The Dead Saint Speaking to Saints and Sinners Living, Treatise 5 · Application 2
2. Uſe.
If it bee poſſible for a man to do much in the wayes of God, and yet bee unſound, yet miſs of Heaven: Then this may diſcover to us the ſandineſs and unſafeneſs of theſe bottomes, to reſt a mans ſoul upon.
How many thouſands, who have no better evidences for Heaven, than the bare performance of duties? They come to Church; they hear the Word; they pray, &c. And therefore they hope all is well.
My Brethren, It is true, If the bare performance of duties were ſufficient evidences to conclude our good condition: then whoever did abound moſt in theſe things: they had the ſureſt bottomes to reſt upon.
But (alas!) You ſee it is poſſible for a man to abound in duty, and yet his heart bee unſound. And therefore the doing of theſe things will not bee ſufficient to evidence to your ſelves, that your condition is good.
If theſe Anchors ſhould ever hold, you need not to beat out any better Anchors for your ſouls. But ſeeing theſe do not hold out ever, you had need ſeek out for better. Elſe you may miſcarry at laſt.
Theſe may hold in a Calm, when they are put to no ſtreſs; but will bee ſure to break in a ſtorm. You ſee the houſe built upon the Sand, it ſtood well enough, and the ſtructure was fair, the ſandineſs of the foundation was not diſcovered, whiles there was a Calm. But (ſaith Chriſt) When the Rain fell, and the Winds blew, and the Waves did beat, when the Storm aroſe, then was the ſandineſs of the foundation diſcovered — the houſe fell, for it was built upon the Sand.
So here. While you have a Calm, while you are in health, injoy peace, &c. Theſe bottomes ſeem firm enough; you do not diſcover the ſandineſs of theſe foundations. But a Storm doth ariſe, when you come upon your ſick-beds, when you come to the day of death, then you ſhall ſee the unſoundneſs of your bottomes. All your buildings, your fair ſtructures, all your works and walkings upon this foundation will bee ſurely blown down; they will never abide the tryal.
And therefore let mee ſtir you up; you, who are reſolved for God; you, who, are bound for Heaven, that you would get better evidences, than the bare and naked performance of duties, will afford you. All which may bee done, and thou ſink into Hell at the laſt. Nay, get better evidences than duty it ſelf performed at the beſt, is able to afford unto you.
1. Becauſe evidences of this kinde are obſcure, full of ambiguity, full of intricate diſputes and controverſies. There will bee Objection upon Objection; and controverſy upon controverſy will ariſe. And all muſt bee cleared, and all Objections anſwered, before ever wee can conclude our eſtates by them.
I ſay, Evidences of this kinde, they muſt bee put in ſuit, and paſs a long ſcrutiny and tryal, where there muſt bee Evidences upon Evidences, and no end of them, before ever wee can have any comfort in them.
You will finde, that the clearing of the truth of theſe Evidences will bee as difficult, if not more, than the compaſſing of the Evidences themſelves.
2. Wee are to ſeek out for better Evidences than duty performed at the beſt can afford us, becauſe theſe kinde of Evidences are not only obſcure, full of ambiguity, and ſo uncertain: But becauſe theſe kinde of Evidences, they are unconſtant, they are inſtable, they may appear to day, and vaniſh to morrow.
You know, my Brethren, that a man is not alwayes in the ſame temper of ſpirit: his ſpirit is ſubject to varying and alteration, in the performance of duties. And therefore though a man may fetch an Evidence out of the Court of duty, at this time, yet it may bee at another time, the Court will not afford it. A man may bee cleared to day by duty, and condemned to morrow: This day hee may thence have an evidence, and hee may bee caſt in the ſame Court to morrow. Our comforts fetcht hence are lyable to change: They vary, as wee vary; change as wee change.
This is certain, That the Peace which is wrought out of our ſelves, is again loſt by our ſelves. And the comfort gotten by duty at one time, is loſt by duty at another time. Well then, I call you out, to ſeek out for better evidences, Such as will afford you more fulneſs of peace, and will miniſter to you more ſtability of comfort, than theſe can do.
Fetch your Evidences from your Juſtification, your intereſt in Christ, in the Covenant. You will finde an emptineſs in all; only a fulneſs here. Draw your waters of comfort from the higheſt ſprings, the ſprings of Juſtification. Theſe are
1. The cleareſt.
2. The pureſt.
3. The moſt ſatisfying.
4. The moſt conſtant Evidences.
1. Theſe are the cleareſt Evidences. They are fetched from the Spring. Other waters are muddy and diſturbed: but Spring-waters are clear. So Evidences taken from other things often run muddy, and are diſturbed: but thoſe from Juſtification are the cleaneſt, and run the cleareſt.
Though theſe kinde of Evidences are hardest to clear: It will coſt a man ſomething before he reach to theſe Evidences, before he can make out theſe Evidences to himſelf: yet they are the moſt perſpicuous, being cleared.
The Teſtimony of blood is the hardeſt and darkeſt Teſtimony to make out: but none is more clear than that, when once you have made it out to your ſouls. So that it is worth all your labour and pains you take in the clearing of it.
Other Evidences are liable to diſpute. But what can Satan diſpute againſt this? Doth hee ſay, Thou art a ſinner? Yea, but maiſt thou ſay, God juſtifies ſinners, hee juſtifies the ungodly. Though ſin hath weakened the Law, and made that unable to do us good: yet it hath not weakened Chriſt, and Free Grace; nor ſhould it weaken our Faith, if now wee bee returning ſinners.
If Sin it ſelf were a juſt Obſtacle, then there could never bee any, who could bee Juſtified, or fetch comfort from their Juſtification: becauſe all were ſinners. I am a ſinner, ſo was Abraham, the Father of the Faithful: ſo the beſt of Gods worthies.
Doth hee ſay, our ſins are great? Yet wee may ſay; they are not greater than God can pardon. They are not greater than
1. The Mercy of God, to pardon them, or
2. The Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, to cover them.
1. For the Mercy of God; The Apoſtle tells us, there was more than enough to pardon him, who was the greateſt of ſinners, 1 Tim. 1.13, 14, 15, 16. — The Grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant. The word in the Original is foreign. Did ſuperabound; was more than enough; more than might ſerve the turn for him, who was the greateſt of ſinners.
2. And for the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, it is ſaid to bee an everlaſting Righteouſneſs: more than eternity of ſinning is able to expend, and draw drye. It is a Righteouſneſs, which as it cannot bee overclaſped by any Faith; So can it not bee poſed, non-pluſt by any ſin.
You ſee, Rom. 1.17. It is a Righteouſneſs revealed from Faith, to Faith. The more Faith, not the leſſe, but the more Righteouſneſs is diſcovered. And as it cannot bee over-claſped by any Faith; ſo it cannot bee exceeded by any ſin.
Thus you ſee Evidences from our Juſtification, they are the cleareſt Evidences; the freeſt from diſputes: and if any Objections do ariſe, they may bee the more quickly laid.
But now it is not ſo with other kinde of Evidences. If a man take an Evidence from Duty, there will bee controverſies: Objection upon Objection will ariſe: and there muſt bee Evidence upon that Evidence, before ever a man can make out the truth of them. Nay, though Evidences bee taken from Graces themſelves, yet you will ſcarce finde a bottome without much ſearch.
Suppoſe a man come to bring in his Love to Christ for an Evidence; yet this is liable to diſpute. You know, there is a Falſe-Love, as well as a True, a counterfeit, as well as a ſound. And therefore this muſt bee examined by the Nature of your Love, the workings of your Love towards Chriſt; the expreſsions of your Love in all the wayes of Obedience.
And I muſt tell you of great latitude and extent in this tryal. There will bee long debates, before you come to the utmoſt. And the like I may ſay of any Grace beſides. Therefore theſe from Juſtification are the cleareſt Evidences from diſputes and controverſies.
2. Theſe are the pureſt Evidences. Spring-waters are the pureſt waters: ſo theſe Evidences fetched from the Spring; ſcil. from your Juſtification, and intereſt in Chriſt; theſe are the pureſt. I ſay, theſe kinde of Evidences are the pureſt, and moſt unmixed Evidences.
You ſhall ſee, all other kinde of Evidences, they are not ſo pure; they have mixtures in them.
1. Are they taken from Prayer? yea, and Prayer at the beſt? yet theſe are not pure; they have mixtures in them. Our beſt Duties are mingled with imperfections. They have a tang and taſte of the fleſh in them.
You know, there is much deadneſs with our chiefeſt Life, much formality in our beſt Power; much coldneſs with our heats: much of the fleſh in all the imployments of the ſpirit.
2. Or are they taken from hearing? and that at the best? your own hearts can tell; There is much mixture in that Duty. Oh! what abundance of the Week is in the Sabbath! how much of the Shop in the Church? what diſtractions, in your beſt attentions? what carnal hearts, in your ſpiritual imployments? what Pride? what Prejudice? what Infidelity? what Dulneſs doth attend all your hearing?
3. Nay yet further. Are your evidences taken from Graces themſelves? yet theſe are not pure. There is much mixture in them▪ Our Graces themſelves are full of Imperfections. You know, there is much blindeneſs with your Light; much enmity with your Love; much hardneſs of heart with your mourning for ſin, yea, and much mud, much worldly ſorrow, in your pureſt tears; much Pride with your humility; much murmuring with your patience; As wee might ſhow at large, if need were.
But now theſe Evidences which are taken from our Juſtification, they are pure, without mixture. Though the Faith which juſtifies us is imperfect, yet the Grace which juſtifies us is perfect.
I ſay, theſe Evidences are pure, without mixture, becauſe they are ſuch, as have nothing of our own in them: had they any thing of ours, they would bee imperfect and impure: but having nothing of ours, but all Chriſts, they are altogether perfect and pure. Chriſt is all fair, all perfect, all pure.
Our ſanctifying Righteouſneſs is ſtained, imperfect, impure; but our justifying Righteouſneſs is pure and perfect. If there were any ſtain or any imperfection in that, it could not juſtifie, it could not ſave us; wee ſhould bee undone for ever. But that is pure, that is perfect, and wee in it. As the Apoſtle ſaith, Col. 2.10. — In him wee are compleat. Compleat in him, though imperfect in our ſelves.
3. Theſe are the moſt ſatisfying Evidences. Other Evidences admit of much queſtionings. Though taken from Duties, yea Graces themſelves; yet they admit of long diſputes, ſharp incounters and aſſaults. And, when all is done, yet they bring not ſuch fulneſs of ſatisfaction to the ſoul. But now Evidences taken from our Juſtification, theſe are ſoul ſatisfying Evidences, becauſe the ſatisfaction of Chriſt is in them. Theſe Evidences are not fetcht from any thing in us, or any thing done by us; but from the ſatisfaction which Chriſt himſelf hath wrought for us. And if there bee any diſpute againſt this, then may wee much more diſpute againſt the other.
If Chriſt bee not a compleat Satisfier of Gods Wrath and Juſtice for our ſins, then theſe Evidences from the Satisfaction of Chriſt would do mee no good. As the Apoſtle ſaid of the Reſurrection of Chriſt, which was the declaration of that full ſatisfaction Chriſt had wrought. — If Chriſt bee not riſen; then our faith is in vain; our hope in vain: ſo here: — If Chriſt have not fully ſatisfied Gods Juſtice; if hee hath not paid all the Debt; anſwered all bils of Inditements against mee; then my Faith is in vain; then theſe Evidences can do my ſoul no good. But if Chriſt hath fully ſatisfied Gods Juſtice; then am I ſure; for this ſatisfaction is mine.
So that you ſee, theſe are ſuch Evidences, as do not only quiet, but ſatisfie conſcience to the full. Such as ſilence all doubts; anſwer all ſcruples and objections, that do ariſe.
Other Evidences; they are not ſo full, not ſo ſatisfactory. They may afford a man ſome obvious Refreſhment, for a time, to hold up the head from ſinking; but they bring not fulneſs of ſatisfaction into the ſoul.
But now this doth; becauſe you ſee it is taken from ſuch things wherein God himſelf is ſatisfied; and therefore no reaſon but wee ſhould bee ſatisfied. If the Creditor ſay enough, ſhall not the Debtor bee ſatisfied?
4. Theſe are the moſt conſtant Evidences. Floods and Rivers may fail, but Springs are conſtant. Such Evidences as are taken from any thing within us, or any thing done by us, may (at leaſt, as to evidence) fail us.
But ſuch Evidences as are taken from without us, as, &c.
Theſe are permanent and conſtant. In the greateſt drought here will bee Water enough, Jer. 17.7, 8. — Bleſſed is the man that truſteth in the Lord, and whoſe hope the Lord is; for hee ſhall bee as a Tree planted by the Rivers of Waters, and that ſpreadeth out her roots, and ſhall not ſee when heat commeth; but her leaf ſhall bee green, and ſhall not be carefull in the year of drought, neither ſhall ceaſe from yeelding fruit.
Other Evidences are unconſtant; they may bee clear to day, and bee clouded to morrow: the heart is not ever in the ſame frame. But now theſe are permanent, abiding Evidences: they are as ſure as the Oathes, Promiſe, Covenant of God, though not ever to ſenſe, yet they are ever ſure to Faith, though not ever to apprehenſion, yet ever in truth. Wee may ever conclude them, though wee cannot ever clear them. Conclude them wee may by Faith, though wee cannot clear them to ſenſe.
I might inlarge my ſelf, and go yet further to tell you theſe are the ſweeteſt, the moſt refreſhing and comforting evidences.
But to conclude this uſe. If ever you would have ſtrong conſolation, if ever you would have a full and ſetled peace and comfort, then hence draw your Evidences, fetch your Evidences from Juſtification.
I know, that which keeps you upon the racks of fears, that which continues you in doubts and jealouſies, is this. You take your Evidences too low, either from ſomething in you, or ſomething done by you, and ſo you are forced to anſwer a multitude of Objections and reaſons, before ever you can finde a bottome to reſt upon.
That which doth raiſe up new doubts and objections in your ſpirits, and which cauſeth a freſh return of fears upon you, is becauſe you do not take your Evidences high enough.
You take them from Duties, Prayers, Diſpoſitions, preſent Affections. And ſo upon every failing you are caſt, and all thrown down again, new fears ariſe, as if you never had any Evidence.
Were an Evidence ſealed in the higher Court, what Court ſhall diſpute againſt it, what can overthrow it?
But now if all this will not perſwade you to fetch your Evidences higher, but that you will ſtill lye by theſe waters for comfort, you will ſtill fetch your Comforts and Evidences from Duties, yet let mee thus far perſwade with you, that you would labour to clear the ſincerity of your heart in theſe duties. Otherwiſe all this ſomething will bee nothing to you; no bottome of Comfort.
They are but uncertain bottomes at the beſt, but without ſincerity to accompany them they will bee no bottomes, an houſe not built on the Sand, but built in the Air, no foundation.
And this is the next uſe wee will come unto.