The Poor Doubting Christian Drawn to Christ, Part 1 – Part 2
Rules to direct a Chriſtian how to uſe the Word of God for the evidence of his aſſurance.
Firſt,Rule 1. to uſe the word of God aright: as thou muſt in all conditions that concerne thy ſoule repaire to the Word, ſo thou muſt conſider thine owne uprightneſſe, and what work of grace is in thy ſoule, that will anſwer the word, and teſtifie that the worke of grace is true: be ſure to take thy ſoule at the beſt; doe not alwayes conſider what is the worſt part in thee, nor thy failings that may accuſe thee onelyonly, but if there bee any uprightneſſe that may ſpeake for thee, heare that alſo; It is injuſtice for any Court to heare one ſide and not another: the Lord doth not lie at catch with his children, but he takes them at the beſt: as Rom. 4.22. it is ſaid that Abraham beleeved the promiſe, and it was imputed to him for righteouſneſſe: yet in the 12. of Gen. we ſee he had ſome doubtings, but God tooke him at the beſt,1 Pet. 3.6. Gen 18.12 and ſo records this of his faith. So we ſee that Sarah is ſpoken of as a gracious woman, and a patterne for women in calling her huſband Lord, which was a ſigne of an humble heart; but yet we reade that ſhe derided the meſſage of the Lord by the Angell; yet notwithſtanding the Lord buries that, and onelyonly mentions the other in the commendations of her. Now as the Lord deales with his ſervants, ſo muſt wee deale with our ſelves, whatſoever is found ſincere and upright, obſerve that as well as the other, nay rather before the other. If a man ſhould have his cauſe handled in any Court after this faſhion, and they ſhould onelyonly obſerve the failings in his cauſe, the beſt cauſe may happily go againſt a man, therefore the Court will heare all read; as if any Bond or Bill come in, or any matter of agreement, they will heare all: If a man have an Indenture, and the Lawer onelyonly opens and reads the failings in it, and that which ſeems to make againſt the party, if the Judge onelyonly heare that, it muſt needs goe againſt him, and therefore the man ſaith, Good my Lord heare all: and when they finde it written that ſuch a debt is paid, and the party ſatisfied, then the cauſe goes well; whereas if they had heard onelyonly the firſt part, and not the ſecond, hee had loſt all. So, many bring in great inditements againſt themſelves, and ſay, Oh what pride and ſtubbornneſſe is in my heart, oh how weake am I, and dull, and dead, and backward to holy duties? How careleſſe of injoying communion with GOD? How negligent in ſifting and trying my own heart, in watching over my ſenſes, and mourning in ſecret for my daily failings? It is true; but art thou not troubled with theſe, and is it not the greateſt griefe of thy ſoule that lies upon thee? yea, ſaith the poore ſoule, I confeſſe my heart is weary of theſe, and I could be content to bee any thing, that I could not bee thus: now take thy ſoule on this ſide, and heare the beſt part: as it is with a mans hand and the ſtaffe, I compare the promiſe to a ſtaffe, you know the backe of a mans hand cannot take hold of the ſtaffe, but let him turn the palme of his hand to the ſtaffe, and then hee can take it: ſo turne thou the right ſide of thy ſoule to the promiſe, and then thou maiſt take it; but we turne the back-ſide of our hearts to the promiſe, when the ſoule ſaith, Oh my ſtubbornneſſe is great, and mine inabilities and corruptions are many; this is the wrong ſide of thine heart, and this will ever hinder thee from taking hold of the promiſe: But thy ſoule hates theſe, and is weary of them; this is the right ſide of the heart, turne that to the promiſe.
Secondly,Rule 2. Labour to have thy conſcience ſetled and eſtabliſhed in that truth which now out of the Word thou haſt gotten, to beare witneſſe of the work of grace in thee; for if there bee any want of the aſſurance of Gods love, and if the evidence of the worke of grace come not powerfully in upon thy heart, but there is ſome guilt of ſinne ſtill remaining, then conſcience will breed new broiles, and continually nip and diſquiet the heart; therefore as wee muſt have our judgement informed by the Word that there is ſome good in us, ſo wee muſt get conſcience perſwaded of it, that conſcience may ſpeake for us: as the debtor, if he bee indebted to many creditors, he muſt agree with all; for if hee agree with all ſave one, that one may impriſon him as well as all the reſt: So it is with the poore diſtreſſed ſoule that lies at the mercy of the Lord, and is ſo deepe in arerages that hee cannot helpe himſelfe, he muſt labour to ſtill conſcience, that it doe not accuſe him, but be on his ſide.
The want of this is the cauſe why new ſuits and new bills are daily put up againſt vsus, onelyonly becauſe conſcience is not pacified; take a poore ſinner that hath all his doubts and objections anſwered, come to him, and ſay, Are all theſe all your doubts and objections? yes: and are they all anſwered? yes: and have you now any thing to ſay againſt that which hath beene made knowne unto you: no not now: Say to him againe, Did your conſcience ſay to you, it is a ſinne to ſay you have no grace? Now here hee demurres and ſtayes, and ſaith, No I dare not ſay ſo, but I rather ſay the contrary. Marke this, all the bookes are croſt, and all objections anſwered, and yet conſcience puts in a new plea, becauſe it was not ſatisfied.
Now come to him againe, and ſay, You are ſometimes captived by ſinne, but you are willing to bee at Gods diſpoſing, and that he ſhould plucke away all thoſe corruptions, are you not?
Oh ſaith the poore ſinner, I muſt needs yeeld to that; then I affirme to thy ſoule this is a work of true grace: therefore let conſcience bee fully ſatisfied, and cancell all ſelfe-accuſations; this will cleare the heart, and caſt out all cavill… page missing love was made ſure to us.
Thirdly,Rule 3. we ſhould ſtrive mightily to have our hearts over-powred with the evidence which reaſon and conſcience makes good to us, that ſo we may quietly receive it, and calmly welcome it, and yeeld and ſubject our hearts to the truth. But here wee all ſticke, for there are three things in the ſoule of a man which maintain theſe quarrells and oppoſitions againſt the evidence of the Word: 1. Reaſon objects: 2. Conſcience accuſeth: 3. The Will of man will not ſubmit: and wee finde it in experience that when a man hath ſtilled conſcience, and anſwered all reaſons, yet the ſtubbornneſſe of the heart maintaines a gaine-ſaying againſt the truth, and keepes the olde quarrell that hath beene anſwered long agoe, and that a man would thinke had been buried long ſince. It is in this caſe with a poore ſinner, as it is with a man that hath a contentious adverſary; happily the cauſe that they two have in hand hath beene tryed in all the Courts of England, and at laſt comes to Chancery, and there it is concluded againſt him, ſo that all things are ſetled and ended, as a man would thinke, and an honeſt man would ſit downe and bee quiet: but the other being a quarrelſome fellow will not yeeld yet, but to the old law he will againe, and hee will ſell all he hath but hee will have his will; till at the laſt the Judge comes to take notice of this man, and caſts out the cauſe, and puts him in priſon, and ſaith, Theſe things were all anſwered, and the cauſe ended long agoe.
Juſt ſo for all the world is it with the heart of a gracious man that is humbled in ſome meaſure, and could bee content to yeeld to the credit of Gods word, and to the witneſſe of his conſcience, and ſaith My condition is better then I thought it was, but there is an old proud ſelfe-willed heart that will not bee quiet, but ſtill is quarrelſome, and maintaines the old quarrell; Though reaſons are all confuted, and conſcience beares witneſſe againſt him, and every Miniſter caſts out the cauſe; yet obſerve it, a poore diſtreſſed ſinner will keepe the old objections, and though they were anſwered the night before, yet hee will have them freſh the next morning, and the next monethmonth, even when a man would think he ſhould not dare to come in Court; and the miſchiefe lies even here, in a proud ſelfe-willed heart that will not yeeld. Therefore labour to get thy heart ſo farre over-powred with the authority of the truth, whatſoever it is that God reveales to thee for thy good, and doe not reject the evidence which God makes knowne and paſſeth upon thy ſoule for thy everlaſting well-fare, doe not (I ſay) reject it: and becauſe thou haſt not that comfort that thou wouldeſt, therefore thou wilt have none at all: it is not properly becauſe thou canſt not, but becauſe thou wilt not receive the promiſe, that ſo wracks and torments thy ſpirit: this is it which breeds the quarrell: and hence it is that when reaſon is ſatisfied, and conſcience convinced, aſk the ſoule this queſtion, and ſay, Are you perſwaded that the Lord hath done you good, and will ſhew everlaſting mercy to your ſoule? no (ſaith hee) all the world ſhall not perſwade mee of that; Miniſters are mercifull, and Chriſtians are charitable, and are loth to diſcourage mee, as I ſhould doe to them, but did they know me indeed they would never thinke thus of me, certainely I ſhall never finde it ſo: What I grace? all the world ſhall never perſwade mee to it. Marke what I ſay, this is meerely thy pride and ſelfe-wildneſſe that will not receive that good which God is willing to give thee; this helliſh and devilliſh pride of thine will coſt thee deare one day.
Object. But will ſome ſay, How is it pride? wee are ever complaining and condemning our ſelves, this cannot be pride.
Anſw. Yes I ſay it is abominable pride, againſt the Majeſty of heaven; and that, I will ſhew theſe two wayes: Firſt for a man to follow his owne conceits and ſelfe-wildneſſe againſt the truth, and the force of reaſon, and the witneſſe of the ſervants of GOD, and his owne conſcience, is not this pride?
Secondly, thy pride appeares in this, namely, becauſe thou haſt not what thou wouldeſt, and in that manner and meaſure thou deſireſt, and haſt not that ſweetneſſe of grace and conqueſt over corruption that thou wouldſt have, therefore thou flingeſt away all Gods kindneſſe; this is infinite pride: That meaſure of mercy which God hath already ſhewed thy ſoule, is incomprehenſible, and yet becauſe you cannot have what you would, you will have nothing at all. As a man that hath the Law on his ſide, and his eſtate ſetled on him, yet becauſe his evidences are not written in great huge letters, and in large paper, hee throwes them all away: ſo you have no grace, becauſe you have not ſo much as you would have; you have no humility, becauſe you have not ſo much humility: Oh pride, pride, in the higheſt degree.
Labour therefore to bring thy heart to this bleſſed ſubjection to the truth of God, and make it thy duty as well to receive comfort when God offers it upon good grounds, as to doe a duty commanded, and know that it is a ſinne to reject mercy when God offers it, as to kill a man which God hath forbidden; and therefore you Saints of God that have beene peſtered thus, and have beene enemies to your ſelves, when your hearts begin to ſlide away thus, take your hearts and reaſon thus with your ſoules, and ſay, Good Lord, this is the proud ſtubborne diſtemper of this vile heart of mine; what would I have? is not Gods word cleare, and my conſcience ſatisfied? doe not the Miniſters of God affirme my ſtate to bee good? and ſhall I thus diſhonour God?
Object. But what ſaith the poor ſoule againe, Muſt I eate mine owne words, and ſay I have grace, when before I ſaid I had none?
Anſw. Yes, and bee thankfull to God that thou maiſt ſay ſo too; it is better for you to croſſe your owne humours, than croſſe Gods Spirit: take notice of it, and feare for ever, leſt that proud and ſtubborne ſoule of thine, which now refuſeth conſolation when God offers it, be forced to eate thy fleſh, and come upon thy knees, and never get comfort to thy dying day; and though God ſave thee in the end, yet thou ſhalt be as it were in hell upon earth.
One would have thought it had beene humility in Peter to refuſe to let Chriſt waſh his feete, but it was nothing but pride, and therefore Chriſt takes him up for it ſharply, (which is indeed the onelyonly way to cure this diſtemper) If I waſh thee not thou haſt no part in me: Ioh. 13.8, 9if you will needs have your owne humours, and will not be perſwaded, you may get you downe to hell with them: Peter pauſed with himſelfe a while, but at laſt when his ſtomack came downe, then, Lord, not onelyonly my feet, but my hands & heart and all. It is humility of heart to take what God offers. Moſt Chriſtians thinke they are humble-hearted, but they are ſo farre proud, as they give leave to this diſtemper: therefore labour to overmaſter this gaine-ſaying heart of thine, with the authority of the word of God, and learne to receive mercy when God offers it, leſt he take away the comfort of his Spirit from you, and make you goe howling and roaring to your graves. Though hee bring you to heaven in the end, yet you may have a hell before you come thither.
The laſt Rule is this,Rule 4. Maintaine the good word which thy heart hath ſubmitted to, and keepe it as the beſt treaſure under heaven; and when thou haſt obtained certaine evidence that thy eſtate is good, heare nothing againſt it, but ſtick faſt to the ſame, regard nothing but out of the word of God, againſt that comfort and evidence of thy ſalvation, which thou haſt been perſwaded of by the word; if Sathan or carnall reaſon have any thing to ſay againſt thee, let them bring Scripture, and then yeeld to it, but without the word heare nothing. Looke as it is with a man that is at law for lands, if hee have his adverſary on the hip, and have gotten ſome advantage againſt him, hee will keepe him there, and hold him to the point. If a man will follow every wrangling Lawyer at every impertinent out-ſtraying, he will never have any good ſucceſſe; it is the faſhion of many Atturnies rather to breed quarrells, than to end them; and therefore hold to the maine point. Deale with Sathan as with a ſubtill adverſary that is full of wiles and fetches. It is the cunning of the enemy to lead you out, and hee will have many vagaries, but be ſure to hold to that truth which you have received from the evidence of the word, and the witneſſe of conſcience. When a man hath gotten ſome comfort, then the devill begins to play the Lawyer in this manner.
Sathan.
Doeſt thou not ſee how weake and poore thou art? how deſtitute of all ſaving grace, and how contrary thou walkeſt to God?
How the ſoule being tempted may anſwer Sathans accuſations.
Sinner.
It is true (ſaith the ſoul) yet it is as true that hee that confeſſeth and forſaketh his ſinne, ſhall have mercy.
Sathan.
But (ſaith the devill) doeſt thou not ſee that thou art full of pride and weakneſſe, and ſecretly unwilling to come to duties?
Sinner.
It is true (ſaith the ſoule) I am ſo, yet I hate and deſire to forſake this, therefore ſhall finde mercy, the word ſaith ſo.
Sathan.
But (ſaith the devill) are you of Gods counſell, ſecret things belong to God?
Sinner.
Indeed (ſaith the ſoule) I know not what Gods ſecret will is, yet this I know,that the word ſaith, Hee hath no pleaſure in the death of a ſinner, but invites ſuch daily to come unto him.
Sathan.
But (ſaith the devill) many cozen themſelves, merciemercy is a great thing, and few obtaine it, and why may not you be cozened as well as others?
But (ſaith the ſoule) the Lord will not cozen mee,Sinner. and the Lord knowes my heart, & the word knowes what the Lord knowes.
Sathan.
But (ſaith the devill) may not you bee deceived in the word; the word is true indeed, but how know you that you rightly apply it, and that the word and your heart doth ſute together?
Sinner.
Why (ſaith the ſoule:) I deſire as earneſtly to have my ſinne purged, as I doe to have it pardoned. I know my heart by the word, and to the word I repaire, and the Lord knows that I hate all ſinne inwardly, and reforme it outwardly, and therefore I know I ſhall finde mercy: ſhew mee a place of Scripture that ſaith I doe not rightly apply the word, and I will beleeve it; but I will not beleeve thee, for thou art a deluder and a lyar.
Thus hold to the word, and the devill will be tyred, and goe away: keepe you here, for if he catch you a wandring after ſenſe and feeling, you are gone.Pſal. 119.98. Thou through thy Cōmandements haſt made me wiſer than mine enemies, ſaith David, for they are ever with mee. Sathan is wiſe; and the fleſh, and carnall reaſon, and the world are wiſe, but bleſſed be our God that makes every poore ignorant ſervant of his wiſer then all theſe: but how? the word muſt bee ever with them; you muſt keepe the word with you daily, and that will make you not know onelyonly what is amiſſe, but get ground duplicate page duplicate page againſt whatſoever hinders your peace.
Sathan deales in this with the ſoule, as the enemie deales in warre: when Ioſhua defeated the men of Ai, Ioſh. 8.19.hee got them out of the Citie, and then they that lay in ambuſh went and tooke it in, and burnt it with fire: ſo the devill doth: Our Caſtle or Citie is the promiſes, and the word, and ordinances of God: now if the devill can but get you out of this Caſtle, he hath you where he would; if you will looke after every bird that flyes, and liſten after every carnall reaſon and temptation, you are gone; if hee once get you from the pro…