Sacred Therapy, Book 2 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Wherein the Christians doubt, whether he be regenerat, because he findeth not his righteousness exceeding the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, is answered.
THere are some regenerat persons, who, in the sense of their sins and acknowledgment of their unworthinesse, and inability to help themselves, are fled unto Christ, and have given over themselves to him by faith, and are endeavouring to bring forth fruits suteable to repentance, who for all this, fall a doubting whether they be renewed, whether their faith be true and saving faith; and the reason which they give of their doubting, is, because the reformation of their life, whereunto they have attained, appeareth unto them not to exceed the righteousnesse which may be found in some Pagans, or in Scribes and Pharisees, of whom Christ hath said in the Evangel. Matth. 5. 20. I say unto you, that except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
This doubt is followed with grief, anxiety of mind, and fear least all vertues in them be found nothing but counterfeit: and this case, except it be speedily cured, cannot chuse but draw after it heavy and hard consequences.
For curing whereof, we must confesse, that many Pagans and Infidels may be found in humane Histories, who from the principles of nature and civil education, have led a more innocent and blamelesse life, than many who glory in their Christian profession, for whose conviction and condemnation▪ Pagans and Infidels shall arise in the day of judgment, and be brought forth for a witnesse against many called Christians, and who shall be beaten with fewer stripes, than many who are counterfeit Christians, and do disgrace the profession of Christian Religion.
But we have here to do with these that are indeed regenerat, and indued with saving faith, who endeavour to be holy, and do lament their imperfections, and do not give over the use of the means, whereby they may profit in holinesse, albeit with grief and fear they go on heavily, suspecting they meet at last with disappointment, and be excluded from the kingdom of heaven, for their coming short of Scribes and Pharisees in the point of righteousnesse.
2. In this case, first, the complaint of the afflicted, concerning the imperfections of his life and fruits of faith, in as far as it is true and just, must be admitted, granted and confirmed, and the afflicted must be taught upon this consideration to be seriously humbled in the presence of God, that he may profit in self-denyal, and more and more renounce all confidence in his own works or inherent righteousnesse. To which purpose, let him consider yet more the body of death and original sin, not yet throughly mortified in him; let him look upon and acknowledge, in his present case, the bitter roots of infidelity, and inclination to depart away from the living God, even then when he is most called, and hath most need to draw near and adhere unto him: upon the sight and consideration whereof, he shall perceive a necessity daily to renew the acts of repentance and faith in Christ.
Secondly, let the necessity and timeous use-making of the imputed righteousnesse of Christ, be shewed unto him: which righteousnesse, if the Lord had not set before us for a refuge, what should become of us in the examination of our works, and felt imperfection of our inherent righteousnesse? And here the afflicted must be exhorted, in the sense of his own un-righteousnesse, to run alwayes toward Christ, to have his nakednesse, hid by the garment of Christs imputed righteousnesse, and exhorted to apply and imbrace more and more straitly the righteousnesse of Christ our Cautioner, who is judicially by the Father adjudged to the believer fled unto him, for righteousnesse, 1 Cor. 1. 30: But of him are ye in Christ Iesus, who is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. And here let the friend, comforter of the afflicted, insist, that he may consider the value of the ransom paid for us, and of the righteousnesse purchased unto us, for the only garment able to hide our nakednesse.
Thirdly, let the afflicted person understand, that it is righteousnesse with God to be displeased with his children, when they esteem little and make little use of the dear bought righteousnesse which Christ hath purchased, and that in wisdom and righteousnesse, Christ doth not increase the inherent righteousnesse of those who slight him in the mater of his imputed righteousnesse; for, we are not justified by the perfection of inherent righteousnesse, which in this life is impossible, but by the perfection of Christs righteousnesse imputed unto the believer in him.
Fourthly, when the Pastor or prudent friend perceiveth the afflicted now convicted of his mistake and error, and to be brought to acknowledge, that the justification of a sinner doth come by the imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ alone, without respect to the works of the law; and that the justified man must set himself to bring forth good fruits in the gracious furniture which Christ hath promised to the believer. Now, I say, let him enter upon the comparison of the righteousnesse of the penitent believer in Christ, with the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees, and then shall it be clear to the afflicted person, that the righteousnesse of the weak Christian shall far exceed the righteousnesse, not only of Pagans, but also of Scribes and Pharisees of the highest pitch, and that for three reasons; the first is this, the Pharisee cutteth short the interpretation of the law, unto the measure of his own external obedience, lest the law whereby he seeketh justification should condemn him; but the Christian acknowledgeth in all things the spirituality and perfection of the Law, and doth not reject any duty which the Law doth command, but finds himself bound to obey the Law in all things, and to aim to be perfect as his heavenly Father is perfect. The second reason is, because the works which the Pharisee or Scribe doth, are all counterfeit and corrupt, in regard they arise from the strength of the natural man, and are done for his own glory and carnal ends, and not for the glory of God; but the works of the Christian, exercising faith in Christ, proceed from the power of the spirit of Christ in him, and are done to the glory of God by him. The third reason is, because the righteousnesse of works which the Scribes and Pharisees did affectat, is altogether impossible, and maketh void the grace of God: for, if righteousnesse be by works, it is no more of grace, it overturnes that heavenly way of justification by faith in Christ: for, the righteousnesse of the Pharisee by works, cannot consist with the righteousnesse which is by faith of grace; but the righteousnesse and justification of the Christian by faith in Christ, is possible and ready at hand, to every one who renounceth all confidence in his own worthinesse, and slyeth unto Christ for grace: and this is a most perfect way of righteousnesse, which dependeth upon the obedience and satisfaction of Christ imputed to the believer in him. Which righteousnesse only can stand in the judgment of God as perfect, which only doth open the fountain whereby the power of the holy Ghost runneth down upon the man justified by faith in Christ, to enable him to bring forth the acceptable fruits of new obedience.
By this comparison, it doth easily appear, that the righteousnesse of the weak believer in Christ, doth far exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees: and thus may the afflicted be solved of his doubt, arising from comparison of his righteousnesse with the righteousnesse of the Pharisees.
3. If these grounds of satisfaction, laid before the afflicted, do not satisfie, but his wounds do break up and bleed afresh, let us examine his reasons. O! saith he, what I have been aiming at in the way of new obedience, I suspect is not accepted of God, because I find not these fruits of the Spirit, which the Apostle speaketh of as evidences of a new creature, Gal. 5. 22. love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentlenesse, goodnesse, faith, meeknesse and temperance; the defect and little feeling of these fruits, doth argue, that God doth not approve my works.
For answering of this doubt, let us remember, that it is pre-supposed and found by experience, that some that are afflicted with this doubt and suspicion, do not cease to follow duties howbeit heartlesly, do live blamelesse in an evil world, and so are not idle nor unfruitfull: only this doth trouble them, that they find not the peace of conscience which they did expect, they misse joy in God, consolation in their prayers, patience in affections, chearfulness and alacrity in following their calling; they do not find sensible approbation of their work from God, as they did promise to themselves and did expect. Hence flow their tears, lamentations and complaints of themselves, and suspicions of the reality and sincerity of their faith, and all without just cause: for, as in bodily sicknesses, sometime moe maladies then one are complicat, and to each of them respect must be had for perfecting the cure; So in this case, moe practical errors do concur, and each of them must be deciphered and removed. We shall condescend upon four; The first practicall error of the afflicted, is the suspending of his faith upon a tacite condition, that such and such effects be produced, and that Gods sensible approbation of his diligence and works be felt, as if there were no warrantable act of faith for laying hold on Christ, except after a certain time and tryal taken whether it shall produce such or such fruits or not. And here three deceits do concur; The first is, a faith with a secret reservation, if such fruits follow, is by suggestion of the tempter, thrust in, in the place of absolute believing without reservation, and in effect, is a trying of God, in stead of trusting, in him; for through temptation, the afflicted tacitly craveth a condition to be performed by God, that when God performeth the prescribed condition, then the mans faith after that may rest upon him, other wayes not: for when a sinner cometh to Christ, he should speak to this sense. O Lord, my God, seing it hath pleased thee to reveal thy self to me, a blind impotent sinner, running toward hell, and hast offered thy self to me for a Saviour, in whom I may have wisdom, righteousnesse, sanctification and redemption. Behold, O Lord, I heartily receive the grace offered, I imbrace thy Word, and thy Self offered to me in thy Word, and do give up my self wholly to thy government, that thou may repair in me the lost Image of God, and powerfully carry me on unto salvation. Instead of saying thus▪ and closing absolutely the bargain with God in Christ reconciling the world to himself, the tempter would have the poor afflicted man to speak, as it were, to this sense. O Lord, the condition whereupon thou dost offer to be my God and Saviour, doth please me well, but because I fear I may deceive my self in performing that condition, I require another condition of thee, that thou wouldst, first, let me see the fruits of faith in me, which if I shall find within sometime hence, then will I count my self a believer, and will rest on thee: but if I find not such fruits as may evidence true faith in me, I must pronounce my saith, either no faith or a dead faith, which hath a name of faith, but neither power nor life in it. For, faith without works is dead, as Iames saith, ch. 2. 26.
Now, what is this else in effect, then to make a new condition in the covenant of Grace, and to promise upon this condition, to believe on Christ, if God shall do as the sinner giveth him direction? that is, if God shall make him bring forth the fruits of faith first, when it became him absolutely to imbrace Christ, that he might both be forgiven of sin, and enabled to bring forth fruits of faith?
Another fault is here also, which is this, the afflicted person doth require mature fruits from a weak faith, from a faith that is not setled and fixed, but suspended on a condition, which is no lesse unreasonable, then if a foolish Gardner should require fruits of a young tree lately planted, yea before the roots of it were well setled in the ground; yea, and would not let it stand in his garden, except, it should first bring forth fruits, whereby it might evidence it self worthy of pains taking on it.
A third fault is this, that the afflicted, in this case, doth pre-suppose, that true faith is posterior to the fruits of true faith, both in nature and time: for, if he will not believe in Christ, till after he perceive and feel in himself the fruits of faith, upon this ground he can never believe till he first find the fruits of faith in himself, which is nothing else in effect, then to imagine, that the effect must go before its cause.
Unto this threefold self-deceit, we offer this one remedy in general, that the afflicted person in the foresaid case, humble himself before God in the sense of his barrennesse, and so much the more as he findeth small or no fruits in himself, let him flye to Christ and fasten himself the more on his imputed righteousnesse, and cleave unto him by faith, without delay, that he may draw vertue and furniture from him to bring forth good fruits; for, this is the only way to make him bring forth fruits in abundance, as Christ doth teach us, Ioh. 15. 5. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me, ye can do nothing. He, and he only, can make a good tree of an evil imp, and cause it bring forth fruits answerable to the nature of the true vine wherein it is ingrafted. And seing Christ in the Canticle, ch. 2. 13. doth make no small account of the green figs and tender grapes, let not the afflicted despise the day of small things.
4. The second practical error in the afflicteds foresaid case, is this, the afflicted person hath imagined in himself, that such and such fruits would presently follow upon his receiving the offer of Christ, as that he should forthwith be skillfull in the knowledge of the mysteries of salvation, able to pray eloquently, made chearfull in singing songs of praise unto God, ready and expedit to every good work, and that he should feel constantly an un-interrupted peace in his conscience, and joy in the holy Ghost; but after that by experience he hath found, that he cannot so much as enter upon any good work without a fight with Sathan and with his own corrupt nature, and other impediments, and withall he doth feel the peace of his conscience and the joy of the holy Ghost with-drawn, hereupon he begins to suspect the whole work of Gods grace in himself, and that he remaineth in the state of nature unrenewed.
5. For removing of this error, let the afflicted know, that the hopes which he hath conceived at the hearing of the Gospel, shall not be disappointed (albeit according to his childish fore-conception they come not to passe) for in a time due and acceptable, God shall perform all his promises and bring the believer (fled unto him) on upon his way, till he put him in full possession of fredom from all sin and misery. But yet this felicity is brought about, not all at once, but peece and peece, and not without conflict with the enemies of our salvation, and not without use of the meanes appointed of God. Wherefore let the afflicted be exhorted to take courage unto him, as becometh a souldier of Christ, and let him go on in the wayes of the Lord in hope and patience, being assured that whatsoever God hath promised, he will surely perform, in that maner, measure, order and time, and by his own appointed means as he hath set down in his holy Scriptures.
6. The third practical error of the afflicted in the foresaid case, is, that he doth not judge rightly of his own faith, nor of the fruits thereof: for of his own faith he judgeth no otherwayes than of the faith of another man, whileas there is a diverse way to judge of my own faith then of another mans faith; for because I cannot reach to the internal acts of the soul of another man, therefore I must judge only by the outward effects, according to the rule that Iames giveth, chap. 2. ver. 10. Shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Yet of my own faith I may judge, not only by the external effects of it (which in the first closing with Christ, are not yet observable possibly) but also by the internal act of faith which the holy Spirit who knows the heart doth reveal unto me, by making me not only heartily to embrace Christ offered in the Gospel, and love him, but also can make me reflect and turn back mine eye upon his own gift and grace in me, according to that of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 2. 12. we have received the Spirit of God, that we might know the things freely given to us of God.
Again the afflicted doth not judge rightly of his own fruits of faith, according as the truth is, and as the Lord in his Word doth judge; he should distinguish between the sincerity of the work and the perfection of it (a work may be done uprightly, and yet be imperfect) he should distinguish what is Gods part in the work, from that which is wrong and corrupt, flowing from the remainder of sin in him. These things he doth confound, and doth so fix his eyes upon the defects and imperfection of his work, that he seeth nothing but what is wrong, when it is his duty both to observe what is wrong, that he may be humbled, and cast away all confidence in his work, and to observe also what is good and right in his work, proceeding from the grace of God in him, and so praise and thank God for it in Christ, who will not quench the smoaking flax, Isa. 42. 3.
7. For remedy therefore of this error, let the afflicted, first, look upon the acts of his faith both internal and external, both on the elicit acts of faith and the imperat acts (as they are called in the Schools) and let him judge of both according to what is right and equitable, that whatsoever be the measure of new obedience, it may be differenced from the mixture of infirmity, defects, or corruption. And let him not judge of his work according to the suggestions and calumnies of Sathan, who alwayes condemneth so far as he can, what is good in Gods children; or if he cannot condemn it, doth labour to have it abused.
Secondly, let the afflicted observe the due order both in doing his duties and in judging thereof: for of necessity he must, first, put forth an act of faith and love on Christ, before he can passe judgment on it, and let him first do the work commanded to the believer, and then passe sentence, that he may be strengthened to do moe duties, and so to present them to God to be washen, accepted and amended in his following service.
Thirdly, let him carefully look unto the end which he should propose to himself in judging of his acts of faith and obedience: for the end of judging our selves and our works, should be to confirm our faith in Christ, when we find any thing done according to the rule, and to …lye to Christ for pardon and grace if we conceive all is wrong after we have examined maters.
6. The fourth practical error, is, that the afflicted first suffereth his faith to be wounded and weakened by Sathans tentation, and then to be drawn forth to the field to give a proof of the strength of his faith in some difficile duty, before the wound of faith be bound up or healed; for, it is a great disadvantage to enter the lists with Sathan about the fruits of faith, whether they be sincere or not, when faith is wounded, yea, fainteth, and is brought in question whether it be true faith or not. Now this is a special stratageme and wile of Sathan, by whatsoever mean he can to hurt the faith of Gods children, that he may by that marr communion-keeping with God, and cut off, if he can, the conduit whereby the power of Christ is conveyed to the believer for making him give acceptable obedience unto God. And certainly, it is no lesse difficile, when faith is wrested, and for a time out of joynt, to set about acceptable service, then it is to make a man to set upon his work when his armes are out of joynt.
Therefore, for remedy of this error, let the afflicted, so soon as he findeth his …aith wounded, incontinent set himself down before God humbly, and acknowledge his foolishnesse, want of watching, unworthinesse and inability, either to know how he hath grieved Gods Spirit, and made open a door for the Tempter to fall in upon him, or to repent the sins which he knoweth might have provoked God so to exercise him; and next, let him look unto God in Christ reconcileing the world to himself, and lay hold on the hornes of the altar, on the throne of grace for strengthening his faith, that he may find help for the present need, and thereafter also to walk more wisely: for, this is the counsell which Christ doth give to the corrupt Church of Sardis, Revel. 3. 2. Strengthen the thing which remaineth and is ready to die. Thus may the afflicted recover strength of faith and ability to resist Sathan, and furniture for bringing forth unquestionable fruits of faith.