A Cabinet of Choice Jewels, Chapter 1 · Maxim 1
The first Maxim or Conſideration.
FIrſt, Some have made the witneſs of the Spirit to be the only mark or evidence of our intereſt in Chriſt,But this opinion being well laid aſleep in theſe dayes, I ſhall not put my ſelf to the trouble of awakening of it afreſh, but leave it to ſleep with the Authors, who are now in their graves. and deny all ſigns from the fruit of the Spirit; but this is to deny the fruit growing upon the Tree to be a ſign that the Tree is alive, whereas our Saviour expreſly tells us, That the Tree is known by his fruit, Mat. 12.33. Certainly 'tis one thing to judge by our graces, and another thing to reſt on our graces, or to put our truſt in our graces, or to make a Saviour of our graces; there is a great deal of difference between declaring and deſerving. Doubtleſs Chriſtians may look to their graces as evidences of their intereſt in Chriſt, juſtification and ſalvation, though not as cauſes of their intereſt in Chriſt, juſtification and ſalvation. O Sirs, we muſt alwayes carefully diſtinguiſh 'twixt the root and ground of our comfort, and between the teſtimonies or evidences of our intereſt in the root of our comfort. Now it muſt be readily granted that Jeſus Chriſt is the only root and ground of a Chriſtians comfort and triumph; and therefore ſaith Paul, Gal. 6 14.God forbid that I ſhould rejoyce in any thing, but in the Croſs of Chriſt. And ſo in that, 2 Cor. 2.14. New thanks be unto God, which alwayes cauſes us to triumph in Chriſt. So that, if at any time we behold this or that ſaving grace, or this or that part of holineſs ſhining in our hearts or lives, we take comfort in it, not as the cauſe, or root, or ground of our comfort or triumph, but as in a teſtimony or evidence, becauſe it doth manifeſt our intereſt in him, who is our comfort,Luke 2 25. Col. 3 11. Gen. 9 13, 14, 16. v. our peace, our joy, our ſalvation, our all in all. Look as the Rain-bow is not a cauſe, why God will not drown the world, but a ſign that God will not drown the world; and as it is a ſign that God will not drown the world, we may and ought to rejoyce in it, and to take comfort from it. So here, &c. 'Tis agreed on all hands, that ſanctification is a precious benefit of the Covenant of grace,Jer. 33.8, 9. Ezek. 36.25, 26. Heb. 8.10, 12. &c. as well as juſtification; and what crime can it then be, to evidence one benefit of the Covenant of grace, by another benefit of the ſame Covenant. That he that is juſtified, is alſo ſanctified, and that he that is ſanctified is alſo juſtified, is ſo clear, ſo bright, ſo ſparkling, and ſo full a truth contained in the Covenant of grace, that no man or devil can deny. Now what evil or error can it be for a man to aſſert, That he that is certainly ſanctified, is certainly juſtified; (it being the very language of the Covenant of grace) and that therefore he that knows himſelf to be ſanctified, may alſo know thereby that he is juſtified. Certainly, thoſe perſons that ſhall deny ſanctification to be a moſt ſure, ſweet and comfortable evidence of a mans juſtification, they muſt not only blot out and aboliſh the Epiſtles of James and John, but muſt alſo race out and aboliſh all thoſe Evangelical promiſes of grace and mercy, of happineſs and bleſſedneſs, that are made to ſuch perſons as are inveſted, enriched and beſpangled with the ſeveral graces of the holy Spirit; this might be made evident by many hundred Scriptures: but take that one for all, Mat. 5. where our Saviour himſelf (who was the moſt Evangelical Preacher that ever was in the world) makes eight or nine promiſes of mercy and bleſſedneſs to thoſe very perſons that had the graces of the Spirit inherent in them, as poverty of ſpirit, mourning, meekneſs, hungering and thirſting after righteouſneſs, &c. O Sirs, why ſhould we be ſo frequently and earneſtly call'd …pon to try and examine our ſelves,2 Cor. 12.5. ver. whether we be in the faith or no, if we were not to come to the knowledge of our faith, in a diſcourſive way, arguing from the effect to the cauſe. Have not the Saints of old come to aſſurance and the knowledge of the goodneſs of their eſtates this way? Ponder ſeriouſly on that, 2 Cor. 1.12. For our rejoycing is this, the teſtimony of our conſcience, that in ſimplicity and godly ſincerity we have had our converſation in the world. Mark, their joy was founded on the teſtimony of their conſcience, and their conſcience gave in this teſtimony from the ſincerity of their converſation in this world. So Paul in that, 2 Tim. 4.7, 8. I have fought a good fight, I have finiſhed my courſe, foreign Certamen illud praeclarum certavi. Beza. I have fought that excellent fight. By wreſtling the Apoſtle uſeth the ſame Metaphor alſo in that, 1 Cor. 9.25. v.I have kept the faith; henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteouſneſs. How plainly, how fully, how with open mouth (as I may ſay) does he conclude his right to the crown of Righteouſneſs (ſo called, partly becauſe 'tis purchaſed by the righteouſneſs of Chriſt, and partly, becauſe he is righteous that hath promiſed it, and partly, becauſe 'tis a juſt and righteous thing with God to crown them with glory at laſt, who have for the Goſpel ſake, and his glory ſake, been crowned with ſhame and reproach in this world, and partly (if not mainly) becauſe 'tis a crown that can only be had (or obtained) in a way of righteouſneſs and holineſs) from his graces and gracious actings in this world. I have fought a good fight, I have finiſhed my courſe, I have kept the faith; yea, 'tis further obſervable, that in the bleſſed Scripture, we are ſtrongly preſt to do good works, that by them we may make our calling, election and ſalvation ſure, 2 Pet. 1.10. Wherefore the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election ſure. By good works; ſo ſay all the Latine Copies, and ſo ſay ſome Greek Copies, though not thoſe that our Engliſh Tranſlators have been pleaſed to follow, and that is the reaſon why thoſe words (by good works) are not in our Engliſh Bibles; but he that ſhall ſeriouſly weigh the ſcope of the Apoſtle in this place, he muſt of neceſſity grant, that good works are to be underſtood, tho…gh they are not expreſt in the Text; and that of the Apoſtle, in 1 Tim. 6.16, 17, 18. ſeems plainly and ſtrongly to ſound the ſame way.