The Spirit of Bondage and Adoption, Treatise 2 · Chapter 24
CHAP. XXIV. A Caſe, how to know whether a true Aſſurance be meerly rationally gathered, or from the witneſſe of the Spirit.
NOw come we to the ſecond branch of the Queſtion.
Queſt. How may a man know whether a true aſſurance (as to the ſubſtance of it) be gotten meerly by rational deductions, or from the Spirit of God? Wrought out of a mans brain, or wrought into his heart by the Holy Ghoſt.
Anſw. I can but help you to gheſſe at the difference. Theſe works though they really differ in themſelves, yet to appearance are very like: and therefore I ſhall ſpeak warily in a few particulars.
1. Moſt of the former diſtinctions between the Teſtimony of the Spirit & a falſe aſſurance from Satan and a mans own heart, may be repeated here. A true aſſurance gotten in an irregular way, wants the advantage of a ſupernatural aſſiſtance to elevate, and improve it; for as it was gotten in the ſtrength of reaſon, ſo it muſt act only in the ſtrength of the principle from whence it had its being; and by conſequence, can have no influence but moral and rational to the production of thoſe impreſſions of purity, holineſſe, watchfulneſſe, heavenly mindedneſſe, patience, ſeriouſneſſe and ſolidneſſe of ſpiritual ſelf-entertainments, humility; and ſo all theſe muſt needs be thin and ſcanty, and ſuperficial in compariſon of the ſame effects when they proceed from a divine aſſurance. Thence 'tis that you ſhal ordinarily find in the world a kind of formal, cold, thin-ſpread honeſty, juſt enough to keep life and ſoul together (as we ſay) in many perſons that are really godly, of whom a man may ſay as the Apoſtle Paul of divers of the chief men in the Church of Jeruſalem, Gal. 2. 6. Thoſe who ſeemed to be ſomewhat in conference added nothing to him.
And therefore let this be the firſt difference. There is a mighty odds between a man divinely aſſured and rationally aſſured, in the vigour and activity of all thoſe fruits wherein it ſhews it ſelf. As you may ſee in matter of knowledge. A man that is aſſured of a Truth, teacheth it with far more life, and authority, then a man who ſees it only in a rational probable light.
2. In a meer rational aſſurance there is formido oppoſiti. As in an Opinion that a man holds meerly on probable grounds, though a man may ſtiffely adhere to it in compariſon with the contrary concluſion, yet the grounds of this confidence being but probable, and therefore ſuch in which he may be deceived, he is ever and anon ſubject to ſay, but what if it be not ſo all this while? And though this opinion be truth, and a great many other uſefull concluſions as branches grow from its root, yet ſo long as hee is but probably perſwaded of it, he gives his Aſſent to it meerly with a reſerve. This is true to me, in the mind I now am in. But I may poſſibly ſee grounds to alter my judgement.
Thus in point of aſſurance. Rational aſſurance, be it never ſo full, excludes not haeſitancy. Thence you ſhall find when you have reaſoned with a doubting Chriſtian a long time, it may be when you go away from him, you leave him (to appearance) well ſatisfied, and pretty comfortable (as we uſe to ſay) but a while after, when Satan and his own heart have had a little time to unravel the web of your reaſonings, he begins to think he was in an errour, As an unſtable man in matters of judgment, Let an Orthodox Preacher ſpeak an houre with ſtrength of Scripture and reaſon upon a controverted point, the man ſeems to be fully ſatisfied, and altogether of his mind. But this holds only till the next cunning ſeducer aſſaults him with counter-reaſons, and then the man wavers and cryes, why may not this be the truth? And ſo if twenty come one after another, he ſhall ſtill ſuſpect what the former hath ſaid, by means of the Sophiſtry of the latter.
Thence a man rationally aſſured, can (to the moſt) ſay no more for himſelf then the Apoſtle Paul (to allude to his expreſſion in another caſe,) 1 Cor. 4. 4. I know nothing by my ſelf. I confeſſe, I cannot but incline to think bettter of my ſelf then formerly; yet am I not thereby juſtified: I dare not ſtand to the perſwaſion that I am a child of God, before the judgment ſeat of Jeſus Chriſt. I would not willingly be deceived, but I may be deceived. What if that that I take for love of God be but lelfe-love? and what if that that I take for repentance be but legal ſorrow? and what if my hatred of ſin be but a meer falling out with ſin without a total alienation of mind from it? It may be ſo, though at the preſent, I cannot but think it is otherwiſe with me.
Now it is true (as I before ſaid) that divine Aſſurance, if it proceed not from a full Teſtimony of the Spirit, excludes not doubting; but the difference between divine and rational Aſſurance, in point of doubting, is very great. For when a man divinely aſſured doubts, it is only ſo with him becauſe, and whiles his evidences are not full and clear. But let a rational aſſurance (that is meerly ſo) be never ſo full, yet its utmoſt height and perfection, is thus incumbred with haeſitacines, and unreſolvedneſſe of ſpirit.
In a word, he that obſerves in his own ſpirit the differences between an Opinion, and a certain Knowledge, may give (by the ſame rules of difference) a very probable gheſſe at the difference between a meerly rationall and divine Aſſurance.
But there remains yet a third and fuller mark of diſtinction, which is,
3. The way in which a rational aſſurance comes. And this may give ſome farther light to diſcover it. As for example, Judge by theſe ſix things.
1. If aſſurance be uſhered in with an impatient wearineſſe of ſoul-troubles. This is apt to put a man upon contriving his own eſcape, and therefore may be a temptation to an endeavour of reaſoning them out of the ſoul.
Now it is true, that the ſoul may, and ought in caſes of deſertion and diſcomfort, to put it ſelfe to the queſtion, as David doth (more then once. Pſalm 42. and 43.) why art thou caſt down (O my ſoul) and why art thou diſquieted within me? And the reaſon is, becauſe the ſoul-Troubles of Gods Saints (after aſſurance had, are moſtly ground…d on phantaſy, and not reaſon; ſo that if he put that queſtion many times to himſelf, he will find he is able to give very little reaſon why he is troubled; and therefore he may lawfully endeavour to reaſon down reaſonleſſe Scruples (although poſſibly it may be ſafer ſometimes to caſt them off without vouchſafing them ſo much reſpect as to ſpend reaſon upon them) But in this caſe, I muſt take heed how through wearineſſe of ſtaying Gods leaſure for a releaſe, I betake my ſelfe to theſe reaſonings; for this is to abandon Jordan, and fly to Abana and Pharphar; to forſake the waters of Siloah becauſe they run ſoftly, and Iſaiah 8, 6.make not ſo much ſpeed towards us as we deſire, and labour to quench our thirſt in muddy ſtreams of our own. This is to endeavour to break the Spirits priſon (as I have before told you) rather then to ſtay his leaſure, til He turn the key. And when a man ſeeks his Aſſurance only from his own reaſoning, 'tis juſt with God to leave him to try it out what he can do in that way.
2. If it be attended with a low eſteem of prayer, and other Ordinances of God, as thoſe which begin to appear bootleſſe and unprofitable, after ſo long trial to ſo little advantage. Reaſon managed by prayer, and by holy pleadings with God in prayer, is a ſpecial means in the hand of the Spirit to work aſſurance; but it is dangerous when it comes in the ſtead of prayer. The nearer a ſoul is to a divine aſſurance, the more hee values theſe divine duties and Ordinances of Gods appointment: but when he growes ſlacker in theſe, and flyes to Reaſon, out of a diſtruſt of theſe, the more he is endangered to a rational Aſſurance.
3. If a man, when he ſets upon reaſoning out his evidences, find himſelf overwilling to receive ſatisfaction, and to take every ſmal hint as ſufficient to bottom his confidence upon, is willing to think the beſt of himſelf, and ſo ready not ſo much to anſwer, as to ſilence material doubts, with general ſalvo's of the freeneſſe and fulneſſe of Gods grace, the general offers, invitations, and promiſes of the Goſpel (which (as I have told you) are rather foundations for relyance and hope, then Aſſurance and evidence) and apt to ſit down upon theſe, without deſcending to more differencing and diſtinguiſhing enquiries; this is ſuſpicious, that the peace that ariſeth thence, though it be ſutable to the eſtate of ſuch a ſoul, and ſo (he being within the Covenant) materially true, is but rational Aſſurance.
4 You may gueſs at it from the frame of your ſpirit under after-deſertions. A man that hath been aſſured by the Spirit, is much maintained in his dependance, by a reaſonleſſe ſupport. I call that a reaſonleſs ſupport which keeps up a ſoul in a way of relyance and dependance when he ſees no reaſon why he ſhould do ſo; nay, it may be, ſees reaſon why he ſhould not do ſo. As it is ſaid of Abraham in another caſe, That he believed in hope, againſt hope, Rom. 4. 18. that is, Faith told him there was hope that he ſhould be the Father of many Nations, when Reaſon told him there was none. So, a ſoul after Aſſurance received from the Spirit, can appeal to his former taſtes and experiences, and believes himſelfe out of a plunge, when Senſe and Reaſon tell him, there is no hope.
But a meer rational Aſſurance when it is counterbalanced by reaſon as probable on the contrary ſide, affords no prop at all; but (ſayes ſuch a ſou…) I perceive now all my former hopes were but deluſions and dreams of golden mountains, for I am yet in the gall of bitterneſſe, and the bond of iniquity.
I ſhall eaſily grant in this (as in moſt of the preceding differences) that the diſtinction between the Spirits evidence, and reaſons to be gathered hence, is not alwayes certain. For poſſibly the Spirits evidence may afterwards be called to the Bar of ſuſpicious reaſoning; and a ſoul that hath had it may (by Satans Sophiſtry) be at a loſſe; but ſure a man is not ſo liable to be reaſoned out of that Aſſurance, as one whoſe Primitive and Original Aſſurance was meerly rational. As a man will eaſier be baffled out of the dictate and concluſion of his reaſon, then of his ſenſe. And the Aſſurance of faith or divine Aſſurance is ſomething in the ſoul like ſenſe in the body.
5 Ordinarily, the Aſſurance that the Spirit gives, ſurprizeth a man unexpectedly. God therein loving to endear himſelf to his Saints, comes upon them when they look leaſt for him. I mean, as to the particular time of his coming (though they look for him indefinitely every day) he takes them at unawares. There is little of mans plotting or contrivance in the bringing it about; it may be in a Sermon that a man came accidentally to, in a Prayer or Sacrament, whence (if a man might judge by the frame of his own ſpirit) he had leaſt cauſe to expect good, it may be in caſting a tranſient glancing eye upon a Scripture, without a mans pre-determining ſuch a means (at leaſt in a way of ſpecial confidence upon, or expectation from it) to ſuch an end. In rational Aſſurance a man layes the whole deſigne in his head before hand. Now (ſaith he) I will go meditate on ſuch or ſuch a ſubject, and methodically diſcuſſe with my ſelf ſuch doubts and objections, and labour to anſwer them; and as he expects ſatisfaction from ſo doing, ſo in the cloſe he finds it, God lets him alone to hammer himſelf out a peace upon the anvil of his owne thoughts.
6 Laſtly, Meer rational Aſſurance (though it may be from true, yet) oftentimes is drawn from miſtaken Scriptures. And this ariſeth from the willingneſſe before ſpoken of, to receive Quod volumus, facilè credimusſatisfaction, which makes a man eaſie to believe that which he would have ſo. As in the maintaining of an opinion, it many times falls out, when a man takes up an opinion firſt, and then ſeeks for Scripture to maintain it, 'tis wonderful to think, how plain he preſently is perſwaded to think, the whole Scripture ſpeaks for it: ſo here, when this is laid down before, I muſt have peace; and hereupon a man ſearcheth the Word of God, many times dark Scriptures, that another man can ſee no ſuch thing in, ſhall ſerve the turne; Prophetical Scriptures, and Hiſtorical, and it may be Doctrinal, but groſly miſtaken. Now ſpirtual Aſſurance is uſually grounded upon Scripture rightly underſtood, (and if habitual, is certainly ſo) and the clearer the Scripture is, and the more plain the deductions from it, the better it is. For the Spirit of God underſtands Scripture perfectly (as being the Enditer of it) and ſo it cannot be ſuppoſed he will ground his Teſtimony on a Miſtake. Yet we muſt not think that it is every miſtake of Scripture that is ſufficient to annul a Teſtimony; ſuch as is circumſtantial, and not of moment to caſt the concluſion this way or that way, will not weaken the Teſtimony, but only that which hath a material influence upon the deductions which I build upon it. So a ſmal circumſtantial miſtake in a witneſſe in Court, is often overlooked by the Judge and Jury, and the Spirit himſelf often quotes the ſenſe of Scripture, and omits inconſiderable circumſtances. As in many inſtances it were eaſie to make appear, Micah 5. 2. Matth. 2. 6.
Underſtand what hath been ſaid with theſe Cautions.
1 Think not I condemn the matter of ſuch Cautions.an Aſſurance, as either hath all or moſt reaſon in it, for falſe; ſo that a man who hath reaſoned himſelf into this perſwaſion, muſt now queſtion the perſwaſion it ſelfe as falſe. For a true concluſion may be drawn from falſe and incongruous premiſſes; and it may be (as to form) in the deduction there may be no error: and a concluſion that a man receives only in a way of opinion, may be certain in it ſelf. All that is in this caſe to be done, is to hold the ſame concluſion by the ſtrength of the Spirit drawn in by Faith in Prayer (for the Spirit may teſtifie to that ſingly (as I have before ſhewne) and immediately;) and having ſo done, to improve it to all intents and purpoſes, as if it were never ſo unqueſtionable. So a man may hold his land by a true Title, but his evidences for it may not be as clear as he could wiſh; now in this caſe, he will not preſently caſhier himſelf out of the poſſeſſion (as ſoon as he diſcovers it) but keeping that, will labor by Act of Parliament, or ſome other way to ſtrengthen his evidences. So when thou haſt examined thy Aſſurance by the Marks of diſtinction between falſe and true, before mentioned, and findeſt it true, though but rational keep thy hold, and apply thy ſelf to the Spirit to ſuper-add his Teſtimony to the confirmation and improvement of it.
2 Think not that I utterly exclude, the help of the Spirit in drawing a rational evidence from the Scriptures. I am ſo far from that, that I rather judge, that he helps in an ordinary way (when the deduction is proper, and the Scripture that grounds it, is not in any material point miſtaken) as he doth in other works of common illumination, (as it was before hinted in the beginning of this laſt Diſcourſe) To add only a few words to the farther illuſtration of what was there affirmed. A man may be ſaid to preach or pray by the Spirit (in a general ſenſe) when he doth thoſe duties by the ſtrength of common illumination (and ſo ſometimes even godly men do,) and the Doctrine he preacheth is the Doctrine of the Spirit, and the prayers he puts up, they are inſpired by the Spirit, in a way of common aſſiſtance: But there is another kind of praying and preaching by the Spirit, which the Scripture ſo often ſpeaks of and calls the Spirit of Supplication, and the demonſtration of the Spirit, performed by a ſpecial and peculiar aſſiſtance Zech. 12. 10. 1 Cor. 2. 4.of the Spirit. Of which more hereafter in the handling of the laſt point. And the like twofold influence of the Spirit is there in putting forth acts of Aſſurance in the heart, even of a godly and ſound Chriſtian. The very ſame man may act Aſſurance ſometimes rationally, and ſometimes he may be acted to act it ſpiritually. And yet in the former the Spirit acts too in a common way; the latter only is that which becauſe of ſpecial aſſiſtance, is peculiarly ſaid to be the Witneſs of the Spirit. For denominatio ſequitur partem potiorem (though ſometimes the denomination follow the beſt part in a thing compoſed of divers parts (as a godly man is called a ſpiritual man, though he have a carnal part, and that may be poſſibly moſt prevalent, yet) moſt commonly the name is given from that which is moſt in the mixture or compoſition; as we ſay an heap of barly, though there may be many grains of other grain in it; and in this ſenſe the Apoſtle Paul calls Babes in Chriſt carnal, 1 Cor. 3 1. So when the Aſſurance in the ſpecialties of it, is rational, though there be ſome common work of the Spirit accompanying it, I call it juſtly, by way of diſtinction, a rational Aſſurance.
Thus have I both anſwered the caſes before emerging concerning a rational Aſſurance, and withal, let you know, what uſe may, and may not be made of it. I add, for a cloſe, that it is well for the ſtanding peace of the Saints, when their ſpiritual evidences are rational, becauſe Aſſurance that is praeternatural to a man, is ſo far violent, and ſo cannot be perpetual; and therefore the Saints will do well to endeavour to make even the Spirits evidence rational; and on the other ſide, it is well for the certainty and ſecurity of their evidences, that they labour to elevate the Evidence of reaſon, into a Teſtimony of the Spirit.