Heaven Upon Earth, Sermons · Sermons on Acts 24.16 · Sermon 4
SERMON IV.
ACTS 24. 16.
Herein do I exercise my self, to have alwayes a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.
A Good Conscience is an excellent and very soveraign Cordial to be carried about and along with us in all conditions, and more especially in afflicted ones; but as excellent things are usually come at with the greatest difficulty, so is it in this matter, there being so many so various and so great difficulties in the way of taking up the nature of it aright, and in the attaining and maintaing of it; and there being so very many who claim to it most unwarrantably and unjustly, though poor de…uded Souls they are disposed to think that they do so on good and warrantable grounds; all which make this Doctrine concerning the exercise and practice of a good Conscience to be exceeding difficult and tickle.
Ye may remember the point we spoke a little to last day, was, That Believers ought, and when they are right, will have it for their exercise and study to have a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward Men; whence we drew this Use, That it is an evidence of a sound Believer when right and in a good frame, even to be thus exercised; a tender, lively, and good frame of soul …ay be known by this, that the person aimeth s…ngly and endeavoureth seriously to have a Conscience void of offence.
In clearing of this Use, there are some Doubts that arise on the one side when Conscience speaketh good to a person without a warrand, in which case it is very dangerous to take direction from it; and some Doubts arise also on the other side, when Conscience doth challenge and condemn, when there is no ground for it; something therefore must be spoken for clearing and solving both the one and the other.
The last thing we left at was, That seing some natural men, civil moral men and hypocrites may think they have a good Conscience, that they are right and have the testimony of it, how shall that testimony be discerned? or wherein doth it differ from the testimony of a truely good Conscience, that giveth a Believer ground to draw this conclusion from it, that he is real and sincere in the work of Grace?
For clearing of this matter relating to these Consciences, that speak good when there is no ground for it; There are two sorts of persons that fall here, and are thereby culpably accessory to this delusion of and from their own Consciences, 1. Some fail in mistaking Duty and the rule of Duty, supposing that to be an acceptable duty which is but the shadow and appearance of duty; and this makes all self righteous-men and legal-hypocrites who thwart not the dark or dim light of their Conscience, but rather follow and comply with it, to think that they have a good Conscience: as it was with Paul before his conversion. A 2d. sort are these who take with sin, but think that they have a good Conscience, and on this ground their Conscience speaks peace to them though it hath no warrand to do so, supposing themselves to be Believers, on that ground Conscience speaketh peace to them when it hath no warrand nor are they Believers indeed: And thus alace! many that are reputed by themselves and others to be Believers, fail; these are presumptuous hypocrites, as the others are legal hypocrites; and this kind of Conscience may be called a presumptuous Conscience, that speaketh peace and applyeth mercy when it hath no ground for either. In answer then to the Question, we shall give some differencing Characters or characteristick differences betwixt the Believers good Conscience, and these other sorts of Conscience, some whereof agree more to the one sort, and some more to the other, and some to both, but take them together.
The Characters are these, 1. A really good Conscience is not easily attained nor maintained, it putteth a man to considerable exercise …re he come at it, and to no less how to keep it. Herein do I exercise my self, &c. saith the Apostle; security and negligence are no good toke…s; there are these two things that a man of a good Conscience is exercised in. 1. To prevent the ground of a challenge from his Conscience, by endeavouring to give it no offence; against which the presumptuous hypocrite sinneth, who fancieth that he hath peace and it may be, thinketh much of it, and yet is not troubled nor taken up how to prevent the giving of offence to his Conscience, nor his meeting with a challenge from it; the legal hypocrite also sinneth here, in bounding and limiting his Holiness to such or such a small measure of it, without so much as aiming any further. 2. He is exercised to satisfie his Conscience when it is offended; hence is the application to the blood of sprinkling, the exercise of repentance, the self-loathing, and sharpness of challenges, that Conscience hath with it until it recover, even such exercise as will in a manner break the bones and turn the moisture into the drought of summer, as it is Psal. 51. and Psal. 32. this good Conscience cannot look on sin and not be troubled; and therefore they who ordinarily and habitually can look on sin without trouble or sorrow, and judge it a very easie business to quiet and stop the mouth of their Conscience, who speak peace to themselves when lying still under guilt unrepented of and unremoved, carry about with them a shrewd token of no good Conscience.
The 2d. Character whereby it may be known, is, the mean and way that a man taketh to quiet his Conscience when it is wakened; A good Conscience as it yieldeth a man peaceand testifyeth well concerning his state; so that peace riseth not so much from this that he hath no sin, as from his flying to Jesus Christ for the pardon of sin; he may have peace as to his sincere and universal aim at Holiness, and as to his honest and serious endeavour to abstain from every known sin, as it was with David, Psal. 18. 20, 21, 22. but as to the satisfying of Divine Justice he hath hath no peace, but in resting on Christs satisfaction alone; for though his way may be and is good in respect of his single following of duty, for he readeth, prayeth, meditateth, &c. yet corruption in a great measure polluting all these works and duties of his, as to the acceptation of them on their own account and for themselves; he finds that they are in some respect but dead, as wanting much of the soul and life of them, neither can he have peace till he betake himself to Christs blood: though he were communicating every day, praying every hour, &c. yet he hath no peace in these till Christs blood speak peace; as we may see in David, who though he had peace intimated by Nathan, yet is not thorowly quiet for all that, and therefore he prayeth Psal. 51. Cause me to hear the voice of joy and gladness; there is no healing of his wound till a word from God himself do it: It is on the contrary an ill token, when a Conscience seeth sin, and can speak peace to it self on this ground, that there is mercy in God; and yet never applyeth the blood of sprinkling, to purge it from dead works; nor seeketh to have the Word spoken as it were from Gods own mouth: and on the other side the legal Conscience will make amends to God, will give him Sacrifices enough, and perform many duties to him, looking for his acceptance only on account of these, and that is as ill a token; but a good Conscience resteth not on any of these; but though it hath the sacrifice of a broken and contrite spirit to offer to God, yet it doth not rest on that nor on any duty, but is put beyond these, to rest on Christ and on his Sacrifice, Purge me with hyssop. &c. saith David, Psal. 51. And this is a clear and certain differencing mark, even to consider well whereon Conscience resteth for peace after a challenge, and to make sure that it resteth thus on Christ.
A 3d. Character is, That a good Conscience will both challenge and speak peace at one time; it can stand up and defend it self against a challenge; thus when the Law on the one hand comes and charges it with many defects in duty, and denounceth wrath against it because of these, it will humbly take with them; and yet on the other hand, in the very time it can betake it self to Christ and produce a word of peace that it hath ready at hand from him; this we may see in Paul, 1 Tim. 1. 13. I was (says he) before, a blasphemer, a persecuter, and injurious: but I obtained mercy. It is an evil token when men either have only challenges and no peace, or only peace and no challenges at all; as it is also an evil token to offer to maintain peace by shifting challenges; or to give over pressing after and maintaining of peace by giving way to challenges: But it is a good token when Conscience can take kindly with and be humbled under challenges, and yet debate against them so as to keep and maintain peace, and can give a warrand for its doing so, which is indeed a great practick in Religion; we may see a clear instance of this in Io…, who saith chap. 7. 20. I have sinned, what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? where he acknowledgeth that he hath sinned, and cannot make amends; and yet chap. 27. 4▪ 5. he saith with holy boldness and peremptoryness, My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit. God forbid that I should justifie you; till I die, I will not remove my integrity from me. When God speaketh or seemeth to speak wrath, his angry countenance driveth him not away from him, though (saith he chap. 13. 15.) he should kill me, yet I will trust in him, but I will maintain mine own ways before him; and vers. 16. an hypocrite shall not come before him; The Hypocrite or legal man giveth it over, when he is thus put hard to it; … though it be easie for him to presume while the Law and Wrath break not in, yet when the Law cometh, Sin reviveth and he dieth; as it is Rom. 79. it is easie to have peace so long as God speaketh not down-right against it; but when he cometh to set all a mans sins in order before him, he will with Iudas run and hang himself, rather then abide that tormenting Conscience of his, terribly denouncing war and wrath from God against him.
A 4th. Character is, That a good Conscience will love to entertain and welcome a challenge, but an ill Conscience cannot abide nor endure a challenge, and if it could, it would have Conscience always silent and quiet, when yet it should not be quiet, neither hath it any ground to be so: He who hath a good Conscience is glad to have sin discovered and Conscience kept waking; he thinketh a sanctified conviction of sin a valueable mercy; and the reason is, because he aimeth not so much at this to have peace in himself, as to have a good and solid ground of peace betwixt God and him, and to remove what may mar it; whereas the Hypocrites great design is to have peace on any terms and by any means, and therefore when a challenge cometh closs and home to him, it is quite marred; It is on this ground that a tender soul will designedly aggrege sin, and even foster a challenge, as David doth, Psal. …1. Against thee, thee only have I sinned, whereas a Saul will defend his own sinful practice and seek to shift the challenge, as we may see 1 Sam. 15. 10. yea I have keeped the commandment of the Lord, saith that proud Hypocrite.
A 5th. Character or Difference is, That a good Conscience maintaineth its peace both from the Law and from the Gospel, and will needs have peace in some measure in respect of both, else it will not be satisfied; The evil Conscience again taketh its peace from the one and not from the other, and so taketh a wrong rule or ground for founding and trying of its peace; An honest man that hath a good Conscience, hath respect to the Law and will not thwart it; yea, the challenging and condemning part of it is welcomed, and the threatnings of it have influence on him to make him fear; and as he respecteth the Law, so he respecteth the Gospel, and looketh well to Believing, Repentance, Self-searching, Examination, Meditation, and to his manner of performing these and of all his other duties, that none of them come in the place of Christ, or get any thing of that which is his due; and though he seem to himself to have faith in Christ, if he endeavour not to have Holiness going along with it, he dare not speak peace to himself: But on the contrary, the legal man or law-conscience, if it be in good terms as he supposeth with the Law, it looketh not to the duties of the Gospel, whether the man be indeed fled to Christ, or be in good terms with God through him; and on the other hand, the presumptuous Conscience when it heareth the Law and the threatnings thereof, it …ome way tusheth at these, and under pretext of betaking it self to Christ, it teareth (as it were) away the Law; and this mistaking, halving and dividing of the rule, maketh many men think that their Conscience speaketh good to them, when it doeth not so, but hath rather ground to speak evil and wo. And in the by, ye who think ye have good Consciences, try them by this mark, if ye walk humbly under Conscience-convictions, taking with them, and if they be welcome to you as well as a word of peace.
A 6th. Character or Difference, is, That a good Conscience is holily jealous and suspicious, while an evil Conscience is presumptuously confident and bold; we say a good Conscience is suspicious, and therefore is often putting it self to proof and tryal, taking the sentence of Conscience to the rule and trying it thereby, and taking the answer on deliberation, and not off-hand or by guess; because it knoweth Conscience is but a servant, and therefore will try if it speaketh its masters, even Gods language; to this purpose saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 4. 4. I know nothing by my self, yet am I not hereby justified; it will either have Consciences sentence and Gods sentence going together, or else it will reject and cast it; whereas the most part of men satisfie themselves with the sentence of Conscience, and look not after Gods sentence, and mis-interpret Conscience and take its first word (as it were) and put it not to the tryal: Ah! is not this true of many of your Consciences? ye think ye have peace and that all matters are clear and well betwixt God and you, notwithstanding ye be secure, ignorant or profane, but when do you put your Conscience to the tryal? ask your Conscience if in all the Word of God peace be spoken to the Wicked, or to any that is not sincerely aiming and endeavouring to be holy? consider that word Psal. 85. vers. 8. The Lord will speak peace to his people and to his saints; there is not one word of peace for the profane and unholy: How then can your Conscience possibly speak peace? if it presume to do, it will most certainly beguile you; and therefore as ye would not be deceived, sollow not, neither lay weight upon every word that Conscience speaketh as to your state, especially at first, but try it by the Word; or take its sentence to God and to the Word, and see how he approveth of it, and how his Word doeth warrand it; for (as Solomon saith, Prov. 30. 12.) There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, that are not cleansed from their filthiness.
There is yet on this side a 2d. Question, viz. If Conscience may not only think it self to be right, but think so in a high degree, so as even to be perswaded of it, when yet it is wrong? Answer, Without all question it may; And here we may speak somewhat of a deluded Conscience, which is a Conscience that not only is wrong, and erreth, and speaketh good when there is no ground for it; but a Conscience that hath these two things beside in it, 1. It hath a perswasion that it is right. 2. It hath the affections somewhat stirred by it, and a sort of joy in the thing, whereof it is perswaded; It's (I say) a Conscience that not only speaketh good without ground, but hath a perswasion that it is right, and a kind of joy in it's way: That there may be, and is such a Conscience among the generality of Professors cannot be denyed, and is clear from what the Apostle says, Gal. 5. 3. This perswasion cometh not of him that calleth you; There is a perswasion, and yet not of God; and for the other, to wit, That there may be a joy in the thing, see Gal. 3. 1. O foolish galatians who hath bewitched you? They had a sort of conceit and fainness even to a kind fascination and Bewitching conceit, of their being right, neither was there any dealing with them to draw them off that way: There are Four sorts of these Consciences among Professors, according to Four several rises that they have, none of which will warrand them to think themselves to be right. The 1. Rise, is, from laying too much weight on supposed reason; There is a kind of delusion that ariseth from this ground; which was it wherewith the Galatians were carried away, having heard first from the Gospel, of the righteousness of Faith; And thereafter, from some false Teachers, of the righteousness of the Law, as necessary to be added to it, in the point of Justification; They thought there was good reason for such a Doctrine, and that no loss nor prejudice could come by it; and therefore they did joyn both together. The 2d. Rise, Is, when men lay too much weight on great, though yet but common Gifts, as on liberty in Prayer, and warmness of the af…ections therein, on Preaching notably, and one standing it out in sharp Tryals with the approbations of others, it may be even of the best, or when they have been helped to do some extraordinary things, as in the Primitive times, some Professors were helped as Gods Instruments to cast out Divels, to speak with tongues, &c. who yet were not sound at the heart; it is on this ground that Christ goeth, when He saith, Luke 13. 27. And Matth. 7. 22, 23. Many shall come to me in that day, saying▪ Lord, we have prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and done many wonderfull works: All which are (as I just now said) but common Gifts, though some of them at least, extraordinary; and when men come to have any measure of these beyond others, they will not be beat from it, but will go to death with it, that all is right with them: The 3d. Rise, is from some supposed spiritual sense and comfort, and from some flashes of joy; These temporary Believers spoke of, Matth. 13. and Heb. 6. 4, 5. attained to some tasting of the good Word of God, and of the powers of the World to come; such as once come this length, do what they will, and live as they will, have it (as it were) alwayes sounding in their ears, nor suffer they it to go out of their heads, that such and such a day they met with God, and that he spoke peace to them, and therefore they are perswaded that matters are right betwixt him and them; and yet all this while they may be unsound at the heart, The 4th. Rise is, From folks habituating themselves to speak good to themselves, and from maintaining their presumption, and dulling and deadning their own Conscience; whereupon, in Gods righteous Judgement, Conscience becometh a plague to them, so that they will dispute and debate with and against any Minister, Neighbour, or Friend, that would convince them of the evil and danger of their State and Condition; and the heart being by them, thus deceived, speaketh and pleadeth for them, and deceiveth them back again, they are honest …olks, and were never heard with their Neighbours, none have any thing amiss to say of them, and their own Conscience justifieth them, and what should more? Thus having put out their Light, and blinded their own eyes, they have constrained, and some way necessitated their Conscience to cheat, deceive and beguile them: Such as these are spoken of, Isa. 44: 20. He feedeth on ashes, a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say is there not a lye in my right hand? The heart is ordinarily taken (as was hinted before) for the Conscience in the Old Testament, accordingly Iob said, His heart should not smite him while he lived; And it is said, Davids heart smote him: Now such a man as is here spoken of, his deceived heart, or deluded Conscience turneth him aside, so that he cannot deliver his soul, that is, he cannot winde and extricat himself out of that thicket of self deceit, so far as to bespeak himself thus, is it not a lye that I am lipning and trusting to? And yet this is it that many of you have for a good Conscience, even a deceived heart, or a deluded Conscience; speak to you who will, or what we can, it is in some respect impossible to put you off that …ancie, and to awake you out of that dream, that you have a good Conscience: And the reason of this delusion is, that men take not the ground of the Sentence of Conscience from God, according to the rule of his Word, but from their own misled Reason, or from some common Gift, or from some piece of sense, or some opinion and fancie of their own heart, that is in some sort deceived by them, and deceiveth them. Now all these Delusions may be in these Three respects, 1. In respect of things Doctrinal; A man may be perswaded that Truth is an Error, and an Error is a Truth: 2. In respect of matters of Practice; A man may take an evil Turn or Action for a good one, and have a sort of perswasion that it is so, as the Iews had in killing the Apostles; who thought they did God good service, as the Lord foretold, Iohn 16. v. 2. And Thirdly, In respect of a mans estate, who thinketh he is in friendship with God, when indeed he is not, because he draweth his Conclusion from wrong premisses, either failing in the major Proposition, laying down a wrong rule; Or in the minor Proposition, applying the Rule to himself partially: these things ye should take along with you, in what we are to say further on this point.
Now for the Marks and Evidences of a deluded Conscience, beside these forementioned, of a Legal, and of a Presumptuous Conscience, which may be also Marks of this, it hath these Four or Five especially, accompanying it. 1. A certain frothiness of Spirit, or a light unsetled frame; The light that a deluded man hath in his state or way, is but like a Dream, that hath no reality in it. He feedeth on ashes; and such an one will some way make more Conscience of, and take more pleasure in that wherein he is deluded, then in any other P…ece or Practice of Religion, as it was with the Iews, in persecuting the Apostles; and with the Scribes and Pharisees in seeking to gain a Prosylite, and yet in all that they do, they are but licking froth or s…um, Ephraim feedeth on wind, Hos. 12. 1. What exercise of Conscience they have about Religion, is without any sanctifying effect, it stricketh not at the body of Death▪ nor doth it promove Godliness; it is readily some frivolous thing, that they are so much taken up with, and are so eager in the persuit of, which proveth but wind and ashes, to whom it may be, in some respect, said, as the Apostle doth to the Galatians, chap. 3. 3. Ye began in the spirit, and seek to be made perfect in the flesh.
A Second mark of this, is; There is alwayes in such a Conscience, an un-distinctness, as to the ground whence the mans consolation floweth, or there is much more supposed peace, comfort, joy and satisfaction, then he can give any solid reason for: And they are hugely disproportioned to the foundation they are built upon, ask an hypocrite, what is the ground of his so firm perswasion, and of the comfort and joy resulting there from? He will readily answer, I think it is so, or I hope it is so, or, if he come to be somewhat more particular, in the account he gives, it will very readily be to this, or some such purpose, God hath been very good and kind to me in such, and such Providences, he hath bestowed on me such and such Gifts and Benefits, which yet are but things external and common; or he will, it may be, say, I prayed to God in such and such a strait, and he heard, and delivered me, and I take that for an earnest that he will hear me also for heaven and eternal Life; as if Achabs deliverance from a temporary judgement on his humiliation▪ had been to him indeed the earnest of heaven: Or, it may be he will further say, God hath keeped me from many sins, and bestowed many blessings on me, (which he may do unto, and often doth to meer natural men) and therefore he will be merciful to me; such conclusions are broader then the Premises, and the Superstructures then the Foundations; and yet, alace! the perswasion of many is built upon such sandy Foundations, and is therefore but a delusion, since it hath no solid bottom: Thus some who are carried away with an error, will say they cannot defend, nor debate for such a thing, but they are perswaded of it, as if a well grounded perswasion could be without all reason.
A Third Character, is, That a deluded Conscience can never abide, or endure to be contradicted, or put to a tryal, if any man shall say to such a person. that he or she is deluded, they will be ready to hate him; thus it was with the deluded Galatians to whom the Apostle is constrained to say, cap. 4. v. 16. Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? They will readily cast out with their greatest and best friends, and with the men they were wont to love most, when they gainsay them in their delusions, as Paul sayeth in the forecited place, I bear you record, that if it had been possible you▪ would once have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me, and am I now become your enemy because I tell you the truth? It's an evil token, when a man now hateth another whom he loved before, and on no other ground, and for no other reason, but because he contradicteth him, in that particular wherein he is mistaken.
A 4th Character is, (which is of some affinity to the 2d.) That as a deluded Conscience is frothy in its comfort, so it turneth a man forthie in his practice, he is much more concerned, and zealous in smal and minute things than in those of far greater moment; as the Apostle insinuateth the Galatians were, where he sayeth to them, chap. 3. v. 3. Are ye so foolish, that having begun in the spirit, ye are now made perfect by the flesh? He straineth at a guat and swalloweth a camel; and is not so much taken up with the whole of Religion, as he is with that particular thing wherein he is deluded. he hath more love unto, and sympathy with these that are of his judgement and opinion in that particular, then with all the rest of the Lords people that are sound and right; The Galatians could not deny, but that Paul had more grace then many, or all of these Teachers that courted and wooed them so much into that error, and yet they cooled in their affection to him, and were fond on them.
A 5th. Character is, That a deluded Conscience, i… ordinarily bitter and cruel in the effects of it; as it is proud and vain, so it will persecute to the death them it differeth from; hence were the Persecutions of the Apostles, and of Paul especially; and we have seen it in poor deluded souls, who have thought themselves oblidged to slay all that were against them, or differed from them in these their delusions; some what of this bitterspirit accompanied the delusion of the Galatians; Therefore the Apostle sayeth to them, chap. 5. 15. If ye bite and devour one another, &c. And Iames speaketh to the same purpose of such persons, chap. 3. 14. If ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lye not against the truth, this wisdom descendeth not from above. Bitter zeal and strife is an evil token, and a bitter Conscience is readily no good Conscience; when a man supposing himself to be in the right, is carried on with a spirit of bitterness (though in other cases, bitterness, through the power of corruption may kyth, yet it is native to delusion.) It floweth from pride in such persons, exalting themselves above all others; Therefore as soon as they are deluded, & go wrong, they must have a Church by themselves, and will joyn with no other persons, in Christian communion, but such as are of their mistaken opinion.
But a Third Question ariseth here on occasion of the former. viz. whether Believers in Christ need to be afraid of a deluded Conscience? And whether they may not be perswaded, and that with a sort of delight and satisfaction, that they are right when yet they are wrong? (the latter branch of the Question necessarily supposeth the former, which needeth not therefore to be particularly spoken to) We Answer with a distinction, that a Believer may be mistaken and deluded in a particular, but cannot be deluded as to his gracious state, because, being indeed a Believer, its a most true and certain conclusion which he draws concerning his being in a gracious state, though possibly as to some of the grounds whence he deduceth it, he may be mistaken, or he may draw it from wrong grounds; yet I say in some particulars he may be deluded; as in taking such or such an error to be a truth; and so the first Three grounds and rises of a deluded Conscience, which we form erly assigned, may agree to him: As, he may lay too much weight on carnal reason, and on common Gifts, as some of the Galaians did and the Apostles themselves were in hazard to do, and therefore our Lord saith to them Luke 10. 20. Rejoyce not in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but that your names are written in heaven; he may also lay too much weight on sense or comfort; and the reason may be, because when God graciously condescendeth to give them now and then some proof that he loveth them, they being in so far deserted, draw a conclusion quite cross to the design and end of that manifestation, as if he approved them in that particular wherein they are mistaken; for as a Believer when he is right may think himself to be wrong, because of the want of sense, so by the rule of contraries he may think himself to be right, because he hath much sense, when yet he may be wrong: I shall for further clearing, instance it in five or six cases: As 1. When a Believer hath been in some tender frame, praying to God sincerely and hath gotten a hearing, and when some smiling providence meeteth him, and inviteth him to side with such or such a thing, he is ready to think that God calleth him to that thing: or it may be the Christian after Prayer meets with a Scripture that holdeth out that thing which he hath been praying for, whence he rashly draweth the conclusion that he will obtain it, and is ready to think that therein he walks according to reason, if the thing look rational like to him, and suit the matter of his Prayer; we may see something of this, or very like it in Samuel, if we compare the 15. and 16. Chapters of the first Book of Samuel together; in the end of the 15. Chapter he hath very probably been praying, when he mourned, and chap. 16. v. 1. he is sent by God to Bethlehem to anoint one of Iesses sons to be king; and when (vers. 6.) he looketh on Eliah, he presently and somewhat rashly, yet very confidently saith, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him; he having been praying, and the thing looking so rational and purposelike, was perswaded that he was right, but the Lord reproveth him, and saith to him, Look not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature, because I have refused him; for the Lord seeth not …s man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. How o…t may a tryst of Providence be mistaken? I was in Prayer and such a word met me, and such a Providence occurred to me, and did cast the ballance. A … d. Case is, when a thing representeth it self to the Believer, not only as lawful and honest, but as conducing much to Gods glory and to the good of his work, and he meaneth well in it, how ready is he hence to conclude, that he is certainly called to such a thing, and that it is his duty, when yet it is not so: we may see something of this in David, who 2 Sam. 7. 1; 2, 3, and 4. having a purpose to build a house to God, proposeth the matter to Nathan the Prophet, who without consulting God, off-hand saith to him, Go, do all that is in thine heart, for the Lord is with thee; and yet notwithstanding though God loved the thing, and approved of it in its self as a duty; yet it was not Gods mind that David should perform it, nor that Nathan should have so positively encouraged him to it; hence when a thing considered in it self is pleasing to God, and may be for his honour, some good people may think it to be their duty, whom yet God never called to such a thing; as for instance, to aim to be a Minister of the Gospel is a good thing in it self, and one may have a sort of impulse to it, who yet may not be called to it. A 3d. Case is, when Believers inclinations and affections are exceeding much towards such or such a thing, very readily there-from they will come to have a sort of perswasion in their Conscience anent that thing; as for instance, when they love one sort of life beyond another, which is not simply unlawful, or one Child beyond another; as we may see in Isaac his strong inclination to bless Esau, Gen. 27. we conceive the good man went not against the light of his own Conscience in the matter, but he loved him excessively, which made him take the less heed to what otherways Gods promise and way of dealing with his sons might have taught him; even when he is about to die (when men use to be most single,) he is by his excess of affection carried on that same way, though doubtless not inrending to cross Gods purpose anent Iacob. And if Imight instance it (without being mistaken by any) in this particular, which doth not seldom come to pass, when two Parties are making choice each of other for Marriaga, they may not only think, but some may be perswaded that they are called to marry such an individual person, because inclination and affection setteth them on, when yet there may be no such call of God; and so it may be in reference to other things. A 4th. Case is, when Believers think that Gods Interest and their own interest go joyntly together in such and such a thing or practice, though their own interest swayeth more with them then Gods interest, yet they will be ready to alleadge that they care not so much what become of their own interest, but they cannot endure no… admit such or such a prejudice should come to Gods interest; something whereof we may see in Ionah, to whom the Lord saith, chap. 4. Doest thou well to be angry? I do well (saith Ionah) to be angry to death; and he would do nothing but die, and even in that evil frame of spirit he adventureth to pray to God that he would take away his life; for all which passion and precipitation he alleadgeth a regard to the great concern of Gods glory, as if by that dispensation his truth and faitfulness would be reflected on, while yet in the mean time, respect to his own reputation that he thought would run a considerable risk and hazard, had thereby for the time a prevalent influence on him; and the great impatiency for the withering of his Gourd, says plainly that his own interest lay there, and his being so very ca…kered and impatient o… so small an occasion, and where so inconsiderable an interest of his own was touched, might have down-right told him that he had need to suspect his impatiency in a greater matter; Thus it was manifestly with godly Baruch, Ier. 45. where regard to his own interest had too great a stroak on his fainting and …ighing, for which he is sharply checked, Seeks thou great things for thy self? seek them not; though no doubt he wanted not respect to the publick interest that was now going to ruine in all appearance. A▪ 5th Case is, when Believers seem to have or indeed have greater manifestations of God then ordinary, whereby while it may be he is only approving and encouraging them, as to the main, they are then in hazard to conclude that he is approving them in some particular thing that was never in his mind. As we may see in Peter, who Matth. 17. at the transfiguration being trysted with a glorious manifestation, draweth this conclusion, It is good to be here, let us build three tabernacles: it might have been thought that he would not have mistaken and gone wrong then, by any time, and yet even then he doth so: There is a very common ground of mistake amongst Believers, who if they win at liberty in Prayer about such or such a thing, and get as they think Gods countenance in the duty, they are then very ready to conclude that God certainly approveth of the thing, when yet it may be otherways; but suppose it be so that thou art indeed countenanced in thy duty, yea though thou wert upon the mount with Christ, it will not prove that God alloweth the thing, though he thus manifest his respect to thy self. The reason is that which is said of Peter, This he spoke not knowing what he said. A 6th Case is, when Believers impulse of Conscience proceedeth from zeal without light, or when their light is not proportional to their zeal; for as there may be in Hypocrites light without zeal (which light doth not readily keep them from miscarrying,) so when the judgment of a Believer is mis-informed, and zeal driveth him without light, he then very readily miscarries; as we may see Acts 21. and 20. Iames saith to Paul, Thou▪ seest brother how many thousands of Iews there are that believe, and they are all zealous of the law, &c. their zeal was such for the Ceremonial Law of Moses, that neither Paul nor any of the other Apostles could get them taken off; and Paul was forced to stoop to them in many things, when it might in reason have been thought that they should rather have ceded to the Apostle; Thus Believers when not well informed, but having an honest zeal for God, are like a Ship that hath more sail than ballast, and so cannot well bear up into the wind, nor steer a straight and steddy course; and from this honest zeal of theirs they may err and go wrong, yea even be displeased with others, that will not go along with them in their Error: As all these are incident to Believers, so they would watchfully take heed that in these and other such cases they give not credit to, nor lay weight upon all that their Conscience saith.
A Fourth Question arising from the former is, Whether it may be thus with a Believer, and yet he be in a good frame? Answer, If we mean … good frame universally, so, he cannot be; but although he be in many, ye… in most things in a good frame, as both himself and others may think, and have good ground to think so; yet he may go wrong in a particular, and in so far he is not in a good frame, as in the instances given before. 1. He may have an honest mind and meaning. 2. In other things he may be very observant of and tender in duty very tractable and obedient to the faith of Christ▪ keeping the Church, hearing the Word preached, given to Prayer, and to wait on all Ordinances, as no doubt these believing Iews were, Act. 21. 3. he may be in some measure in a praying frame, yea praying in or about the very time he miscarrieth, as we see in that forecited …nstance of Samuel, 1 Sam. 15. compared with 16. who had been presently praying and offering sacrifice, when he drew that conclusion touching Eliah; Ionah also was praying in that fit of distempered passion, and content to die, and desirous to be in heaven, which supposeth some clearness of his interest; for it cannot in charity be thought that the godly man was desperate or durst so go to God, and yet he was no doubt wrong. Yea 4. He may have great manifestations, (as we see in Peter on the mount) and yet go wrong in a particular, as he did; This sayeth that Believers, as-well as others, should walk in humility and fear, and never be over confident▪ it is not sure, in vain that they are bidden work out the work of thier own salvation with fear and trembling; And all men should be very warry unless it be on good grounds, to draw conclusions about the goodness of their estate especially, wherein these greatly failed, who are spoken of, Ier. 2. v. 35. Because I am innocent, surely his anger is turned away from me. Only here, take▪ two or three differences betwixt the perswasions that are in Believers, and these that are in Hypocrites, when they go wrong. 1. In a Believer it is in some particular, and not as to their state, as it's in the Hypocrites perswasion. 2. It's in some accidental or accessory thing, and not in fundamental Truths 3ly. It is readily and more ordinarily in some thing not simply, and in it self evil, but in something only that they are not called to of God, though good in it self; in these most readily, and ordinarily, (as I just now said) they may go wrong and stray; but yet they may do so, even in some other things at fits, or under some violent tentations. We shall close up all at this time with these Four or Five Words of Direction.
The 1. whereof is, that which we hinted at before, That Believers would walk softly, humbly and in fear, and not be too confident of themselves, or of their own strength; for though they may warrantably be humbly confident that they shall be carried through without, at least final erring in any fundamental truth necessary to Salvation; yet they may slide in a particular practice, or in a point of truth in such things as are (to say so) accessory, and not absolutely necessary; and therefore they should walk in fear, and be war of a despising, censuring, and condemning humour that useth to go along with them, who think themselves to be right, and others to be wrong; As the Apostles exhortation is▪ Rom. 14. 3. 2dly. Believers had not need to be rash or hasty, in any thing, since much of their erring, whether in opinion or practice floweth from their haste, and suddenness in drawing conclusions; Whereas, if they patiently waited on God, and considered calmely, and at leasure, they might get another Answer; But we often lay down our Conclusion, and then begin to Try (which is a very preposterous course) Whereas we should first try, and then conclude. 3dly. Believers should be exceeding serious, not only in trying the thing, but in trying their singleness in it; Considering that oftentimes there is somewhat beside awe of Conscience, that swayeth them in such and such a particular (if they could discern it) such as interest, affection, or the like. 4thly. They would also carefully observe, and beware of the bitter fruits that accompany delusion in others, which (though they come not to that hight, yet) may come to a considerable hight even in them, such as are severe censuring and judging of others, bitterness, frothiness, &c. 5thly. And in a word, They had need to lippen and trust to God, more then to themselves, according to that notable exhortation, Prov. 3. 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding; in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths; That other word which we have, Prov. 28. v▪ 26. would also be considered, and seriously pondered, He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool, but who so walketh wisely shall be delivered: Let all learn to be humble, tender, and sober; And God bless what hath been said for this end.