The Danger of Being Almost a Christian, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Whence theſe perſwaſions do ariſe.
WHen we conſider the thick darkneſs that is in the underſtanding naturally, and that groſs oppoſition and enmity that is in the wil againſt God, and his ways, we may juſtly wonder how it comes to paſs, that any truth gets into the former, and that it ſhould find any kinde of complyance or favourable entertainment in the latter; yet conſulting with experience, we may ſee that the truth doth get into the underſtanding by way of conviction, and into the wil by way of perſwaſion, and works to a very great height both ways in thoſe who yet do not graciouſly ſubmit unto it, and obey it from the heart, and if we lay our reaſon to our experience, we may p…rceive that this ariſeth
1. From the relicks of the light that are found in the natural conſcience, Prov. 20.27. The underſtanding of a man is the candle of the Lord. The Lord ſet up a light that ſhined gloriouſly in the ſoul at firſt, and caſt her beams far and near, ſo that it was able to ſee a far off: and all the off-ſprings of his reaſon, even down to a thouſand Generations, were yet pure, and ful of light; ſo that although man had made a thouſand inferences from one principle, the laſt had been as ful of light and clearneſs as the firſt. The ſoul has now loſt that vigour and ſtrength to diſcern things remote; yet ſhe is not wholly without light, but as a candle ſhews thoſe things which are neer it very plainly, though ſuch as are remote, it diſcovers weakly or not at all: ſo that light which was once in man, and did like the ſun ſend forth his beams to the remoteſt parts of the horizon, now being weak and languiſhing, diſcovers onelyonly ſome few things. The ſoul dos ſtil retain ſome of its firſt-born notions, wch do ſhine forth in pure and unſpotted beams, ful of convincing light, and of undoubted truth, in which all agree. Jew, and Gentile, Barbarian and Scythian, bond and free; theſe are the common principles vvhichwhich boil up in every man, and do riſe with that ſtrength and clearneſs that none can fully ſtop them who have induſtriouſly endeavoured it.
Such as theſe:
Firſt, that there is a God.
Secondly, that the ſoul is immortal.
Thirdly, that there is a Law by which man ought to ſtear all his actions; and as they do agree or diſagree with this, ſo they are to be accounted good or evil.
Fourthly, that this God who gives Laws to all creatures, eſpecially to man is juſt, and wil in Juſtice puniſh thoſe who wilfully break his Laws; Theſe are truths which we may find in the conſciences of all men that have no light, but that of nature, Rom. 1.32. Who knowing the judgement of God, (that they which commit ſuch things are worthy of death) not onelyonly do the ſame, but have pleaſure in them that do them, Rom. 2.14, 15. When the Gentiles which have not the law do by nature the things contained in the law: theſe having not the law, are a law unto themſelves, which ſhew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conſcience alſo bearing witneſſe, and their thoughts the mean while accuſing or elſe excuſing one another: Nay if the Scripture ſaid nothing of the complyance of the Heathen with them, they themſelves would abundantly teſtifie their agreement with the Scriptures in theſe things. I might raiſe all the Philoſophers out of their graves to hiſs the Atheiſts of this Age out of the world, who would deny thoſe to be men that denyed a God, and would reckon thoſe as beaſts, and worſe, that would queſtion the immortality of the ſoul, or queſtion whether the creature ſhould receive a law from his Creator, or that ſhould claim to themſelves a liberty to do what they liſt, as if there were no ſtandard to meaſure good and evil by. The Heathen would make many practical Atheiſts to bluſh at laſt, who could ſay, Non ſolum jus & injuria a natura dijudicantur, ſed omnia omnino honest a & turpia; nam & communis intelligentia nobis res notas efficit, ea quaein animis noſtris inchoavit, ut honeſta in virtute ponantur, in vitiis turpia. We are not only able (ſays he) to judg of right and wrong betwixt man and man; but we are able to diſcern what is good, and what is evil, and all this by the light of nature. God has made ſuch indelible ſtamps and impreſſions of theſe firſt principles upon mans reaſon, that til he be extreamly corrupted, or Judicarily hardened, he diſcovers a tranſcending excellency in goodneſs, and an infamous blot upon wickedneſs; yea they who for the love of ſin (that they might enjoy it quietly,) have laboured to ſilence theſe firſt whiſperings of nature, and to blot out what the finger of God hath written upon their hearts, have but laboured to waſh the Blackamore white; & when the Atheiſt in practiſe has laboured to be ſo in opinion, he has been but a Sceptick at laſt; theſe truths like nature under forcé return upon them again, and they are ſometimes conſtrained to fear the Deity that they flout at, and to dread him that they have oft denied. Now ſeeing it is thus, that ſuch ſeeds of the knowledg of good and evil are left in every mans heart naturally, it may wel be, and does very oft fall out, that when men come under the word (before they have ſinned away this light, and are brought to a deadly Palſie) by that oil which the ordinances do add to this lamp, and by acceſſion of more light from the ſame, men ſee theſe things more clearly, and many things more which were too remote to be diſcovered by their firſt light; hence it comes to paſs that he that by the light of nature ſaw that there was a God, now ſees ſomething of the nature of God, of his worſhip, and is inſtructed in this; he that ſaw that the ſoul was immortal, and that there vvas a bleſſedneſs or miſery fitted to it, ſees vvhere & what it is. He that ſaw ſin confuſedly, novv ſees it more diſtinctly; yea he ſees not only theſe things, but deduceth many things from theſe, and may have a general inſight into all the ways of God, ſo that men meerly inlightned, and having their naturals poliſhed and varniſhed over by the often rubbing over of the Word, may come to great convictions of the truths of God. yea, and theſe convictions may have ſome con…derable influence upon their wils without the help of grace, by the help of this one thing, which is the nature of every being, it loves and ſeeks his own good; this is the language of every being, Pſal. 4.6. Who will ſhew us any good. No man ſeeks evil formally as ſuch, but as it is diſguized by Satan, or dreſt up by his own wanton and corrupt fancy, and made to appear in the habit of goodneſs, as the Witch of Endor raiſed up the devil in Samumuels garments. Thus as men are convinc'd of the good that is in God, and his ſervice, ſo they may from thoſe common convictions ſet themſelves to ſeek him, and apply themſelves to his ways and ordinances. And though no man ſees the chief good in God and his ways, but he that is graciouſly inlightened; yet common light may diſcover a kind of good in God, and in the ſeeking of him; and proportionable to the good they diſcover in ſpiritual things are their perſwaſions to embrace, and endeavours to attain them. Hence many without grace go far, but none far enough to reach the kingdom of God; we have an example of this in the young man, Matthew 19.20. who without ſpecial grace upon the ſtock of his natural abilities, with the additional light of the means under which he lived, went very far in obſervation of the Law, and offered very fair at Heaven, ſeeing doubtleſs a great good in ſalvation; but the reaſon why he went not through with his purchaſe was this, he ſaw not the ſupream good in it; though he apprehended it a good thing to inheriteternal life, yet he ſaw ſomething which to him was better; had this been the chief good in his account, it would have been his chief deſire. And doubtleſs ſeeing all have the ſame ſtock of theſe firſt principles to trade upon, by living under the meanes they may be ſo heightned, that they may ſee (what he did) a degree of goodneſs and happineſs in the enjoyment of ſpiritual things, and may be induced to do, even as he did (having a proportionable meaſure of perſwaſion) to embrace thoſe things, and to comply with the means leading to them. Theſe are perſwaſions, or elſe they would not be moved to do any thing; they are not ful perſwaſions, for then they would ſtick at nothing: but they are imperfect, & are more or leſs, according to thoſe apprehenſions which they have of the excellency of God, and of his ways, of which the natural man by the light of nature, and the ſuper-added light of the word, may have a weak ſight, but without the work of grace cannot have a true ſight, ſuch as ſhould draw him out to ſeek after God with all his heart; yet though he ſees not all, he ſees much; and though he will not do all that he is commanded, yet he wil be perſwaded to do many things; for though a carnal man cannot apprehend any good in the ſtricteſt profeſſion of godlineſs, which is accompanied with the greateſt ſelf, denial, and expoſes men to the greateſt hazards, yet he dos oft apprehend much good in partial complyance with Religion; for this he ſuppoſes may not ſpoil his particular intereſt, and yet may attain the end, which is true happineſs; upon this account moſt men have their meaſures of perſwaſion, ſome are greater, & ſome leſs, but ſome do border upon a ful perſwaſion, they are almoſt perſwaded, or perſwaded to be almoſt Chriſtians.
2 Theſe perſwaſions do ariſe from good education in many, good counſel & inſtructions being wrought wiſely into them by the skil and induſtry of their Parents and friends; & theſe being backt with good examples, & fenced by diſcipline, many have been drawn by love to entreat, or driven by fear into a profeſſion of what is good, & by long cuſtom they ſeem to have gotten a nature, and they act in a profeſſion as if they were diſpoſed to it by grace; & whi…es they want the temptations which others have, they ſeem to be fully perſwaded to be Chriſtians; but when friends or parents are taken away, who were as a hedg about them, and kept many temptations from approaching neer them; or when they are taken from their friends, and called to live upon their own ſtock in ſome place, where they ſee other examples, & meet with temptations of all ſorts, they ſoon ſhew what, and whence their former perſwaſions were: they ſhew that ignorance of evil, or want of temptations to it only made them ſeem good; But without doubt next unto grace, good education dos moſt of all work upon the ſpirits of men, yea it can do any thing but renew the heart: we …ee how children ſuck in the opinions and perſwaſions of their Parents, and ordinarily they do more zealouſly defend what came from them by tradition then what the light of the word afforded them. Nay it is no very difficult thing for parents to draw their children to imitate the; for the examples of thoſe whom vve love, perſwade to that which for itſelf we do not love, yea and being drawn once to do any thing in imitation of anot…e whom we honour, we continue in it, leſt we ſhould be a diſhonour to our copie; and thus by continuance we come to be perſwaded of what we do, and ariſe ſo high in notion and external profeſſion, that nothing is wanting but the power of thoſe truths which we aſſent unto, and ſpirituality of thoſe duties which we perform. Thus the Parent or the maſter makes his child or ſervant almoſt a Chriſtian; but its the Lord only can make him altogether ſuch.
3. Convictions and perſwaſions riſe high by ſome ſpecial providence; God knocks ſo hard at the door of natural mens conſciences by ſome afflictions, or eminent danger of death, that although he does not open the heart as he did Lydias, yet he makes a breach, at which ſome truth enters, which coming in with ſuch conviction and power, for the preſent (yea and perhaps for the future) makes ſome changes in the mans apprehenſions and reſolutions. Thus Pharoah himſelf was convinc'd of the power of God under affliction, whom he would not know in proſperity. When Gods providences were calm, he thunders, as if there were none greater then he; but when God thunders, he is calm, and is brought by degrees as the ſtorm did increaſe, to conſent to Moſes demands, though never fully and with all his heart. Ahab when he was terrified with the ſharp meſſage of Eliſha, how does he ſeem as a man changed, 1 King. 21.27. he puts aſhes upon his head, girds him with ſackcloth, as a man mortified and dead to this world; yet who that reads the ſtory of Ahabs life, judges this to be any more, then the lightning which ſhined in his conſcience while the Prophet thundred. Thus we ſee men upon a ſick-bed, while they are under ſtrong apprehenſions and fears of death, yea and of hel too, promiſe much to others, and reſolve much with themſelves, yea and perſwade themſelves that they are in good earneſt, and engage if God ſpare them, that they wil be altogether Chriſtians, and give great hopes to others, while the leaſt we can judge of them is, that they are almoſt Chriſtians. There is no evil that conſcience convinceth them of, or any friend can mind them of in their former lives, but they wil confeſs, lament, and covenant againſt; no duty then diſcovered, but they wil aſſent unto, and ngage to take up if God wil try them, the terrors of the Almighty are ſo dreadful, that they vvil do any thing rarher then go to hell. Thus Francis Spira, who deliberately and in cold blood denyed the truth, yet when he lay in his bitter agonies, he ſaid, if he might be but freed from them, he vvould deſpiſe all the tyrants in the vvorld, he vvould never be afraid to profeſs the truth vvith the greateſt hazard. When the fooliſh Virgins were alarumed with the noiſe of that dreadful cry at midnight, Behold the Bridegroom comes, they then begin to look to their Lamps, and they begin to cry for oyl, a thing vvhichwhich they never ſought for before; when they vvere awakened vvith the terror of the Lords approach, then they run too and fro from one to another, crying, give me a little of your oyl; nothing leſs enquired for before, nothing askt for elſe now, though it be a truth, that the Judge ſtands before the door, James 5.9. yet men are nothing moved at this, they wil lie ſtil as long as he ſtands ſtil; but when he begins to knock at the door by ſome ſpecial providence, and threatens to come in ſpeedily, then you ſhall ſee how a man wil beſtir himſelf, he vvil do any thing, ſuffer any thing rather then God ſhould break in upon him in this condition; then for a meſſenger, for a Miniſter, or ſome underſtanding Chriſtian to inſtruct him, ot intercede for him; there can be nothing then propoſed to him while the dread of the Almighty is upon him, that he wil not ſubmit unto, and accept of; and all this while the heart may not be changed; all this may ariſe from hence, he begins to ſee what a fearful thing it is to fal into the hands of the living God; thus the Lord who ſtands always at the door, knocks at mens conſciences at one time or other; at ſome mens often, and ſome ſtronger as wel as oftener; and it is no wonder if ſuch ſtroaks do beat in ſome light into the ſoul, and make ſome change in a mans reſolutions for preſent, and practice afterward.
4. From the ſearching and convincing power of the Word under which men live. The Word is ſharper then a two edged ſword, a diſcerner of the heart and ſecret thoughts; it enters into the very ſouls of the wicked, and diſcovers what is within, but doth not change them; it works a reformation, though not a regeneration, Heb. 4.12. The word of God is quick and powerful, ſharper then any two-edged ſword, piercing even to the dividing aſunder of the ſoul and ſpirit, and of the joynts and marrow, and is a diſcerner of the thoughts, and intents of the heart. Thus the wicked themſelves have found. How did Paul get into Faelix his conſcience, and ranſaked it? what an Earth-quake vvas there for the preſent? The Judge on the Bench trembles, while the priſoner at the Bar preaches. This is the caſe of many a ſcoffer at godlineſs, and of ſuch as deride and deſpiſe the Preachers and profeſſors of it; they come to hear for novelty, as Faelix would hear Paul; but the Miniſter (notwithſtanding the contemptible thoughts they have of him, and the reſolutions they have to ſleight all that he ſays) gets within them, rips up their hearts, ſhews them the ſecrets of their thoughts, and they are ſo far awed with this, that they go away convinced of the evil of their thoughts and wayes, and perhaps reſolved to be other men; yet time and temptation eat out theſe things, becauſe there is no depth of earth for theſe to take rooting in.
5. Men go thus far to quiet their conſciences; though an unregenerate man will do nothing for God, yet he wil do much for his peace; when once the word hath a wakened conſcience, and rowſed that, when it hath taken him by the throat, and brought him to the judgement, then he preſently cries for compoſition, then he deſires a parley, and then he makes termes for his peace; Any thing to ſtop the mouth of an accuſing conſcience, eſpecially if it begin to condemn, as wel as to accuſe. Hence it is, that many wicked men do many things in which they neither pleaſe God, nor themſelves; they pleaſe not God, becauſe they do them not upon good principles; they pleaſe not themſelves becauſe they are contrary to their luſts, which yet are as ſtrong in them as ever; but they do them to calm conſcience; they think it better to liſten to conſcience rather then to their corruptions, becauſe the pleaſure of ſin doth not countervail the ſorrow and trouble that it brings with it; and ſurely this is the ſtrength of ſuch mens reformation, their preſent peace is broken, conſcience is enlightned, they muſt either deny their luſts, or live in a preſent hel; if it were not for this preſent foretaſte of evil, they would not be moved, they would deſpiſe all the evil which is threatned to come.
6. God hath ſome ſpecial ends in theſe things: as
Firſt, God hath a deſign to honour the word, and he makes the wicked themſelves witneſſes of the truth, and power of it, as wel as the godly. They carry up and down in their lives the pledges of the ſame. For their reſtraints do prove the power of it as wel as the others converſions. Though they wil not love God and his ways, yet God wil make them fear, and though we do not preach to their hearts, yet we ſhall preach to their conſciences: and they ſhal be brought in at the laſt to prove what we preached was true, they themſelves having experienced it. Nay let me add this, that the bridling and curbing of wicked men by the Word is a greater evidence (in ſome ſenſe of the power of it) then the governing of the godly. Thoſe few things which the wicked do for fear of the Word, ſhews the power of God more then thoſe many things which the Saints do for love of it; the reaſon is this, becauſe the godly have new and tender hearts, which are eaſily wrought upon, and are ready to comply with every command of God; but the other have hard and ſtony hearts, unapt to yeild. The ſtrength or ſharpneſs of a ſword is more ſeen by making a ſmal impreſſion upon ſteel or ſtone, then a large one upon wax; and ſurely Gods word is glorified not onelyonly by converting, but by reſtraining; by chaining up the Lyon, as wel as leading the Lamb; the ſcars which unregenerate men carry of the Miniſtry, prove it mighty through God.
2. Gods end is to give men here a foretaſte of the judgement to come; God keeps a petty ſeſſions here, before the great Aſſiſe. Faelix had a taſte of this Judgement; the Lord made him to feel ſomething of what he heard, and while Paul was reaſoning of judgement ro come, God made it ſeem preſent; and the Judge is by the authority of the Word put into the place of the priſoner; he trembles as if he were really at the Bar, which Paul had but now diſcovered, Acts 24.25. Thus the Lord deals often with wicked men, who ſleight all bonds, and caſt the cords of God far from them; he binds them faſt in irons, and reſerves them in chains for judgement to come; and though they ſeem to have the only liberty of all men, and to enjoy all pleaſure, yet they carry ſome reliſhes of this day upon their ſpirits, which are as the chains which the priſoner draggs after him. Nay he dos not only keep them in irons thus, but he gives them ſome taſts of hel it ſelf, ſuch as Cain and Judas had, and then he takes them out of one hel, and throws them into another, as the Saints are in Heaven, oft times before they die, in the aſſurance of their intereſt in it: ſo wicked men are oft in hel before-hand, by their fore-taſt of it.
3. To leave men inexcuſable; nothing wil ſtrip them ſo naked at the laſt day as theſe perſwaſions which they had; according to the meaſure and clearneſs of theſe, ſuch wil be their ſhame, and ſuch will be their confuſion, to ſee how near they came to the kingdom of God, and yet ſhut out. God convin…es thoſe of ſin whom he intends to ſave, that they may condemn themſelves, and juſtifie God here; and he convinces many whom be intends not to ſave, that they may be forced to juſtifie him hereafter, when he ſhal condemn them, Pſalm 51.3, 4. Againſt thee have I ſinned, that thou mayeſt be juſtified when thou ſpeakeſt, and pure when thou judgeſt. David did not ſin that God might be juſtified, but David was convinced of his ſin, that God might be cleared, and David condemned in himſelf. Saints convictions make them humble themſelves, and the convictions & reſtraints which are thereby made upon wicked men, will make very much for the juſtifying of God at the laſt, and for the taking of all excuſe from them; for they can never anſwer this plea: If there were not evil in ſin, why did you fear or refrain from any? and if there was evil in it, why did you not refrain all ſin? and this will ſtop their mouths, that they had knowledg of this day, & of the judgement of it; for God wil take out a copy of the Judgement of the day out of their own conſciences.