The Right Method for a Settled Peace of Conscience, Direction 15
DIRECTION XV.
15. Yea this much more I would here inform you of, That Very many even of the ſtronger, holier, watchfull, and obedient Chriſtians, are yet uncertain of their Salvation, even then when they are Certain of their Juſtification and Sanctification; and that becauſe they are uncertain of their perſeverance and overcoming: For a mans Certainty of his Salvation can be no ſtronger than is his Certainty of enduring to the end and overcoming.
THat you may not miſunderſtand me in this, obſerve 1. That I do not ſay Perſeverance is a thing uncertain in it ſelf: 2. Nor that it is uncertain to all Chriſtians: 3. But that it is uncertain to many even ſtrong and ſelf-knowing Chriſtians. Divines uſe to diſtinguiſh of the Certainty of the Object, and of the Subject: and the former is either of the Object of Gods Knowledge, or of mans. I doubt not but God knows Certainly who ſhall be ſaved, which with his Decree doth cauſe that which we call Certainty of the Object, as to mans underſtanding: But men themſelves do not alwaies know it.
If a man have the fulleſt Certainty in the world that he is Gods child, yet if he be uncertain whether he ſhall ſo continue to the end, it is impoſſible that he ſhould have a Certainty of his Salvation. For it's he only that endureth to the end that ſhall be ſaved.
Now that many eminent Chriſtians of great knowledge and much zeal and obedience are uncertain of their Perſeverance, is proved by two Infallible Arguments. 1. By experience: If any ſhould be ſo cenſorious as to think that none of all thoſe Nations and Churches abroad that deny the Doctrine of Certain Perſeverance of all Believers, have any ſtrong Chriſtians among them, yet we have had the knowledge of ſuch at home. 2. Beſides the Difficulty of the Subject is a clear Argument that a ſtrong Chriſtian may be uncertain of it▪ God hath made all thoſe points plain in Scripture, which muſt be Believed as of Neceſſity to Salvation: But the Certainty of all Believers Perſeverance, is not a Point of flat Neceſſity to Salvation to be Believed. Otherwiſe it would be a hard matter to prove that any conſiderable number were ever ſaved, till of late; or are yet ſaved, but in a very few Countries. It is a Point that the Churches never did put into their Creed; where they ſummed up thoſe Points that they held neceſſary to Salvation. There are a great number of Texts of Scripture which ſeeming to intimate the contrary, do make the Point of great Difficulty to many of the wiſeſt. And thoſe Texts that are for it, are not ſo expreſs as fully to ſatisfie them. Beſides that the examples of theſe ten years laſt paſt have done more to ſtagger many ſober wiſe Chriſtians in this Point, then all the Arguments that ever were uſed by Papiſts, Arminians or any other: To ſee what kinde of men in ſome places have fallen, and how far; as I am unwilling further to mention.
If you ask me, what I think of this my ſelf, and conſequently what Aſſurance I have of my own Salvation; I will freely tell you, both how far I am arrived in Aſſurance of Sincerity of Grace and Juſtification, and how farre in the matter of Perſeverance and ſo of Salvation. I lay ſeven years under great Doubtings of the truth of my Sanctification; eſpecially for want of thoſe Lively, Affectionate, Heart-melting effects which I deſired to have found; and for want of Deeper apprehenſions of God, Chriſt, Glory, Sin, Miſery, Mercy, Duty, &c. which made me ſtill fear that all I had was but the meer effects of Education, Reading and Speculative Knowledge; and ſo that I had only a Notional Religion, that touched my Phantaſie and ſwom in my Brain, but▪ workt not throughly on my Heart; for want of more Deep and Serious Believing of thoſe holy Truths which ſhould be operative. Yet all this while, Probabilities of Grace, affording me that which we commonly call Hope, did bear me up. Now through the great unſpeakable Mercy of my God, I have attained to ſo ſtrong a Probability of my Sincerity and Sanctification, as in a large ſenſe may be called Aſſurance or Certainty, but not in the ſtricteſt ſenſe: much leſs is it a perfect Aſſurance: I have ſo ſtrong a perſwaſion of the truth of my Faith, and ſo of the pardon of my ſinnes, as overcometh moſt doubtings and trouble of minde, and keepeth me in quietneſs and peace of minde, and ſome Joy in the holy Ghoſt, and Delightfull thoughts of my everlaſting Reſt; and gives me a Confidence in God, and Acceſs with boldneſs to the Throne of his Grace. But yet I finde that carnal ſecurity hath a great hand in the alaying of my troubles, though not in the raiſing of my Joyes: (And it is no unuſual thing for a good Cauſe and a bad Faith, Aſſurance and Carnal ſecurity to joyn together in one effect; even in expelling trouble from the heart.) Yet dare I ſcarce ſay (in the uſual ſenſe of the word,) that I am certain of my Sincerity and ſo of my Juſtification: eſpecially when Temptations have prevailed, and the ſtrength of the fleſhes intereſt, and the weakneſs of Chriſts intereſt in my Eſtimation and Will and Affections, have appeared more then ordinary: And when I have thought how much ſtronger Trials I may yet be put to, which others daily undergo: eſpecially the Temptations of Proſperity do oftner make me fear, then thoſe of perſecution and adverſity. I am ſometimes afraid, leſt it be but the weakneſs of my Body, and the diſtance of Objects, and ſmalneſs of Temptations, that makes them no more prevailing with me: And that if I had as ſtrong a body as others, and were in that Dignity, Wealth and Abundance of all things, as ſome are; whether Honors, Car…al Pleaſures, Sports, Delightfull Meats, Drinks, Beauty, and ſuch vanities might not carry me away, as I ſee they do others, that made as great a ſhew of Holineſs. Yet do not theſe doubts much affright or diſquiet me, becauſe I finde God at preſent poſſeſſing me with thoſe Reſolutions to caſt away all for Chriſt, which, I doubt not, are the work of his own Grace, and becauſe I have experience of abundance of preventing and ſuſtaining Grace; and becauſe I finde at the preſent that God enableth me to account all things loſs and droſs and dung for him, and eaſily without much reluctancy to empty my purſe for him and his poor, and to lay out my time and ſtrength for him and his Church, and with ſome good ſucceſs to reſiſt Temptations; and that I have no Deſire, (in any activity or prevalency) to be any higher in the world then I am, but think God hath choſen out for me the beſt condition and ſtation that I could have deſired in all the world. And then for Perſeverance and Salvation, this is my Caſe: It is my ſtrong opinion that no man who hath attained to a Rootedneſs in the Faith, and ſo is throughly ſanctified, doth ever totally and finally fall away: which Chriſt ſeemeth to intimate in ſaying that the Cauſe why men fall away in Tribulation and Perſecution, is becauſe the ſeed had not deep Rooting, Mat. 13. And I am yet more confident that none of the Elect ſhall ever fall away; and perſwaded, that all the Rooted, through-Chriſtians, are Elect. But yet I dare not ſay, that I am Certain of this, that all are elect to ſalvation, and ſhall never fall away totally and finally, who ſincerely Believe and are Juſtified. It is my opinion, but I dare not put it into my Creed among either the Points of abſolute Neceſſity, or undoubted Verity. I know how many Texts of Scripture ſeem to ſpeak otherwiſe: and I know how generally the Primitive Fathers thought otherwiſe, if a man can know their mindes by their Writings: I know that Auſtin himſelf, the Mall of the Pelagians, ſeems to be either unreſolv'd, or more againſt this Perſeverance then for it. I know how many Learned, Godly men do differ from me, and deny the Certainty of Perſeverance: I know how ſad and ſhaking examples this age hath afforded: And therefore I am not Certain, properly, ſtrictly Certain, of my Perſeverance, and ſo not fully, ſtrictly Certain of my Salvation: Nor ſo near to a Certainty of my Salvation, as I am to a Certainty of my Faith, Juſtification, Adoption and Sanctification. Yet am I ſo ſtrongly confident of it, (that I ſhall hold out, and be ſaved) that it doth not only calm and quiet my minde, and overcome my troubles and fears, but alſo enable me to Rejoyce in Hope of the Glory to come, and to Deſire Chriſts coming to Judgement, and to think of Death with much more contentedneſs and ſubmiſſion then elſe I ſhould do: For as I am much perſwaded that the Rooted in Grace do never fall quite away, ſo if I were ſure that they did, yet I know ſo much of the Graciouſneſs of Gods Nature, and his Covenant, that he will not forſake any that do not wilfully forſake him; and I have ſo full a Reſolution to cleave to him wrought in me by his Spirit, and ſuch experience of tender Love, and his preſerving me in Trials, that I have a ſtrong confidence that he will never permit me to fall from him. Yet do I ſee a Neceſſity of daily praying to him Not to Lead me into Temptation, but to Deliver me from the evil; and to live in continual watchfulneſs, expecting daily Aſſaults, and renewing daily my Repentance and Reſolutions.
Thus have I, as truly as I am now able, opened my very heart and ſtate to you, as before the Searcher of my heart: which I have done for three Reaſons. 1. That my Judgement may be truly known in the Point of Perſeverance. 2. Becauſe I finde the communicating of Experiences of each others hearts and ſtates is of great uſe to Believers. 3. Becauſe I finde that many Godly people, by divers paſſages in my Book of Reſt, about Living in Heavenly Delights, do think that I have attained a greater Certainty then I have: and that themſelves are unhappy and muſt live uncomfortably till they can attain to that which they think I have done. As for thoſe that think, and will be ready to ſay, that I am warping to Arminian or Popiſh Doubting; I regard not their words or cenſures: I am none of thoſe that dare in the hearing of God affirm that I have the Certainty which I have not, meerly to avoid the ſuſpition of erring. Nor dare I by hot Diſputes maintain that which the conſtant Experience of my ſelf and the beſt and moſt of my acquaintance doth contradict: and believe my Authors before my own heart, and the undoubted teſtimony of Chriſtians concerning themſelves. Yet remember that I do not deny but many others may have both more Aſſurance of their own Sincerity, and more clear underſtanding of the Doctrine of Perſeverance then I have; which may give them a Certainty that no true Believer ſhall quite fall away. I dare not think that others have not a higher degree of Light and Certainty then … have.
But I think by this time I have perſwaded you that a proper Certainty of our Salvation is not ſo common a thing as ſome Controverſal Doctors, or ſome ſelf-conceited Proſeſſors do take it to be. And therefore that you muſt not lay all your comfort on your Aſſurance of Salvation. As for them who are moſt highly confident both of the doctrine of the Certain Perſeverance of every Believer, meerly upon tradition, and prejudice, becauſe they have been alway taught ſo, or elſe upon weak grounds which will not bear them out in their confidence; and are as confident of their own Salvation on as ſlender grounds, having never well underſtood the Nature of ſaving Grace, Sincerity, Examination nor Aſſurance; nor underſtood the Cauſes of doubting which might elſe have ſhaked them; I will not call their greateſt Confidence, by the name of Aſſurance or Certainty of Salvation, though it be accompanied with never ſo great boaſtings, or pretenſes or expreſſions of the higheſt Joyes. And for your ſelf I adviſe you, firſt uſe thoſe comforts which thoſe may have who come ſhort of Aſſurance.