The Spirit of Bondage and Adoption, Treatise 2 · Chapter 38
CHAP. XXXVIII. Some grounds upon which Satan uſeth to reduce converted, and once aſſured ſouls into trouble, anſwered. Wherein alſo are ſome caſes concerning falling into ſinne, after theſe mercies received.
Object. YEa, but the grounds (me-thinks) upon which theſe thoughts are preſſed and urged upon my ſoul, are ſuch as ſeem to come from the Spirit of God; and therefore, (although the Spirit of God never become a Spirit of Bondage again, where he hath been a Spirit of Adoption, yet) hee may, by ſuch grounds as theſe, convince me of my former miſtakes in apprehending him to have been a ſpirit of Adoption when he was not. And tis good to lay a ſure foundation.
Anſw. Tis good to lay a ſure foundation, but if (upon every ſlight ſuggeſtion, that it is amiſſe) I muſt be bound to remove it, and new-lay it, I ſhall neither ever lay a foundation to the purpoſe, nor build upon it as I ought to do. Suppoſe thy foundation rather to be good, and ſtrive to build holineſſe upon it, and thou wilt thereby be ſatisfied in the truth of the foundation.
But what are thoſe grounds upon which thou conceiveſt Gods Spirit tells thee thou haſt been formerly miſtaken in thy condition.
Object. 1. I am told, that a child of God, (eſpecially after ſound aſſurance had of his ſalvation) cannot commit ſuch ſinnes as I have done ſince the time of my ſuppoſed Aſſurance.
A. I anſwer.
1. No child of God is either by converting or aſſuring grace, ſecured from the acts of any ſinne, while he lives here below, but from the love, cuſtome and trade of ſinne.
That in many things we ſinne all, (the Apoſtle James tells us, and puts himſelf in the number, though certainly he was a Saint of the higheſt attainments in point of aſſurance and comfort, James 3. 2.) I need not tell you of the dangerous fall of Peter afer converſion, nor of the fowl falls of Noah, Lot, and David; It is ſtrange that meere pretenders to Religion, ſhould be able to urge their examples to harden themſelves, and you cannot make any uſe of them to ſupport your ſelves.
2. It may make for Gods greater glory and your greater good, that you have fallen ſo fowly, if (in ſtead of drawing diſcouraging concluſions from thence) you make your repentance as viſible and eminent as your falls; if you learne hereby▪ and ſhew hereafter a profeſſed distrust of your own heart, carefully watch againſt temptations and occaſions of the like ſins, and renew your addreſſes to God for freſh aſſiſtance of ſtrength to fortifie your renewed reſolutions againſt them. A Saint gets ground by ſtumbling, whiles he haſtens to recover his pace the more for it.
3 You can never bring either of thoſe bleſſed fruits (Gods glory or your own good) out of your preſ…nt condition, in the way wherein you now are. For God is not glorified in your unbelief (ſuppoſing you the greateſt ſinners in the world) but rather in this that you dare adventure an hideous guilt upon his mercy; that notwithſtanding ſo deep an Engagement in the way of ſin and Satan, you are ſo perſwaded of the beauty of his wayes, as to come off to his col…urs with an heart willing to take up his yoak, &c. And as for the good which your ſelf may poſſibly reap by aggravating ſins to the loſſe of your peace, I cannot poſſibly conceive. If you think it will humble you more, work repentance in you more kindly, &c. you deceive your ſelves. Thoſe gracious ſtreams never run ſo full▪ and never over flow their banks ſo abundantly, as when they ſpring from a fountain of fulleſt Aſſurance; Zech. 12 10.
4 But what are theſe ſinnes? Doſt thou not aggravate them beyond meaſure? Before grace the ſoul uſeth to diminiſh and extenuate ſins, and ſo deceive it ſelf that way; After grace, it is as apt to aggravate them beyond meaſure. Such a ſoul thinks he can ſcarce ſin under a Blaſphemy againſt the Holy Ghoſt, and thence affrights it ſelf not only into darkneſs, but deſpair. I have ſpoken enough before to ſatisfie in this particular, to which I refer you; only take notice of it as an uſual weakneſſe in the Saints, that out of a deſire to do God right, they make little conſcience of doing themſelves wrong.
Object. But (Sir) is it poſſible for a child of God to fall often into the ſame ſin after converſion, or comfort ſoundly wrought?
Anſw. Oh friend, how ſhall I anſwer thee this Queſtion, and not put a plea into the mouth of hardned ſinners? How ſhall I fortifie againſt their uſurpations and encroachments, and yet give thee thy due comfort and encouragement? Well, the Lord ſee to it. I cannot avoid ſuch Doctrines when they come clearly in my way. Sinners, if they harden you, I cannot help it. Only I warn you before hand, Goſpel Cordials to a fowl heart are the deadlieſt poiſon. (But (for Zions ſake) I cannot hold my peace,) He may. But
(1) Firſt, He cannot with ſo full and free a conſent, as before converſion. For before, all the ſtream of nature carryed him that way. Good actions went (before) againſt the hair with him, and though he many times performed them, yet it was like ſwimming againſt the ſtream. Now the principle is altered, and that which then was the condition of good actions, now is the condition of ſinful ones; they go as much againſt the grain of a renewed ſpirit as evil ones did before, Yet you muſt know withal, that there is not the like violent oppoſition alwayes againſt ſin in a gracious heart, as againſt good in a natural heart; becauſe the ſtream of corruption in a natural heart, is broken by no oppoſition, but is whole and entire, Nature is wholly corrupted. But (on the other ſide) the ſtream of grace in a gracious heart, is much abated by damms of natural corruption. We are gracious but in part; yet this know, a natural heart commits and recommits ſin with greedineſſe, as a Glutton eats at a Feaſt, cuts, and cuts again, and is not ſatisfied. A godly man may commit and recommit ſin, but with imperfect conſent at the time; and regret and diſplicency afterwards. As a ſick man taſtes of a forbidden diſh, and ſo cannot take a full comfort in the ſins he acts, as he gives not a full conſent to them.
Ob. But ſo (will you ſay) a natural man may (from conviction of conſcience) eat ſins delicates with regret and fear, and that may hinder him from taking a full content in them; may he not?
Anſw. Yes; but herein is a ſecond and farther difference.
(2) The regret and diſplicency that is in a natural heart, is a burthen to him, and he would fain perſwade his conſcience to bee quiet, and let him feed heartily upon his ſinful ſweet-meats. A godly mans ſin diſpleaſeth him, as far as he knowes it to be ſo; and his tenderneſſe and fear is ſo far from wearying him, that he loves it, and wiſhes more of it, and cheriſheth that which hee hath already.
(3) As a wicked man (ſutably to what hath been ſaid) is diſpleaſed more at the terrors of his conſcience for ſin, ſo is he angry at the ſins for the terrors ſake, when he is diſpleaſed at ſin at all. But a godly mans diſpleaſure againſt ſin, which imbittered ſuch ſinful acts to him, is againſt the ſin principally; which appears in that he is many times diſpleaſed at it (and never more diſpleaſed at it then) when he is moſt aſſured of freedom from thoſe terrours.
Object. Yea, but the Law may be the principle in ſuch a ſtirring of ſpirit by which a ful conſent to ſin is hindered. And ſo it may in a wicked man.
Anſw. The Law is either Regula or Judex, either a Rule or Judge The ruling power of the Law diſcovers ſin, the judging power of the Law condemns ſin. The wicked man moſtly looks on it in the latter act, the godly man in the former. If the wicked man ever conſider the rule of the Law, it is to wiſh it away: the godly man to approve it, Rom. 7. 16