The Spiritual Touchstone, Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
The directions that ſhew him how to get aſſurance by the helpe of theſe ſignes.
HItherto of the ſignes of the godly man. Now followes the courſe that the weake Chriſtian ſhould take by the vſe of the former ſignes of triall, to eſtabliſh his heart in the aſſurance of Gods fauour, and his owne eternall ſaluation.
My aduice is therfore, that the weak Chriſtian that finds want of eſtabliſhment and cleare aſſurance, ſhould take the former ſignes of trial, & go apart, and ſet himſelf in Gods preſence, emptying his heart of worldly diſtractions, and ſeriouſly conſider of eueryevery rule of triall apart; and gather out into ſome litle paper-book ſo much as in eueryevery ſigne he can clearly find to be in himſelf, and that which he durſt through Gods mercy reſolutly auouch to be wrought in him by the grace of God. And this I would hauehave him to do with deliberation, trying himſelfe by one or two of the chiefe heads at moſt in a day, ſpending no more time about it then he may well allow, without wearineſſe or dulneſſe.
Now becauſe he may be perhaps diſcouraged with the obſeruation of diuers things, which he may find wāting in himſelfe in eueryevery ſigne; he muſt therfore take ſome ſound notice of the diſtinction of Chriſtians made by the Apoſtle Iohn, 1. Ioh. 2, who caſts all true Chriſtians into three ſorts. Some are Infants, and either new borne, or but weakly qualified with the graces of Chriſt: yet are right, & hauehave true grace in ſome meaſure. Others are ſtrong men, that is, ſuch as hauehave the gifts of the Spirit liuely and in their power in them. Others are Fathers, that is, ſuch as hauehave had long experience in the powerfull practiſe of godlines, and hauehave bene long exerciſed in all kinds of weldoing. Now all theſe three ſorts may be ſuppoſed to come to theſe ſignes. The weake Chriſtian only takes to a few of the plaineſt marks in the explication of each ſigne. The ſtrong Chriſtiā he takes to the moſt of the marks. The Fathers they in a manner diſcerne all the particulars of Gods graces, and the ſeuerall workings of them. Each of theſe, euē the weak Chriſtian may ſee ſo much as may ſtay his heart in aſſurance, & ſo ſettle his faith & ioy.
When there are many ſignes of one & the ſelf-ſame thing, it is ſufficient if it can be demonſtrated, though it be but a few ways, ſeeing eueryevery particular marke being warranted by Scripture, hath force to conclude for aſſurance, and to proue, that we differ frō all the wicked men in the world.
Though at the firſt in reading but a ſigne or two, thou get but a few things may cōfort thee, yet hold out till thou come to the end of all the ſignes, & then thou ſhalt ſee a faire army (as it were of arguments) to proue thy election and ſaluation. For whereas the moſt and beſt of vsus, if we be asked this queſtion, By what marks do we know that we are the true children of God, & not wicked men? If we anſwer on a ſudden, and by preſent memory, we can ſcarce giuegive two ſoūd reaſons to proue the infallibilitie of our happy eſtate: which ſhews, that the moſt of vsus liue at a great vncertaintie. Now he yt hath gone through the ſignes, ſhal find perhaps 20, or 30, or 40 ſeuerall and diſtinct arguments or markes, which when he hath collected them all together, may ſerue to anſwer all the obiections of all the diuels in hell. The gates of hell cānot preuaile againſt his faith: which I declare thus: If the diuell ſay, thou art a wicked man, and an hypocrite; thou mayeſt readily anſwer, that by ye grace of God in Ieſus Chriſt thou art none ſuch; and mayeſt put the diuell to proue by the word of God, that euer any wicked mā did attain to all thoſe ſignes thou haſt collected. Which, becauſe it cānot be done, thou mayeſt with much reſt and full aſſurance cōmit thy ſelf to God, and bind thy ſelf by couenāt, neuer more to diſhonor him by ſuch vnbeleefe, as to call his louelove & thy ſaluatiō into queſtion. If a threefold cord cannot be broken, how weake then ſhould thy heart be, if thou ſhouldſt feare thy eſtate, vntounto which God hath ſo ſealed, and ſo many wayes marked thee out for himſelfe?
And for thy further ſatisfaction: after thou haſt collected thy ſignes together, thou mayeſt carry them to thy godly Paſtor, and deſire him to peruſe them, and accordingly to giuegive thee his miniſteriall teſtimony concerning them in the name of Ieſus Chriſt; and this may adde much ſatisfaction & reſt to thy conſcience.
If in reading any of the ſignes, thou find any ſpeciall doubts; at any hād ſuppreſſe them not, but ſeeke reſolution frō doubt to doubt, and frō ſigne to ſigne. Thou mayſt gain much profitable knowledg by propounding theſe caſes of thy particular cōſcience.
The leaſt gaine that can be imagined by this courſe, is, that whereas before thou hadſt few euidēces or none for thy eſtate, thou ſhalt now hauehave many of all ſorts: and it muſt needs be thy owne waiwardnes, if aſſurance follow not. For theſe ſignes wil ranſacke thee, and try thy very heart and reines, and all thy ſecreteſt deſires and practiſes.
Yea this benefit thou maiſt reap by the ſignes, that they wil tell thee all the days of thy life, how it is with thee, whether thou go forward or back ward. For if by examination now thou gather out all thou canſt find by thy ſelf, theſe wil not onelyonly lie by thee to help thee againſt any temptation at any time; but beſides, if thou try thy ſelf again, either againſt the next Sacrament, or the next yeare, thou mayeſt diſcerne what groūd thou haſt gotten or loſt. If thou proſper, thou wilt diſcerne it, by taking in diuers things in each ſigne, which before thou durſt not acknowledge; and beſides it will excellently ſhew thee what thou wanteſt in each grace of God, & ſo what thou ſhouldeſt ſet thy ſelfe about to get thy wants ſupplied. It will at all times make a true Anatomy of thy eſtate; which to the well-aduiſed Chriſtian ought to be accounted a matter of great moment.
The God of peace giuegive thee all peace and ioy in beleeuing. If thou receiue any good by this Treatiſe, praiſe God, and pray for me.
FINIS.
End of the text · Nicholas Byfield, The Spiritual Touchstone (1619)