The Danger of Being Almost a Christian, Chapter 2
CHAP. II. The Doctrine propounded with the general proof of it.
WE have then in the words three things.
Firſt, the impreſſion which Pauls doctrine made upon Agrippa; it wrought by way of perſwaſion, Thou perſwadeſt me.
Secondly, The object of this perſwaſion, that is, embracing and profeſſing the goſpel of Chriſt.
Thirdly, the meaſure of this perſwaſion, Almoſt.
Almoſt, foreign, in parvo, in a little, or ſomething I ſhould be a Chriſtian vvith thee. Paul ſeems to take him in this ſence, when he wiſhes that he vvere as he, foreign not onelyonly in little, but in much; not onelyonly in ſome things, but in all.
Some read it foreign, and they underſtand foreign, or foreign, that is, thou haſt perſwaded me in a little time, or by a ſhort ſpeech to be a Chriſtian. Some tranſlaters render it by Propemodum, and ours follow them, and it is very ſafe, almoſt or vvithin a little thou perſwadeſt me.
Perſwadeſt me, foreign it ſignifies both ſuadere, & perſuadere, either to uſe meanes to bring a man to our opinion, or practice by arguments and exhortations, or elſe to prevail upon the party, and bring him to what we deſire.
Firſt, Sometimes it is taken for exhorting and reaſoning only, Acts 18.4. He reaſoned in the ſynagogue every ſabbath, and perſwaded the Jews, and the Greeks. This was Conantis potius quam efficientis; he endeavoured vvhat he did not effect: but this could not be the ſenſe of Agrippa here, for Paul had uſed no particular exhortation to him.
Secondly, it ſignifies to prevaile upon, and to bring'a perſon to reſt in what vve ſay, and ſo is taken here; for it muſt needs note the influence that Pauls diſcourſe had upon Agrippa, inſomuch that it brought him to aſſent unto what he ſaid, and to profeſſe himſelf even almoſt ready to joyn with him in profeſſing the ſame things.
To be a Chriſtian, that is, to become a Diſciple and follower of Jeſus Chriſt. I ſhal preſent you with my thoughts of theſe words as they were preſented to me in our Tranſlation, and as we read them, they afford this Obſervation.
Obſerv. That men may be almoſt Chriſtians, and yet never true Chriſtians; they may be almoſt ſuch in reſpect of their perſwaſion who wil never be ſuch in reſpect of their practice and performance.
In handling the Doctrinal Obſervation which I have propounded, I ſhal
Firſt, lay down ſomething for the general proof of this.
Secondly, I ſhal particularly open and illuſtrate it.
Thirdly, I ſhal apply it:
That this is a truth, is clear from many inſtances and examples in the Scripture. How far did Saul go, the firſt King of Iſrael, (I wiſh he had been the laſt example of this truth) he bid fairer for Heaven then many do that have ſtrong confidence of it. He ſeemed to be good among good men, 1 Sam. 10.10. he propheſied among the Prophets, he ſeems to be good by way of ſingularity; he oppoſes ſin when the whole ſtream ran againſt him, and ſeems exceeding tender of the ſins of others, 1 Sam. 14.33, 34. yea he ſeems to be ſo zealous againſt ſin yt he would not ſpare his dear Jonathan, 1 Sam. 14.44. there was 1 Sam. 10.6. ſuch a change upon him as was viſible, and made him another man, yea this change was ſo deep, that it reached to the very heart of him; it is ſaid 1 Sam. 10.9. God gave him another heart, yet this vvas not a thorow change, he had not a new heart, though another heart; neither was Saul a new man, though another man.
The young man in the Goſpel may be brought as a clear & pregnant teſtimony of this truth, Mat. 19.20. ſee how far he went; he obſerved all the commands of God, and not willing to ſtop here, he profeſſes his deſire to know and do more yet: What lack I yet? this man went ſo far, that Chriſt himſelf ſayes of him that he vvas not far from the kingdom of God; yet ſo near a she came to it, he never reaches it.
To this you may add the three ſorts of bad hearers, which are condemned by Chriſt, under the notion of bad ground, Luke 8.12, 13, 14. the worſt of the three did more then barely hear the word; they did receive it, and that into their hearts; for it is ſaid of the ſtony ground vvhichwhich vvas worſt of the three, that the devil took the word, (not before it came at their hearts) but out of their hearts; he did not take their hearts away, ſo that they minded not what was ſpoken, as he doth many mens and womens, but he took it away after they had received it. Both the other go thus far, and ſomewhat farther; for their reception of the word is noted with ſome additional circumſtances, as the ſecond received it with joy, and did not loſe it preſently, til in tract of time cares and pleaſures choaked it; the third yet exceeded both theſe, for it received, kept & improved the Word, inbringing forth ſome fruits, only it was not to perfection. If all this be not ground enough to build this concluſion upon, look to the fooliſh Virgins, and ſee how far they go in this point, and how like they vvere to the wiſe, Mat. 25.1, 2, 3, 4, &c.
Firſt, as for their profeſſion, it was viſible, they had Lamps in their hands.
Secondly, this vvas not an ignorant profeſſion neither, for they had oyl in their Lamps, ſome illumination, and ſome convictions to keep this profeſſion alive.
Thirdly, their profeſſion was not without practice, intimated in theſe expreſſions,
Firſt, They went: they were upon ſome motion, they did perform ſome duties, and obſerve Ordinances.
Secondly, They went forth, (viz.) they left many behind them, they went out from that condition of life in which they had lived, and they took up another courſe.
Thirdly, they aſſociated themſelves with thoſe who did in truth fear God; they accompanied the wiſe Virgins.
Fourthly, they complyed with their deſign, and profeſt themſelves the followers of Chriſt, they went to meet the Bridegroom.
Fifthly, they did in every thing behave themſelves ſo like the wiſe Virgins, that they were not diſcerned, nor ſuſpected by the wiſe Virgins; the coming of Chriſt firſt detected them.
Sixthly, their confidence held out unto the very laſt; for when the Bridegroom came they roſe to trim their Lamps, thinking to go in with the other, but were deceived.
Laſtly, there was nothing wanting but that which was inviſible, viz. oyl in their veſſels: they wanted grace in their hearts, and therefore though theſe came thus nigh to the very door of Heaven, and cry Lord, Lord open to us, yet it is in vain; Chriſt anſwers them as ſtrangers, I know you not; if there needed any thing more to make this propoſition clear, I could inſtance in Judas and Demas, and others who went beyond theſe alſo, being not onelyonly profeſſors, but preachers of the truth to others. But it is needleſs to inſiſt longer upon the proof of that vvhichwhich the many ſad experiences and examples of our preſent age hath made ſo manifeſt. How many hath this Age brought forth of this kind, who have climbed high in profeſſion, but have fallen from the moſt viſible glorious appearance of godlineſs to the moſt abominable prophaneſſe, to be as conſcientiouſly vile as ever they were ſtrict. This ſhal ſerve for the general proof, by which you may ſee that this is a truth which I have propounded.