The Way to Heaven Discovered, Religious treatise · Stumbling block 12
XII.
The twelfth ſtumbling block is this, Sir ſaith the fearfull timorous drooping ſoul, I have according the Apoſtles command, 2 Cor. 13. 5. examined my ſelf, and put my ſelf upon the tryall, to ſee whether I were in the faith or no, and whether Chriſt were in me or no: but upon this tryall and examination, I can finde no ſuch thing in me; and therefore by the Apoſtles verdict, I muſt needs be a reprobate, and ſo a caſtaway.
Anſw. None of the elect before their converſion, can know by any ſearch that they are in the faith, or that Chriſt is in them, for that cannot be known which is not yet manifeſted. Again, many are not converted untill they be thirty, forty, fifty years old, or upwards; and ſhall we ſay, that ſuch in their younger years were reprobates? we might indeed ſay, that they were in the ſtate of damnation, but cannot, nor dare not ſay they were reprobates, &c.
Again, it is not proper for a man to conclude, that he is not in the faith, and not to have Chriſt in him, becauſe doth not know ſo much; for many of Gods dear children, may have faith and Chriſt, and yet for a ſeaſon not know ſo much, as we may ſee by daily experience.
Again, this text, 2 Cor. 13. 5. Prove your ſelves whether you be in the faith, examine your ſelves, know ye not your own ſelves, how that Jeſus Chriſt is in you except ye be reprobates? This place is often miſtaken; for the thing now in queſtion, by the Corinthians, was this, whether Paul were lawfully called to the Apoſtleſhip, and therefore they require of him to give them a proof of Chriſts ſpeaking in him, to which his anſwer is this, or to this purpoſe, I will goe no further to ſeek a proof of Chriſts ſpeaking in me, then unto your ſelves, Hath not the Word and Goſpell of Chriſt been powerfull by my Miniſtry to convert you, and to beget faith, and to forme Chriſt in you? look into your ſelves, examine whether you be not in the faith; for if you finde this, it need no other proof of my calling; if you finde it not, then you have but a form of godlineſſe; or if ye be Chriſtians in truth, yet you are unexperienced Chriſtians, and without proof of the truth of it in your ſelves: ſo the word here rendred Reprobate, cannot be meant of ſuch as be reprobates indeed; but of ſuch only as can give no proof for the preſent that they are in the faith, or that Chriſt is in them: and this is one great cauſe of a Chriſtians dejectedneſſe, and uncomfortableneſſe, that although they be in a ſtate of grace, yet they cannot diſcern themſelves to be in ſuch a gracious ſtate; as Hagar when her bottle of water was ſpent, and her childe ready to die, ſhe ſate down full of perplexity; and yet there was a Well in the place: the Well did not comfort her, though cloſe by her, till the Lord opened her eyes to ſee it. How penſive and ſad were the two Diſciples going towards Emmaus, about Chriſts death, though Chriſt riſen from the dead, was in their company, and talked with them? Luk. 24. 14, 15. how did Mary Magdalen, Joh. 20. 14. 15. ſtand weeking before Chriſts Sepulchre, ſuppoſing that his dead body was thence ſtolen away, though Chriſt revived and riſen, ſtood cloſe by her? Chriſt was preſent, but ſhe did not know him: ſo there is many a poor ſoul, that ſtands cloſe by the Well of grace, and is in the preſence of Chriſt, and yet complains for want of both, 1 Sam. 12. 13. David was told by the Prophet, The Lord hath put away thy ſinne, but becauſe he had not the maniteſtation thereof, Pſal. 51. 8, 12. He groaned ſtill under his broken bones.
It is true, there be many men and women, that do think they have faith, and yet they have none; and it is as true, that many poor weak Chriſtians doe think they have no faith, and yet they have faith; they have the aſſenting act, but not the applying act, they have faith of adherence, but not the faith of evidence; now the faith of adherence is wrought in the ſoul, by diſcovering the neceſſity of Chriſt to ſalvation; Acts 4. 12. and by diſplaying the ſufficiency, and alluring excellency of Chriſt for ſalvation, Heb. 7. 25.