yet though theſe may be called ſinfull, as they come from ſin, yet more neerly and in themſelves conſidered on ſuppoſition of our preſent eſtate, they are all Duties, and great Duties neceſſary to our Salvation. You may ſay to a Thief that begs for pardon, If thou hadſt not ſtoln thou hadſt not need to have beg'd pardon. Yet ſuppoſing that he hath ſtoln it may be his Duty to beg pardon. And ſo you may ſay to a poor fearing ſoul, that fears Damnation and Gods wrath, Thou needeſt not fear if thou hadſt not ſinned. But when he hath once by ſin obſcured his evidences, and neceſſitated Doubting, then is fear and ſorrow and praying for Juſtification and pardon, his Duty: And indeed not fitly to be called ſin, but rather a fruit of ſin in one reſpect (and ſo hath ſome participation in it) but a fruit of the Spirit and of Chriſts command in another reſpect, and ſo a neceſſary Duty. For elſe we ſhould ſay, that it is a ſin to Repent and Believe in Chriſt, and to love him as Redeemer: For you may ſay to any ſinner, Thou needeſt not to have Repented, Believed in a Redeemer, &c. but for thy ſin; Yet I hope none will ſay that ſo doing is properly a ſin, though doing them defectively is. God doth not will and approve of it, that any ſoul that can ſee no ſignes of Grace and ſincerity in it ſelf, ſhould yet be as confident, and merry and careleſs, as if they were certain that all were well. God would not have men doubt of his Love, and yet make light of it: This is a contempt of him. Elſe what ſhould poor carnall ſinners do that finde themſelves unſanctified. No nor doth God expect that any man ſhould judge of himſelf better then he hath evidence to warrant ſuch a judgement: But that every man ſhould prove his own work that ſo he may have rejoycing in himſelf alone, and not in another. For he that thinketh he is ſomething when he is nothing, deceiveth himſelf, Gal. 6.3, 4, 5, 6. And no man ſhould be a ſelf-deceiver, eſpecially in a caſe of ſuch unexpreſſible conſequence. It is therefore a moſt deſperate doctrine of the Antinomians (as moſt of theirs are) that all men ought to believe Gods ſpecial Love to them, and their own Juſtification: and that they are juſtified by Believing that they were juſtified before: and that no man ought to queſtion his faith (ſaith Saltmarſh, any more then to queſtion Chriſt:) and that all fears of our Damnation, or not being Juſtified after this Believing, are ſinne: and thoſe that perſwade to them, are Preachers of the Law. (How punctually do the moſt prophane ungodly people, hold moſt points of the Antinomian belief, though they never knew that Sect by name!) God commandeth no man to Believe more then is true: nor immediatly to caſt away their doubts and fears; but to overcome them in an orderly methodical way: that is, uſing Gods means till their Graces become more diſcernable, and their underſtandings more clear and fit to diſcern them, that ſo we may have Aſſurance of their ſincerity, and thereby, of our Juſtification, Adoption, and right to Glorification. Heb. 4.1. Let us therefore fear leaſt a Promiſe being left of entring into his Reſt, any of us ſhould ſeem to come ſhort of it. Pſal. 2.11. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoyce before him with trembling. Kiſs the Sonne leſt he be angry and ye periſh. Phil. 2.12. Work out your ſalvation with fear and trembling. Not only 1. A reverent fear of Gods Majeſty. 2. And a filial fear of offending him. 3. And an awfull fear of his Judgements, when we ſee them executed on others, and hear them threatned. 4. And a filial fear of temporal chaſtiſements; and lawfull and our duty: but alſo 5. A fear of damnation exciting to moſt carefull importunity to eſcape it; when ever we have ſo far obſcured our evidences, as to ſee no ſtrong probability of our ſincerity in the faith, and ſo of our ſalvation. The ſumme of my ſpeech therefore is this: Do not think that all your fears of Gods wrath are your ſins: Much of them is your great duty. Do you not feel that God made theſe fears at your firſt converſion, the firſt and a principal means of your Recovery? to drive you to a ſerious conſideration of your ſtate and waies, and to look after Chriſt with more longing and eſtimation? and to uſe the means with more reſolution and diligence? Have not theſe fears been chief preſervers of your diligence and integrity ever ſince? I know love ſhould do more then it doth with us all: But if we had not daily uſe for both (Love and Fear) God would not 1. Have planted them both in our natures. 2. And have renewed them both by regenerating Grace. 3. And have put into his word the objects to move both (viz. Threatnings as well as Promiſes) That fear of God which is the beginning of wiſdom includeth the fear of his threatned wrath. I could ſay abundance more to prove this, but that I know as to you it is needleſs for conviction of it: but remember the uſe of it. Do not put the name of unbelief upon all your fears of Gods diſpleaſure. Much leſs ſhould you preſently conclude that you have no faith, and that you cannot believe, becauſe of theſe fears. You may have much faith in the midſt of theſe fears; and God may make them preſervers of your faith, by quickning you up to that means that muſt maintain it, and by keeping you from thoſe evils that would be as a worm at the root of it, and eat out its precious ſtrength and life. Security is no friend to faith; but a deadlier enemy then fear it ſelf. Obj. Then Cain and Judas ſinned not by deſpairing: or at leaſt not damnably. Anſw. 1. They deſpaired not only of themſelves, and of the event of their ſalvation, but alſo of God; of his Power or Goodneſs, and Promiſe, and the ſufficiency of any ſatiſfaction of Chriſt. Their infidelity was the root of their deſpair. 2. Farre is it from me to ſay or think that you ſhould deſpair of the event, or that it is no ſin; yea or that you ſhould cheriſh cauſeleſs and exceſſive jealouſies and fears: I ſhall ſhew you towards the end, the ſinfulneſs of ſo doing. Take heed of all fears that drive you from God, or that diſtract or weaken your ſpirit, or diſable you from duty, or drown your love to God, and delight in him, and deſtroy your apprehenſions of Gods Lovelineſs and Compaſſion, and raiſe black and hard, and unworthy thoughts of God in your minde. Again, I intreat you avoid and abhorre all ſuch fears. But if you find in you the fears of godly jealouſie of your own heart, and ſuch moderated fears of the wrath of God, which baniſh ſecurity, preſumption and boldneſs in ſinning, and are (as D. Sibbs cals them) the awe-band of your ſoul; and make you fly to the merits and boſom of the Lord Jeſus, as the affrighted child to the lap of the mother, and as the man-ſlayer under the Law to the City of refuge, and as a man purſued by a Lion, to his Sanctuary or hold; do not think you have no faith becauſe you have theſe fears; but moderate them by faith and love, and then thank God for them. Indeed Perfect love (which will be in heaven when all is perfected) will caſt out this fear; and ſo it will do ſorrow and care, and prayer and means. But ſee you lay not theſe by till Perfect love have caſt them out. See Jer. 5.22, 23. & Heb. 12. two laſt verſes. Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved, let us ſerve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a conſuming fire.
I am ſenſible that I am too large on theſe foregoing heads; I will purpoſely ſhorten the reſt leſt I weary you.