The Real Christian, Introduction
THE INTRODUCTION.
WHen God gave commandment to Iſrael, to appoint three Cities of Refuge, Deut. 19 2. He gave another Commandment to them, v. 3. To prepare the way to thoſe Cities: Upon which Commandment the Magiſtrates of Iſrael, every year, on the fifteenth day of the month Adar [or February] ſent out Meſſengers to prepare the wayes to the Cities of Refuge, to make them fit and broad, remove out of them all ſtumbling blocks and offences; they ſuffered not any Hill or Dale to be in the way, nor water-ſtreams, but they made a bridge over it, that nothing might hinder him that fled thither. At the partition of wayes they ſet up in writing, Refuge, Refuge, foreignthat the man-ſlayer might know and turn thitherward. If any man met the man-ſlayer, he was not to hinder him; but two or three of their wiſe men were to be upon the way, that if they did meet with the Avenger of blood, they might by lenitive words endeavour the appeaſing of his wrath, and not fall upon the man-ſlayer, till the caſe were judicially heard.
Some Divines, I ſee, make Chriſt to be typified by this City of Refuge; if ſo, methinks that which is ſpoken of John, Iſai. 40.3. [quoted by all the Evangeliſts] crying in the wilderneſs, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, &c. ver. 4. Every valley ſhall be exalted, and every mountain and hill ſhall be made low, &c. may well alude to this their preparing the way to the City of Refuge. That the Apoſtle, Heb. 6.18. in thoſe words, who have fled for Refuge, doth at leaſt allude to this flying to the City of Refuge, I think may well be admitted. So *In tentum. Conſugimus per Baptiſmum ad Chriſtum. Lyra.Grotius intimates, Confugimus tanquam ad Aſylum, ut illi de quibus. Numb. 35.2. and Joſh. 21.27. that is, We fly as unto a Sanctuary; as thoſe in Numb. 35.2. and Joſh. 21.27. who fled to the Cities of Refuge. Jacobus Cappellus thus gloſſeth, Confugimus: A quo? a Deo. Ad quem? ad Deum, &c. We fly: from whom? from God. To whom? To God; to wit, from an angry God, to a pacified God, through the interceſſion of his Son; for then will a Refuge far moſt ſafe lye open to us, when we fly to that promiſe of the Covenant of Grace, which he bath declared in his Word, and confirmed by his Oath. This is very ſavoury.
Be this Refuge Chriſt, or God pacified in his Son, or the Covenant of Grace, ſure I am, that the way unto this Refuge hath as much need to be kept clear from ſtumbling blocks, offences, or whatever might hinder the Soul under the ſenſe of its ſin and miſery, full of fears, in danger of death eternal, through an angry God, or the Curſe of the Law purſuing it, now flying for Refuge, as there was need of that way to be prepared to the City of Refuge, to which the man-ſlayer was flying. But whether ſome eminent Divines, whoſe names are very precious in the Church, have not layed ſome blocks in the way, which have cauſed much trouble of ſpirit to loaden and afflicted Souls, who have been flying to Chriſt for Refuge, in the day of their fears and ſorrows? Ask, and experience will tell you. Let us ſee a little.
Here is a ſinner whom God hath awakened, hath ſet his fins in order before him. He that before could ſay, God is a merciful God, ſay theſe Preachers what they will, now he feels and finds God to be an angry God, and one that is as good as his word, one that will not endure iniquity, he will not clear the guilty; and this poor Creature ſeeth nothing but guilt and iniquity in himſelf, no Creature under heaven ſo miſerable as himſelf; to abide here he cannot, the Law ſpeaks nothing but death, and dye he muſt, if there be no other way to ſave him then what he can find in himſelf: Hearing of Chriſt and a Covenant of Grace revealed in the Goſpel, for ſuch poor ſinners to run to; and hearing Chriſt calling of ſuch to him, Matth. 11.28. the ſinner anſwers gladly with them, Jer. 3.22. Behold, we come to thee, and now is haſting for Refuge. But one meets him in the way, and ſpeaks to him; How now ſleepy ſinner, what are you now awake? what are thoſe luſts of thine, wherewith thy ſoul was ſo delighted, become evil things in earneſt to thee? Is thy ſweet morſel, which thou didſt hide ſo under thy tongue, Job 20 12. become bitter? Is hell real? do you believe wrath indeed is coming? do you think God is juſt, will be juſt, whatever you thought of him before? All this is very true, ſaith the ſinner, I feel it all to my ſorrow. Well, what would you have, a Chriſt? God reconciled? his Love? Yea, ſaith the ſoul, this it is, you have named it, this will quiet my ſoul indeed, and nothing elſe. But ſtay, ſaith he, Are you come to this, Mr. Shepherd Sound Believer, p. 154. in that Impreſſion 1645.to be quiet with the will of God, in caſe you think you ſhall never partake of his Love; this you muſt come to, if you be rightly humbled and prepared for Chriſt, unto whom you are now flying. Grace you would have, and God to work Grace you deſire; yea, carneſtly, ſaith the Soul, I would fain have God manifeſt grace towards me. But ſtay, ſaith he, What if God will not work Grace, Mr. Shep. p. 140. p. 143.nor never manifeſt Grace to you, will you not by ſinking diſcouragements, and ſecret quarralling reſiſt God? It may be you will be above Chriſt, not under him, and willing to be diſpoſed of by him. O, I pray, Sir, what do you mean by this, willing to be diſpoſed of by him? This Mr. Shepheard hath not ſo plainly expreſſed; but obſerve what went before, with the thread of his diſcourſe and it is plain Engliſh, if he diſpoſe thee to hell and damnation. Thus his Father in Law, Mr. Tho. Mr. Hooker's Souls Humil. p. 112.Hooker, that eminent man of God, in his Souls Humiliation, ſpeaks it out in plain terms, 'Tis harſh, and tedious, and long it is ere the ſoul be thus framed; yet the heart truly abaſed is content to bear the eſtate of damnation: [By the way obſerve, if it be long firſt before this be attained, then this ſoul is a long time under preparation, and not yet come to Chriſt, according to his diſcourſe that he is upon.] Thus in ſeveral other places he hath theſe expreſſions, Ibid. p. 114, 116, 140.The humbled ſoul is content, ſatisfied, and well-apaid, if God will leave it in that miſerable and damnable eſtate, into which it hath brought it ſelf. Now when the awakened ſinner, in his way to Chriſt, meets with theſe Leſſons, and begins to meditate upon them; muſt I be quiet though God will never give me his love? Muſt I be content, though God will never work, or manifeſt grace to me, or in me? Muſt I be content to bear the ſtate of damnation, well a paid, ſatisfied, though God leave me in it? O what work do theſe make in a poor, diſtreſſed, loſt, undone ſinner? Here are blocks for me to get over; if theſe things be true, I muſt never look to come to the City of Refuge, but muſt dye in the way, and be damned for ever.
But ſuppoſe a man hath got through the way, and is now come to the gate of the City, to enter in, to cloſe with Chriſt by Faith. Another meets him, Well ſinner, whatever Chriſt was before to you, now it ſeems he is of worth; now you would have a Chriſt: Yea, with all my heart, ſaith the diſtreſſed ſinner: But what is it in Chriſt you look at? you would have a Saviour? Yea, and can you blame me, is not his name Jeſus? I would have him a compleat Saviour: Mr. Dan. Rogers Gatechiſe, 1 Edit. p. 118.I thought ſo. This is the main aim of moſt hearers, if they have faith, they are ſure to ſcape Hell; and if they have the conditions of faith wrought, faith will follow: But, poor ſoul, tell me, if this be thy aim, wherein differeſt thou from a drunkard, or a ſwearer?
God hath tyed himſelf graciouſly to ſuch as do ſeek Him, p. 117.not themſelves: He aſſiſts and ſeconds them, who ſeek his glory above their own ſalvation:
There is a mixt-ſelf; Mr. Rogers Naan an,and this mixt ſelf is ſo dangerous a miſchief, as to deprive the ſoul of all her labour and hopes. Now what is that mixt-ſelf? p. 129.123.Several are mentioned: The fifth, is Self-love: When the ſoul ſo looks at the Promiſe, as an object of immediate good to her ſelf, and for her own ends and welfare, not ſubordaining her own ſalvation to the glory of God.
So that, ſinner, Mr. Shepheard in two or three places of his Sincere Convert, ſpeaks to the ſame effect, which I ſhall take notice of in its proper place.here is the queſtion before you enter into the City, or cloſe with Chriſt, Is it the glory of Gods grace which you ſeek, above your own ſalvation? If your ſalvation be not aimed at in a ſubordinate way to his glory, Self love only acts you, and that will undo you.
Good Lord, ſaith the poor ſinner, how ſhall I know this? I am glad of a Saviour to deliver me from Hell and wrath, which I ſo fear, yea, and willing to be ſaved from my own heart, and luſts, and enmity againſt God, are drunkards and ſwearers ſo too? if ſo, then I am loſt indeed: while my ſoul is thus preſſed and oppreſſed with the ſenſe of my undone, miſerable, loſt, ſinful and damned eſtate I ſee it is rich grace which only can ſave me through Chriſt, and I ſhall for ever adore his grace; but whether the glory of it is now above my own ſalvation, I fear it.
One block more lies in the way, ſinner, there is no union with Chriſt without Faith, and if no union, then no communion; do you then underſtand what this Faith is? Mr. Perkins Catechiſe. 4th princip.I muſt tell you, It is a wonderful grace of God, by which a man doth apprehend and apply Chriſt and all his benefits unto himſelf. But Sir, how doth a man apply Chriſt to himſelf? I tell thee, This applying is done by Aſſurance, when a man is verily perſwaded by the boly Spirit, of Gods favour towards himſelf particularly, and of the forgiveneſs of his own ſins. Thus alſo Mr. John Rogers of Dedham, Treatiſe of Faith, p. 23.who thus deſcribes Faith, It is a particular perſwaſion of my heart, that Chriſt Jeſus is mine, and that I ſhall have life and ſalvation by his means: that whatever Chriſt did for the redemption of mankind, he did it for me, &c.
Other things I have met withall in the writings of theſe holy men, which have cauſed ſome trouble, and I may mention them afterwards; but theſe are the things which chiefly have cauſed ſinking thoughts: If theſe things be true, then, if we divide thoſe, whom according to other ſound notes we muſt judge to be ſincere Converts, into four parts, I believe three parts muſt begin their work again. If Chriſtians had minded theſe things, underſtood them, and applyed them to their own hearts, to ſee how they anſwered them, I doubt not, but they would have found the troubles that others have from them: Again, had theſe men been of the lower form in Chriſts School, men but of common and ordinary gifts and grace, they would not ſo much have daunted us; but being men ſo eminent in gifts and grace, Maſter builders, hence our fears and troubles riſe the more. Surely the work of Regeneration, or effectual Calling, is not ſo eaſie, though theſe things be left out; he that tries it, will find that which will make him cry out with Ephraim, Turn me Lord, Jer. 31.18. yea, or elſe never turned. Why then theſe blocks muſt be thrown in the way I know not. If indeed the holy Scripture calls for them, then I will not call them blocks; but that is the thing which in their proper place, I will, with reverent reſpect to theſe bleſſed Saints, humbly examine.