The Right Method for a Settled Peace of Conscience, Direction 16
DIRECTION XVI.
16. The next thing which I would have you learn is this, That There are ſeveral grounds of the great Probability of our Salvation, beſides the general grounds mentioned in the beginning: and by the Knowledge of theſe, without any further Aſſurance, a Chriſtian may live in much Peace and Comfort, and in Delightfull, Deſirous thoughts of the Glory to come: And therefore the next work which you have to do, is to diſcover thoſe probabilites of your Sincerity and your Salvation, and then to receive the Peace and Comfort which they may afford you, before you can expect Aſſurance it ſelf.
I Shall here open to you the ſeveral parts of this Propoſition and Direction diſtinctly. 1. I told you in the beginning of the four grounds of Probability which all may have in general, from 1. The Nature of God, 2. And of the Mediatour; and his Office. 3. And the univerſal ſufficiency of Chriſts ſatisfaction. 4. And the general tenour of the Promiſe and offer of Pardon and Salvation. Now I adde; that beſides all theſe, there are many grounds of ſtrong Probability which you may have of your own Sincerity, and ſo of your particular Intereſt in Chriſt and Salvation, when you cannot reach to a Certainty.
1. Some kinde of Probability you may gather by comparing your ſelf with others. Though this way be but deluſory to unregenerate men, whoſe confidence is plainly contradicted by the Scriptures, yet may it be lawfull and uſefull to an humble ſoul that is willing to obey and wait on God: I mean, to conſider, that if ſuch as you ſhould periſh, how few people would God have in the world? Conſider firſt in how narrow a compaſs the Church was confined before Chriſts coming in the fleſh? and how carnal and corrupt even that viſible Church then was? and even at this day, the moſt Learned do compute, that if you divide the world into thirty parts, nineteen of them are Heatheniſh Idolaters, ſix of them are Ma…ometans, and only fi…e of them are Chriſtians. And of theſe five that are Chriſtians, how great a part are of the Aethiopian, Greek and Popiſh Churches? ſo ignorant, rude and ſuperſtitious and erroneous, that ſalvation cannot be imagined to be near ſo eaſie or ordinary with them as with us: and of the Reformed Churches, commonly called Proteſtants, how ſmall is the number? And even among theſe, What a number are groſſely ignorant and prophane? and of thoſe that profeſs more knowledge and zeal, how many are groſſely Erroneous, Schiſmatical and Scandalous. How exceeding ſmal a number is left then that are ſuch as you? I know this is no aſſuring Argument: but I know withall that Chriſt died not in vain; but he will ſee the fruit of his ſufferings to the ſatisfaction of his ſoul: and the God of Mercy, who is a Lover of mankinde, will have a multitude innumerable of his ſaved ones in the earth.
2. But your ſtrongeſt Probabilities are from the Conſideration of the Work of God upon your Soul, and the preſent frame and inclination of your Soul to God. You may know that you have workings above nature in you; and that they have been kept alive and carried on theſe many years againſt all oppoſition of the fleſh and the world: It hath not been a meer flaſh of conviction which hath been extinguiſhed by ſenſuality, and left you in the darkneſs of ſecurity and prophanneſs as others are. You dare not give up your Hopes of Heaven for all the world: You would not part with Chriſt, and ſay, Let him go, for all the pleaſures of ſin, or treaſures of the earth: If you had (as you have) an offer of God, Chriſt, Grace and Glory on one ſide, and worldly proſperity in ſin on the other ſide, you would chooſe God, and let go the other. You dare not, you would not give over Praying, Hearing, Reading, and Chriſtian company, and give up your ſelf to worldly, fleſhly pleaſures; yet you are not Aſſured of ſalvation, becauſe you finde not that Delight and Life in Duty, and that Witneſs of the Spirit, and that communion with God, nor that tenderneſs of heart, as you deſire. It is well that you deſire them: But though you be not Certain of Salvation, do not you ſee a great likelihood, a Probability in all this? Is not your heart raiſed to a Hope that yet God is mercifull to you, and means you good? Doubtleſs this you might eaſily diſcern.
The ſecond thing that I am to ſhew you is, that there may much ſpiritual Comfort and Peace of Conſcience be enjoyed without any Certainty of Salvation, given upon theſe forementioned Probabilities. Which I prove thus, 1. No doubt but Adam in innocency had Peace of Conſcience, and Comfort and Communion with God, and yet he had no Aſſurance of Salvation; I mean, either of continuing in Paradiſe, or being tranſlated to Glory. For if he had, either he was ſure to perſevere in Innocency and ſo to be glorified. (But that was not true) or elſe he muſt foreknow both that he ſhould fall and be raiſed again and ſaved by Chriſt. But this he knew not at all. 2. Experience tels us that the greateſt part of Chriſtians on earth do enjoy that Peace and Comfort which they have, without any Certainty of their Salvation. 3. The Nature of the thing telleth us, that a likelihood of ſo great a mercy as everlaſting Glory muſt needs be a ground of great Comfort. If a poor condemned priſoner do but hear that there is Hopes of a pardon, ſpecially if very probable, it will glad his heart. Indeed if an Angel from Heaven were brought into this ſtate it would be ſad to him: But if a devil or a condemned ſinner have ſuch Hope, it muſt needs be glad news to them. The devils have it not, but we have.
3. Let me next therefore intreat you to take the Comfort of your Probabilities of Grace and Salvation. Your horſe or dog knoweth not how you will uſe them Certainly; yet will they lovingly follow you, and put their heads to your hand, and truſt you with their lives without fear, and love to be in your company; becauſe they have found you kinde to them, and have tried that you do them no hurt, but good: yea though you do ſtrike them ſometimes, yet they finde that they have their food from you, and your favour doth ſuſtain them. Yea your little children have no Certainty how you will uſe them; and yet finding that you have alwaies uſed them kindly, and expreſſed Love to them, though you whip them ſometimes, yet are glad of your company, and deſire to be in your lap, and can truſt themſelves in your hands, without tormenting themſelves with ſuch doubts as theſe, I am uncertain how my mother will uſe me, whether ſhe will wound me, or kill me, or turn me out of doors and let me periſh. Nature perſwades us not to be too diſtruſtfull of thoſe that have alwaies befriended us, and eſpecially whoſe Nature is Mercifull and Compaſſionate: Nor to be too ſuſpitious of evil from them that have alwaies done us good: Every man knows that the Good will do good, and the Evil will do evil: and accordingly we expect that they ſhould do to us. Naturally we all fear a Toad, a Serpent, an Adder, a mad Dog, a wicked Man, a mad Man, a cruel blood thirſty Tyrant, and the Devil: But no one fears a Dove, a Lamb, a good Man, a mercifull compaſſionate Governour, except only the Rebels or notorious offenders that know he is bound in juſtice to deſtroy or puniſh them. And none ſhould fear diſtruſtfully the wrath of a gracious God, but they who Will not ſubmit to his Mercy, and Will not have Chriſt to reign over them, and therefore may know that he is bound in Juſtice, if they come not in, to deſtroy them. But for you that would be Obedient and Reformed, and are troubled that you are no better, and beg of God to make you better, and have no ſin, but what you would be glad to be rid of, may not you, at leaſt, ſee a ſtrong Probability that it ſhall go well with you? O make uſe therefore of this Probability: and if you have but Hopes that God will do you good, rejoice in thoſe Hopes, till you can come to rejoyce in Aſſurance.
And here let me tell you that Probabilities are of divers Degrees according to their divers Grounds. Where men have but a little Probability of their Sincerity, and a greater Probability that they are not Sincere in the faith, theſe men may be ſomewhat born up, but it behoves them preſently to ſearch in fear, and to amend that which is the cauſe of their fear. Thoſe that have more Probability of the Sincerity of their hearts, then of the contrary, may well have more peace then trouble of minde: Thoſe that have yet a higher Degree of Probability may live in more Joy: and ſo according to the Degree of Probability may their Comforts ſtill ariſe.
And obſerve alſo, that it is but the higheſt Degree of this Probability here which we call a Certainty: For it is a Moral Certainty, and not that which is called a Certainty of Divine faith, nor that which is called a Certainty of evidence in the ſtricteſt ſenſe; though yet evidence there is for it: But it is the ſame evidences materially which are the ground of Probability and of Certainty: Only ſometime they differ Gradually (one having more Grace and another leſs) and ſometime not ſo neither: for he that hath more Grace may diſcern but a Probability in it (through ſome other defect) no more then he that hath leſs: But when one man diſcerns his Graces and Sincerity but darkly, he hath but a Probability of Salvation manifeſted by them: and when another diſcerneth them more clearly, he hath a ſtronger Probability: and he that diſcerneth them moſt clearly (if other neceſſaries concurre) hath that which we call a Certainty.
Now I am perſwaded that you frequently ſee a ſtrong Probability of your Sincerity: and may not that be a very great ſtay and comfort to your ſoul? Nay may it not draw out your heart in Love, Delight and Thankfulneſs? Suppoſe that your name were written in a piece of paper, and put among a hundred, or fifty, or but twenty other like papers into a Lottery; and you were certain that you ſhould be the owner of this whole Land except your name were drawn the firſt time, and if it were drawn, you ſhould die: Would your Joy or your Sorrow for this be the greater? Nay if it were but ten to one, or but two to one odds on your ſide, it would keep you from drooping and diſcouragement: And why ſhould it not do ſo in the preſent caſe?