Sacred Therapy, Book 2 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
Wherein is solved, the converts doubt of his conversion, arising from the power of his corruption manifesting it self more after his entry upon the course of new obedience, then it did before he began to repent.
SOme converts being yet but young souldiers in the Christian warfare, when they find the corruption of their nature breaking forth more powerfully then it did before they did ingage their heart to serve the Lord, do readily fall in deep discouragment and sad suspicion, that the renewing grace of God was never bestowed upon them, whatsoever were their purposes, promises, and beginnings to mortifie their lusts and affections. And we must confesse, that this is no small tentation: for, they who have renounced the service of their lusts, and have consecrat their life to Gods service, when they find their lusts prevail, and like to reign in them, no wonder they suspect their state in grace; for (2 Pet. chap. 2. ver. 20.) it is told to us, If men after they have escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ, they are again intangled therein, and overcome, the latter endis worse with them then the beginning: for, it had been better for them, not to have known the way of righteousnesse, then after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them, according to the true proverbe, the dog is turned to his own vomit again, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
2. This condition indeed is perilous, when after profession of repentance, sin doth recover its strength again, and prevail over the whole man, and shew forth its victory over him in the grosse pollution of the external man: But most of all is it perilous, when the overcome and inslaved sinner, lyeth still in his sin, senselesse and secure, and doth please himself in his pollutions; for, whatsoever he may be, the holy Ghost points him forth among the unregenerat as a dog or sow. If such a man after a time shall repent and bewail his condition, and set himself to the seeking of God in Christ, and to draw grace out of Christ to mortifie his lusts we shall not pronounce or determine of his former estate, whether he was before that time regenerat or not, but for the present case of his repenting, he is on the way to evidence his regeneration more clearly then before: only let him take heed to humble himself in earnest before God, and to repent more seriously, that so he may confirm himself, and go on in the course of faith and obedience of the Evangel, strengthening his brethren as Peter was commanded to do by our Lord, Luk. 22. 22.
3. But if corruption of nature do not break forth to defile the whole man, but inwardly stirreth and striveeth to bring its old servant into bondage again; unto which tentations albeit the afflicted do not succumbe, yet he is shaken and staggers in his faith, doubting of his state, and of the sincerity of his conversion, because he findeth the power of sin in him more vigorous, then he had found it before the change of his old conversation. We do not deny, but this case is readily incident unto such as are lately converted, from formality in religion, and fair civil carriage before men, to true repentance and inward holinesse beseeming Christians. This case because it may have sundry causes, doth require also sundry cures.
4. First, this case may befall a young convert, who because he hath not as yet gotten the experience of his own weaknesse, is somewhat puffed up in the conceit of his own strength, and is more confident then he hath reason, that the sincerity of his purpose, shall bear down and overcome all his spiritual enemies, so oft as they shall oppose his holy resolution. In this case, what wonder is it, that the Lord by a new proof of the mans weaknesse, let him see, that it is not in him that willeth or in him that runneth, but in God that hath mercy? to the intent his pride may be broken down, and that he being humbled in himself, may learn not to trust any more to himself, but to God, to Christ who by his Spirit maketh his children to mortifie sin in themselves, as the Apostle teacheth us, Rom. 8. 13. saying, if ye mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit, ye shall live.
Therefore the afflicted in this case, must beware to fret, or murmure, or entertain suspicions of Gods grace in himself, but rather let him, after experience of his own weaknesse, humble himself and renew the exercise of repentance, and resolve in the use of the means to lean to the strength of Christ who doth help his souldiers in their conflict against sin and Sathan, either by giving them the victory quickly, or else sustaining them in the conflict by his grace, as he did the Apostle, 2 Cor. 12. 7. to whom Christ did not grant the victory, till he, despairing of his own ability to stand out against the messenger of Sathan, did humbly beg deliverance from the tentation, and then he gave him assurance, that the assistance of his grace should prove sufficient to sustain him in the conflict, and to deliver him in due time.
Secondly, this case may fall out by the meer malice of Sathan, who doth set himself to vex the young and …ender convert, lately taken out of his dominion, to the intent he may make him repent his coming out of Egypt, if it be possible, and by leading out against him a new army of temptations, may move him to despair of the victory, and so bring him back to the flesh pots, and taking on again the yoke of bondage if he can.
2. And here consideration must be had, of Gods wise and holy permission, who suffereth Sathan to put a young convert to so hard tryals, that in the weaknesse of his own child, he may make evident his great power, in upholding his young souldier against the forest assaults of Sathan; and his wisdom, in breaking by this mean the strength of in-born corruption, raging against the work of grace in his child.
In this case, let the afflicted remember he is called to give a proof of his faith and sincerity, that he may acquit himself manfully, and not be afraid of the power of temptations but bear out stoutly, resisting Sathan, being confident of the victory and of tramping Sathan under his feet shortly; yea, pre-suppose with inward temptations, external persecution be joyned, let the Lords souldier follow the example of the godly Hebrews, whom the Apostle doth exhort to prepare themselves, after spoliation of their goods, to meet with grievous affliction, under hope to overcome, Heb. 10. 32. 36. and, 12. 4.
3. This case may fall out, not so much from the growing power of corruption, as from the growing light of grace, discovering sin more clearly then before regeneration: for he, who before regeneration, was lying dead in sin, did not feel the weight of sin at all, or was sensible only of grosse out-breakings, but when the clearer light of the Law doth come, opening up the dens and caves of natures corruption, out of which come forth legions of sinfull motions, and amongst these, sundry monsters of unperceived wickednesse, are discovered to the young convert, what wonder he be afraid, and cast in many doubts and suspicions? For, if even the Apostle Paul himself, out of the sense of inherent sin, and of the bonds thereof, where-with he did find himself bound, was compelled with tears to cry out, Miserable man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Rom. 7. 24. what wonder is it that a novice in Religion do tremble when he seeth and smelleth the dunghill and filthy stable of his own unclean heart?
In this case, all the comforts which the Gospel doth furnish are to be ministred to the afflicted, hope is to be fostered in him of victory over all those evils; the wisdom of God is to be set forth before his eyes under this exercise, wherein the Lord hath brought to light the latent corruption of nature, of set purpose, that he might yoke his young souldier in combat with it, and give him the victory by the holy Ghost, over not only those evils which do trouble him for the time, but also all other sins, and so promoveth the mortification and abolition of the whole body of corruption in him.
4. The fourth cause is, or may be this, that the afflicted hath not such estimation of the imputed righteousnesse of Christ as is requisit, but with the slighting of Christs satisfaction and righteousnesse purchased to the believer by Christ, goeth about to establish his own righteousnesse, whereupon the Lord discovereth his short-coming in sanctification, which in this life is imperfect, and should indeed be followed after carefully, but not be rested upon. It is indeed natural unto us, to seek to have perfection in our selves, for our own glory, and not to follow the way prescribed to us of God, for perfecting of us unto the glory of God, as may be seen in the flower of Israel after the flesh, Rom. 9. and 10. Now the order of God is, that we should be first justified by faith in Christ without the works of the law, that is, God will have us in the first place to confesse unto him our sins, and renounce all confidence in our own works before, in, and after our conversion, and to renounce all confidence in our own worthinesse or our own strength, and betake us to that righteousnesse, which by the obedience and satisfaction of Christ is purchased unto us, and offered in the Gospel to be accounted ours of meer free grace: In the second place, God will have us, being cloathed with Christs imputed righteousnesse, to approach unto the throne of grace, that by faith in Christ, we may receive the power of the holy Spirit in a larger and larger measure for encreasing our sanctification more and more. And in the third place, he will have us, as we profit and grow in holinesse, to give the thanks and praise and glory thereof unto God in Jesus Christ, who both justifieth us and sanctifieth us by his own Spirit; and in as far as we come short in the measure of sanctification which we aim at, he will have us to be humbled in our selves, and lay faster hold on Christ who justifieth us, that he, by his Spirit, may more and more sanctifie us,, and that because Christ is made of God unto us, not only our righteousnesse, but also our sanctification, as the Apostle teacheth us, 1 Cor. 1. 30. Now, when any man breaks this order, and seeketh justification by Christ, but sanctification by himself, as it were; and when he findeth sanctification not to grow as he hoped it should, doth not flye in to the garment of Christs imputed righteousnesse, which alone is able to hide his nakednesse, Rev. 3. 18. but in stead of humbling himself in the exercise of repentance, is ready to call his justification and conversion in question, and to cast it away, as it were, what wonder is it, that God, being justly offended, because the righteousnesse of Christ is not in due estimation and precious in that mans eyes, doth not grant unto him a better measure of sanctification, especially while he is contending to have his own prescribed measure of sanctification, with the prejudice of that divine righteousnesse which is by faith in Jesus Christ, and will not, as a humble penitent, hold grip of Christs righteousnesse, except he obtain such a measure of sanctification and freedom from wrestling with sin, as he hath resolved to find in himself before he can stand to his interest in Christ for justification? What wonder is it, that God suffer sin in the afflicted to put forth its power more then before, that he may teach his young convert and souldier, ignorant of his duty and of Gods order of proceeding with his children, to be more wise, and to adhere more closely under the sense of his sinfulnesse, unto the righteousnesse of Christ, unto which he did flye and was forced to flye in his conversion? As also, that he may teach his child, that sanctification must be drawn out of no other fountain then Christ, out of whose fulnesse we must receive grace for grace, and who by faith applyeth to his redeemed ones his imputed righteousness, and by faith applyeth and worketh in them sanctification purchased unto them in the covenant of Redemption?
5. Wherefore, for remedy of this mistake, first, let the afflicted, when he perceiveth and feeleth the power of sin to be more then he conceived he should have found in himself after his conversion, let him (I say) forthwith humble himself before God, acknowledge his natural uncleannesse, and utter inability by his own strength to resist sin, and being humbled at the heart, let him blesse God, who of his free grace hath prepared and freely granted unto him a righteousnesse purchased by Christ, 2 Cor. 5. 21. with which being cloathed, he may stand before the Tribunal of grace absolved. Next, let him earnestly and daily pray, that he may both hold fast grips of that righteousnesse of Christ by faith, and out of the same fountain of Gods glorious grace in Christ, study to increase in sanctification, and peece and peece to mortifie and abolish the corruption of nature▪ Thirdly, let the afflicted use the ordinances and means appointed of God for mortifying of sin and reparation of the Image of God in him. And fourthly, let the afflicted, in the use of appointed means and ordinances of God▪ by faith look unto Christ, that out of him he may suck sap, and the furniture of his Spirit, to bring forth good fruits: for, without him we can do nothing; but if we abide in him, we shall bring forth abundant fruits, Joh. 15. 5.