The Spirit of Bondage and Adoption, Treatise 1 · Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV. An exhortation to certain duties proper to this condition of bondage.
HEre is alſo an Exhortation to ſuch as are under this condition.
1. Be patient under the preſent hand of the Spirit. A man will bear a great trouble patiently, when he can ſee likelyhood of a good iſſue in it. A ſick man is contented to be made ſicker for healths ſake. Finis confert amabilitatem mediis, ſay the Schoolmen; and a man that hath a gangrened arm or legge will endure the ſawing it off willingly to ſave the whole body. Troubles of conſcience are grievous troubles. But ſo long as they are in the hand of the ſpirit as inſtrumental means to facilitate converſion, how patiently ſhouldeſt thou undergo them? If they were to thy eternal confuſion, patience were meet, partly as to a puniſhment deſerved, and of thy own choice, partly as to a condition, which repining at it may augment, but never remedy. How much more when theſe troubles are converting, ſaving troubles, or are uſed by the ſpirit to that end! The good ground brought forth its fruit with patience, Luke 8. 15. And if ever thou wilt ſee fruit of thy ſoul troubles, thou muſt ſtay the time,
2. Keep up hope under all diſcouragements. I know a thouſand diſcouragements are ready upon every occaſion to beat thee off thy hold and hopes. And againſt them ſet thoſe promiſes, which Scripture is every where full of to perſons in thy condition, together with the examples of others recorded there, and to theſe add thy own experience, both in the perſons of others, and thine own. Think how many ſuch ſad ſouls in all ages Gods Spirit hath conducted through the wilderneſſe, and cauſed them to reſt in the full aſſurance and undoubted evidence of his love. Read over the ſad complaints of David in his convictions and ſoul troubles, and how God at laſt compaſſed him about with ſongs of deliverance, ſet in joynt all his broken bones, and beſtowed on him the joy of his ſalvation. Nay, how many of thoſe Saints that you dayly do or may converſe withall, can ſpeak no leſſe from their own experience? Thou art under a condition of hope, whiles thou art under this work; it is the method of the Spirit in converſion (as was before ſhewed.) It is with thee, as with the people, Ezra 10. 2. though thy caſe be ſad, yet now God hath affected thy heart with thy ſinne and miſery, and made thee confeſſe and bewail thy ſinnes before him: now there is hope in Iſrael concerning this, as Shechaniah ſaith, after the humiliation of the people for their ſtrange wives, in the preceding Chapter. Thou art yet a priſoner, but a priſoner of hope, Zech. 9. 12. See what advice and encouragement the Church from her own experience gives. Lam. 3. 26, 27, 28, &c. It is good for a man to hope for the ſalvation of the Lord; why ſo? See verſe 31, 32. For the Lord will not caſt off for Lam. 3.ever, but though he cauſe grief, yet will hee have compaſſion according to the multitude of his tender mercies. O, ſaith the ſoul, what is my ſtrength, that I ſhould hope (as Job 6. 11.) alas, the Lord hath caſt me off for ever. I ſee my preſent agony and diſtreſſe of ſpirit, that he intends to break all my bones, and ſend me ver. 4.to hell with all my bones broken on the wheele of his diſpleaſure. The more I cry, ver. 8.the more deaf he ſeems to be unto my prayer, ver. 4, 6.he hath brought me into darkneſſe, and made my skin old, he hath builded againſt me, fortified ver. 5.his kingdome againſt all my attempts, by a reſolution that I ſhall not enter into his reſt: he hath compaſſed me with gall and travel, hee ver. 5. 6. 7. 8. 10. 11. 12. 13. 15. 16.hath ſet me in dark places, he hath hedged me about, and made my chain heavie, he ſhuts out my prayer, he is a bear and a lion unto me, he hath pulled me in pieces, and ſet me as a mark for the arrow: he hath cauſed the arrow of his quiver to enter into my reins, he hath …illed me with bittern…s and made me drunken with wormwood▪ he hath b…oken my teeth with gravel ſtones, he hath covered me with aſhes; and this hath been of ſo long continuance upon mee, that I have forgotten proſperity, I can 17.ſcarce remember that ever I had a better day. And therefore it is no wonder, if I conclude, that my ſtrength and my hope is periſhed from the Lord. Oh, (ſaith the Church) this was 18.my very caſe, when I remembred my affliction, 19.the wormwood and the gall, I even ſaid as thou doſt. But I withall conſidered, that though my caſe were bad, yet it might have been worſe; ſure God hath ſhewn me ſome mercy in that I live. It is of the mercies … the Lord 22.&c. Therefore have I hope, and therefore I 23. &c. to 32.conclude, that though the Lord cauſe grief, yet he will have compaſſion, &c. Read that Chapter ter all over, I have given but a draught of it, and therein ſee thy caſe and thy cure. As to thy own experiences, urge his preſervation of thee, and ſupport thus long, and plead for its continuance.
Obj. But how can I hope? Hope proceeds from faith, and I cannot believe, for I am yet, you tell me, in a ſtate of Nature, till by theſe troubles God converts me.
Anſw. 'Tis true of the grace of hope, that it proceeds from faith in order of nature, and is a fruit of converſion, 1 Pet. 1. 3. and till converſion we cannot rejoyce in hope of the glory of God. But there is another hope, that is not always gracious, (though poſſibly ſometimes grace may be ſeminally in it, and may firſt appear by it, as the firſt act of faith may appear in ſuch an act of hope as this. True, I am a condemned creature, but there are ſuch and ſuch free offers of Chriſt, and promiſes of mercy to ſinners indefinitely, and why not to me?) yet I ſay, this hope is not always gracious, becauſe it is common to preſumptuous as well as repenting ſinners, and is the very ground on which they preſume. This hope I ſhall for diſtinctions ſake call a moral or rational hope, becauſe it is gathered from the general promiſes of Scripture, in a rational way, as alſo, becauſe it is but a general, probable hope, that is accompanied only with opinion and not faith, though it may ground faith as to its act of reliance upon Chriſt and the promiſe of mercy in him where the Spirit of God pleaſeth to infuſe faith in ſuch a rational way, as divers times he doth. Whereas the hope that flows from faith is a ſpiritual and infuſed hope, and is not ſo much the apprehending a poſſibility, as expecting a certainty of fulfilling the promiſe to me in particular, ariſing (I mean in the acts of it, not in the habit or ſeed of it, for that is infuſed in the firſt vital act of reliance upon Chriſt, which unites to Chriſt, and ſo juſtifies:) ariſing I ſay, from the particular evidence of my juſtification by faith, and ſo from an act of aſſurance, and is higher or lower like it. Diſtinguiſh thus. The one is a kind of negative hope, the other a poſitive. The one ſaith, I am not excluded; the other ſaith, I am included. Its language is, Why not I?
Now 'tis the former hope, that rational, moral hope, I adviſe thee to keep alive in thy ſoul. Let no power of corruption, no ſtrength of temptation, no length or grievouſneſſe of thy ſoul troubles, no falſe concluſions from Gods decree of reprobation▪ &c. drive thee out of a firm aſſent to this propoſition, that though thy caſe be ſad, yet it is not deſperate; God hath invited ſuch as thou art, hath offered Chriſt and grace freely to thee among others, and therefore thou art by no poſitive declared act of Gods excluded more then any other. It is a great ſupport that a ſoul in this caſe gets by ſuch an argument as this is. For although grace do not always attend or accompany this hope, yet the Spirit of God doth uſe it as it doth all other preparatory works, to diſpoſe the ſoul for grace. Nay, I know not, but that if the ſoul follow this moral hope with a conſtant uſe of all means, and ordinances, and in them reſolve to caſt himſelfe upon Chriſt to be ſaved by him in his own way, and upon his own terms, why this hope may not be the immediate ground, if not the vehicle or chariot of the very firſt act of juſtifying faith. Wherefore,
3ly. Let this hope produce waiting. Think not that thou art preſently caſt off by God, becauſe he doth not preſently (as to thy ſenſe) anſwer thy deſires. There is a great deal of impatience uſually in troubled ſpirits. And there is reaſon why ſuch ſouls ſhould be ſubject to that failing. For the wound of the ſpirit is an intolerable wound, Prov. 18. 14. And nothing is more grievous to a man in intolerable pain and anguiſh, then delays: Hear me ſpeedily, ſaith David, elſe ſhall I be like unto them that goe down into the pit, Pſalm 143. 7. and when God hides long, he apprehends it will be for ever, Pſalm 13. 1. But we muſt labour againſt this corruption, and endeavour to bring our ſouls to a contentedneſſe to wait for Gods ſalvation, as long as he thinks fit to exerciſe and diſcipline us in that condition.
The Scripture abounds in exhortations, promiſes and examples, preſſing home this duty upon us. The place, Lam. 3. 26. requires not only hope, but waiting; [the word is foreign ſiluit] a quiet, ſilent waiting, free from clamorous complaints againſt God, murmuring at his delays, and deſperate expreſſions of deſpondency of Spirit. And we have a great encouragement hereunto, if we conſider,
(1.) That this time of delay is Gods waiting time, as well as ours. Iſ. 30. 18. The Lord therefore waits that he may be gracious: and indeed, he hath waited upon us many years before he could prevail with us to give him the hearing of any his gracious invitations; and do we now think it much to wait on him till he hear us? Beſides.
2. Saving grace is a thing worth the waiting for. Thou haſt heard often, and prayed often, thou ſaiſt, and yet ſeeſt no fruit of it, thou haſt obtained neither grace nor peace, converſion nor comfort; remember what the Apoſtle ſaith, Jam. 5. 7. (though with relation to another fruit, i. e. the fruit of external ſufferings; yet the force of his argument is no leſſe herein alſo) foreign, lengthen out the patience into long ſuffering. Behold, your husbandman, foreign, lengthens out his hope; though the ſeed come not up after the firſt rain, yet he expects another ſhower, it is not ripe as ſoon as it growes up; it may bee a wet ſeed time, but it may be a dry ſummer, and ſo the hazard is not over; therefore having had a wet ſeede time, foreign, he expects foreign, the latter raine too to perfect the harveſt: ſo thou haſt ſown in teares, God hath bleſt the ſeed of the word ſo far to thee; expect the perfecting his work in thee; it may be thy continued troubles are the latter raine, tis well when God followes thee with ſuch ſhowers, keeps the ground (thy heart) tender; feare not, man, this makes for the improvement of it to a joyful harveſt. They that ſow in tears, ſhall, though long firſt, yet at laſt, reape in joy. Pſ. 126. 5. And their precious ſeed will yeild ſheaves at the laſt.
Obj. But I cannot wait, I have ſuch an impatient, fretful ſpirit, and I have ſo long waited to ſo little purpoſe, that I am even quite wearied. Though my ſpirit be willing, yet my fleſh is weak.
Anſw. (1) Tis no leſſe a duty, becauſe thou canſt not do it.
(2.) Pray againſt this diſtemper. Lord, I have an evil, impatient, overhaſty heart, that muſt be relieved preſently, or it will be gon from thy doore. Lord, give mee an heart willing to ſtay thy leiſure. Indeed, the things I would have, are precious, neceſſary; my endeavors have been frequent, my Prayers urgent, and importunate, and therefore my froward ſpirit ſeems to take it ill to be ſo long diſappointed in its expectation. Lord give me a waiting, depending, enduring Spirit.
(3) Fetch in ſtrength from a promiſe to this purpoſe. There are abundance of promiſes made of and to waiting. Of it, ſee in ſpecial, Pſa. 27. ult. Waite on the Lord, and be of good courage, &c. But what if I cannot? He ſhall ſtrengthen thy heart, fortifie thy heart againſt all temptations to wearineſſe and impatience. See alſo Iſa. 40. 29, 30, 31. Tis a very full promiſe. So promiſes to waiting, Iſa. 30. 18. Bleſſed—all that wait for him. Chap. 49. 23. They ſhall not be aſhamed that wait for him.
(4.) Yet wait in the uſe of means. Such as;
1. The word. God having appointed the word as the means, will have us attend it. The word muſt be waited on for grace. It is the word of grace, Act. 20. 32. and the Apoſtle ſaith, that there is no grace to be had (i. e. ordinarily) without it; and that not only the word read, but the word heard, and that not from every one that can talke of Scripture, but from a lawfull Preacher. Rom. 10. 14. See the connexion between calling, and preaching, and hearing, and faith. See Joh. 17. 17. And the promiſe that Wiſdom makes, is to thoſe that wait at her gates and the poſts of her doors, and conſtantly do ſo: He that waiteth foreign day by day, ie. upon all opportunities, Pro. 8. 34, 35. And the word muſt be waited on for peace too. Tis the Goſpel of peace too, as follows (loco dicto) Rom. 10. 15. and that in the mouth of Preachers. And Eph. 6. 15. And Iſa. 57. 19. I create the fruit of the lips, peace.
2 Prayer. Ezek. 36, 37. I will yet be enquired of, &c. and Acts. 9. 11. The ſame ſpirit is a ſpirit of grace, and ſupplication, Jam. 1. 5.Zech. 12. 10.
Obj. But why ſhall I pray? My prayers, whiles I am out of Chriſt, are an abomination to the Lord: and I ſin whiles I pray.
Anſw. Upon this account the Divel drives off many from grace and Chriſt. But conſider,
1. It is a greater ſin to neglect it. It is the worſt thing that can be ſaid of any man, that he reſtraineth prayer before the Lord, Job 15. 4. Tis joyned with caſting away the feare of God. i. e. with profeſſed Atheiſme and prophaneneſſe. See Jer. 10. 25. Heathens and families that call not upon Gods name are put together. Prayer is ſin to thee but by accident, vitio perſonae; but to neglect it, is a ſin in its ſelfe.
2. The Lord requires even ſuch perſons to pray, Act. 8. 22.
3. The ſpirit of grace and ſupplication is uſually powred out in the performance of that duty. Luke 11. 13.
3. Conference. The great reaſon why Perſons goe heated, and warmed from ſermons, and within a few minutes become key-cold againe, is the want of this holy help. How did our hearts burne within us, ſay the Diſciples, Luke 24. 32. when hee talked with us?
4. Meditation. Beaſts that chewed the cud were the only cleane beaſts, becauſe they beſt turned their food into nouriſhment. Tis a ſpecial advantage that a man hath in memory, ſeeing it is that bag whence a man Vid. infrà N. Octava.by meditation fetcheth back truths and chewes on them: ſee Pſal. 40. 3.
5 Seek in them converſion, rather then comfort, and grace then peace. The reaſon of this advice is that which I have before told you, That grace is offered, and we are invited to receive it without any qualification, but our want of it.
But peace and comfort preſuppoſe grace. Rom. 5. 1. Reall, and actual peace, by which wee are made of enemies (as we were born) friends to God; and apparent, or apprehended peace, peace in the conſcience, the evidence whereof is joy and comfort, are the fruits of juſtification. Beſides, if we deſire peace principally, and not grace, we give a great advantage to Satan to delude us with a falſe peace without grace, as hee doth many a thouſand.
We often fail in this, we are earneſt for Pardon and peace, but not ſo importunate for Grace.
6. Follow thoſe meanes moſt conſtantly which
(1.) (Caeteris paribus) are appointed to thee. I think not that perſons are bound abſolutely to their own Paſtor. He may be unable, he may be unwilling to imploy his talent to a mans advantage. But if godly, able, and laborious, my conſtant attendance is to be on his labours. Certainely my conſtant meales ſhould be at home.
2 If free, thoſe that are moſt ſcar…h The Word that converts, it is deſcribed by the Apoſtle, Heb. 4. 12. 'tis foreign, a Word that hath life in it, foreign, Active and full of ſpirits, foreign, &c. more cutting, beyond a double compariſon. foreign, penetrating (as Aqua fortis) not the ear, but the heart, joynts and marrow, Partes minimas & interiores; foreign, a critical word, they that are Criticks, are accurate obſervers of every tittle. Thoſe thou ſhalt know by the riſing of thy carnall heart againſt them. For there is no congruity between the carnal heart of a man that naturally loves its eaſe, & a ſpiritual rowzing Miniſtry, that will ſearch out all its hidden corruptions; therefore ſuſpect thy heart here, and croſs it.
7. Obſerve, and take ſpecial notice of every ſtep of proficiency which thou makeſt towards heaven, and acknowledg it with thankfulneſſe. Our ſenſe of wants ſhould not (although (through our corruption) moſt commonly it do) exclude the ſenſe of mercies. Thou wanteſt (at leaſt in thy apprehenſion) grace and Chriſt, or it may be, but the evidence and aſſurance of theſe; now thou perpetually art on the complaining hand, and when thou comeſt into Gods preſence, he hears nothing from thee but theſe complaints, and all that thou converſeſt with can have nothing elſe from thee but querulous language, and it may be, murmuring diſcourſes concerning the ſadneſſe of thy condition and preſent wants. But here is not a word of acknowledgment of what thou haſt. Thou never goeſt to God, and acknowledgeſt that it is a great mercy he hath made thee ſee the ſinfulneſſe and miſery of thy preſent condition, and affected thy heart with it. Now certainly this were a more likely way to ſpeed.
8. Labour to keep your hearts warm, by keeping thoſe things moſt freſh upon your ſpirits by conſtant meditation, which moſt affect you. Thou goeſt home warm from a Sermon, affected (it may be) deeply with thy own condition by nature, or (it may be) convinced of the exceeding ſinfulneſſe of ſome Maſter ſin or other; when thou comeſt home, that this may be effectual to thy converſion, dwell upon thoſe paſſages in thy thoughts, and when they are ready to dye, recover them again by freſh recollection, deſiring God to fix them upon thy ſpirit till they have done their work. And this puts a ſpecial force into the Word, which it would utterly loſe, if theſe thoughts by worldly diverſions ſhould be buryed as ſoon as thou art gone from the Publick Aſſembly.
And at other times whiles this work is upon thee thou maiſt do well to take up thoughts on theſe Heads, which may be matter for meditation in ſuch a condition.
1 The ſinfulneſſe of ſin under all its aggravations, and the ſad condition of a perſon under it. Here thou maiſt think what a ſad Apoſtacy from the perfection of mans nature and being, ſin hath brought into the world; how black an image of Satan it hath drawn upon the ſoul, what an holy and righteous Law it is againſt, what a juſt condemnation it hath ſubjected thee unto. And here thoughts of hel and the eternal wrath of God under all its affecting circumſtances, may bee conſidered in relation to thy caſe.
2 Your own particular ſins, and their heightning circumſtances. How much more vile thou art then others, and thy ſins more great then thoſe of others; what by means, and mercies, and judgments, and convictions, and education, and vowes, and covenants of forſaking them, by Apoſtacies and backſlidings into them, after a temporary deſertion of them, by being acceſſary or Author to the ſinnes of others, &c.
3 The neceſſity of returnings to God. That (therefore) in the way thou art in, thou art running with all ſpeed to the chambers of death, if thou dye the next moment, hell muſt receive thee, and heaven be for ever ſhut againſt thee. That thou haſt no way to eſcape, but by a ſpeedy return to God, and taking up a new courſe, Matth. 5. 25.
4 The impotency, hardneſſe, deceitfulneſſe of your own heart. That although thou ſee ſo much need of getting into another condition, entring into another way, yet it is not in thy power ſo to do; and if it were, thou haſt ſuch an heart as would diſſemble with God and thee, and put him and thee off with ſhewes and colours in ſtead of real fruits of grace; or if it could bring forth ſuch, yet they cannot juſtifie, and are frail and uncertain.
5 The excellency of Chriſt in his grace, and in his righteouſneſſe. That (therefore) God hath appointed a way in which thy ſins may be pardoned, and thy nature renewed by the righteouſneſſe and grace of another, That all that thou ſeeſt wanting in thy ſelf, Chriſt is abundantly able to ſupply. That there is (therefore) that in Chriſt, for which he deſerves to be valued above all the world, for grace and peace.
6 The riches and freeneſſe of Goſpel Promiſes, in which Chriſt is communicated; eſpecially thoſe that we call abſolute Promiſes of the firſt grace. That to perſons ſo loſt in themſelves, there is an abundant fountain of Grace opened in Chriſt. That God invites all ſuch perſons to come to him, and if they want wherewithal to procure Chriſt, that he hath promiſed that too, even the Spirit, Zech. 12. 10. Luke 11. 13. Faith, Phil. 1. 29. A new heart, Ezek 36. 26