The Dead Saint Speaking to Saints and Sinners Living, Treatise 5 · Rule 5
5. Rule.
5 The fifth Rule whereby we ſhall be inabled to clear the ſincerity of our hearts, is; Be carefull to read your ſpirits, and take exact notice of your hearts at ſometimes more eſpecially. God in the wiſdome of his Providence, doth ſingle out ſome ſpecial times, wherein hee diſcovers the hypocriſy of the unſound, and declares the ſincerity of his own. It is very ſeldome that God doth ſuffer a man to end his days, before hee have tryed him, and ſo diſcovered him one way or another. The young man in the Goſpel went on fairly for a long time, and it is like, thought his condition good enough, but at laſt you ſee, Chriſt put him to the tryall, and by that diſcovered to him the unſoundneſſe of his heart. Herod hee went on fairely for a time, hee heard John, hee heard him often; hee heard him gladly, nay, and reformed too in many things, but at laſt God diſcovered his unſoundneſs, God uncaſed him, and made known the deceit of his heart. So Saul went on for a while, but at laſt God diſcovered him, So Simon Magus and Balaam. And as God hath times for the diſcovery of Hypocriſy in the wicked, ſo hee hath ſome ſpecial times and occaſions, wherein he doth diſcover the ſincerity of his own people. Moſes was a holy man, but hee had the time of his tryall, hee might have been eſteemed the ſonne of Pharaohs Daughter, have enjoyed all the plenty and honour of the Court; but hee refuſed to bee called the ſon of Pharaohs daughter, ſleighted, all that honour, and choſe rather to ſuffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleaſures of ſin, which are but for a ſeaſon, here was the diſcovery of his ſincerity, Heb. 11.24, 25.
Abraham hee was a holy man, but yet he paſſed through times of tryall too. And they were great ones. To name but one, God commanded him to offer up his ſon in ſacrifice, here was a triall, a great triall, Gen. 22.2.
1 Had hee been only to have parted with a dutiful Servant, it had been ſomething, but to part with a Son, that is more.
2 If with a Son, yet but an adopted ſonne, the tryall had not been ſo great, but this was a natural ſon.
3 If with a natural ſon, yet if hee had been but one of many, that tryall had not been ſo great, but this was not only his own, but his only ſon.
4 If with his own Son, if with his only ſon, yet if Abraham had been young, and ſo probable to have had more, the tryal had not been ſo great. But it was with his own, his only ſon, and the ſon of his old age, hee was never like to have more.
5 Nay yet further, though he had been, &c. yet if he had been an Iſmael, and not an Iſaac, the trial had not been ſo great, but it was to part with his Iſaac, a Child of many prayers, and of many promiſes, and in whom his heart delighted.
6. And again, if hee had been to part with him in the ordinary way of nature, by natural death, the tryal not ſo great; but hee was to part with him in a Sacrifice, wherein hee was to bee mangled and cut in peeces.
7. But yet had another been the executioner of his child, it had been ſome mitigation: But Abraham himſelf muſt bee his executioner, hee muſt do this ſad act.
And not to do it among his friends, who perhaps might have ſtept in, and comforted him in this tryal; but hee was to go three dayes journey to an unknown place, and there hee was to take away the life of him hee loved ſo dearly. Yet herein Abraham obeyed Gods command, and therin ſhewed his ſincerity. When the Precept of tryal might ſeem to contradict the Precept of Obedience, when his dutiful Obedience to the one, might ſeem to ſpeak his undutifulneſs to the other; yet herein hee declared his ſincerity. Whereupon God tells him, now I know thou loves mee, when now thou haſt made it known, now thou haſt diſcovered thy ſincerity, ſeeing thou haſt not with-held thy only ſon, Gen. 22.12. here was ſincerity, now I know thou feareſt God. The like I might inſtance in Job, in David, in Mordecai, they had their diſcovering times, times of tryal. So that God doth ſtill ſingle out ſome ſpecial times wherein hee diſcovers the ſincerity of his own people. And if you would bee ever able to clear your ſincerities, read the carriage of your hearts at theſe ſpecial times. One quarter of an hour may give a man ſurer evidence of his ſincerity or hypocriſy, than all the time of his life beſides.
There are five ſpecial times, wherein you may have the advantage,Read your ſpirits in times of if you bee careful, to read your own ſpirits, to clear the ſincerity of your hearts.
1. In times of darkneſs and temptation.1. Darkneſs. Read the actings and goings out of your ſpirits at ſuch times; an unſound ſpirit will now fall from God, deſiſt in his duty, ſtrike ſail. But the ſound ſpirit, hee will hold cloſer to God,Cujus faciem timer, ejus faciem invoca…. and follow him when hee ſeems to forſake him. Hee will go on to love him, although hee bee not able to clear whether ever hee ſhall bee beloved of him. Hee will repent of ſin, though hee bee not able to evidence whether ever God will pardon ſin. Hee will go on to obey and ſerve God, though hee bee not able to determine whether ever God will reward his obedience or no. Such like diſpoſitions do now break forth in a ſincere heart, in the times of greateſt darkneſs, which in times of clearer manifeſtation have no occaſion to ſhew themſelves. And theſe are the moſt undoubtedſt evidences of your ſincerity, which perhaps you ſhall ever meet withall in your lives. As wicked men do diſcover their greateſt corruptions in their higheſt advancements; ſo Gods people do diſcover, and exert, and put forth the higheſt acts of grace in their loweſt and meaneſt conditions. As the Sun ſhews greateſt glory when it is loweſt, when ſetting. So, &c.
As Chriſt ſet out the greateſt acts of divinity in his loweſt abaſements, then hee ſealed up the beams of the Sun, rent rocks, graves open, the earth trembles, &c. So the Saints, &c. This is that the Pſalmiſt ſaith, unto the upright there ariſeth light in darkneſs. Where the heart is unſound, it is dark in the greateſt light; ſo on the contrary, there is light in the greateſt darkneſs. Hypocriſy is like painted windows which let in no light; ſincerity is like windows of Glaſs.
Times of manifeſtation.2. See how your hearts and ſpirits work towards God, and towards ſin in times of light, and clearer manifeſtations of God. Where the heart is unſound, comfort doth him no good, hee will do ſomething in a ſtorm, then perhaps pray, &c. but hee will do nothing in a calm. Comforts make him more careleſs, more looſe, more remiſs in his Chriſtian way. Where on the contrary, hee who hath a ſound ſpirit, as hee is carried ſtrongly towards God, when hee with-holds his manifeſtations: ſo if God do but let in a beam of his Countenance into his ſoul, hee rejoyceth more in it, than in a World. Nay, and theſe comforts do quicken him to further duty, hee cannot lye at anchor, but hee muſt launch out into the deep, and lay out himſelf, his parts, his abilities, &c. I have ſometimes told you that quickneſs and comfort may bee ſeparated, a man may have comfort without quickneſs, hee may have joy without life. But quickening was never ſeparated from comfort. A man cannot have joy, but there will bee life, &c. Affections are like tinder, and Comfort like ſparks, not a ſpark of comfort can fall upon the heart, but the whole ſoul is ſet a fire, and carried ſtrongly on after God. Comforts from God ever lead the ſoul to communion with God.
Of outward diſtreſs.3. See how your ſpirits do work towards God, in times of outward diſtreſs and calamities upon you. 1 An unſound ſpirit, hee is for the moſt part proud and impatient under Gods hand, and ready to think God doth him wrong in afflicting him. But where the ſpirit is ſincere, hee is humble, hee is patient, hee layes his mouth in the duſt, kiſſeth the rod, and accepteth of the puniſhment of his iniquity, as you ſee the phraſe, Levit. 26.41. Example in Aaron. 2. Again, an unſound ſpirit, hee roars under the laſhes,Flagella dolent, quare flagellantur non dolent. cryes under the affliction, never complains of the ſin. As you ſee, Jer. 30.15. Why cryeſt thou, &c. But where the heart is ſincere, no evil troubles him, ſo much as the evil of ſin. You ſee it in David, when plagued. 3. Again, an unſound ſpirit, hee deſires to have the ſtroke removed, not to have his heart amended. The other deſires rather the amending of his heart, than the removal of the ſtroke. Saith Bernard, I had rather God ſhould better my heart, than remove his hand, rather continue my ſtrokes,Malim erudiri quam …ru…. than my ſins. You ſee this in Job, when Gods hand was on him, Job 34.32. That which I ſee not, teach thou mee, and if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more; as if hee had ſaid, Lord I know not the particular cauſe of this diſtreſs, what it is thou aims at, what I ſee not, teach thou, &c.
4. A fourth time,Of Proſperity. wherein to read your hearts is in times of proſperity. An unſound ſpirit grows worſe by mercy; mercy, deadens, ſ…ens his heart, Iſa. 26.10 Let favour bee ſhewed, &c. Hazael profeſſed much when hee was low, but no ſooner advance…, but mark then how hee acted againſt God, his Church and people, indeavouring to make his raiſing their ruine. So Saul, Jehu. Where now on the contrary, where the heart is ſound, all their raiſings, raiſe God, God is advanced in all their advancements.
And the higher God ſets up them, the higher will they indeavour to raiſe and ſet up God, his glory, his cauſe, his people. M…cies on an enemy ſtrengthen him to ſin, but on a friend ſtrengthen to ſervice, hee is but a man of greater ability to ſerve God. Many think if they were but ſo rich, ſo great; Oh how would they advance God and his cauſe! how make all to ſerve him, but thy heart may deceive thee, if thy heart bee not ſound, the higher God raiſeth thee, the lower thou wilt lay him, the more good God doth for thee, the more evil thou wilt do to him. It is a ſpecial time to read your ſpirits, to ſee to your ſincerity, in time of proſperity. There is no tryal in afflictions alone, they have ſomething in them may make men humble, meek, &c. but look to them in times of proſperity of a Church, Religion, cauſe of God. Many men have ſtood firm in the times of affliction of a Church, which ſtagger, fall back in times of redemption of a Church. That is the ſaddeſt. It is no ſtrange thing for men to ſtagger, to fall in the times of a declining in the Church, for fear, &c. But that is a corrupt heart indeed, corrupt with a witneſs that falls away in proſperity. That is the fourth time.
5. See how your ſpirits work in time of difficulty of danger.Of Danger. An unſound heart thinks how hee may avoid the danger; a ſincere ſpirit, how hee may avoid the ſin, Heb. 12.4. ſtriving againſt ſin, not againſt danger; trouble, but againſt ſin; to keep their conſciences pure and undefiled. An unſound ſpirit thinks how hee may ſave his carkaſs, a ſound Chriſtian how hee may keep his conſcience. As Epaminondas who reſolved to keep his buckler, or dye for it, being wounded to death,
Cryes out, num ſalvus clypeus meus? intimating hee was not hurt, if his buckler were ſafe. What hee of his buckler, a ſincere heart cryes out of his conſcience, num ſalva conſcientia? An unſound ſpirit hee ſees and judgeth his ſafety ſometimes to lye in the neglect of duty, and therefore in times of danger hee will bank and decline his duty, for fear of man. But a ſound ſpirit, hee ſees his ſafety to lye in the doing of his duty, and his danger in the neglect of it. An unſound ſpirit will rather chooſe ſin than affliction, Job 36.21. But where the ſpirit is ſincere, he will rather chuſe the greateſt evil,Vultis in vincula injure, vultis in mortem, voluptas eſt mihi. than the leaſt ſin, as Daniel, and the three children. Ambroſe ſaith, will you caſt me into priſon, will you take away my life, all this is deſirable rather than ſin. And when Eudoxia the Empreſſe, threatned Chryſoſtome with baniſhment, go tell her, ſaith he, I fear nothing in the world, but ſin. And the reaſon is,Nil niſi peccatum timeo. becauſe they look on ſin as the grand and univerſal evill, the womb of evill, and all other evils, but the births of ſin. It hath been the founder of hell, for before ſin no hell, twas that which laid the corner ſtone in that dark vault; nay it is that which hath filled hell with thoſe treaſures of wrath, and ſtill addes to it, and increaſeth the fewel, Rom. 2.5. Nay, they look not only upon ſin as …n evil univerſal, but as univerſally evil, no good in ſin. And therefore when the Apoſtle would ſpeak the worſt of Sin, hee could find no name worſe, than in its own to ſet it out by, ſinfull ſi…, as you ſee Rom. 7.13.
Theſe may bee the ſpecial times wherein you may read your own ſpirits, and bee able to gather evidences of your ſincerity.
3. Branch of Exhortation.
You that have cleared your ſincerity, do you labour to maintain the evidences of it, &c.
4. Branch of Exhortation.
To exhort them whoſe hearts are ſincere, that they would declare the ſincerity of their hearts on all occaſions. I have told you, that God hath ſpecial times for the tryal and diſcovery of the ſincerity of his own people. And it ſhould be our wiſdomes to take notice of thoſe times and ſeaſons, and our care at thoſe times to declare our ſincerity. Balaam had once a time to declare his ſincerity, when hee was hired with wealth and honor, to curſe the People of God; but not approving himſelf at that time, hee was branded for an hypocrite for ever. Saul had once a time to diſcover his ſincerity, when hee was commanded to go and ſlay all; but miſſing that time of declaring ſincerity, hee is branded, &c. The young man had a time too, when Chriſt propounded to him, to part with all and follow him, but miſſing that, not taking time to declare ſincerity, &c. Solomon had a time too, but he was too neglectfull, and what follows? hee is queſtioned whether ever ſaved or no, he is pictured between heaven and hell, as if men knew not where to fix him. Theſe had all ſpecial times afforded to them of declaring their ſincerity, and like vile wretches, they make them times of diſcovering Hypocriſy. And there is not a man of you, but God doth afford you ſome or ſpecial other occaſions in your lives of declaring the ſincerity of your hearts, which if God give wiſdome to diſcern of, and a heart to cloſe with, you will bee happy; but if not, you will ſmart for it. God may ſuffer you to lye and roar upon your death-bed, for want of an evidence of ſincerity, becauſe you are neglective of declaring your Sincerity, when God affords you an occaſion of it. Oh what ſad thoughts will theſe bee, when thou ſhalt look upon thy life, and think with thy ſelf, Such a time I was in ſuch a place, in ſuch an office, had ſuch an opportunity to ſhew my ſelf for God, to advance his glory, to do good to his Church, his people, his cauſe, and yet vile wretch I neglected it, I bawked it, I was unſerviceable, or I uſed my power, my ſtrength, my authority, as an Engine againſt God, againſt his people, againſt his cauſe, this will be trouble with a witneſs.
Well then, if you would prevent this, let every one in their ſeveral places and ſtations, declare the Sincerity of their hearts. Make your places your power, your parts, your riches, your friends, ſerviceable to God, to his Church, to his Cauſe. As Chriſt made all his Aſcenſions for the good of his Church, ſo do you. Think it not much to adventure and hazard any thing for the glory of God, the good of the Church. Pray for the Church, act for the Church, do for God, ſuffer for God, run this brave adventure to hazard all for the good of the Church of God. Hee who raiſeth up Gods glory, though by the ruines of himſelf; hee who advanceth Gods cauſe, though himſelf lye low for it, ſhall never be looſer by it, hath bargain good enough. You know thoſe places, Hee who prizeth father and mother, riches, lands, before mee, is not worthy of mee. Again, There is no man forſaketh father, or mother, riches, or lands, for my ſake, &c. but ſhall have a hundred fold, &c. So, Who ſaves his life, ſhall looſe it, but hee who looſes his life, &c. So, Hee who denies me before men, him will I deny. It is now a time wherein wicked men do ſhew their corruptions, do you make uſe of it, as a time to ſhew your graces; when they diſcover their hypocriſy, do you declare your ſincerity. I have looked and wondred to ſee thoſe men who have ſtood firm in the times of affliction of a Church, ſhould ſtagger and fall back in the times of redemption of a Church. It is not ſo ſtrange for a man to fall in the times of the declining of a Church: Then fear may make men ſtagger, as in Peter. But that is a corrupt heart indeed, corrupt with a witneſs, who falls back, and flyes off, in the times of reforming of a Church, to ſee men to fall back not in the times of perſecution, but in the times of reformation, this is a ſad thing. It may be weakneſs of grace, which occaſions a man to decline and fall back in the times of perſecution; but it is a wickedneſſe, and height of wickedneſſe, it ſhews a ſpirit oppoſite to God and goodneſſe, to bee worſe in times of reformation. Wee ſee it ſo in many in our times, and ſeeing unſound ſpirits to diſcover their corruptions, let Gods people now diſcover their graces. When Iſrael halted between God and Baal, making a mixture of divine worſhip and idolatrous together, one to bee ſet off by the other, that poiſon might bee ſwallowed down without ſcrupling; then did Elijah take occaſion to declare his ſincerity, when hee cryed, how long do you halt? &c. When Haman had plotted the death of all the Jews, and had gotten the Kings warrant for the doing of it, then was it a ſpecial occaſion for Mordecai and H…ſler to declare their ſincerity, which they did, Heſler 4.15, 16. When Iſrael had joyned themſelves to Baal Peor, then was it a ſpecial occaſion for Moſes to declare his ſincerity, which hee did, Numb. 25.5. You ſee what honour Phineas wonne by taking that ſpecial occaſion of declaring his ſincerity. The like of Levi, in Deut. 33.9. So of Abraham, Gen. 22. conſider, 1. God calls on you to declare your ſincerity. 2. The Church calls on you.
1. Thoſe abroad, our po…r diſtreſſed brethren in Ireland, they cry in the language of the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 94.16. Who will riſe up for mee againſt the evil doers, or who will ſtand up for mee againſt the workers of iniquity? Do you declare your ſincerity by helping them with your purſes, with your prayers, and with your perſons, ſo far as you are called out to it.
2. Our own Church and Nation calls upon us to declare our ſincerities, the ſingleneſs and honeſtneſs of your hearts in theſe double times. To help forward with our prayers, the good of the Church, the great work which concerns Gods glory, his cauſe now on the wheeles, the great work of reformation.
3. Your conſcience, that calls on you to diſcover your ſincerity; and conſcience is either a mans beſt friend, or worſt enemy. If you would not have conſcience ſhew it ſelf an enemy at that time, when you deſire it to appear your friend, then make uſe of the ſeaſons to declare the ſincerity of your hearts to God. And then will conſcience bee thy friend in health, thy friend in ſickneſs, thy friend in life, thy friend in death, when all other friend… muſt leave thee. The teſtimony of Hezekiahs conſcience to him when hee lay on his ſick-bed, which gave in evidence of his ſincerity, brought more comfort than all the World. Lord, remember how I have walked before thee, &c. Would you have conſcience to give in the like teſtimony for you? then declare the ſincerity of your hearts, when God calls you out. There is a ſtory, the moral whereof is good; that a man who had three friends which hee loved well, and being ſent for to the King, asked which of his friends would go with him; one tells him hee could not go, not ſtir, another told him hee would go a little way with him, but could not go out with him; the third, hee tells him, hee will not only go with him, but anſwer all for him, bring him off. God is the King, the World, kindred, and conſcience, are …he three friends, the arreſt, death, and the perſon ſent for, the ſoul. The World, that will leave you, kindred bring you a little way, to the grave, there leave you, but it is a good conſcience which carries a man thorough, and makes a man ſtand blameleſs before the tribunal. If you would have conſcience bee your friend, the… labour to diſcover ſincerity now.
A TREATISE OF THE Wonderfull Workings OF GOD FOR HIS Church and People.
BY SAMƲEL BOLTON, D. D. And MASTER of C. C. C.
LONDON: Printed by Robert Ibbitſon, for Thomas Parkhurſt, and are to be ſold at his Shop over againſt the Great Conduit in Cheapſide, 1656.