A Manual of Practical Divinity, Treatise · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. How natural men deceive themſelves, and think that their Eſtate is good.
ITS a great mercy for a man that is not in a ſtate of Grace, to know that he is yet without Chriſt: but men flatter themſelves that they are Chriſtians and Saints, when there is no cauſe in the world for it.
Men deceive themſelves in their ſpiritual eſtate ſometimes by not examining their condition; many men never take thought, whether they have Chriſt or no; and if men do examin their ſpiritual Eſtate, uſually it is by falſe ſigns, as outward performance of Duties, or outward abſtinence from many groſs ſins: Its a ſad thing when we have nothing to evidence a good eſtate but outward thing; no work upon our hearts, but only we have performed many Duties, and ſat under Ordinances; ſo did they, Iſa 58. the beginning.
And many deceive themſelves in their ſpiritual Eſtate by ſhunning a heart-ſearching Miniſtry; they call for a Miniſter that may prophecy to them ſmooth things; there is many mens. Miniſtry that never touches upon the heart, hath little tendency that way.
And men have a way to excuſe ſin, and ſo think they are in a good eſtate, though they live in all manner of ſin, as Adam laid the fault upon Eve, and Eve ſhifted it off to the Devil. Men that never pray in their Families, never read the word in their Families, lay the fault upon buſineſs.
Another way whereby we often deceive our ſelves in our ſpiritual eſtates, is by looking upon the failings that the Saints have, and ſo flatter our ſelves, that our condition is the ſame with theirs: thus men will ſay, David did ſo and ſo, and Peter did deny Chriſt; Yea, But David and Peter believed in Chriſt, and mourned heartily for their ſins. A Saint hates all ſin; do you do ſo?
Again, By Nature we are ignorant of the true nature of every Grace, and therefore are eaſily deceived in our eſtate; we do not know the true nature of ſaving faith; we think it lies only in knowing that Chriſt dyed for ſin; we are ignorant of the nature of Repentance, how the Love of God in Chriſt doth break the heart, and we think, if we give to the poor, then we have Charity; whereas in the Scriptures account, a man may give all his goods to the poor, and yet want true Charity, 1 Cor. 13.
And then men are loth to examin themſelves to purpoſe, whether they be in the faith or no, for fear they ſhould deſpair if they come to ſee their eſtate is not good; though, alas, very few deſpair; and its one thing for a man to be convinced of his eſtate being bad, and another thing to deſpair: for though he be not converted, yet he may be converted afterwards.
Likewiſe the quietneſs and ſtilneſs of many mens conſciences makes them think that they are in a good eſtate, when as that may be a great Judgement upon them; its one thing to have true Peace of Conſcience, and another thing to have a ſeared Conſcience.
There are certain plain ſigns that a man is not in a ſtate of Grace, which are evident in many, and in ſuch great Characters that he that runneth may read them; as if men jear at the Spirit of God, and jearat men for having the Spirit of God, that they will ſay. This is a man of the Spirit. Doſt thou think that thou art a Saint? All Saints have the Spirit of Chriſt in them, and they are led by the ſpirit of God, Rom. 8.14. and they prize the Spirit highly.
And if men be wholly ignorant of the way of Juſtification by the blood of Chriſt, and declare plainly that they ſeek life by their own obedience and Righteouſneſs, it is evident that they are not in a good eſtate; for all Believers deſire to be found in Chriſt, having on them the Righteouſneſs which is of God by Faith, and how many by this may be convinced that they are not in a good eſtate?
Or if men live in all manner of ſin, allow themſelves in drunkenneſs, ſwearing, and the like: Theſe tranſgreſſions of the wicked, ſay within my heart ſaith David, That the fear of God is not before their eyes, Pſal. 36.1. Let men ſay what they will, if that they commit iniquity with greedineſs, it is evident that they know not Chriſt in a ſaving manner, For he that ſaith he knoweth God, and keepeth not his Commandments, is a lyar, and the Truth is not in him, 1 Joh. 2.4. Indeed Hypocrites may deceive us, becauſe of the inlightnings they have, and reformation of life and ſmooth carriage; but the common ſort of narural men do plainly bewray themſelves to be out of Chriſt; and it is a ſign of a carnal man to judge every body to be Saints that make ſuch ſleight and overly profeſſion of Chriſt as the common ſort of people do; if we be Saints, and know what the new birth is, we ſhall not think it is ſuch an eaſie and common thing to be true Saints; but that ſtrait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth to eternal Life, and few there be that find it.
Some deceive themſelves by building their hopes of ſalvation upon their gifts, parts and knowledge, when as Satan and many Reprobates outſtrip many Saints of God in thoſe things, and yet have no ſaving nor experimental knowledge.
Others build their ſalvation upon the eſteem that they have with others that are Saints; but thou maiſt be but a Judas or Simon Magus for all that: the Apoſtle bids us in that caſe, every man to prove his own work, to ſee what work of Grace he can find in his own heart, and then he ſaith, he ſhall have rejoicing in himſelf alone, and not in another, Gal. 6.4.5.
Others again build their ſalvation upon this that they have left ſome groſs ſins, as ſwearing, drunkenneſs, whereas it may be their hearts are … bad a… ever, but only they were forced to leave thoſe ſins, they ſo galled their Conſciences, but yet their reformation never proceeded from faith.