The Right Method for a Settled Peace of Conscience, Direction 10
DIRECTION X.
10. When you have gone thus far, your Soul is ſafe and you are paſt your greateſt Dangers, though yet you are not past your Fears: Your next work therefore for Peace and Comfort is this, To Review and take Notice of your own Faith, and thence to gather Aſſurance of the Certainty of your Juſtification, and Adoption, and right to Glory.
THe ſumme of this Direction lyeth in theſe things:
1. See that you do not content your ſelf with the forementioned general Comforts, without looking after Aſſurance and ſpecial Comforts. The folly of this I have manifeſted in the third part of my book of Reſt, about ſelf-examination.
2. See that you dream not of finding Aſſurance and ſpecial Comfort from meer general Grounds: This is the deluſion of many Antinomians, and of moſt of our prophane people (who I finde are commonly of the Antinomian faith, naturally withouth teaching.) For men to conclude that they ſhall certainly be ſaved, meerly becauſe God is Mercifull, or Chriſt is tender-hearted to ſinners, and would not that any ſhould periſh, but all ſhould come to Repentance, or becauſe God delights not in the death of him that dieth, but rather that he Repent and live; or becauſe Chriſt died for them; or becauſe God hath given Chriſt and Life in the Goſpel to all on Condition of believing; theſe are all but meer deluſions. Much Comfort, as I have ſhewed you, may be gathered from theſe Generals: but no Certainty of Salvation, or ſpecial Comfort can be gathered from them alone.
3. See that you reject the Antinomian doctrine or dotage, which would teach you to reject the tryal and judging of your ſtate by ſignes of Grace in your ſelf, and tell you that it is only the Spirit that muſt Aſſure, by witneſſing your Adoption. I will further define this Caution, when I have added the reſt.
4. And on the other extream, do not run to Marks unſeaſonably, but in the order here laid down.
5. Nor do not truſt to unſafe Marks.
6. And therefore do not look at too many; for the true ones, are but few. I do but name theſe things to you, becauſe I have fullyer handled them in my book of Reſt, whether I muſt refer you. And ſo I return to the third Caution.
I have in the forementioned Book told you, what the Office of the Spirit is in Aſſuring us, and what the uſe of Marks are. The Spirit witneſſeth firſt Objectively, and ſo the Spirit and Marks are all one. For it is the Spirit dwelling in us that is the witneſs or proof that we are Gods ſons: for he that hath not his Spirit is none of his: and the Spirit is not diſcerned by us in its eſſence, but in its workings: and therefore, to diſcern theſe workings is to diſcern the Spirit: and theſe workings are the Marks that we ſpeak of: ſo that the Spirit witneſſeth our ſonſhip, as a reaſonable ſoul witneſſeth that you are a man and not a beaſt. You find by the Acts of Reaſon that you have a Reaſonable ſoul, and then you know that having a Reaſonable ſoul, you are certainly a man: So you finde by the works or fruits of the Spirit, that you have the Spirit, (that is, by Marks: and Paul enumerates the fruits of the Spirit to that end) and then by finding that you have the Spirit, you may certainly know that you are the child of God. 2. Alſo, as the Reaſonable ſoul is its own diſcerner by the help of the body (while it is in it) and ſo witneſſeth our Humanity effectively as well as objectively (but firſt in order objectively and next effectively:) ſo doth the Spirit effectively diſcover it ſelf to the ſoul, by illuminating us to diſcern it, and exciting us to ſearch, and giving us that ſpiritual taſt and feeling of its workings, and ſo of its preſence, by which it is beſt known. But ſtill it witneſſeth objectively firſt; and its effective witneſſing, is but the cauſing us to diſcern its objective witneſs. Or (to ſpeak more plainly,) The Spirit witneſſeth firſt and principally by giving us thoſe Graces and workings which are our Marks; and then ſecondly, by helping us to finde and feel thoſe workings or Marks in our ſelves; and then laſtly by raiſing Comforts in the ſoul upon that diſcovery. Take heed therefore of expecting any ſuch inward witneſs of the Spirit, as ſome expect, viz. a diſcovery of your Adoption directly without firſt diſcovering the ſignes of it within you; as if by an inward voice he ſhould ſay to you, Thou art a childe of God, and thy ſins are pardoned.
This that I deſcribed to you, is the true witneſs of the Spirit. This miſtake is ſo dangerous, that I had thought to have made it a peculiar Direction by it ſelf to warn you of it: but now I have gone ſo far I will diſpatch it here. Two dangerous conſequents I finde do follow this unwarrantable expectation of the firſt immediate efficient Revelation that we are Adopted.
1. Some poor ſouls have languiſhed in doubtings and trouble of minde almoſt all their daies, in expectation of ſuch a kinde of witneſs as the Spirit uſeth not to give: when in the mean time they have other ſufficient means of Comfort, and knew not how to improve them; yea they had the true witneſs of the Spirit in his inhabitation and holy workings, and did not know it; but run as Samuel did to Eli, not knowing the voice of God: and look for the Spirits teſtimony when they had it, as the Jews for Elias and the Meſſias.
2. Others do more dangerouſly erre, by taking the ſtrong conceit of their own phantaſie for the witneſs of the Spirit. As ſoon as they do but entertain the opinion that it muſt be ſuch a witneſs of the Spirit, without the uſe of Marks, that muſt Aſſure men of their Adoption, preſently they are confident that they have that witneſs themſelves. It is ſcarce likely to be Gods Spirit that is ſo ready upon the meer change of an opinion: The devil uſeth to do as much to cheriſh preſumption, as to deſtroy true faith and Aſſurance. It is a ſhrewd ſigne that our perſwaſions of our truth of Grace is a deluſion, when we finde the devil a friend to it, and helping it on: and it is a probable ſigne it is a good perſwaſion, when we finde the devil an enemy to it, and ſtill troubling us, and endeavouring our diſquiet.
And here I remember the ſcruple that troubleth ſome about the ſpirit of bondage, and the ſpirit of Adoption. But you muſt underſtand that by the ſpirit of bondage, is meant, that ſpirit, and thoſe operations on the ſoul which the Law of Works did naturally beget in thoſe that were under it; which was, to be partly in bondage to a task of Ceremonious duties, and partly to the Curſe, and obligation to Puniſhment for diſobedience, without any Power to Juſtifie: They were ſaid therefore to be in bondage to the Law; and the Law was ſaid to be a Yoak which neither they nor their fathers were able to bear, Acts 15.
And by the ſpirit of Adoption is meant, 1. That ſpirit, or thoſe qualifications and workings in their ſouls, which by the Goſpel God giveth only to his ſons: 2. And which raiſe in us ſome child-like affections to God, enclining us in all our wants to run to him in Prayer as to a Father, and to make our moan to him, and open our griefs, and cry for redreſs, and look to him and depend on him as a childe on the father. This ſpirit of Adoption you may have, and yet not be certain of Gods ſpecial Love to you. The knowledge only of his general Goodneſs and Mercy, may be a means to raiſe in you true childlike affections. You may know God to have fatherly inclinations to you, and yet doubt whether he will uſe you as a childe, for want of Aſſurance of your own ſincerity. And you may hope God is your father, when yet you may apprehend him to be a diſpleaſed angry father, and ſo he may be more your terror then your comfort. Are not you ready in moſt of your fears, and doubts, and troubles, to go to God before all other for relief? and doth not your heart ſigh and groan to him when you can ſcarcely ſpeak? Doth not your troubled ſpirit there finde its firſt vent? and ſay, Lord, kill me not: forſake me not: my life is in thy hands: O ſoften this hard heart, make this carnal minde more ſpiritual! O be not ſuch a ſtranger to my ſoul▪ Woe to me that I am ſo ignorant of thee! ſo diſaffected to thee! ſo backward and diſinclined to holy communion with thee! Woe to me that I can take no more pleaſure in thee! and am ſ… mindleſs and diſregardfull of thee! O that thou wouldſt ſtir up in me more lively deſires, and workings of my ſoul toward thee! and ſuffer me not to lye at ſuch a diſtance from thee. Are not ſuch as theſe the breathings of your ſpirit▪ why theſe are child-like breathings after God! this is crying Abba, Father. This is the work of the ſpirit of Adoption, even when you fear God will caſt you off. You much miſtake (and thoſe that tell you ſo,) if you think that the ſpirit of Adoption lieth only in a perſwaſion that you are Gods childe, or that you may not have the ſpirit of Adoption without ſuch a perſwaſion of Gods Adopting you. For God may Adopt you, and give you that ſpirit which he gives only to his children, and poſſeſs you with true filial affections towards him, before ever you know your ſelf to be Adopted; much more, though you may have frequent returning doubts of your Adoption.
Having thus ſhewed you how far you may expect the Witneſs of the Spirit, and how far you may and muſt make uſe of Marks, and Qualifications or Actions of your own, for the obtaining of Aſſurance and ſetled Peace; I ſhall add an Anſwer to the Principal Objections of the Antinomians againſt this.
Object. (They ſay) This is to draw men from Chriſt to themſelves, and from the Goſpel to the Law: to lay their Comforts and build their Peace upon any thing in themſelves, is to forſake Chriſt and make themſelves their own Saviours: and thoſe Teachers that perſwade them to this, are Teachers of the Law, and falſe Prophets, who draw men from Chriſt to themſelves. All our own Righteouſneſs is as a menſtruous cloth, and our beſt works are ſin, and therefore we may not take up our Aſſurance or Comforts from them. We ſhall be alwayes at uncertainties, and at a loſs, or unconſtant, up and down in our Comforts, as long as we take them from any ſignes in our ſelves. Alſo our own Graces are Imperfect, and therefore unfit to be the Evidences for our Aſſurance.
Anſw. Becauſe I am not now purpoſely confuting the Antinomians, but only forearming you againſt their aſſaults; I ſhall no… therefore give you half that I ſhould otherwiſe ſay, for the Explication of this Point, and the Confutation of their Errors; but only ſo much as is neceſſary to your preſervation▪ Which I do, becauſe they pretend to be th… only Preachers of free Grace, and the onl… right Comforters of troubled Conſciences; & becauſe they have written ſo many books to that end, which if they fall into your hand may ſeem ſo ſpecious, as that you may nee… ſome preſervative. I ſuppoſe you remember what I have taught you ſo oft, concerning the difference of the Law of Works, and the Law or Covenant of Grace, with their different Conditions. Upon which ſuppoſition I explicate the point thus. 1. No man may look at his own Graces or Duties as his Legal Righteouſneſs; that is, ſuch as for which the Law of Works will pronounce him Righteous. 2. Nor yet may he take them for part of his Legal Righteouſneſs, in conjunction with Chriſts Righteouſneſs, as the other part: but here we muſt go wholly out of our ſelves, and deny and diſclaim all ſuch Righteouſneſs of our own. We have no Works, which make the Reward to be not of Grace but of Debt, 3. We muſt not once think that our Graces, Duties or ſufferings, can make ſatiſfaction to Gods Juſtice for our ſin and unrighteouſneſs: nor yet that they are any part of that ſatisfaction. Here we aſcribe all …o Chriſt who is the only Sacrifice and Ranſome. 4. Nor muſt we think that our Duties or Graces are properly Meritorious: this …lſo is to be left as the ſole honour of Chriſt. …. Yet that we may and muſt raiſe our Aſ…urance and Comforts from our own Gra…es and Duties, ſhall appear in theſe clear Reaſons following, which ſhew alſo the Grounds on which we may do it.
1. Pardon, Juſtification and Adoption, and Salvation, are all Given to us in the Goſpel only Conditionally (if we believe:) and the Condition is an act, or rather ſeveral acts of our own. Now till the Condition be performed, no man can have any Certainty that the Benefit ſhall be his: nor can he by any other means (ordinarily) be certain of the Benefit, but by that which aſcertaineth him that he hath performed the Condition. God ſaith, He that Believeth ſhall be ſaved: No man can know then that he ſhall be ſaved till he firſt know that he Believeth. Elſe he ſhould know either contrary to that which is written, or more then that which is written: And Juſtification and Adoption ſhould be given ſome other way then by the Goſpel Promiſe (for that Promiſe giveth them only Conditionally, and ſo ſuſpendeth the actual right, upon the performance of the Condition:) But if any can ſhew any other way by which God maketh over pardon and Adoption, beſides the Goſpel promiſe, let them do it; but I will not promiſe ſuddenly to believe them; for it was never yet ſhewed as I know of. Alſo, if men muſt not look a… their own performance of the Condition, to prove their right to the benefit, then eithe… all or none muſt believe that they have tha… right. For the Promiſe ſaith, He that Believet… ſhall be ſaved. And this is a promiſe of Lif… conditionally to all. If all muſt believe that they ſhall be ſaved, then moſt of the world muſt believe a lye. If the true believer may not therefore conclude that he ſhall be ſaved, becauſe he performeth the condition of the promiſe, then no man may believe it. And for that abſolute Promiſe of the new Heart, no man can, or may believe that it is his, till he have that new heart which it promiſeth; that is, till it be fulfilled: For there is no Mark by which a man can know whether that Promiſe belong to him or no, beforehand: and if all ſhould believe that it belongs to them, moſt would finde it falſe.
2. God hath not Redeemed us by his Son to be Lawleſs: To be without Law is to be without Government. We are without the Law (that is, of Works, or of Moſes,) but not without Law; Jeſus Chriſt is our Ruler, and he hath made us a Law of Grace; an eaſie yoak, and commands that are not grievous. This Law hath Precepts, Promiſes and threats: it muſt needs be either obeyed or diſobeyed: and ſo the paenalty muſt be due or not due; and the Reward due or not due. He that performs the condition, and ſo to whom the reward is due and not the paenalty, is Righteous in the ſenſe of this Law. As when we are accuſed to be ſinners againſt the Law of Works, and ſo to deſerve the paenalty of that Law, we muſt confeſs all, and plead the Righteouſneſs of Chriſts ſatisfaction, for our Juſtification: ſo when we are accuſed to be final unbelievers or impenitent, and ſo not to have performed the conditions of the new Covenant, we muſt be Juſtified by our own Faith and Repentance, the performance of that condition; and muſt plead, Not guilty: And ſo far our own Acts are our Evangelical Righteouſneſs; and that of ſuch neceſſity, that without it no man can have part in Chriſts Righteouſneſs, nor be ſaved. I would deſire any man elſe to tell me, what elſe he will plead at Judgement, when the Accuſe… chargeth him (or if he do ſo charge him) with final unbelief: will he confeſs it, and ſay, Chriſt hath Believed and Repented for me that is as much as to ſay, Chriſt was a Believer for Infidels, that he might ſave Infidels ▪ All falſe. If he will not ſay thus (and lying will do no good) then muſt he plead his own Believing and Repenting as his Righteouſneſs in oppoſition to that Accuſation▪ And if it be of ſuch uſe then, and be called a hundred times in Scripture, our Righteouſneſs, and we Righteous for it, then doubtleſs we may accordingly try by it now, whether we ſhall then be able to come off and be Juſtified, or no; and ſo may build our comfort on it.
3. Conſcience is a Witneſs and Judge within us; and doth as under God Accuſe and Condemn, or Excuſe and Acquit: Now if Conſcience muſt abſolve us only ſo far as we are Innocent, or do well, or are qualified with Grace; then it is impoſſible but theſe our Qualifications and Actions ſhould be ſome ground of our Comfort. See Acts 24.16. and 23.1. Rom. 2.15, 16.
4. Thoſe which are our Graces and Works, as we are the Subjects and Agents, are the Graces and Works of God, of Chriſt, of the holy Ghoſt dwelling in us. If therefore we may not Rejoice in our own Works, or Graces, then we may not Rejoice in the Works or Guifts of God, Chriſt or the holy Ghoſt. And
5. Our Graces are the ſpiritual Life or Health of the ſoul, and our holy actions are the vital operations. Now Life and Health are neceſſary Rejoycing, delighting things of themſelves: and vital Actions, are neceſſarily pleaſant and delectable.
6. Our Graces and holy Actions muſt needs Rejoice us in reſpect of their Objects. For the object of our Love, Truſt, Hope, Meditation, Prayer, Conference, &c. is God himſelf, and the Lord Jeſus, and the Joyes of Heaven. And how can ſuch Actions chooſe but Rejoice us!
7. Yea Rejoicing it ſelf, and Delighting our ſelves in God, is not only one part of our Duty, but that great Duty wherein lieth the height of our Chriſtianity: And how vain a ſpeech is it, to ſay, that we may not take up our Comforts from our own works, nor Rejoice in any thing of our own; when even Rejoicing it ſelf, and Delighting, and Comforting our ſelves is one part of our Duty?
8. As God in Chriſt is the chief object and ground of our Comfort (ſo that we muſt Rejoice in nothing but God, and the Croſs of Chriſt, in that kinde, or in coordination with them,) ſo it is the office of every Grace and holy Work, and Ordinance, and Means, to be ſubſervient to Chriſt, either for the attaining of Chriſt, or applying his merits, or they are the effects of his merits. Now if we muſt Love and Rejoice in Chriſt principally, then muſt we needs Love and Rejoice in all thoſe things that ſtand in a neceſſary ſubordination to him, in their places. And therefore to ſay, We muſt Rejoice in Chriſt only and therefore not in any Graces or Duties of our own; is as wife as if a wife ſhould caſt her husbands cloathes and meat out of doors, and ſay, You charged me to admit none into my chamber but your ſelf: Or as if a Phyſitian, having told his patients, I will cure you, if you will truſt me only for the cure; thereupon the Patients ſhould caſt away his Medicines, and ſhut the doors againſt his ſervants and Apothecary and ſay, We muſt truſt none but the Phyſitian.
9. All the failings of our Duties are pardoned, and they Accepted in Chriſt; and therefore we may Rejoice in them.
10. Our Duties have a double tendency to our ſalvation: 1. As the Condition to which God hath promiſed it as the Crown and Reward (in a hundred texts of Scripture;) And may we not Comfort our ſelves in that which God promiſeth Heaven to? 2. As a Natural means to our obedience, and further perfection (as Watchfulneſs, Meditation, &c. tend to deſtroy ſin:) as Paul ſaith to Timothy, Take heed to thy ſelf and to thy Doctrine, and in ſo doing thou ſhalt both ſave thy ſelf and them that hear the…, 1 Tim. 4.16. And may we not take Comfort in that which tends to ſave our own and our brethrens ſouls?
11. We ſhall be Judged according to our Works: therefore we muſt judge our ſelves according to our Works; and ſo muſt judge our ſtate good or bad according to our works: for can man judge by a righter way then God will? At leaſt is it not lawfull for man to judge as God doth?
12. We muſt judge of others in probability according to their external works, even the tree by the fruits: therefore we muſt judge of our ſelves in certainty according to our internal and external works together (which we may certainly know.)
13. If we may not Rejoice in any of our Graces, then we may not be Thankfull for them: for Thanks is accompanied with Joy: but we muſt be Thankfull.
14. If we may not Rejoice in our Duties, we may not Repent or ſorrow for the neglect of them; and if we may not Rejoice in our Graces, we may not lament the want of them (for theſe are as the two ends of the balance, that one goes down when the other goes up; or as day and night, light and darkneſs.) But the conſequent is intollerable.
15. This would overthrow all Religion. For what a man cannot Rejoice in, he cannot Love, he cannot eſteem, regard, be carefull to obtain, be fearfull of loſing, &c.
16. God delighteth in our Graces and holy Duties, and is well pleaſed with them: and therefore it is lawfull and needfull that we do as God doth, Jer. 9.24. Heb. 11.5. Abels ſacrifice by faith obtained teſtimony that he pleaſed God, Heb. 13.16. To do good and to communicate forget not, for with ſuch ſacrifice God is well pleaſed.
17. The Saints of God have not only tried themſelves by their Graces and Duties, and commanded others to try by them, but have Gloried and Rejoiced in their Duties and ſufferings, 2 Cor. 1.12. This is our Rejoicing, the Teſtimony of our Conſcience, that in ſimplicity and godly ſincerity we have had our converſation among you. Acts 5.41. They gloried that they were counted worthy to ſuffer for Chriſt, Rom. 15.17. I have therefore whereof I may glory in Jeſus Chriſt, in thoſe things which pertain to God. Rom. 5.3. We glory in tribulation, &c. 2 Cor. 12.6, 9. Though I ſhould deſire to glory, I ſhould not be a fool: I glory in mine infirmities. Jer. 9.24. Let him that glorieth glory in this, that he underſtandeth and knoweth me. 1 Cor. 9.15. I had rather die then any ſhould make my glorying void. Gal. 6.4. Let every man prove his own work▪ ſo ſhall he have Rejoicing in himſelf alone, and not in another.
18. Scripture nameth many of our own Graces and Duties, as the certain Marks of our Juſtification and right to Glory: Even Chriſt with his own mouth gives us many: Matth. 6.21. Where your treaſure is, there will your heart be alſo. Joh. 3.20. He that doth evil hateth the light, &c. but he that doth good cometh to the light, that, &c. Mat. 5. is full of ſuch. Bleſſed are the poor in ſpirit, the pure in heart, &c.
19. We may Rejoice in other mens good Works and Graces (and do, if we be true Chriſtians,) therefore in our own.
20. We may Rejoice in Gods outward Mercies; therefore much more in inward, and ſuch as accompany ſalvation. All theſe Arguments prove that we may take up our Comfort from our own Gracious Qualifications and Actions (not in oppoſition to Chriſt, but in ſubordination to him:) and moſt of them prove that we may fetch our Aſſurance of ſalvation from them, as undoubted Evidences thereof.
I have ſaid the more in Anſwer to theſe Objections, 1. Becauſe never any came with fairer pretences of exalting Chriſt, and maintaining the honour of his Righteouſneſs and free Grace, and of denying our ſelves and our own Righteouſneſs. 2. And yet few Doctrines more diſhonour Chriſt, and deſtroy the very ſubſtance of all Religion. Even as if a man ſhould cry down him that would Praiſe and commend Obedience to the King, and ſay, You muſt Praiſe nothing but the King: ſo do theſe cry down our looking at and Rejoicing in our Love to Chriſt, and our Thankfulneſs to him, and our Obedience, and all under pretence of honouring him. Nay they will not have us Rejoice in one part of Chriſts ſalvation (his ſaving us from the power of ſin, and his ſanctifying us,) under pretence that we diſhonour the other part of his ſalvation (his Juſtifying us.) If ever Satan transformed himſelf into an Angel of Light, and his Miniſters into Miniſters of Light, it is in the miſtakes of the Antinomians: and no people in the world (except carnal Libertines, whom this doctrine fits to a hair) are in more danger of them, then poor doubting Chriſtians under trouble of Conſcience: ſpecially if they be not judicious, and skill'd in the Doctrine of Chriſt. For the very pretence of extolling Chriſt and free Grace will take much with ſuch: and any New-way will ſometime ſeem to give them Comfort, upon the very novelty and ſudden change.
Having thus proved that you may and muſt fetch your ſpecial Comfort and Aſſurance from Evidences, and that your firſt Evidence is your Faith, I ſhall open this fullier under the next Direction.