The Right Method for a Settled Peace of Conscience, Direction 7
DIRECTION VII.
7. You muſt get the right underſtanding of the difference between General Grace and Special: and between the Poſſibility, Probability, Conditional certainty, and Abſolute certainty of your Salvation: and ſo between the Comfort on the former ground, and on the later.
ANd here I ſhall open to you a rich mine of Conſolation.
Underſtand therefore that as every particular part of the houſe is built on the foundation, ſo is every part of Special Grace built on General Grace. Underſtand alſo, that all the four laſt mentioned particulars do belong to this General Grace: As alſo, that though no man can have Abſolute Certainty of Salvation, from the conſideration of this General Grace alone, yet may it afford abundance of relief to diſtreſſed ſouls, yea much true Conſolation. Laſtly, Underſtand, that All that hear the Goſpel may take part in this Conſolation, though they have no Aſſurance of their Salvation at all, no nor any ſpecial Saving Grace.
Now when you underſtand theſe things well, this is the Uſe that I would have you make of them.
1. Do not begin the way to your Spiritual Peace, by enquiring after the ſincerity of your Graces, and trying your ſelves by Signes: Do not ſeek out for Aſſurance of Salvation in the firſt place; nor do not look and ſtudy after the ſpecial Comforts which come from certainty of Special Grace, b… fore you have learned 1. To perform the Duty, 2. And to Receive the Comforts which General Grace affordeth. Such immethodical diſorderly proceedings, keepeth thouſands of poor ignorant Chriſtians in darkneſs and trouble almoſt all their daies. Let the firſt thing you do, be to obey the voice of the Goſpel, which calleth you to Accept of Chriſt and ſpecial Mercy: This is the Record that God hath given us eternal Life, and this life is in his Son: He that hath the Son hath life. Fix this deep in your minde; that the nature of the Goſpel is firſt to declare to our Underſtandings, the moſt gracious Nature, undertakings and performances of Chriſt for us (which muſt be beleeved to be true:) And 2. To Offer this Chriſt with all his ſpecial Mercy to every man to whom this Goſpel comes, and to Intreat them to Accept Chriſt and Life, which is freely given and offered to them. Remember then, You are a loſt ſinner: for certain Chriſt and Life in him is given and offered to you. Now your firſt work is, Preſently to accept it: not to make an unſeaſonable enquiry, Whether Chriſt be yours? but to Take him that he may be yours. If you were Condemned, and a Pardon were freely Given you, on Condition you would Thankfully Take it, and it were offered to you and you intreated to take it; what would you do in this Caſe? would you ſpend your time and thoughts in ſearching whether this Pardon be already yours? or would you not preſently Take it that it may be yours? Or if you were ready to famiſh, and food were offered you; would you ſtand asking firſt, How ſhall I know that it is mine? or rather Take and Eat it, when you are ſure it may be yours if you will. Let me intreat you therefore, when the devil clamours in your ears [Chriſt and Salvation is none of thine,] ſuppoſe that this voice of God in the Goſpel were ſtill in your ears, yea let it be ſtill in your memory [O Take Chriſt, and Life in him, that thou maiſt be ſaved:] ſtill think that you hear Paul following you with theſe words [We are Embaſſadors for Chriſt, as though God did beſeech you by us: we pray you in Christs ſtead, be Reconciled to God.] Will you but remember this, when you are on your knees in ſorrow; and when you would fain have Chriſt and Life, and you are afraid that God will not give them to you? I ſay, Remember then, God ſtands by Beſeeching you to Accept the ſame thing which you are Beſeeching him to give. God is the firſt ſuitor and ſolicitor: God Prayes you to Take Chriſt, and you Pray him to give you Chriſt: what have you now to do, but to Take him? And here underſtand, that this Taking is no Impoſſible buſineſs; it is no more but your hearty Conſenting, as I ſhall tell you more anon. If you did but well underſtand and conſider, that Beleeving is the great Duty that God calls you to perform, and promiſeth to ſave you if you do truly perform it; and that this Beleeving is to Take, or Conſent to have the ſame Mercy which you pray for, and are troubled for fear leaſt you ſhall miſſe of it, even Chriſt and life in him; this would preſently draw forth your Conſent, and that in ſo open and expreſs a way, as you could not but diſcover it, and have the comfort of it. Remember this then, That your firſt work is to Beleeve, or Accept an offered Saviour.
2. You muſt learn (as I told you,) to Receive the Comforts of Univerſal or General Grace, before you ſearch after the Comforts of Special Grace. (I here ſuppoſe you ſo far ſound in the doctrine of the Goſpel, as neither with ſome on one hand, to look ſo much at Special Grace, as to deny that General Grace which is the Ground of it, or preſuppoſed to it: nor with others, ſo far to look at univerſal Mercy as to deny Special.) Satan will tell you, that all your Duties have been done in hypocriſie, and you are unſound at the heart, and have not a drop of ſaving Grace: You are apt to entertain this, and conclude that all this is true: If I had any Grace, I ſhould have more Life, and Love and Delight in God; more tenderneſs of heart, more growth in Grace: I ſhould not carry about ſuch a Rock in my breaſt; ſuch a ſtupid, dull, inſenſible ſoul, &c.
At the preſent let us ſuppoſe that all this be true: yet ſee what a world of Comfort you may gather from Univerſal or General Mercy. I have before opened to you four parts of it in the Cauſe of your Happineſs, and three in the Effect, which may each of them afford much relief to your troubled ſoul.
1. Suppoſe you are yet Graceleſs, is it nothing to you that it is a God of Infinite Mercy that you have to do with? whoſe Compaſſions are ten thouſand times greater then your deareſt friends or your own husbands.
Object. O but yet he will not ſave the Graceleſs?
Anſw. True: but he is the more ready to give Grace, that you may be ſaved. If any of you (mark, any of you) do lack wiſdome, let him ask it of God, who giveth to all men liberally (without deſert) and upbraideth not (with our unworthineſs or former faults) and it ſhall be given him, Jam. 1.4. If you that are evil can give good gifts to your children, how much more ſhall your heavenly Father give his holy Spirit to them that ask it, Luk. 11.13. Suppoſe your life were in the hands of your own husband, or your childrens life in your hands, would it not exceedingly comfort you or them, to conſider, whoſe hands they are in? though yet you had no further Aſſurance how you ſhould be uſed? It may be you will ſay, But God is no Father to the Graceleſs? I anſwer: He is not their Father in ſo neer and ſtrict a ſenſe as he is the Father of Beleevers: but yet a Father he is even to the wicked: and to convince men of his Fatherly Mercy to them, he often ſo ſtileth himſelf. He ſaith by Moſes, Deut. 32.6. to a wicked generation, whoſe ſpot was not the ſpot of his children, Do ye thus requite the Lord, O fooliſh people and unwiſe? Is not he thy Father that bought thee? hath he not made thee and establiſhed thee? And the Prodigall could call him Father for his encouragement, before he returned to him, Luk. 15.16, 17, 18. For my own part, I muſt needs profeſs, that my ſoul hath more frequent ſupport from the conſideration of Gods Gracious and Merciful nature, then from the Promiſe it ſelf.
2. Furthermore. Suppoſe you were Graceleſs at the preſent; yet is it not an exceeding Comfort, that there is one of ſuch Infinite Compaſſions as the Lord Chriſt, who hath aſſumed our Nature, and is come down to ſeek and ſave that which was loſt; and is more tender hearted to poor ſinners, then we can poſſibly conceive? yea who hath made it his Office to Heal, and Relieve, and Reſtore, and Reconcile: Yea that hath himſelf endured ſuch temptations as many of ours: For we have not an high-Prieſt which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, without ſin: Let us therefore (ſaith the holy Ghoſt) come boldly unto the throne of Grace, that we may obtain Mercy, and finde Grace to help in time of need, Heb. 4.15, 16. Foraſmuch as the children were partakers of fleſh and bloud, he alſo himſelf likewiſe took part with them, that he might deſtroy through death, him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death, were all their lifetime ſubject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of Angels, but he took on him the ſeed of Abraham: Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren, that he might be a Merciful and faithful high-Prieſt in things pertaining to God, to make Reconciliation for the ſins of the people: For in that he himſelf hath ſuffered being tempted, he is able to ſuccour them that are tempted, Heb. 2.14, 15, 16, 17, 18. Have you diſcountenance from men? Chriſt had much more. Doth God ſeem to forſake you? ſo he did by Chriſt. Are you fain to lye on your knees crying for Mercy? why Chriſt in the days of his fleſh, was fain to offer up ſtrong cryes and tears, to him that was able to ſave him▪ and was heard in that he feared. It ſeems that Chriſt had diſtreſſing fears as well as you, though not ſinful fears. Have you horrid temptations? why Chriſt was tempted to caſt himſelf headlong, and to worſhip the Devil, for worldly preferment: Yea the devil had power to carry his body up and down, to the pinacle of the Temple, and the top of a mountain. If he had ſuch power of you, would you not think your ſelf certainly his ſlave? I conclude therefore, as it is an exceeding ground of comfort to all the ſick people in a City, to know that there is a moſt merciful and skilful Phyſitian, that is eaſily able to cure them, and hath undertaken to do it freely for all that will take him for their Phyſitian: ſo is it a ground of exceeding comfort to the worſt of ſinners, to all ſinners (that are yet alive, and have not blaſphemed the holy Ghoſt,) to know what a Merciful and ſufficient Saviour hath undertaken the work of mans Redemption.
3. Alſo, Suppoſe yet that you are Graceleſs: Is it nothing that a ſufficient Sacrifice and Ranſome is given for you? This is the very foundation of all ſolid Peace. I think this is a great comfort, to know that God looks now for no ſatisfaction at your hand: and that the Number or Greatneſs of your ſins, as ſuch, cannot now be your ruine. For certainly, no man ſhall periſh for want of the payment of his Ranſome, or of an expiatory Sacrifice for ſin: but only for want of a willing heart to Accept him that hath freely Ranſomed them.
4. Alſo, Suppoſe you are Graceleſs; Is it nothing that God hath under his hand and ſeal made a full and free Deed of Guift, to you and all ſinners, of Chriſt, and with him of pardon and ſalvation? and all this on Condition of your Acceptance or Conſent? I know the Deſpiſers of Chriſt ſhall be miſerable for all this: But for you that would fain have Chriſt, is it no comfort to know that you ſhall have him if you will? and to finde this to be the ſumme of the Goſpel? I know you have oft read thoſe free offers, Rev. 22.17. Whoſoever will, let him take of the water of life freely: Hoe every one that thirſteth, come, and drink, &c. Almoſt all that I have hitherto ſaid to you, is compriſed in that one text, Joh. 3.16. God ſo loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoſoever believeth in him ſhould not periſh, but have everlaſting Life.
And as I have ſhewed it you in the Cauſes (what Comfort even General MercieMercy may afford) ſo let me a little ſhew it you in the Effects. I mean, not only in that God is now ſatisfied; but as to your ſelf and every ſinner, theſe three things are produced hereby.
1. There is now a Poſſibility of Salvation to you. And certainly even that ſhould be a very great Comfort. I know you will meet with ſome Divines, who will tell you that this is no effect of Chriſts death; and that elſe Chriſt ſhould die for God, if he procured him a Power to ſave which he had not before: But this is no better then a Reproaching of our Redeemer. Suppoſe that a Traytor have ſo abuſed a King, that it will neither ſtand with his own Honour, nor Juſtice, nor Laws to pardon him: If his Compaſſion were ſo great that his own Son ſhall ſuffer for him, that ſo the King might be capable of pardoning him, without any diminution of his Honour or Juſtice; were it not a vile reproach, if this Traytor ſhould tell the Prince that ſuffered for him [It was for your Father that you ſuffered to procure him a Power of pardoning: it was not for me.] Its true, the King could not pardon him, without ſatisfaction to his Honour and Juſtice. But this was not through any Impotency: but becauſe the thing was not fit to be done: and ſo was Morally Impoſſible. For in Law we ſay, Diſhoneſt things are Impoſſible. And it had been no loſſe to the King if the Traytor had not been pardoned. So is it in our Caſe. And therefore Chriſts ſufferings could not be more eminently for us, then by enabling the offended Majeſty to forgive us; and ſo taking the greateſt impediment out of the way: for when impediments are once removed, Gods Nature is ſo Gracious and prone to Mercy, that he would ſoon pardon us when once it is fit to be done, and ſo Morally poſſible in the fulleſt ſenſe: only mens own Unwillingneſs now ſtands in the way, and makes it to be not fully fit to be yet done. Its true, in a Remote ſenſe, the Pardon of ſin was alway Poſſible; but in the neereſt ſenſe it was Impoſſible, till Chriſt made it Poſſible by his Satiſfaction.
2. Nay, though you were yet Graceleſs, you have now this Comfort, that your Salvation is Probable as well as Poſſible. You are very fair for it. The termes be not hard in themſelves, on which it is tendered. For Chriſts yoak is eaſie and his burden light, and his Commands are not grievous. The word is nigh you, even the offer of Grace: you need not ſay, who ſhall aſcend to Heaven, or go down to hell? Rom. 10. But this will appear in the next.
3. Yea, this exceeding Comfort there is, even for them that are Graceleſs, that their Salvation is Conditionally Certain, and the Condition is but their own willingneſs. They may all have Chriſt and Life if they will. Now I deſire you in all your Doubts, that you will well conſider and improve this one Truth and Ground of Comfort. Would you, in the midſt of your groans, and complaints, and fears, take it for a ſmall mercy, to be certain that you ſhall have Chriſt if you will? when you are praying for Chriſt in fear and anguiſh of ſpirit, if an Angel or voice from Heaven ſhould ſay to you [It ſhall be unto thee according to thy will: If thou wilt have Chriſt and Life in him, thou ſhalt:] would this be no Comfort to you? would it not revive you, and overcome your fears?
By this time I hope you ſee what abundance of Comfort General Mercy or Grace may afford the ſoul, before it perceive (yea or receive,) any ſpecial Grace (though few of thoſe that receive not Special Grace can make much uſe of General, yet it is propounded to them as well as others.)
1. All the terrifying Temptations which are grounded on miſrepreſentations of God (as if he were a cruel deſtroyer to be fled from,) are diſpelled by the due conſideration of his Goodneſs, and the deep ſetled apprehenſions of his Gracious, Merciful, Lovely Nature (which indeed is the firſt work of true Religion, and the very maſter Radical Act of true Grace, and the chief maintainer of Spiritual Life and Motion.)
2. All theſe Temptations are yet more effectually diſpelled by conſidering this Merciful Divine Nature dwelling in fleſh, becoming man, by condeſcending to the Aſſumption of our humane Nature; and ſo come neer us, and aſſuming the Office of being the Mediator, the Redeemer, the Saviour of the world.
3. All your doubts and fears that proceed from your former ſins, whether of youth or of age, of ignorance or of knowledge; and thoſe which proceed from your Legal unworthineſs; have all a preſent Remedy in the fullneſs and ſufficiency of Chriſts ſatisfaction, even for all the world: ſo that no ſin (except the excepted ſin) is ſo great, but it is fully ſatisfied for: and though you are unworthy, yet Chriſt is worthy; and he came into the world to ſave only the unworthy (in the ſtrict and Legal ſenſe.)
4. All your doubts and fears that ariſe from an apprehenſion of Gods unwillingneſs to ſhew you Mercy, and to give you Chriſt and Life in him, ariſe from the miſapprehenſion of Chriſts unwillingneſs to be yours; or at leaſt from the uncertainty of his willingneſs; theſe have all a ſufficient Remedy in the general extent and tenour of the New Covenant. Can you doubt whether God be willing to give you Chriſt and Life, when he hath given them already? even by a Deed of Guift under his hand, and by a Law of Grace, 1 Joh. 5.10, 11, 12.
Object. But yet all are not Pardoned, nor poſſeſſed of Chriſt, and ſo ſaved.
Anſw. I told you, that is becauſe they will not: ſo that (I pray you mark it well) God hath in theſe four Means before mentioned, given even to the Graceleſs ſo much Ground of Comfort, that nothing but [their unwillingneſs to have Chriſt,] is left to be their terror. For though ſin be not Actually Remitted to them, yet is it Conditionally Remitted, viz. if they will but accept of Chriſt offered them. Will you remember this, when your doubts are greateſt, and you conclude that certainly Chriſts is not yours, becauſe you have no true Grace: Suppoſe it be true: Yet ſtill know that Chriſt may be yours if you will, and when you will. This Comfort you may have when you can finde no Evidences of true Grace in your ſelf. So much for that Direction.