Spiritual Refining, Religious treatise · Section 1 · Sermon 4
SERMON IV.
Shewing that Aſſurance may be had.
2 COR. 13. 5.
Examine your ſelves, &c.
WE come to the ſecond Doctrine, which though implied only, yet is of neceſſary uſe. The Apoſtle preſſing them to try, whether they be in Chriſt, and in faith or no, doth thereby ſuppoſe, that there are ſuch ſigns and ſymptomes of this ſtate and condition, that a man diligently attending thereunto by the help of Gods Spirit, may come to be aſſured that he is in ſuch a ſtate, for whereas Becanus the Papiſt would argue againſt Aſſurance from the Text, That the Corinthians were uncertain of their ſpiritual eſtate, otherwiſe it had been a vain thing and abſurd to exhort a man to examine himſelf about that of which he is certain; The anſwer is eaſie, That although they might de facto not have aſſurance, yet the Apoſtle his urging this upon them doth evidently ſuppoſe it poſſible, and not only ſo, but their duty to have it. Although none do hold ſuch a certainty in this life, as the Saints in Heaven have, which excludeth all weakneſſes; Therefore the certainty Gods people do reach unto hath its degrees, and doth admit of changes.
The Doctrine,
There are ſuch characters and ſigns of the ſtate of grace laid down in Scripture, Obſerv. 2.that a godly man by the faithfull application of them to himſelf, being thereunto guided and inabled by the Spirit of God, may be aſſured that he is in ſuch a ſtate.
In the Doctrine there are three main particulars muſt be ſpoken unto and opened: 1. Aſſurance and Certainty: 2. The Signs and Marks of Grace: 3. The work of Gods Spirit in this; and much excellent practical matter will flow from every one of theſe fountains; and marvel not if I be large ere this ſubject be fully finiſhed, for it is a ſubject of the greateſt concernment that may be, and if men be willing to ſpend ſo much time and coſt in evidencing their Titles and Proprieties in Land or earthly Goods, how diligent ſhould we be about heavenly!
I ſhall therefore firſt ſpeak to the matter of Aſſurance or Certainty; and for Twelve Propoſitions about Aſſurance. 1.this take notice of theſe particulars,
Firſt, A Certainty or Aſſurance may be had of a thing divers waies, as There is a certainty of ſenſe, ſuch as Thomas deſired to have by putting his fingers into Chriſts wounds; and this Philoſophers ſay is infallible about its proper object, if there be no defect or impediment in the ſenſitive faculty.
Again, There is a certainty of Science or Knowledge, and that is either of firſt principles which are aſſented unto by all, without any diſcourſe or debate at all, or elſe of ſuch concluſions as are deduced from thoſe principles.
Laſtly, There is a certainty ariſing from the Authority of thoſe who do declare or witneſſe ſuch things; for the teſtimony of him whom I believe to be the ſupream truth and infallible about ſuch or ſuch things, doth beget a firm and ſure perſwaſion that they are true; now this Authority is two-fold, either Humane; and as the men who witneſſe are for number few or leſſe, or for quality more or leſſe worthy of credit, ſo more or leſſe is that Certainty; and this breeds an humane faith, or moral certainty only (now it is much to be feared that the greateſt part of Proteſtants even in matters of Religion, have no more then this humane faith, believing upon no higher a motive then humane tradition, or the authority of man,) or elſe it is Divine, from Gods authority and revelation, and this begets an undoubted aſſent, which cannot be over-maſtered by any contrary temptation. Hence it is that this certainty of faith is above all certainty of ſenſe or reaſon, becauſe the ground of it is more firm and immutable; and although the nature of things believed be far above our underſtandings (as in the doctrine of the Trinity and incarnation of Chriſt) yet the teſtimony of them is clear and evident, ſo that the certainty of faith may not be called obſcure, as Papiſts term it, but clear and evident; for that is true which Aquinas ſaith, No man believeth that which he doth not ſee to be credible, and therefore in every thing believed there is evidentia credibilitatis, a clearneſs and evidence of the grounds why I do believe, though there be not alwaies evidentia rei, a clearneſs of the thing aſſented to; now if you ask, To what kinde of certainty is that reduced, which the people of God have about their being in Chriſt, and in the ſtate of grace; I anſwer it is a mixt or compounded certainty, partly a certainty of faith, and partly of ſenſe and in experience, which ſenſe is ſpiritual, and wrought by the Spirit of God in us, ſo that it doth farre tranſcend probable conjectures and moral perſwaſions ariſing in us, becauſe of ſuch bodily affections or diſpoſitions of joy and grief, which we ſometimes finde in our ſelves, and hypocrites alſo are many times made partakers thereof.
Secondly, A man may be aſſured that the condition he liveth in is damnable, and 2. A man may be aſſured he is wicked.ſuch a wicked man is to be aſſured of that as long as he continueth in that life, he is without the ſtate of grace: So that we may truly ſay to many the contrary in this Text, Examine your ſelves, try your ſelves, whether you be in the fleſh, and power of ſinne or no; Know ye not that the devil dwelleth and reigneth in you? The Apoſtle ſaith, Gal. 6. The works of the fleſh are manifest, and therefore ſuch who live in the practice and habitual cuſtome of groſſe ſins, may and ought to conclude unto their own ſouls that they are in the ſtate of gall and wormwood, and that they have no portion in Chriſt or his benefits; and O that ſuch would make ſuch practical concluſions and judgements againſt their own ſelves, it might be an effectual preparation to awaken and rouſe them out of their ſecurity, whereas through ſelf-flattery, and a groundleſſe perſwaſion of Gods mercy, they utterly deſtroy themſelves.
But although a man may for the preſent conclude that he is in a ſlate of ſinne None can be ſure they are Reprobates.and death, Yet none may aſſure themſelves that they are reprobated by God, and that they have ſuch ſigns upon them that they can never be ſaved, becauſe no man can come to ſuch a certainty out of the Scripture; and as for a particular revelation, as God doth not aſſure believers by any ſuch extraordinary way, much leſſe may we think he will the reprobate by that way. We therefore ſpeak of the preſent eſtate of a wicked man, let ſuch an one caſt up his accounts, come to a peremptory concluſion how it is between God and his ſoul, do not live in vain hopes, be not as one that knoweth not what to do, or what will become of him, how many are there who on their death-beds cry out, Live they cannot, and die they dare not, though they muſt? Doſt thou not ſee the plague-tokens upon thy ſoul as yet? Are not thy oaths, thy luſts, thy neglect of holy duties a full demonſtration that thy heart is barren of all grace?
Thirdly, It is eaſier for a particular Church to know it is a true viſible Church, then for a particular Chriſtian to know that he is a true believer. For to a true viſible 3.Church are required only thoſe notes and marks which are external, as the pure preaching of the Word with an external ſubmiſſion unto it, or receiving of it, and where this is, a man may conclude there is a true viſible Church for the eſſence of it; but to the truth of grace in a mans heart, there is required internal and ſecret operations of Gods Spirit by a powerful and moſt effectual change of a mans ſoul. Now as in the notes and marks of a true Church, ſome take general marks which are common to falſe Churches, as the Papiſts, Signs of univerſality, antiquity and temporal felicity, &c. And again, Others they make the whole diſpute about the marks of a Church uſeleſſe and of no profit at all (as Epiſcopius that Remonſtrant) ſo for the ſigns of grace, ſome are too large, and make thoſe things arguments of grace which any hypocrite may attain to, as Baptiſm, Morality, external conformity to Gods Law, &c. So others, as the Antinomians, do wholly overthrow the Doctrine about ſigns of grace, and make it altogether uſeleſſe to preach about them: but this is to be confuted in its time.
Eſtius the Papiſt would make this exhortation of the Apoſtle in the Text, to be only for trial, Whether they were a true Church, and whether Chriſt dwelt in them by true Doctrine, Miracles and his Ordinances? But that cannot be the total meaning, partly, becauſe every believer had not Chriſt dwelling in him by Miracles, and therefore ſuch an one could not have acknowledged Pauls miniſterial power; and if ſo, then Paul would not have provoked to that, partly becauſe this place, and that of Epheſ. 3. 17. may explain one another; now there Chriſt is ſaid, To dwell in their hearts by faith, where it muſt needs be juſtifying faith; and certainly Chriſt is in us, as we are in Chriſt, for Joh. 14. 10. theſe are put together, now we are not in Chriſt by a faith of Miracles, and therefore he is not in us by ſuch a faith.
Fourthly, No man can by any natural light or evidence in him, come to be aſſured 4. Aſſurance not a natural light.of the grace wrought in his ſoul. Hence I ſhall ſhew you, that it is Gods Spirit which doth ſeal to us what we are; and that as a man cannot ſee the Sunne but by the light of the Sunne, ſo neither can he ſee Chriſt or his graces in him but by the Spirit of Chriſt. Hence a man may be in the ſtate of grace and not know it, even as the childe in the womb may be an heir to a great inheritance, and not underſtand it; and therefore as it is not the power of a mans free-will to ſubdue and conquer ſinne, but that belongs to the Spirit of God ſanctifying, ſo it is not the light of a mans natural underſtanding that can aſſure us of the things of God in us, but it belongs to the ſpirit of Adoption in us. Hence it is that a man naturally is deſtitute of all comfort, as well as grace, his heart is like an hell; as there is the unquenchable fire of luſt, which never goeth out, ſo there are worms of doubts and fears perpetually gnawing which never die. For the Promiſes being divine and ſupernatural, we have no more inclination to them, or compliance with them then the commands of God, which require holineſſe. Hence it is that as a man while unconverted doth reſiſt the Spirit of God, convincing and ſanctifying; ſo when converted and humbled for ſin he doth often refuſe Gods Spirit comforting and witneſſing his love to him. And hence is the ſpiritual combat and conflict the people of God have, which is not only between corruption and holineſſe, but alſo between doubting and faith. Aſſurance therefore doth not follow the work of grace in us by a neceſſary conſequence, as heat doth the light of the fire, but is ſeparable from it, as we ſee in many of Davids Pſalmes, who though full of grace and holineſſe, yet was in darkneſſe, and felt not Gods preſence with him, or his love of him; and this ſhould make us keep with all fear and trembling any meaſure of Aſſurance that we have, ſeeing if we ſin it away we are no more able to call it into our ſouls again, then we can bid the Sunne ſtand ſtill in its race.
Fifthly, There are four ſpecial priviledges and mercies that a Chriſtian even in this 5. Four things Chriſtian m… be aſſured of.life may be aſſured of, his Election, Remiſſion of ſinne, Sanctification of his nature, and Perſerverance in that ſtate, with future glory at the end thereof. And the aſſurance of our Sanctification or preſent grace muſt be the foundation for the other certainties; ſo that there can be no certainty of Predeſtination, of Juſtification, of Glorification, if there be not a certainty of Renovation in us. We therefore ought the more diligently to attend to this; for he that hath a falſe perſwaſion about his grace in him, hath alſo a falſe perſwaſion of his pardon of ſin, and of his Salvation, and ſo at laſt all his hopes will miſerably fail him. Tell me therefore thou that haſt ſuch confidence that thy ſins are forgiven, ſuch boldneſſe as to hope for ſalvation, what works or fruit is there of ſanctifying grace; there you muſt begin, and you build in vain unleſſe this foundation be laid. Not that we are to truſt in our graces, but to gather Gods love by them as ſo many ſigns and teſtimonies, otherwiſe our certainty is in dignatione Dei, not in dignitate noſtra, ſaid Bernard; And Ambroſe, Non gloriabor quia juſtus ſum, ſed quia redemptus ſum; non gloriabor quia vacuus peccati ſum, ſed quia peccata mihi remiſſa ſunt.
Therefore ſixthly, It is a moſt ſad deluſion for an ungodly or unregenerated man to 6.be perſwaded, his eſtate is an eſtate of grace, whenas indeed it is nothing but of ſinne and death. We pitie thoſe that are bewitched or poſſeſſed with devils, but this is the moſt terrible poſſeſſion, when a man is poſſeſſed with the devil turned into an Angel of light. Thus the Phariſees who blaſphemed ſometimes, ſaying, Chriſt had a devil, they themſelves were poſſeſſed with one; you are they that juſtifie your ſelves (ſaith our Saviour) now all are very prone to this corrupt judgment, Every mans ways are right in his own eyes (its the wiſe-mans Apophthegm) but the Lord pondereth the heart; and in this bewitchery moſt men lie. For who is there that is not confidently perſwaded of the goodneſs of their ſpiritual eſtate, who is not like Laodicea perſwaded of their riches and fulneſs, when indeed they are naked and empty. Oh therefore that ſuch had the ſpiritual eie-ſalve, that ſuch had their eies opened to judge righteous judgement. How great will thy confuſion be when thy gold ſhall be found droſs, thy wine water, thy graces corruption, and thy goodneſs nothing but ſin! Do not therefore give credit to thy deceitful heart. Be afraid leſt thy ſelf-love hath blinded thy eies and hardned thy heart, pray unto God that he would make known thy ſelf unto thy ſelf. The better thoughts thou haſt of thy ſelf, it may be, it is the worſe with thee; ſuch a righteouſneſſe and godlineſſe as ſatisfieth men like thy ſelf, is not preſently acceptable unto God. Men may live fourty or threeſcore years, and yet be great ſtrangers unto their hearts. We pitie thoſe deluded mad men, who are perſwaded they are ſuch great perſons, and have ſuch large eſtates, when in the mean time they lie miſerable and naked, bound up in chains in a dark dungeon; ſuch a ſpiritual madneſſe is upon moſt, who never ſearched to the bottom of all that filthineſſe which is in them, and thereupon call themſelves grapes and figs when they are thorns and thiſtles.
Seventhly, Conſider that the ſoul of man hath two kinds of acts or workings. The former are direct acts, ſuch as go immediatly to their object; as when by faith I 7.take Chriſt and adhere to him; the latter are reflex acts, which are only in reaſonable ſubjects, and this is when a man doth perceive and diſcern thoſe direct acts in him, as when I perceive that I do thus adhere to Chriſt, that I do love God. Now Certainty or Aſſurance is properly in this latter way, when we know that What Aſſurance is.we believe; and therefore this Aſſurance it is called by ſome Senſus fidei, the feeling or perceiving of Faith. Now you muſt know that this feeling or perceiving of Faith is from Gods Spirit as well as Faith it ſelf; ſo that it is not a meer humane ſenſe or diſcerning, which is ſubject to falſhoods and deluſions, but is infallible, even as faith is; for as the Spirit of God cannot externally witneſs any thing that is falſe; ſo neither can it inwardly in the ſoul of a man perſwade of that which is falſe, ſo that as a man knoweth by the help of Gods Spirit, His word to be the word of God, and is never fully confirmed till that come, ſo though a man may have probable hopes and conjectures of grace in his heart, yet he never comes to be ſetled, till the Spirit of God doth thus corroborate him.
Eighthly, This Certainty a Believer hath cannot be made known or demonſtrated unto another, but remaineth unexpreſſible in his own heart. Even as a man cannot 8. A Believers aſſurance cannot be known to any other.deſcribe unto another, what it is to be a father or a mother, only thoſe that are ſo, and feel the bowels of ſuch a relation, they can in themſelves feel what it is; and thus when a man becomes perſwaded of the truth of grace in his own ſoul, as differing from hypocrites, this cannot be diſcovered unto another, only the man himſelf reſts ſatisfied; Therefore its called, The white ſtone which none knoweth but he that hath it. As it is thus only known to a mans ſelf, ſo neither can others by a judgement of Certainty, but of charity only judge who are ſo. For it is God only that knoweth the hearts, and there is nothing viſible in Chriſtianity, which an hypocrite may not upon falſe grounds do, as well as the godly upon true, and if ſome did in the primitive times know what was in mens hearts, it was by a peculiar extraordinary revelation, not of cuſtomary diſcerning. And that diſcerning of ſpirits which was given to ſome in the Church, was in reſpect of Doctrines, to difference the true from the falſe, not of mens hearts and affections: This is to be obſerved againſt that errour of ſome, that hold, A man may certainly know whether another be godly, Peter was deceived about Simon Magus, and he cals Sylvanus a faithful brother, as he ſuppoſeth, 1 Pet. 5. 12. It is true there is a great ſympathy and conformable working of Gods Spirit in godly men, and their hearts anſwer one another as the face in the glaſſe, but yet here is no infallibility, and many whom the godly have admired as ſtars, have fallen from heaven; and others whom they did not expect have remained firm to God.
Ninthly, In all the acts of Faith, whether they be direct or reflex, the firmneſſe 9.and certainty of them doth more depend upon Gods Spirit confirming us, then in the clearneſſe of the argument. Our Aſſurance doth conſiſt more in that firm adheſion of the ſubject, then in the evidence of the object. If you conſider it in thoſe aſſertive acts of faith, whereby we believe truths revealed in Scripture, their firmneſs and immovablenes doth more depend upon the work of Gods Spirit ſtrengthning the inward man, then upon the arguments; hence it doth believe them even unto Martyrdom, though it be not able to anſwer all the objections brought againſt it; and thus it is in theſe reflexive acts, the confidence that a Believer hath of the truth of grace wrought in him, comes more from Gods Spirit removing our ſlaviſh fears and bondage diſpoſition, as alſo ſtaying and ſupporting the ſoul, then from that excellency and beauty of grace which is within us.
Tenthly, Conſider that as a man in his animal or rational life doth perceive the 10.motions of his ſenſitive and rational ſoul, ſo doth a Believer in his ſupernatural feel the motions of his ſpiritual life. 1 Joh. 3. 14. We know we are tranſlated from death to life, becauſe we love the brethren; a place much to be inſiſted upon hereafter. In this Text are two things, the firſt is general, Thoſe that love the brethren are tranſlated from death to life; The ſecond is more particular, we love the brethren, and therefore know we are tranſlated from death to life; ſo that as he who hath fire in his boſom, he feels that heat within him; Thus he that loveth God, feeleth the motions of love within him, ſo that as a man as ſenſitive doth perceive the motions of ſenſe within him, thus doth a man ſpiritual feel infallibility the ſupernatural motions of an heavenly life within him, yet here is this difference, a man doth diſcern bitter from ſweet, and a ſeeing man white from black without any temptation or oppoſition at all, but it is not ſo in ſupernatural motions.
Eleventhly, It is a vain thing to diſtinguiſh between the certainty of Hope, and a 11.certainty of Faith, as if a man might have a certain Hope of Grace and Godlineſſe in him, but not a certain Faith, for the firmneſſe of Hope doth depend only upon the certainty of faith; So that where there is no certainty of Faith, there cannot be any firmneſſe of Hope. It is true, a man may have a ſtrong deſire of that which he hath no certain Faith for, but that deſire cannot be called Hope, and this is more eſpecially true in divine Hope, which makes not aſhamed, and the reaſon is, becauſe it is the fruit of Faith, which is built upon the Promiſe and word of God; what Certainty therefore Faith hath it doth tranſmit to Hope; and as God hath placed ſuch a natural Affection as Hope in a man, to bear him up againſt all the difficulties he meeteth with for the obtaining of the good he deſireth, ſo he hath placed a ſupernatural frame in the heart to ſupport the ſoul till it obtaineth thoſe good things it believeth to have.
Twelfthly, The Scripture ſpeaking of this Certainty hath many ſignificant words to 12.expreſs it by, Rom. 7. 38. foreign, for although the word is common both to a moral or conjectural perſwaſion, in which ſenſe Paul uſeth it of the faith of the Romans, Rom. 15. 14. and of the Galatians converſion, Gal. 5. 1. yet it is alſo uſed of a divine Faith, and that in Doctrines of Religion, Rom. 14. 1. 2 Tim. 1. 12. and the context doth evidently ſhew it to be ſuch a perſwaſion (becauſe it is not a confidence againſt a ſeparation from God, but a poſſibility of it, Who ſhall ſeparate us?) It uſeth alſo the word Know in that of John, 1 Joh. 3. and in many other places. Epheſ. 3. 12. you may there ſee Faith the root, foreign, and from that flowing foreign, Confidence, and from his Confidence flowing foreign, but the word that the Scripture doth moſt fully expreſſe this by is foreign, Rom. 4. 21. Rom. 14. Col. 2. 2. Heb. 6. 11. It is uſed in an ill ſenſe, Eccleſ. 8. Hence there is foreign in wicked men, and foreign in the godly.