Solemn Advice to Young Men, Question
To fill up the Vacant PAGES, A Serious and most Important Question, shall be briefly Answered. Viz.
HOW a man may know that he is gone beyond an Hypocrite? Or, That there is true Saving Grace wrought in his Soul?
Ans. I. An Universal respect to the Commandments of God argueth sincerity. Deut. 5.29. O that there were such a heart in them that they would fear me, and keep all my Commandments allwayes. A constant regard to all the Commandments is a sign that the heart is touched with the true fear of God. Let such a man hope for Salvation and he shall never be ashamed by finding himself disappointed of his expectation, Psal. 119.6. Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have res…ct unto all thy Commandments. Davids in…grity of heart is noted by his being a man that would fullfill all Gods will, Act. 13.22. This is an evidence of Regeneration and of a true Faith. No man in the world does Conscientiously observe every Commandment, but only the true Believer on Christ. Joh 15.14. You are my friends if you do whatsoever I Command you. an Hypocrite does pick and chuse amongst the Commandments of God; some of them he will obey, but others of them, he would be dispensed with, though he liveth transgressing of them. Jehu went far, and made a glorious profession, but See 2 King. 10.31. So Herod, Mark. 6.19, 20. The sincere child of God is like Cornelius, resolved to hear, that is to obey, all things that are commanded of God. Act. 10, 33. And like Zachary and Elizabeth of whom it is said, as in Luk. 1.6.
II. When Sin is become a mans greatest burden, that argues a real Saving change of Soul. Such an one ha's a New heart given to him. There is spirit as well as flesh, Grace as well as Sin in that mans Soul Gal. 5.17. It is from Grace in the heart that sin is become the most hated loathsome evil. It was a good answer which an holy man gave to one that proposed that Question, How may a man know that a sin is mortified? If (said he) it is become unsavoury & loathsome like a dead & rotten careass, thats a sign of its mortification. Though sin has a being still in that mans Soul, it does not raign there unto death. Suppose a living man should have a dead body chained to him that he could not possibly get rid of, this must needs be matter of constant sorrow to him, and he would desire nothing more than to get clear of that dead body: This is the very case of the true believer on Christ, which makes him cry out Oh! wretched man that I am, Rom. 7.24. That sin is become the greatest burthen to the renewed Soul, is evident, inasmuch as one of the chief reasons why he is willing to dy, is that he may never sin more. There are especially two Considerations which make the believer willing to leave this world, one is, that so he may see Jesus Christ, and be with him for ever; the other is that so he may be eternally freed from sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin, Rom. 6.7. Nothing is sweeter then life, yet life is not so dear to the sincere Christian as sin is grievous and hatefull to him. Hence it comes to pass that if at any time Temptations and Iniquities prevail over him, the sorrows of his Soul are inlarged: he then sayes as Rebeckah did, I am weary of my life because of the Children of Heth. And because sin is become the most abhorred evil to him, there are sins which Unregenerate men are seldome troubled for, that the sincere Christian cannot allow himself in, namely Sinfull thoughts. I dare not say that whoever is afraid to commit a sin in his thoughts is certainly gone beyond a Hypocrite; If I should so speak, I should sow Pillows under the Elbows of many an Hypocrite. Such as have been no Christians at all, Moral heathen, would conscientiously check themselves for, and refrain from some evil thoughts; but if there be a wonderfull change in a mans thoughts, that he dare not allow himself in any sinfull thought, and that vain unprofitable thoughts which will crow'd themselves into his mind, full sore against his will are become a burden to him, this is a sign of a true Conversion. Ps. 119.113. & 139.23. Isai. 55.7. Jer. 4.14.
III. An earnest desire after much Holiness, is an infalliable sign of true Saving Grace, wrought in the Soul. The Holy Spirit ha's Sealed that man unto the day of Redemption whose Soul within him does desire holiness more than any thing in this world. Enquire of thy Soul; if the Lord should put it to thy choice, whether thou wouldest be the richest or the holiest person on the earth, which of these would thy heart chuse? would thy heart say, Let me be an holy rather than a great man on the earth. If I may but have much Grace, and bring much Glory to God and to Jesus Christ, Let who will take the great things of the world. Then thou art born of God: the marks of the Lord Jesus are on thy Soul; thou dost follow holiness, and thou shalt see God. Heb. 12.14.
FINIS.
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A Discourse concerning the Glorious state of the Church on earth under the new. Jerusalem… A dissertation concerning the future Conversion of the Jews; answering the Objections of the Reverend and Learned Mr. Baxter, Dr. Lightfoot, and others.
A Treatise concerning the Nature, Power, and Office of the Holy Angels, and the great benefit which the Elect of God receive by their Ministry: And of the Sin of the Evil Angels, with a disquisition concerning Angelical Apparitions.
There is also now preparing for the Press, A Discourse concerning Judi…ial Hardness of Heart: By Increase Mather, Praesident of Harvard Colledge, in Cambridge.
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End of the text · Increase Mather, Solemn Advice to Young Men (1695)