The Almost Christian, Sermon 2
SERMON II.
I ſhall proceed to the next thing propounded. As we have ſeen in the general, ſo now let us conſider in particular what Progreſs a natural Man may make towards Grace; and that I ſhall do, by conſidering the ſeveral ſteps and degrees by which they may ariſe up to a great height and glory of outward Profeſſion: And this we cannot better do, than by ſhewing, 1. What Grace is. 2. What reſemblance that which is wrought by a meer carnal Man may carry in it like true Grace; by comparing theſe together, we may ſee how near an unregenerate, carnal Man may come to true and ſaving Grace.
Firſt, What Grace is. I need not tell you that I ſpeak not now of an Objective Grace inherent in God; but terminated on us, whereby a change is wrought in our relation to him. And this Objective Grace is nothing elſe but the divine Love, Favour, and good Will of God expreſſed in us. But I ſpeak of a Subjective Grace inherent in us; whereby a real change is made in our Lives and Natures. And in brief you may take this Deſcription of ſubjective or inherent Grace: It is a ſupernatural Habit immediately infuſed into the Soul by the Holy Ghoſt, reſiding in every Power and Faculty of the Soul as a Principle of holy and ſpiritual Operation. And there is a five-fold change wrought by it.
1. Upon the Judgment, or the direct Ʋnderſtanding, by informing and enlightening it.
2. Upon the Conſcience in the reflex Underſtanding, by awakening and pacifying it.
3. Upon the Affections, by ſpiritualizing them.
4. Upon the Will, by converting it.
5. Upon the Life and Converſation, by reforming it.
This five-fold change is wrought upon the whole Soul by true and ſanctifying Grace.
Now in the next place I ſhall ſhew how far a natural Man may attain to theſe, ſo as to be Almoſt a Chriſtian.
Firſt, As for his Mind or Ʋnderſtanding, he may be irradiated with a clear and ſparkling knowledge of divine and ſpiritual Objects, when yet the Soul is not truly converted to God. It is true as in the Creation of the World, the Light is numbered and reckoned amongſt the firſt of God's Works: So likewiſe in this new Creation, the firſt work of the Spirit of God is to ſhed abroad his heavenly Light it the Ʋnderſtanding; and therefore we have this firſt in order, in that Commiſſion which our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt gives to St. Paul, Acts 26.18. He ſent him to the Gentiles, to open their eyes, and to turn then from darkneſs to light; and then it follows, from the power of Satan to God. But yet notwithſtanding, there is an Illumination about ſpiritual Things, which may gil… and beautifie the Underſtanding of a natural Man, who like a Toad may be full of Poiſon, though he hath a precious Stone in his Head. The Apoſtle, he lays down this as one of thoſe Attainments that an unregenerate Man may have, and yet be an Apoſtate, Heb. 6.4. he may not only have a deep knowledge of Goſpel-Myſteries, ſo as to ſee the whole Compages and concatenation of the Doctrine of Chriſt, and to unfold them to others; but may have alſo particular diſcoveries of the Glory and Beauty that there is in theſe things. We may ſee it clearly by Balaam's Ecſtaſie, Numb. 24. Such diſcoveries carnal hearts may have made to them, and ſee their Luſtre and Beauty. Nay further, a carnal Man may be convinced, that there is no other way of Recovery but by the Grace of God through the Merits of Chriſt, and of the ſuitableneſs of Chriſt to his Soul, of the Freeneſs of God's Love, of the Riches of his Grace, of the Readineſs of his Heart to receive them; of the Deſirableneſs of Happineſs, of the Beauty of Holineſs, and yet for all this remain in a natural State: But now, not to leave you under doubts and perplexities, ſuch an Illumination of a carnal Man, falls far ſhort of true Grace in theſe Two Particulars.
Firſt, In that it is but Lumen ſterile, a barren light; Illumination that is ſaving, is not only Light, but influence too.
As the Light of the Sun doth not ſerve only to paint the World, and varniſh over the Beauty and Variety of ſeveral Creatures that are in it; but carries in it a grateful heat and cheriſhing influence, which operates into them, and refreſheth them; and as the Light diſcovers their Beauty, ſo theſe Influences increaſe it: So ſaving Illumination, not only illuſtrates the Soul by its Light; but likewiſe, by the Congenialneſs of its Influences, nouriſhes the Soul, draws Sap into it, and Fruit from it. Such is not the Illumination of an unregenerate Man; it is but a barren Light, and only ſerves to paint his Underſtanding, and hath no influence on it to make the Soul grow in Grace, and bring forth the Fruits of Holineſs, to the Praiſe of God.
That Illumination that is ſaving is tranſforming, 2 Cor. 3.18. We all, as in a Glaſs, behold the Glory of the Lord, and are changed into the ſame Image, &c. If a Beam of the Sun falls upon a Looking-Glaſs, it not only makes it glitter with a glorious Light, but it repreſents the very Image of the Sun in the Glaſs; but let it beat never ſo clearly and ſtrongly upon a Mud-Wall, though it enlightens it, yet it doth not thereby leave its Image upon it. So truly Illumination, that is ſaving, doth not only irradiate, but transform. If you look upon the Sun, when ſhining in its ſtrength, the Light thereof will imprint the very Shape and Image of the Sun upon your Eye; and look where you will, ſtill you retain the appearance of the Sun before you: So every ſight that a true Chriſtian hath of the Sun of Righteouſneſs, will make as it were another Sun in his Soul. But now the Illumination of wicked Men doth only enlighten, not change them; their Ʋnderſtandings may be irradiated with glorious Diſcoveries of God, Chriſt, and the Things of Heaven; but this doth not transform them into the Image and Likeneſs of thoſe Things. The Illumination of godly Men and true Chriſtians, is like the Light which breaks through the Air, and turns every vaſt Body throughout the World all into Light. It is with wicked, unregenerate Men, as with thoſe that lie long in the Sun-ſhine; which though it inlightens them, yet doth but afterwards make them more black and ſwarthy. So thou may'ſt have as much notional Knowledge of God, Chriſt, and the Myſteries of the Goſpel as any Child of God hath, and poſſibly much more, yet this is no true Sign of Grace; for this Knowledge is not therefore ſaving, becauſe it is clear and comprehenſive, but becauſe it is influential and transforming. And uſually we perceive that where the Light of Knowledge ſhines into a wicked Heart, it doth but tann and make the Perſon more black and ſwarthy, more ſinful than before: Thus, as to the direct Ʋnderſtanding of the Judgment, a natural Man may have a bright, clear, and glittering Light concerning Heavenly and ſpiritual Objects.
Secondly, As for the Reflex Ʋnderſtanding of the Conſcience. Neither yet the Peace nor the Trouble of Conſcience, is ſuch an Attainment to which a natural Mar cannot reach.
Firſt, A natural Man may have a quiet and peaceable Conſcience. Indeed when this Peace is true, it is always an effect of Grace; and therefore we thus find the… coupled together, Rom. 1.7. 1 Cor. 1.3. Yet there is that which looks very like Peace of Conſcience though it be not ſuch, and that is a ſupine Preſumption and a carnal Stupidity and Oſcitancy: Their Conſciences are never troubled at the ſight of Sin, or ſenſe of Wrath; but are like thoſe preſumptuous Sinners ſpoken of, Deut. 29.19. And it come to paſs when he heareth the words of this Curſe, that he bleſs himſelf in his Heart, ſaying, I ſhall have peace, tho I walk in the Imagination of mine Heart, &c. Now this Peace is founded only upon bold and confident Perſuaſions of God's infinite Mercy, and gracious Diſpoſition; and becauſe God will exalt his Mercy above all his Name, therefore they conclude; that as God hath exalted his Power in creating and ſuſtaining them, ſo he will much more exalt his Mercy in ſaving them. Thus as Mad-men often fanſie themſelves Kings or ſome great Perſonage, when indeed they are but wretched and miſerable Spectacles, ſo do theſe ſpiritual Mad-men; and as the Devil appropriates to himſelf all the Glory of the Earth, ſo theſe look upon Heaven, and all the Glory of it, and boldly call it all their own; yea, and through their wretched Security, are bold to cry out with Thomas, My Lord, and my God. To ſuch I may ſay with our Saviour in another Caſe, God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. God is not the God of ſuch as love, and live in their Sins and Luſts; and that call him Father, whom yet they diſhonour by a lewd and diſſolute Life: This is but is Father one of the Devil's Off-ſpring upon the holy God. Indeed Men by enormous and flagitious Crimes have ſo wounded and waſted their Conſciences, that now they retain not ſtrength enough to accuſe, moleſt, and trouble them; and this they call Peace of Conſcience: Such a Peace as Gallious (in Tacitus) exprobrates the Romans with, when they have laid all waſte. This they call Peace; but this Peace is rather deadneſs of Conſcience, and is far from that which ariſeth from the true Grace of God; and that that is the work of the Holy Ghoſt in Conviction, which deſtroys this ill-grounded Peace; and it works in the Soul Horrors and Terrors, and affrights the ſecure Soul when it ſhews it how it ſlept upon the Top of the Maſt, and lay on the very Brink of the Infernal Pit. As therefore we muſt not diſcourage a broken Spirit, but embolden it to appropriate Chriſt, and all the Promiſes of the Goſpel to it ſelf in particular; ſo we muſt let wicked Men know, that when they preſume to call God, their God and their Father, and yet continue in their Sins and Wickedneſs, they will find that inſtead of being their Father, he will only be their Judge.
Now it will appear that this Peace of a carnal Man is only from deep Security, and the Spirit of Slumber that hath ſeized upon them; becauſe when we come to examine the grounds of it, they plead only the goodneſs of their Hearts, and there is nothing more familiar and frequent than this they boaſt of; and though they live in a conſtant neglect of holy Duties, and wallow in the Filth of cuſtomary Sins, yet ſtill they boaſt of this, that they have very good Hearts, upright Intentions. This is a meer deluſion; for it is as utterly impoſſible that the Heart ſhould be good when the Life is wicked and prophane, as for a good Root to bring forth evil and corrupt Fruit.
Secondly, As Peace of Conſcience may be attained by natural Men, ſo many times ſuch may lie under the Regrets and Troubles of Conſcience. It is not Trouble of Conſcience that is the Attainment wherein true Grace doth conſiſt: A dull and a lethargick Conſcience that hath long lain under the cuſtomary Commiſſion of groſs Sins, may at length, by ſtrong Convictions, be ſtartled and awakened to a ſenſe of Sin, and be affraid at the ſight of it; but yet may retain an impure and defiled Conſcience: God may (even in this Life) kindle in their Breaſts ſome Sparks of the unquenchable Fire, and may give them ſome fore-taſts of that Cup of Trembling that they muſt for ever drink of. As he hath made himſelf a Devil incarnate by his Sin, ſo God may make his Conſcience a Hell incarnate. By his Conſcience you hear Cain, that Primitive Reprobate, crying out, my Puniſhment is greater than I can bear; nor could Judas find any other way to check his Conſcience but with an Halter: Theſe Regrets of Conſcience may proceed from a preparatory work of Conviction, which becauſe of Men's wilful deſerting them, often vaniſh away without any ſaving effect; and fall as far ſhort of true Grace, as the Region of the Air where Storms and Tempeſts, Thunderings and Lightnings are ingendered, falls ſhort of the Heaven of the Bleſſed, and that Eternal calmneſs and ſerenity: And as Worms uſually are the off-ſpring of corruption and putrefaction; ſo this never dying Worm, that muſt ever ſting them, oftentimes in this life, is bred out of a rotten and corrupted Conſcience, the Conſcience therefore may be defiled, when it is not ſeared; it may be awakened, when it is not ſanctified; a filthy puddle may be ſtirred as well as a clear running ſtream, the Conſcience may work terrors and horrors, where the Spirit of God never wrought true ſaving Grace.
Thirdly, As to the Affections: There may be Affections and ſweet Motions of the Heart, which are oftentimes relyed on us certain evidences of true Grace; yet alſo may be in a carnal and natural Man, Mat. 13.20. Some received the word with joy, &c. So John. 5. Chriſt tells the Jews, they did for a ſeaſon rejoyce in the Doctrine and Preaching of John the Baptiſt. Thus Herod is ſaid to hear John gladly, ſo that you ſee the Affections in holy Duties and Ordinances may be with joy, even in thoſe that have no true Grace at all in them. As there may be thoſe affections of joy and delight, ſo likewiſe of ſorrow for ſin, ſo we have it 27. Matth. 3. It is ſaid of Judas, he repented himſelf, and Ahab's humiliation was ſo great, that God takes ſpecial notice of him, 1 Kings 21. Behold, how Ahab humbleth himſelf, &c. How all theſe affections are but temporary and vaniſhing, which may be excited, even in carnal Men, from ſeveral advantages that things have to commend themſelves, to their judgments and to their hearts.
Firſt, Sometimes the very novelty, and the ſtrangeneſs of them may affect them: Novelty uſually breeds delight, which longer cuſtom and acquaintance doth abate, and this may be given as a reaſon, why ſoon after converſion the new Converts affections are drawn forth more ſtrongly in the ways of God, more than afterwards when they grow ſettled and ſtable Chriſtians; the reaſon is, becauſe of the very novelty of that courſe and way they have now entered into, which affects them with delight, beſides the real deſirableneſs which is in thoſe ways themſelves; the very novelty doth affect them, and this too may ſatisfie us, that though many are turned aſide from the truth as it is in Jeſus Chriſt, and from the way of Worſhip which God hath appointed us, that have boaſted, that they have found more comfort, and more ſweet affections than ever, in thoſe new ways after which they have gone; yet it is not becauſe thoſe ways have any thing in them, that might yield them more comfort and delight, but only becauſe they are new ways, and all new things will for the preſent ſtir up the affections, but after ſome continuance in thoſe ways, they find their joy and their delight to ſlag; then they ſeek out other new ways, and commend them as much; and no wonder, for new ways will ſtir up new affections; that may be one Reaſon, why affections may be ſtirred up, even in the unregenerate and meer carnal Men, as to the things of God, even from the meer novelty of them.
Secondly, Good affections may be ſtirred up in Men, from the very affecting nature of ſpiritual Objects themſelves; for ſpiritual Objects may affect us in this natural way. Who can read the Hiſtory of Chriſt's Paſſion, without being affected with ſorrow, for all the ſorrow he underwent; he hath a heart harder than Rocks, that can hear of the Agonies, and Scourges, and cruel Indignities offered to ſo innocent and excellent a Perſon, as Chriſt was, that ſuffered even for Sinners, and not be moved thereby to grief and compaſſion; and yet poſſibly theſe affections may be no other than ſuch as would be excited from us, at the reading of ſome Tragedy in a Romance or feigned Story.
Thirdly, Affections may be moved by the Artificial Rhetorick of others, by the great abilities of the Miniſters whom we hear. God tells the Prophet Ezekiel Cap. 33.32. Thou art to them as a very lovely ſong; they may ſometimes have their judgments pleaſed, with the Learning ſhewn in a Sermon, and their affections excited by the Oratory, and powerful utterance of it; but theſe though they are very good helps to excite our affections, yet they are not true teſts of ſpiritual affections in us.
Fourthly, Pride and ſelf-ſeeking may in the performance of duties excite our affections. Men may be much deceived in this particular, for inſtance, in Prayer, they may think they are affected with the things they pray for, when poſſibly their affections may be moved only with the words themſelves ſpeak, with the copious, free and admirable inventive way that they pray in: Whereas the contrite broken Spirit, who is only moved with truly ſpiritual affections, may not be ſo large, and ſo copious in his expreſſions of them. A true Chriſtian may groan out a Prayer, that cannot compoſe and make a Prayer, that hath a ſententious Coherence one part with another. As the Ground that is fulleſt of precious Mines hath leaſt graſs growing upon it; ſo ſometimes in holy Duties, when the heart is moſt full of Grace, there may be leaſt flouriſhing of expreſſions: You cannot gather the truth of ſaving Grace, from ſtrong workings of the affections, which may ſometimes upon theſe accounts be deceitful and wicked, and unregenerate Men may have Affections ſtirred up in them upon theſe grounds, but then they are always vaniſhing and fleeting, and are only permanent while the violence of ſome external cauſe doth excite them, and they are always unfruitful, though their affections may ſtir within them, yet they are not efficacious to put them upon a holy Life and Converſation.