The Right Method for a Settled Peace of Conscience, Direction 3
DIRECTION III.
3. Be ſure that you firſt lay ſound apprehenſions of Gods nature, in your underſtanding: and lay them deeply.
THis is the firſt Article of your Creed, and the firſt part of Life Eternal, to know God! His ſubſtance is quite paſt humane underſtanding; therefore never make any attempt to reach the knowledge of it, or to have any poſitive conceivings of it, for they will be all but Idols, or falſe conceptions: but his Attributes are manifeſted to our underſtandings. Well, conſider, that even under the terrible Law, when God proclaims to Moſes his own Name, and therein his Nature, Exod. 34.6, 7. the firſt and greateſt part is, The Lord, God, Mercifull and Gracious, long ſuffering, and abundant in Goodneſs and Truth, keeping mercy for thouſands, forgiving iniquity, tranſgreſſion and ſin. And he hath ſworn that he hath no pleaſure in the death of a ſinner, but rather that he return and live. Think not therefore of Gods Mercifulneſs, with diminiſhing, extenuating thoughts, nor limit it by the bounds of our frail underſtandings; for the heavens are not ſo far above the earth, as his thoughts and wayes are above ours. Still remember that you muſt have no low thoughts of Gods Goodneſs; but apprehend it as bearing proportion with his Power. As it is blaſphemy to limit his Power, ſo it is to limit his Goodneſs. The advantages that your ſoul will get by this right knowledge and eſtimation of Gods Goodneſs, will be theſe.
1. This will make God appear more Amiable in your eyes; and then you will Love him more readily and abundantly. And Love 1. Is effectually conſolatory in the very working: ſo much Love, uſually ſo much Comfort (I mean this Love of Complacency: for a Love of Deſire there may be without comfort.) 2. It will breed perſwaſions of Gods Love to you again, and ſo Comfort. 3. It will be an unqueſtionable evidence of true Grace, and ſo Comfort.
The Affections follow the Underſtandings conceptions. If you think of God as one that is glad of all advantages againſt you, and delighteth in his Creatures miſery, it is impoſſible you ſhould Love him. The Love of our ſelves is ſo deeply rooted in nature, that we cannot lay it by, nor Love any thing that is Abſolutely and directly againſt us. We conceive of the devil as an Abſolute Enemy to God and man, and one that ſeeks our deſtruction, and therefore we cannot Love him: And the great Cauſe why troubled ſouls do Love God no more, is becauſe they repreſent him to themſelves in an ugly, odious ſhape: To think of God, as one that ſeeks and delighteth in mans ruine, is to make him as the devil; and then what wonder if in ſtead of Loving him, and Delighting in him, you tremble at the thoughts of him, and fly from him! As I have obſerved Children, when they have ſeen the devil painted on a wall, in an ugly ſhape, they have partly feared, and partly hated it: If you do ſo by God in your fancy, it is not putting the Name of [God] on him when you have done, that will reconcile your Affections to him, as long as you ſtrip him of his Divine Nature. Remember the holy Ghoſt's deſcription of God, 1 Joh 4.16. God is Love. Write theſe words deep in your Underſtanding.
2. Hereby you will have this Advantage alſo, that your thoughts of God will be more ſweet and delightfull to you: For as Glorious and beautifull ſights to your eyes, and melodious ſounds to your ears, and ſweet ſmels, taſtes, &c. are all delightfull: when things deformed, ſtinking, &c. are all loathſome: and we turn away from one with abhorrency, but for the other, we would often ſee, taſte, &c. and enjoy them: So is it with the objects of our minde; God hath given no command for Duty, but what moſt perfectly agreeth with the nature of the object. He hath therefore bid us, Love God and Delight in him above all, becauſe he is above all in Goodneſs, even infinitely and unconceivably Good: elſe we could not Love him above all, nor would he ever command us ſo to do: The object is ever as exactly fitted to its part (as to draw out the Love and Delight of our hearts) as the Precept is on its part (to oblige us to it.) And indeed the Nature of things is a precept to Duty, and it which we call, The Law of Nature.
3. Hereupon will follow this further Advantage, that your Thoughts will be both eaſilyer drawn toward God, and more frequent and conſtant on him. For delightfull objects draw the heart to them, as the Loadſtone doth the Iron: How gladly, and freely, and frequently do you think of your deereſt friends? And if you did firmly conceive of God, as one that is ten thouſand times more Gracious, Loving and Amiable then any friend that you have in the world, it would make you not only to Love him above all friends, but alſo more freely, delightfully and unweariedly to think of him.
4. And then you would hence have this further Advantage, that you would have leſſe backwardneſs to any Duty, and leſſe wearineſs in Duty: you would finde more delight in Prayer, Meditation and ſpeech of God, when once God himſelf were more Lovely and delightfull in your eyes.
5. All theſe Advantages would produce a further, that is, The growth of all your Graces: For its impoſſible but this growth of Love, and frequent delightfull thoughts of God and addreſſes to him, ſhould cauſe an increaſe of all the reſt.
6. Hereupon your Evidences would be more clear and diſcernable: For Grace in ſtrength and action would be eaſily found: and would not this reſolve all your doubts at once?
7. Yea the very exerciſe of theſe ſeverall Graces would be comfortable.
8. And hereupon you would have more humble familiarity and communion with God: For Love, Delight and frequent addreſſes would overcome ſtrangeneſs and diſacquaintance, which make us fly from God, as a Fiſh, or Bird, or wild beaſt will from the face of a man, and would give us acceſs with boldneſs and confidence. And this would baniſh ſadneſs and terrour, as the Sun diſpelleth darkneſs and cold.
9. At leaſt you would hence have this advantage, That the fixed apprehenſion of Gods Goodneſs and mercifull nature, would cauſe a fixed apprehenſion of the Probability of your Happineſs, as long as you are willing to be Happy in Gods way. For reaſon will tell you, that he who is Love it ſelf, and whoſe Goodneſs is equal to his Almightineſs, and who hath ſworn, that he hath no pleaſure in the death of a ſinner, but rather that he repent and live, will not deſtroy a poor ſoul that lyeth in ſubmiſſion at his feet, and is ſo far from reſolved rebellion againſt him, that it grieveth that it is no better and can pleaſe him no more.
10. However, theſe right apprehenſions of God, would overcome thoſe terrours which are raiſed only by falſe apprehenſions of him: And doubtleſs a very great part of mens cauſeleſs troubles, are raiſed from ſuch miſapprehenſions of God. For Satan knows that if he can Bring you to think of God as a cruel Tyrant, and bloudthirſty man-hater, then he can drive you from him in terrour, and turn all your Love and cheerfull obedience into hatred and ſlaviſh fear. I ſay therefore again, Do not only get, but alſo fix deep in your underſtanding, the higheſt thoughts of Gods natural Goodneſs and Graciouſneſs that poſſibly you can raiſe: for when they are at the higheſt, they come ſhort ten thouſand fold.
Object. But, Gods Goodneſs lyeth not in Mercy to men, as I have read in great Divines: he may be perfectly Good, though he ſhould for ever torment the moſt innocent creatures?
Anſw. Theſe are ignorant preſumptuous intruſions into that which is unſearchable. Where doth Scripture ſay as you ſay? Judge of God as he revealeth himſelf, or you will but delude your ſelf and abuſe him. All his works repreſent him mercifull: for his Mercy is over all his works, and legible in them all. His word ſaith, He is Good and doth Good, Pſal. 119.68. and 145.9. How himſelf doth proclaim his own Name, Exod. 34.6, 7. I told you before. The moſt mercifull men are his livelieſt Image: and therefore he plants Mercy in them in their converſion, as a principal part of their new nature: and commands of mercifulneſs are a great part of his Law; and he bids us, Be mercifull as our heavenly Father is mercifull, Luk. 6.36. Now if this were none of his Nature, how could he be the pattern of our new nature herein? and if he were not infinitely Mercifull himſelf, how could we be required to be Mercifull as he is? Who dare ſay, I am more Mercifull then God?
Object. But God is Juſt as well as Mercifull: and for all his Mercifull nature, he will damn moſt of the world for ever in hell.
Anſw. 1. But James ſaith, Mercy rejoiceth againſt Judgement, Jam. 2.13. 2. God is neceſſarily the Governour of the world (while there is a world) and therefore muſt govern it in Juſtice, and ſo muſt not ſuffer his Mercy to be perpetually abuſed by wicked, wilfull, contemptuous ſinners. But then conſider two things; 1. That he deſtroyeth not humble ſouls that lye at his feet, and are willing to have Mercy on his eaſie termes; but only the ſtubborn deſpiſers of his Mercy: He damneth none but thoſe that will not be ſaved in his way; that is, that will not accept of Chriſt and ſalvation freely given them (I ſpeak of thoſe that hear the Goſpel: for others their caſe is more unknown to us:) And is it any diminution to his infinite Mercy, that he will not ſave thoſe that will not be intreated to accept of ſalvation? 2. And conſider how long he uſeth to wait on ſinners, and even beſeech them to be reconciled to him, before he deſtroyeth them: and that he heapeth multitudes of Mercies on them, even in their rebellion, to draw them to Repentance and ſo to Life? and is it unmercifulneſs yet if ſuch men periſh?
Object. But if God were ſo infinite in Mercy, as you ſay, Why doth he not make all theſe men willing, that ſo they may be ſaved?
Anſw. God having created the world and all things in it, at firſt, did make them in a certain nature and order, and ſo ſtabliſh them, as by a fixed Law: and he thereupon is their Governour, to govern every thing according to its nature. Now mans Nature was to be Principled with an Inclination to his own Happineſs, and to be lead to it by objects in a Morall way, and in the choice of means to be a free agent, and the Guider of himſelf under God. As Governour of the Rational creature, God doth continue that ſame courſe of Ruling them by Laws, and drawing them by ends and objects, as their natures do require: And in this way he is not wanting to them: His Laws are now Laws of Grace, and univerſal in the tenour of the free Gift and Promiſe: for he hath there given life in Chriſt to all that will have it: and the objects propounded are ſufficient in their kinde, to work even the moſt wonderfull effects on mens ſouls; for they are, God himſelf, and Chriſt, and glory: Beſides, God giveth men natural faculties, that they may have the uſe of reaſon; and there is nothing more unreaſonable then to refuſe this offered Mercy. He giveth inducing Arguments in the written Word and Sermons; and addeth ſuch Mercies and Afflictions that one would think ſhould bow the hardeſt heart. Beſides, the ſtrivings and motions of his Spirit within, which are more then we can give an account of. Now is not this as much as belongs to God as Governour of the Creature according to its Nature? And for the Giving of a New nature, and Creating New hearts in men, after all their rebellious rejecting of Grace, this is a certain Miracle of Mercy, and belongs to God in another Relation (even as the free chooſer of his Elect,) and not directly as the Governour of the univerſe. This is from his ſpecial Providence, and the former from his General. Now ſpecial Providences are not to be as common as the General, nor to ſubvert Gods ordinary eſtabliſhed▪ Courſe of Government. If God pleaſe to ſtop Jordan, and dry up the Red Sea for the paſſage of the Iſraelites, and to cauſe the Sun to ſtand ſtill for Joſhua, muſt he do ſo ſtill for every man in the world, or elſe be accounted unmercifull? The ſenſe of this Objection is plainly this: God is not ſo rich in Mercy, except he will New make all the World, or Govern it above its Nature. Suppoſe a King know his ſubjects to be ſo wicked, that they have every one a full deſign to famiſh or kill themſelves, or poiſon themſelves with ſomething which is enticing by its ſweetneſs. The King not only makes a Law, ſtrictly charging them all to forbear to touch that poiſon, but he ſendeth ſpecial Meſſengers to entreat them to it, and tell them the danger? If theſe men will not hear him, but wilfully poiſon themſelves, is he therefore unmercifull? But ſuppoſe that he hath three or four of his ſons that are infected with the ſame wickedneſs, and he will not only command and intreat them, but he will alſo lock them up, or keep the poiſon from them, or will feed them by violence with bitter food? is he unmercifull unleſs he will do ſo by all the reſt of his Kingdom?
Laſtly, If all this will not ſatisfie you; Conſider, 1. That it is moſt certain that God is Love, and infinite in Mercy, and hath no pleaſure in the death of ſinners. 2. But it is utterly uncertain to us, how God worketh on mans will inwardly by his Spirit. 3. Or yet what intollerable inconvenience there may be, if God ſhould work in other wayes, therefore we muſt not upon ſuch uncertainties, deny certainties; nor from ſome unreaſonable ſcruples about the manner of Gods working Grace, deny the bleſſed Nature of God, which himſelf hath moſt evidently proclaimed to the world.
I have ſaid the more of this, becauſe I finde Satan harp ſo much on this ſtring, with many troubled ſouls, eſpecially on the advantage of ſome common doctrines. For falſe doctrine ſtill tends to the overthrow of ſolid Peace and Comfort. Remember therefore before all other thoughts for the obtaining of Peace, to get high thoughts of the Gracious and Lovely Nature of God.