Divinity Knots Unloosed, Chapter 10 – Chapter 11
CHAP. X. Of Perſeverance, and Aſſurance.
42. Doubt. IS it not a ready courſe to make men careleſſe of their wayes, when they are taught they can never fall away from grace?
Reſol. No, but rather a great encouragement to be diligenta1 Pet. 1.5 13. 2 Pet. 1.10, for he that would not ſerve God out of love, though he noching benefited himſelfe thereby, is not yet in the ſtate of grace, and then what have ſuch to doe with perſeverance? But he that is truely godly, finding himſelfe to be delivered from his enemies, will ſerve him without feare, in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe before him all the dayes of his lifebLuke 1.74, 75. ; and if he falter herein (though God will never utterly caſt him off) he will be offended and chaſtiſe him, with corporall and ſpirituall ſcourges.
43. Doubt. I have heard ſome in theſe dayes ſpeake much againſt trying a mans ſelſe by Scripture markes and ſignes, calling it a kindling of ſparkes of our owne, and I much deſire to know whether it be ſafe ſo to try my ſelfe?
Reſol. Under favour, it is (to ſay no worſe) a great miſtake, to call the worke of the ſpirit within us (or any arguments drawne from thence according to the teſtimony of the Spirit and word of Grace) ſparkes of our kindling, for they are ſparkes of Gods kindling; this ſort of teaching being a Scripturall teachingc2 Cor. 13.5. 1 Joh. 3.14 Jam. 3.17., and (if rightly uſed) may be of ſingular uſe and comfort; for they are as way-markes, diſcovering to us, whither our courſes tend: And you know it is a great deal of ſatisfaction to a Traveller, that he is in his way, when he findeth ſuch a place of note, as his Map tels him he muſt paſſe thorow, before he arrive at his journeys end.
44. Doubt. Yet I underſtand not the right uſe of theſe notes, or tryals; and therefore I beſeech you proceed further?
Reſol. I ſhall goe on in my laſt compariſon, and ſhew you the rules. Suppoſe than a Chriſtian to be the Traveller, Heaven the place to which his way lyeth, & theſe notes or ſignes remarkables in the way: Then,
Firſt, As the remarkables (be they Hills, Rocks, &c,) muſt be ſo fully and truely deſcribed, that the Traveller may know when he comes at them, neither doubting of them, nor miſtaking other things for them. So whatſoever grace is pitcht upon, we muſt have diſtinct knowledge of it, what it is, and how diſcernable from counterfeits, before we can aſſuredly ſay we are come to it.
Secondly, A diligent Traveller comming to ſuch a place as aſſures him to be in his way, ſtayes not there, but goeth on towards his journeys end: No more muſt Chriſtians ſtay becauſe they find they have gone aright ſo farre, but proceed from ſtrength to ſtrength, and grow in grace.
Thirdly, A Traveller ſhould not diſpaire as if he were out of his way, though he find not his way-marke (which perhaps is a good diſtance off) as ſoone as he ſets out; but hope that although it yet appeareth not, or very dimly; yet in due time, hee ſhall perfectly diſcerne and recover it: So though one that deſires to feare God, and beleeve in him, doe not at firſt ſo clearely as he deſireth diſcerne ſome graces in himſelfe, he ſhould not diſpaire, but goe on hoping in the Lord till he be pleaſed to ſpeake peacedPſa. 85.8 Iſa. 40.31. & 50.10..
Fourthly, If a Traveller have once attained to a cleare ſight of ſuch a remarkable place as afterward he looſeth the ſight of, by going through ſome valley (a mountaine interpoſed) he is ſtill to hope, and hold on, till he againe recover the ſight thereof: So though Chriſtians, which formerly have found the precious fruits of the ſpirit in themſelves, fall afterwards into temptation, or mountaines of difficulty ariſe, they are to remember how it hath been with them, hoping in God, and continuing in the uſe of meanes, till they recover their comfort againe.
45. Doubt. If men be dead in ſinne till they be regenerate, and alive ever after, what need is there of markes or ſignes? He that is alive, knowes that he lives, and a dead man can make no uſe of them.
Reſol. The compariſon halteth, for though the ſpirituall life and death in many things reſemble the naturall, in many things they differ; eſpecially concerning the matter in hand: It is almoſt a miracle of madneſſe, for a living man to think himſelfe dead; and yet in ordinary experience, we find many weake Chriſtians in whom there is the life of grace, which cannot for a long time be aſſured thereof: It is impoſſible that a dead man ſhould either know himſelfe to be dead, or thinke he is alive; but we read of diverſe ſpiritually dead that have ſo judged of themſelves, as Caine, Judas, and many in humane Stories*Read the Story of Spira., amongſt whom Julian the Apoſtate deſerves the firſt place, who having in a Battell received his deaths wound, belched out this deſperate blaſphemy, Viciſti Galilaee, meaning Chriſt as an enemy had vanquiſhed him. And too frequently to our griefe doe we meet with Hereticks, Hypocrites, Civilians, &c. which have deaths brand upon them, and yet are confident their caſe is as good as any mans; inſomuch that no arguments (without the ſpeciall aſſiſtance of Gods ſpirit) are ſufficient to convince them of the contrary.
2. Though life were eaſie to be perceived, yet growth is many times more difficult, and this Doctrine of tryall doth as well enquire into the growth, as truth, of gr…ce.
46. Doubt. How ſhould there be any certainty in trying a mans ſelfe by theſe notes, when an eminent Preacher of theſe dayes hath proved that neither univerſall obedience, nor love to the Brethren (which are accounted two of the plaineſt) have any certainty in them? Not the firſt, becauſe there is no ſuch thing in any meere man, as univerſall obedience: Nor the ſecond, becauſe this love hath ſuch qualifications as men ſhall hardly finde in themſelves *See 1 Cor 13. Ver. 4.5, &c.: Or if ſuch love can be found, yet we cannot know we love the Brethren, except we know that thoſe whom we love, are the Brethren; it is not ſufficient to love them under the notion of Brethren; for ſo Papiſts love one another — And therefore Love to the Brethren is rather a note to know others then our ſelves, for the Apoſtle doth not ſay, Hereby I know, but Hereby we know, &c.
Reſol. By univerſall obedience we doe not meane exact obedience to the Law in every part of it, without ſwerving or interruption, but unblamable walking in a Goſpelſenſe, which indeed is rather univerſall in will then act, for though When they would doe good, evill is preſent with them eRom. 7.21., ſo that they doe not the good which they would, but the evill which they would not fVer. 19.; yet they delight in the Law of the Lord after the inward man gVer. 2….. And this their obedience is called univerſall, in as much, as a Chriſtian doth not pick nor chooſe among Gods Commandements, but hath reſpect to them all without exception or difference, indeavouring to walke up to them, or as neare as may be: Now ſuch univerſall obedience as this muſt be in a ChriſtianhJam. 2.10, and where it is, muſt needs be a good ſigne of an happy eſtateiPſ. 119.6..
As for Love to the Brethren, methinke [1 John 3.14.] is ſo plaine, that he which ſaith, we cannot know our condition hereby, doth directly give John (or rather the holy Ghoſt) the Lye: And what if love have ſuch qualifications as are ſpoken of, 1 Cor. 13. Cannot the tree be knowne, untill it beare fruit, it were abſurd arguing to ſay (in the ſeaſon when a plant is new ſet) this is no Apple-tree, becauſe we ſee no Apples on it. And when it appeares that we unfeignedly love the Brethren, in whom we apprehend the Image of God, ſhining in the graces of his ſpirit (not out of any byreſpect, but love to the God they ſerve) may we not conclude we love them, becauſe the fruits of this love doe not preſently appeare? Is it reaſon to ſay there is no love, becauſe it hath no fruits to our diſcerning, or rather to ſay here is love, and in Gods …ime we ſhall ſee fruits.
Nor need we to know infallibly, that they are the Brethren whom we love; if they profeſſe and practiſe the true Religion, we are bound (till the contrary appeare) to take them for Brethren; and if we love them under that notion, though they be not ſuch, our humane judgement indeed is miſtaken, but our love is nevertheleſſe true: Charity hopeth all things k1 Cor. 13.7.: But what thinke you did the reverend Author meane, when he tels us, Papiſts love one another under the notion of Brethren? Doth he thinke it alone, to love him which (as farre as the judgement of man can reach) is a true Saint, and one which the Word of God proves to be an Idolater? Was it alone, to love Judas for his Maſters ſake, while he was undiſcovered, and to love a blaſphemous Scribe or Phariſee, under the notion of a Brother? The Papiſts wilfully ſhut their eyes againſt the truth, and therefore out of ſinfull ignorance, take thoſe to be the Brethren, which (for the preſent) neither ſo are, nor can be, and love them under a wilfully-miſtaken notion of Brethren: But we, according to the rules of love, modeſty, and prudence (neither condemning any without manifeſt cauſe, nor prying into Gods ſecrets, nor blindfolding our owne knowledge) take thoſe for Brethren, which for the preſent may be (and we hope are) the Brethren; and though we be miſtaken, it is no ſin of ours, who were never made the judges of the heart, but are to reſt ſatisfied in mens outward profeſſion and converſation: Nor can this be a ſigne to know others, and not our ſelves; for we cannot know whether others love the Brethren except we knew their hearts. And though it be not ſayd (1 John 3.14.) I know I am, &c. But We know we are, &c. That makes nothing againſt me, but rather for me: Had John ſpoken in the ſingular Number [I know] it might have been thought to be ſome ſpeciall perſons priviledge; but he ſaith [We] that is [you and I] writing to ordinary Chriſtians, as is very probable: And the ſame perſons are made the ſubjects al along; for ſaith he, We know that we are tranſlated from death to life, becauſe we love the Brethren. So that the ſame perſons that loved the Brethren, did thereby know that themſelves were tranſlated from death to life.
CHAP. XI. Of Chriſtian Liberty, and Liberty of Conſcience: ALSO, Of the civill Magistrate, and Churchcenſures.
47. Doubt. IF Chriſtians muſt not be the ſervants of men a1 Cor. 7.23., how come Rulers to have any power over us?
Reſol. The meaning is not, that we muſt not ſerve men at all (for that would contradict the Verſes immediately ſore goingb1 Cor. 7.20, 21, 22. and almoſt infinite other places) but doe not ſo ſerve men, that it hinder you in the ſervice of God.
48. Doubt. If every one muſt beare his owne burden cGal. 6.5., and be judged according to his workes fRom. 2.6, why ſhould any man (Magiſtrate, or other) trouble or interrupt him, though he be hereticall or blaſphemous, but leave him to God, and his owne conſcience?
Reſol. The vileſt ſinner on earth may plead thus: But the truth is, that though the principall and ultimate judgement of every mans cauſe be left to Chriſt to be determined by him at the day of judgement: Yet God out of his ſingular wiſedome hath appointed, that open wickedneſſe (whether it be matter of opinion or practice) be judged and puniſhed alſo by Authority Eccleſiaſticall and Civill, and if either ſort neglect their duty herein, themſelves become culpablegNeh. 13.16, 17, 18. 1 Kin. 9.22 1 Cor. 5. tot. Rev. 2.14.15, 20..
49. Doubt. But what good is this reſtraint like to worke, but to make men either more violent, when they ſee their Tenet oppoſed, or elſe Hypocrites (if they be reſtrained) for God onelyonly can change the heart?
Reſol. This alſo any notorious wretch may ſay for himſelfe; but truſt repoſed in men by God muſt be diſcharged, and the iſſue left to him.
50. Doubt. But if my conſcience be erronous, what courſe can I take? If I go againſt the truth, I ſin h2 Theſ. 2.10., and if I goe againſt my conſcience I ſin alſo iRom. 14. ult. 1 Cor, 8.7. &c.?
Reſol. It is true, and therefore the way is to pray and ſeeke for ſatisfaction, that your conſcience may comply and cloſe with the truth.