A Cabinet of Choice Jewels, Chapter 1 · Maxim 3
The third Maxim or Conſideration.
THirdly, conſider, In propounding of evidences for men to try their ſpiritual and eternal eſtates by, there are two ſpecial Rules for ever to be minded and remembred, and the firſt is this, That he that propounds evidences of grace, which are only proper to eminent Chriſtians, as belonging to all true Chriſtians, he will certainly grieve and ſad thoſe precious Lambs of Chriſt that he would not have grieved and ſadded. Look, as there is a ſtrong faith, and a weak faith,Mat. 15 28. and Chap. 8 26. It is one thing to ſhew you the properties of a man, and another thing to ſhew you the properties of a ſtrong man, 1 Pet. 2.3. 1 John 2.1, 12, 13, 14. v. ſo there are evidences that are proper to a ſtrong faith, and evidences that are proper to a weak faith: Now, he that cannot find in himſelf the evidences of a ſtrong faith, he muſt not conclude that he has no faith; for he may have in him the evidences of a weak faith, when he has not the evidences of a ſtrong faith in him; in Chriſt's School, Houſe, Church, there are ſeveral ſorts and ranks of Chriſtians, as babes, children, young men, and old men; and accordingly, Miniſters in their preaching and writing, ſhould ſort their evidences, that ſo babes and children may not be found bleeding, grieving and weeping, when they ſhould be ſound joying and rejoycing. Secondly, no man muſt make ſuch characters, marks or evidences of a child of God, which may be found in an hypocrite, a Formaliſt, &c. for this were to lay a ſtumbling block before the blind, this were to delude poor ſouls,Ezek. 13.22. v. and to make them glad whom God would not have made glad; yea, this is the high-way, the ready way, to make them miſerable in both worlds. The rule or evidence that every Chriſtian is to meaſure himſelf by, muſt be neither too long nor too ſhort, but adequate to the ſtate of a Chriſtian; that is, it muſt not be ſo long on the one hand, as that all Chriſtians cannot reach it, nor yet ſo ſhort on the other hand, as that it will not reach a true Chriſtian; but the rule or evidence muſt be ſuch as will ſuit and fit every ſincere believer, and none elſe: Some Chriſtians are apt to judge of themſelves, and to try themſelves, by ſuch rules or evidences as are competent only to thoſe that are ſtrong men in Chriſt, and that are grown to a high pitch of grace, of holineſs, of communion with God, of ſpiritual enjoymen…s, and heavenly attainments, and ſweet and bleſſed …aviſhments of ſoul; and by this means they come to conclude againſt the works of the bleſſed ſpirit in them, and to perplex and diſquiet their own ſouls with needleſs fears, doubts and jealouſies; others on the other hand, are apt to judge of themſelves, and to try themſelves, by ſuch things, rules or evidences that are too ſhort (and will certainly leave them ſhort of heaven) as a fair civil deportment among all ſorts and ranks of men, a good nature, paying every man their d…e, charity to the poor,Mat. 23. Luke 18 9, 10, 11, 12. v. Iſa. 1.2, 3, 4, 5. a good name or fame among men (yea, happily among good men) outward exerciſes of Religion, as hearing, praying, reading, faſting, or that they are good negative Chriſtians, that is to ſay, that they are no drunkards, ſwearers, lyars, adulterers, extortioners, oppreſſors, Sabbath-breakers, perſecutor, &c.Phil. 3.4.5, 6 v. Gal. 6.3. Iſa. 33.14. Thus far Paul attained before his converſion, but if he had gone no further, he had been a loſt man for ever; and by this means they flatter themſelves into miſery, and are ſtill a dreaming of going to heaven, till they drop into hell, and awake with everlaſting flames about their ears: And oh, that all that preach or print, read or write, would ſeriouſly lay this to heart, ſome in deſcribing the ſtate of a Chriſtian, ſhew rather what of right it ſhould be, than what indeed it is; they ſhew what Chriſtians ought to be, rather than what they find themſelves to be, and ſo they become a double edged ſword to many Chriſtians. But,