The Right Method for a Settled Peace of Conscience, Direction 27
DIRECTION XXVII.
27. When God hath once ſhewed you a Certainty, or but a ſtrong probability of your ſincerity and his ſpecial Love: Labour to fix this ſo deep in your Apprehenſion and Memory, that it may ſerve for the time to come, and not onelyonly for the preſent: And leave not your ſoul too open to Changes upon every New Apprehenſion, nor to queſtion all that's paſt upon every Jealouſie: Except when ſome Notable declining to the world and the fleſh, or a committing of Groſs ſins, or a wilfulneſs or careleſneſs in other ſins that you may avoyd, do give you juſt Cauſe of queſtioning your ſincerity, and bringing your ſ…ul again to the bar, and your eſtate to a more exact review.
SOme Antinomian Writers and Preachers you ſhall meet with, who will perſwade you▪ whatſoever ſin you fall into, never more to queſtion your Juſtification or Salvation. I have ſaid enough before to prove their doctrine deteſtable. Their reaſon is, Becauſe God changeth not as we change, and Juſtification is never loſt. To which I anſwer, 1. God hated us while we were workers of Iniquity, Pſal. 11.5. & 5.5. and was angry with us when we were Children of wrath, Eph. 3.1, 2, 3. And afterward he laid by that Hatred and Wrath: and all this without change. If we cannot reach to apprehend how Gods unchangeableneſs can ſtand with the fulleſt and frequenteſt expreſſions of him in Scripture, muſt we therefore deny what thoſe expreſſions do contain? As Auſtin ſaith, Shall we deny that which is plain, becauſe we cannot reach that which is obſcure and difficult? 2. But if theſe men had well ſtudied the Scriptures, they might have known that the ſame man that was yeſterday Hated as an Enemy, may to Day be Reconciled and loved as a Son, and that without any change in God; even as it fals out within the reach of our Knowledge: For God Ruleth the world by his Laws: They are his Moral Inſtruments: By them he Condemneth: By them he Juſtifieth; ſo far as he is ſaid in this Life, before the Judgement day, to do it (unleſs there be any other ſecret act of Juſtification with him, which man is not able now to underſtand.) The change is therefore in our Relations, and in the Moral Action of the Laws. When we are Unbelievers and Impenitent, we are Related to God as Enemies, Rebels, Unjuſtified and Unpardoned: being ſuch as Gods Law Condemneth and pronounceth Enemies; and the Law of Grace doth not yet Juſtifie or pardon: and ſo God is, as it were, in ſome ſenſe obliged according to that Law which we are under, to deal with us as Enemies by deſtroying us: And this is Gods Hating, Wrath, &c. When we Repent, Return and Believe, our Relation is changed: The ſame Law that did Condemn us, is Relaxed and Diſabled, and the Law of Grace doth now Acquit us; it Pardoneth us, it Juſtfieth us; and God by it: And ſo God is Reconciled to us, when we are ſuch as according to his own Law of Grace, he is, as it were, Obliged to forgive and to do Good to and to uſe as ſons. Is not all this apparently without any change in God! Cannot he make a Law that ſhall change its Moral Action according to the change of the actions or inclinations of ſinners? and this without any change in God? And ſo, If it ſhould ſo be, that a Juſtified man ſhould fall from God, from Chriſt, from ſincere Faith or Obedience, the Law would Condemn him again, and the Law of Grace would Juſtifie him no more (in that ſtate) and all this without any change in God. 3. If this Antinomian Argument would prove any thing, it would prove Juſtification before and ſo without Chriſts ſatiſfaction, becauſe there is no change in God. 4. The very point, That no juſtified man ſhall ever fall from Chriſt, is not ſo clear and fully revealed in Scripture, and paſt all doubt from the aſſault of Objections, as that a poor ſoul in ſuch a Relapſed eſtate ſhould venture his everlaſting ſalvation wholly on this, ſuppoſing that he were Certain that he was once ſincere. For my own part, I am perſwaded that no Rooted Believer, that is Habitually and Groundedly Reſolved for Chriſt, and hath crucified the fleſh and the world (as all have that are throughly Chriſts) do ever fall quite away from him afterwards. But I dare not lay my ſalvation on this. And, if I were no ſurer of my ſalvation, then I am of the truth of this my Judgement, to ſpeak freely, my ſoul would be in a very ſad Condition. 5. But ſuppoſe it as certain and plain as any word in the Goſpel, (that a Juſtified man is never quite Unjuſtified) Yet as every new ſin brings a new obligation to puniſhment (or elſe they could not be pardoned, as needing no pardon) ſo muſt every ſin have its particular pardon, (and conſequently, the ſinner a particular Juſtification from the Guilt of that ſin) beſides his firſt general pardon (and Juſtification:) (For to pardon ſin before it is committed, is to pardon ſin that is no ſin, which is a Contradiction, and Impoſſibility.) Now, though for daily unavoydable Infirmities, there be a pardon of Courſe, upon the Title of our Habitual Faith and Repentance; yet whether in caſe of Groſs ſin, or more notable Defection, this will prove a ſufficient Title to particular pardon, without the addition of actual Repentance; and what Caſe the ſinner is in till that actual Repentance and Faith, as I told you before, are ſo difficult queſtions (it being ordered by Gods great wiſdom that they ſhould be ſo) that it beſeems no wiſe man to venture his ſalvation on his own opinion in theſe. Nay it's certain, that if Groſs ſinners having opportunity, and knowledge of their ſins, Repent not, they ſhall periſh. And therefore I think, a Juſtified man hath great Reaſon upon ſuch fals, to examine his particular Repentance, (as well as his former ſtate) and not to promiſe himſelf, or preſume upon a pardon without it. 6. And beſides all this, though both the Continuance of Faith, and non-interciſion of Juſtification be never ſo certain, yet when a mans obedience is ſo far overthrown, his former Evidences and Perſwaſions of his Juſtification will be uncertain to him. Though he have no Reaſon to think that God is changeable, or Juſtification will be loſt, yet he hath Reaſon enough to queſtion whether ever he were a true Believer, and ſo were ever Juſtified. For Faith worketh by Love: and they that Love Chriſt will keep his Commandments. Libertines and carnal men may talk their pleaſure: but when Satan maintains not their Peace, ſin will break it: and Dr. Sibs words will be found true, Souls Conflict, pag. 41, 42. Though the main pillar of our Comfort be the free forgiveneſs of our ſins, yet if there be a neglect …f growing in Holineſs, the ſoul will never be ſoundly quiet, becauſe it will be pro…e to queſtion the truth of Juſtification: and it is as proper for ſin to raiſe doubts and fears in the Conſcience, as for rotten fleſh and wood to breed worms: Where there is not a pure Conſcience▪ there is not a pacified Conſcience, &c. Read the reſt.
This much I have been fain to premiſe, leſt my words for Conſolation ſhould occaſion ſecurity and deſolation. But now let me deſire you to peruſe the Direction, and practice it. If when God hath given you Aſſurance, or ſtrong probabilities of your ſincerity, you will make uſe of it but onelyonly for that preſent time, you will never then have a ſetled Peace in your ſoul: Beſides, the great wrong you do to God, by neceſſitating him to be ſo often renewing ſuch diſcoveries, and repeating the ſame words to you ſo often over. If your Child offend you, would you have him when he is pardoned no longer to believe it then you are telling it him? Should he be ſtill asking you over and over every day, Father, am I forgiven, or no? Should not one anſwer ſerve his turn? Will you not believe that your money is in your purſe or cheſt any longer then you are looking on it? Or that your corn is growing on your land, or your cattel in your grounds any longer then you are looking on them? By this Courſe a Rich man ſhould▪ have no more content then a beggar, longer then he is looking on his money, or goods, or lands: and when he is looking on one, he ſhould again loſe the Comfort of all the reſt. What hath God given you a Memory for, but to lay up former apprehenſions, and diſcoveries, and experiences, and make uſe of them on all meet occaſions afterwards? Let me therefore perſwade you to this great and neceſſary work. When God hath once Reſolved your Doubts, and ſhewed you the truth of your Faith, Love or Obedience, Write it down, if you can, in your book (as I have adviſed you in my Treatiſe of Reſt) Such a day upon ſerious peruſal of my heart▪ I found it thus and thus with my ſelf. Or at leaſt, Write it deep in your Memory; And do not ſuffer any fancies, or fears, or light ſurmiſes to cauſe you to queſtion this again, as long as you fall not from the Obedience or Faith which you then diſcovered. Alas, mans Apprehenſion is a moſt mutable thing: If you leave your ſoul open to every new apprehenſion, you will never be ſetled: You may think two contrary things of your ſelf in an hour. You have not always the ſame opportunity for right diſcerning, nor the ſame clearneſs of Apprehenſion, nor the ſame outward means to help you, nor the ſame inward Aſſiſtance of the Holy Ghoſt: When you have theſe therefore, make uſe of them, and fix your wavering ſoul, and take your Queſtion and Doubt as Reſolved, and do not tempt God, by calling him to new Anſwers again and again, as if he had given you no anſwer before. You will never want ſome occaſion of Jealouſie and fears as long as you have Corruption in your heart, and ſin in your life▪ and a Tempter to be troubling you: But if you will ſuffer any ſuch wind to ſhake your Peace and Comforts, you will be always ſhaking, and fluctuating as a wave of the Sea▪ And you muſt labour to apprehend not onelyonly the Uncomfortableneſs, but the Sinfulneſs alſo of this courſe. For though the queſtioning your own ſincerity on every ſmall occaſion be not near ſo great a ſin, as the queſtioning of Gods Merciful Nature, or the truth of his Promiſe, or his Readineſs to ſhew Mercy to the Penitent ſoul, or the Freeneſs and Fulneſs of the Covenant of Grace: yet even this is no contemptible ſin. For 1. You are doing Satans work, in denying Gods Graces, and Accuſing your ſelf falſly, and ſo pleaſing the Devil in Diſquieting your ſelf. 2. You ſlander Gods Spirit as well as your own ſoul, in ſaying, He hath not Renewed and Sanctified you, when he hath. 3. This will neceſſitate you to further Unthankfulneſs: for who can be Thankful for a Mercy that thinks he never received it? 4. This will ſhut your mouth againſt all thoſe Praiſes of God, and that Heavenly joyful Commemoration of his great unſpeakable Love to your ſoul, which ſhould be the bleſſed work of your life. 5▪ This will much abate your Love to God, and your ſenſe of the Love of Chriſt in dying for you, and all the reſt of your Graces, while you are ſtill queſtioning your Intereſt in Gods Love. 6. It will lay ſuch a diſcouragement on your ſoul, as will both deſtroy the ſweetneſs of all Duties to you (which is a great evil) and thereby make you backward to them, and heartleſs in them: You will have no mind of Praying, Meditation, or other duties, becauſe all will ſeem dark to you, and you will think that every thing makes againſt you. 7. You rob all about you of that chearful encourageing example & perſwaſion which they ſhould have from you, and by which you might win many ſouls to God: And contrarily you are a diſcouragement and hindrance to them. I could mention many more ſinful aggravations of your denying Gods Graces in you on every ſmall inſufficient occaſion; which methinks ſhould make you be very tender of it, if not to avoyd unneceſſary Trouble to your ſelf, yet at leaſt to avoyd ſin againſt God.
And what I have ſaid of Evidences and Aſſurance, I would have you underſtand alſo of your Experiences. You muſt not make Uſe onelyonly at the preſent of your Experiences, but lay them up for the time to come. Nor muſt you tempt God ſo far as to expect new Experiences upon every new ſcruple or doubt of yours▪ as the Iſraelites expected New Miracles in the Wilderneſs, ſtill forgetting the Old. If a Scholar ſhould in his Studies forget all that he hath Read and Learned, and all the Reſolutions of his Doubts which in ſtudy he hath attained, and leave his Underſtanding ſtill as an unwritten Paper, as Receptive of every Mutation and New Apprehenſion, and contrary Conceit, as if he had never ſtudied the Point before, he will make but a poor proficiency, and have but a fluctuating unſetled brain. A Scholar ſhould make all the ſtudies of his Life to compoſe one entire Image of Truth in his ſoul, as a Painter makes every line he draws to compoſe one entire picture of a man; and as a Weaver makes every thred to compoſe one Web: ſo ſhould you make all former Examinations, Diſcoveries, Evidences and Experiences, Compoſe one full Diſcovery of your Condition, that ſo you may have a ſetled Peace of ſoul: And ſee that you tye both Ends together; and neither look on your preſent troubled ſtate without your former, leſt you be unthankful, and unjuſtly diſcouraged; nor on your former ſtate without obſervance of your preſent frame of heart and life, leſt you deceive your ſelf, or grow ſecure. O that you could well obſerve this Direction! How much would it help you to eſcape extreams, and Conduce to the ſetling of a well-grounded Peace, and at once, to the well ordering of your whole Converſation.