The Axe at the Root of Professors Miscarriages, Chapter 2
Chap. II. The miſcarriages oppoſite to Believing God? The Aſsenting Act of Faith.
1. Againſt credulity. Prov. 14.15.VAin Credulity. Hath not this been your ſin? Have not you been ſo ſimple as to believe every word, pretending to come from God? Have not you been ready to be …ken to falſe Teachers? Mar. 4.24. mat. 7.15. Jer. 23.16. mar. 8.15.Though God hath ſaid, Take heed what you hear: Beware of falſe Prophets: Hearken not unto the words of the Prophets, that propheſie unto you, they make you vain, they ſpeak … Viſion of their own heart: Take heed, beware of the leaven of the … hariſees, and of the leaven of Herod; yet how fool hardy and venturous have you been? O the ſad conſequences of this fool-hardineſs! Eve loſt all by hearing one Sermon from the mouth of the Serpent. Julian the Emperor, ſipt in his Apoſtaſie by hearing Libanius, the Sophiſter. Let others, yea your own harms, make you to beware. Faelix quem faciunt aliena pericula, &c. Prov. 9.18. … Theſ. 5.21.O! come not any more neer the do…r of their houſe; Knoweſt thou not that the dead are there, and that their gueſts are in the depth of Hell? Say not, you muſt try all things; Chriſtians ought indeed to prove all things in the Apoſtles ſenſe; the Doctrines, that Chriſts own Miniſters teach them, they muſt bring to the touch-ſtone of the Word; But he that will adventure to taſt of every box and glaſs in an Apothecaries ſhop, may ſooner meet with poyſon, than with nutriment. Have not you been ready to receive and reject Doctrines, before you have brought them to the touch-ſtone and ballance of the Sanctuary, to be tryed? Before you receive or reject a piece of gold, you will go to the touch-ſtone, to try whether it be good mettal, or no, and to the ballance to try whether it be weight, or no; But have you not dealt otherwiſe with the Doctrines you have heard? C…ril on Job 12: 11:Hath your ear tryed the words, that have ſounded therein? The Original word for an ear (as an excellent Expoſitor obſerves) being of the dual Number, ſignifieth a pair of ballances, to note, that we ſhould not only hear, but weigh. But have not you received Doctrines upon truſt? Have not ſome given an abſolute credence to the Church, to a Synod, to a Councel? Have not others to this and the other ſingular perſon, if a learned Man, or a pious Man, if a Paſtor, or a Teacher, eſpecially, if pretending the ſpirit of Revelation? But what faith the Apoſtle? We beſeech you, brethren, 2 Theſſ. 2.2.that yee be not ſoon ſhaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by ſpirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us; not by ſpirit, thoſe that pretend pr…phetical revelations; nor word, thoſe that plead traditions; nor letter, thoſe that urge forged records. It was the Bereans commendation, Acts 17.11.that they would not truſt Paul upon his word, but tryed his Doctrine by the Scriptures. Have not you alſo rejected Doctrines upon truſt? It is as dangerous (ſaith one) to refuſe, as to receive, what we have not examined. 2 Chro…. 12.8. Shephard's wholeſome caveat for a time of liberty. p. 3: Aſh on 2 Chr… 30.8. 1 Cor. 7, 23. mat. 23.10.No wonder that we, that have been ſo ready to inſlave our conſciences to Men, be given up to ſo ſoar a bondage. They ſhall be his ſervants, that they may know my ſervice, and the ſervice of the Kingdomes of the Country; i.e. That they may know the difference between them: the bondage of the one, and the liberty of the other. O that this may be your ſin no more! why ſhould ye be any longer willing to be the ſervants of Men, ſeeing one is your Master, which is Chriſt?
2. Sinful Incredulity. Againſt Incredulity. foreign Credere, fidem habere, teſtimonium accipere.The aſſenting act of faith is a full perſwaſion of any truth upon a divine teſtimony. The Hebrews, the Greeks, the Latines expreſs it by ſuch words, as import believing, or giving credit to. Many think all Infidels are without the pale among Turks, and Heathens; But alas! are not too many found in the boſomes of Churches? The Iſraelites were Gods people, and yet deſtroyed in the Wilderneſs, becauſe they believed not. And may not we fear deſtruction for our unbelief? Capel of temprations, page 153, 154.Are not we ſtill guilty of not believing that God is, what God is, and what God ſaith? One well obſerves, that all ſin comes from Atheiſme; for who would ſin, did he then verily believe, that there were a God, that ſaw all, and would puniſh all? And ſuch a God, God muſt be, or no God: And all ſin tends to Atheiſme; for ſin wipes out all the notions of a Deity, as much as it can: And when we are in ſin, we muſt be either willing to get out of it by Repemance, or elſe we ſhall be willing to turn Atheists. Guilt always (ſaith another) begets fear; and fear, hatred; and hatred ſtrikes at the being of the object hated: Bates on Heb. 11.6. in M. E. at G. page 52. Gedolphins holy Arbor, page 17as is evident in Malefactors, deſiting there were no Law, nor Judge. Do not we ſay in our hearts, there is no God? ſo the fool, the ſinner doth. It is Atheiſme (ſaith one) when Men do but in their hearts ſay that it is all vanity which is ſpoken of God. Are not we ſtill guilty of not believing what God is? Do not we deny, if not expreſly, yet conſequentially Gods abſolute dominion to command us: the goodneſs as well as righteouſneſs of the law of God, by which we ought to be ruled: that he is the rewarder of them that diligently ſeeke him, and the avenger of his adverſaries; that he ſees our thoughts afar off, and that our greateſt ſecrets are naked and open to, anatomized, and diffected before, his eyes: that he is good, yea the chief good? Are not we ſtill guilty of not believing what God ſaith, which of us is yet fully perſwaded that our loſſes for Chriſt ſhall be made up with the hundred fold in this life; becauſe he hath ſaid, Verily, there is no Man that hath left Houſe, Luk. 18.29, 30. mat. 19, 29.or Parents, or Brethren, or Wife, or Children, for the Kingdome of Gods ſake, who ſhall not receive manyfold in this preſent time: He ſhall (according to Matthew) receive an hundred fold? Which of us yet believes that God will repay what ever we lay out for his poor ſervants, becauſe he hath ſaid, Prov. 19.17.He that hath pity on the poor, lendeth to the Lord, and that, which he hath given, will be pay him again? Which of us yet believes, that if we will be Chriſts witneſſes, none of the World will cordially love us; Mat. 10.22.becauſe he hath ſaid, yee ſhall be hated of all Men for my names ſake? Which of us yet believes that all Hells and the Worlds hatred can do a Child of God no hurt, becauſe he hath ſaid, Bleſſed are yee, when Men ſhall revile you, Mat. 5.11.and perſecute you, and ſhall ſay all manner of evil againſt you falſly for my Names ſake? We are indeed apt to beguile our ſelves and others, in profeſſing that we receive Gods teſtimony in all that he ſpeaks; but the Apoſtle tells us, there is a denial of God in works, Tit. 1.16.as well as in words: and certainly denial in works is the ſtrongeſt denial, and manifeſts that our affirming what God ſaith in words is but meer hypocriſie: that we do but flatter God with our mouth, Pſal. 73, 35 compared with v. 40, 41.and lie unto him with our tongues. Are not we ſtill guilty of neglecting to get our hearts more and more eſtabliſhed in believing that God is, what God is, and what God ſaith? Is not this a lamentation, and ſhould it not be for a lamentation? ſhould we not mainly repent of our unbelief, ſeeing it is not only the provocation, but the cauſe of all our other provocations? Hebr. 3, 8.No wonder that God hath ſhamed the throne of our glory, ſeeing we have rob'd God of his glory by our unbelief? What is Gods declarative glory, but his reputation in the World? Unbelief takes away Gods reputation, it makes him of no credit in the World, it makes him a lyar. 1 John 5: 10. Rom. 3.3.By unbelief we attempt to make the faith of God, i. e. his faithfulneſs, of none effect. O! repent, repent that God, who is no debtor to you, who was never worſe then his word, hath ſo little credit with you, who profeſs to be his ſervants, his children, his ſpouſes. No wonder that we are kept in the Wilderneſs, yea in a manner brought back into Egypt: We may thank our unbelief for ſhutting us out of Canaan. Heb: 3: 19:They could not enter in becauſe of unbelief. No wonder that Gods promiſes, the only ſolid grounds o… comfort in times of tryal, do not, cannot, comfort us: alas! Pſal: 27: 13:they have no credit with us. We faint, becauſe we believe not. O that this ſin may be your ſin no more! Take heed, brethren, leſt there be in any of you for the future an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God, Hebr: 3: 12:and thereby God be provoked to depart further and further from you, until he hath left you totally and finally.
3 Ʋnſetledneſs in Religion Hath not this been your ſin, yea, Againſt unſetledneſs.is it not ſtill your ſin? Who believes without wavering, without any fear leſt the contrary ſhould prove true? Are not you troubled with a Vertigo in your Heads, a giddineſs in your underſtandings? Have not ſome thought ſcepticiſme very tollerable? 1 Cor: 16: 13: Col: 2: 6, 7, 8… 2 Theſ: 2: 2:Hath not the Apoſtle ſaid, ſtand faſt in the faith: Be eſtabliſhed in the faith, as you have been taught, &c. Beware lest any ſpoyle you through philoſophy and vain deceit: be not ſoon ſhaken in mind? Brinſley's ſpiritual Vertigo: p: 9, 10, 11, &c.And yet have not many been for an Academical and Pyrrhonian demur and dubitation concerning Scripture Revelations? Have not more been actually carried about, as wheels, as chaff, as waves, as clouds, with every wind of doctrine? Have not you turned round, as wheels, with the times and places, where you lived? Have not you been up and down; now of this mind, then of that, embracing and following thoſe opinions, and ways, which the times have ſmiled upon? Have not you been whirld about by the times, as chaff by the wind? Have not you been wavering, Jam: 1: 6.as a wave of the Sea, which is never ſtanding ſtill, if there be any wind ſtirring? Have not ſome of you been carried quite round about the Card and Compaſs, as the Clouds of the Aire are from one quarter of the Heaven to another? Hebr: 13.9.Have not you been thus carried about with divers and ſtrange Doctrines, with Doctrines differing from the truth, and ſtrange to the Scriptures of the Old and New Teſtament? Are not you yet uneſtabliſhed, yea, are not you careleſs in ſeeking after eſtabliſhment? Are not you ſtil even indifferent whether you pray to God to eſtabliſh you, as David did, yea, or no? Whether you enjoy the Sacrament of the Lords Supper (that heart-eſtabliſhing Ordinance) duly adminiſtred, yea, or no? Whether you continue fellowſhip with eſtabliſhed Chriſtians, yea, or no? Do not you ſtill ſtagger at the promiſes of God, viz. that God will be a Sun and a Shield, and no good thing will be with-hold from them that walk uprightly: that Babylon is fallen, is fallen, i. e. ſhall as certainly fall, and that utterly, as if ſhe were ſo fallen already: that there ſhall be a reſurrection of the dry bones, &c Do not you ſtil diſpute the promiſes in your thoughts? Do not you ſtil doubt whether God will be as good as his word, and that becauſe of the difficultie, that lie in the way? All staggering at the promiſes of God is from unbelief. Rom: 4: 20: Brinſley, &c. p: 98:He ſtaggered not at the promiſe of God through unbelief. Is not this alſo a matter of juſt and deep Lamentation to ſee ſo many Profeſſors, ſome of which were formerly looked upon as ſober and ſtayed Chriſtians, now reeling and ſtaggering (like drunken Men) to and fro, carried this way, and that way, as the wind blows? ſhould any of you, whilſt your ſelves ſtand ſafe upon the ſhore, ſee others though ſtrangers, much more if friends, toſſed upon the waves, among rocks and quick ſands, ready to periſh every moment; might it not be preſumed, that it would affect, the flintie… heart among you? and can you ſee the ſouls of your brethren and ſiſters thus toſſed to and fro without any trouble to your own ſouls? But alas! who ſtands faſt and ſafe upon the ſhoar? Are not all your hearts unſetled? And what! will yee not pity your own unſtable ſouls? Is it nothing to you, to be under Reubens reproach? Gen: 49. 4: Jam: 1: 8:Ʋnſtable as water, thou ſhalt not excel. A double minded Man is unſtable in all his ways. Are not you in danger of being utterly ruined in this hour of temptation, that is come upon all the World, Col. 2.8. Ne ſit, qui vos depraedetur. Beza in loc. mar: 3: 5:to try them that dwell upon the Earth? Are not you in danger of being ſpoyled, of being made a prey? O! your unbelieving ſtaggerings grieve the heart of your Lord. The Holy Ghoſt, ſpeaking of the unbelieving Jews, tells us, Jeſus was grieved for the hardneſs of their hearts: And ſhall they not grieve your hearts? It is a wonder that God hath ſpared you ſo long. O faithleſs and perverſe Generation! How long ſhall I be with you? How long ſhall I ſuffer you? O! ſin no more in this kind. O that henceforth yee be no more children teſſed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of Doctrine, Eph. 4.14. Brinſley, &c. 206, &c. Hebr. 13.9. 1 Theſ. 1.5. foreign Col. 2.2.by the ſleight of men, and cunning craftineſs, whereby they lye in wait to deceive! O! Be not carried about with divers and ſtrange Doctrines for it is a good thing, that the heart be establiſhed with grace. Be reſtleſs, till the Word come unto you in much aſſurance: Be reſtleſs, till you have attained unto all the riches of the full aſſurance of underſtanding, to the acknowledgement of the myſtery of God, &c. Seek heart-eſtabliſhment from God, for yourſelves and others, as Peter doth, Now the God of all grace, &c. make you perfect, 1 Peter 5.10… Pſa. 51.12.ſtabliſh, ſtrengthen you: And David, Stabliſh me with thy free Spirit. Neglect neither the Word, nor Sacrament, adminiſtred after the right order. O! Hebr. 10.25:Forſake not the aſſembling of your ſelves together, as the manner of ſome is. Trees ſtand ſ…er in the Wood or Grove, where they have company, than in the Field, where they ſtand alone.
4. Reſting in a Dead Faith. Hath not this been your ſin? Againſt reſting in a Dead Faith. Manton on Jam. 2.17.Have not you ſatisfied your ſelves with a Faith, that is but the carkaſs of ſaving believing? The Apoſtle, in making mention of a dead faith, alludeth to a corps, or a dead plant, which have only an outward ſimilitude and likeneſs to thoſe which are living. Saving belief is an aſſent wrought in the Soul, by the ſanctifying Spirit, and built upon a Divine Teſtimony. But is not our belief, the effect of natural reaſon, White's Directions, p. 91, 92, &c. 1 John 5: 1:further enlightned (at moſt) by the aſſiſtance of the Spirit? Do not we remain unſanctified, notwithſtanding our believing? Whoſoever believes that Jeſus is the Chriſt, is born of God. Have we any further aſſurance of what we believe, than that which Reaſon ſuggeſts? Were ever the things believed, evident to any ſpiritual ſenſe within us? Faith is the evidence of things not ſeen. Hebr: 11: 1:Is not our belief grounded only upon an humane teſtimony? We call that a Divine Testimony, White, &c: p. 95, 96, &c.(ſaith one of the Western Worthies) which is given by the Spirit of God, to that Spirit which is within a regenerate perſon; For (ſaith he) unto any teſtimony two things are required; Firſt, The manifeſting and preſenting that which is to be credited or believed. Secondly, An ability in him, to whom it is witneſſed, to underſtand it; otherwiſe the propoſing any thing by diſcourſe to a bea…, that wants reaſon to underſtand ſpeech, or the relating of any thing to a man, that hath reaſon, in the Greek tongue, who underſtands no language but Engliſh, is no teſtimony, no more than it is to a deaf man, that cannot hear: Wherefore, to make a Divine teſtimony, there muſt be both Gods teſtifying unto man, and alſo a mind in him able to underſtand that Revelation. Firſt, The Spirit of God must reveal and manifeſt unto a man that Truth, that is to be believed, as the light diſcovers any viſible object: Next, There muſt be in that man, a light planted in his heart, (which the Apoſtle calls, 1 Jo: 5: 20:An underſtanding to know him, that is true) as the light or viſnal-faculty is planted in the eye, or elſe he cannot comprehend that light, that ſhines unto him. — The evidence then, which a true believer hath of any truth of God, which he embraceth, is the manifesting of that truth unto the Spirit, not only by a form of words, to the natural underſtanding, but beyond that, by a kind of demonſtration unto the ſpiritual mind; as the evidence of any object to the eye, is by the ſhining of the light upon it, which makes it to appear to be ſuch as it is. This kind of teſtifying, or evidencing things, Rom: 8: 16:in a ſpiritual way, the Apoſtle calls, The witneſſing of Gods Spirit, with our Spirit, mentioning expreſly two Spirits, whereof, if either be wanting, there can be no Divine teſtimony. But is not our belief grounded upon the teſtimony of Reaſon, upon the conſonancy of Scripture-revelations to right Reaſon? And is not the teſtimony of reaſon an humane teſtimony? Yea, Do not we believe upon an humane teſtimony, when we believe any thing written in the Scriptures, for the teſtimony of the Scriptures, If that we believe the Scriptures themſelves, upon the general conſent of the Church, or upon the probability and reaſonableneſs of the things therein delivered, or upon the obſervation of the truth of thoſe writings in moſt things, which all make up but an humane teſtimony? This the ſame learned and judicious Divine proves thus, White, &c: p: 98, 99:The aſſent unto one thing for another, is built upon that, to which we firſt give our aſſent: as a ſtone in a wall, though it lyes immediately upon that ſtone, that is next under it, yet it is indeed ſupported by the foundation, which bears up all the building. We ſay, we do believe; but is not our Aſſent without ſutable impreſſions upon our hearts, and without a ſutable carriage in our lives? Doth the reality of Gods being believed, Baxter's Divine Liſe, on John 17: 3:make us look upon our ſelves, and all things, as nothing without God, as nothing in compariſon of God; and to let the beeing and reality of our love, deſire, and endeavours, be let out upon the moſt real and tranſcendent Beeing? Doth the belief of Gods Ʋnity, contract and unite our ſtragling affections, and call them home from multifarious Vanity? Doth the belief of Gods Immenſity and Incomprehenſibility, fill our Souls with admiration? Doth the belief of Gods Eternity, draw our Souls from tranſitory to eternal things? Doth the belief of Gods Simplicity, make us in love with holy ſimplicity? Doth the belief of Gods Inviſibility, make us moſtly esteem and value things inviſible? Doth the belief of Gods Immutability, beget in us unchangeable reſolutions for God? Doth the belief of Gods Almightineſs, ſill us continually with holy fear, and promote truſting in him? Doth the belief of Gods Wiſdome, make us delight in the wiſdome which is from above, and to chooſe God for our Teacher and Counſellour? Doth the belief of Gods Goodneſs, fill our Souls with a ſuperlative love unto God, and induſtrious deſires to be conform…d to his goodneſs in our meaſure? Doth the belief of Gods Holineſs, cauſe us to have moſt high and honourable eſteems of holineſs in the creature, and to fall in love with it, and wholly conform our ſelves to Gods holineſs in Chriſt? Doth the belief of Gods Truth and Faithfulneſs, make us reſolved for duty, and an holy life, ſeeing the commands of God are ſerious, and the promiſes and threats true? The true and ſound aſſent to any Divine Revelation, as an holy truth, includeth a correſpondency in the believer, to the thing believed: Such an aſſent deſcends from the underſtanding to the affections, and ſo to the converſation. True Faith, and right Obedience, cannot be ſeparated; for he that believes the truth of Gods promiſes, fill'd with ſuch things as he doth moſt want, muſt needs deſire the good contained in them; and ſeeing God hath declared the effect of his promiſes, attainable only in wayes of obedience, if he neglect that means, it is manifeſt he doth not deſire the end. Certainly, if our aſſent doth not, cannot act, no more than a dead body can riſe and walk, it is but a dead faith. The Apoſtle doth not ſay (as one well obſerves) Faith is dead without works, Manton on Jam: 2: 20.but Faith without works is dead. I here is a difference between theſe predications, as there is between thoſe, A man without motion is dead, and a man is dead without motion. Works are not the cauſe, that give life to Faith; but yet they are the effects, that argue life in Faith. Faith is not alwayes alike lively; but yet it is alwayes living, and operation is the neceſsary effect of life. O! What cauſe have we to repent of our dead Faith? And what! Shall it alwayes remain dead? Take heed, I beſeech you, not only of ſetting no your reſt in a Knowledge, but in a Faith, falſely ſo called. Take heed of pleaſing your ſelves any longer with the name of Faith, and remaining deſtitute of the vertue of Faith, for the crucifying your luſts and corruptions, and conforming your hearts and lives to the Commandements of God. To aſſent to truth, with the neglect of goodneſs, or with lazy deſires after goodneſs, is but a vain Faith That aſſent that doth not now ſubdue ſin, Gen. 23.4.will not ſuppreſs fear, when you come to dye. What! will ye not yet bury your dead out of your ſight?