The Way to Heaven Discovered, Religious treatise · Stumbling block 13
XIII.
Well, ſaith the weak, timorous trembling Chriſtian, I did not think that all the Devils in hell had been cunning enough, nor able enough to have caſt ſo many ſtumbling blocks in my way, but through mercy they be all removed, and my heart cleared: now I ſee that God is no hard taskmaſter, he takes not up, where he layes not down; no, no, none but a fleſhly underſtanding can condemne God for a hard taskemaſter: Oh what love is that in the Father to chooſe me, and to ſend Chriſt to die for me! Oh what love was this, that Chriſt ſhould come from the boſome of his Father, and that God ſhould be manifeſted in the fleſh; the Creator made a Creature! that he that was clothed with glory, ſhould be wrapped with rags! that the God of circumciſion, ſhould be cercumciſed! that he that binds the Devils in chaines, ſhould be tempted! that the Judge of all fleſh condemned, and that for me! that the God of life, ſhould be put to death! that he before whom the Angels doe caſt downe their crownes, ſhould be crowned with thornes, and thoſe eyes more pure then the ſun, put out by the darkneſſe of death, and that for me his enemy! Oh that thoſe ears which heard nothing but Hallelujahs of Saints and Angels, ſhould now hear the blaſphemies of the multitude! that face that was fairer then the ſons of men, to be ſpit upon, by thoſe filthy Jewes! that that mouth and tongue that ſpake as never man ſpake, ſhould be accuſed for blaſphemy! thoſe hands that freely ſwayed the ſcepter of heaven, nayled to the Croſſe! and that he ſhould ſuffer all this for me, and ſuch vile ſinners as I am! when I was a ſlave to the Devill, and a firebrand of hell, even then did Chriſt reſcue me from the power of the one, and redeem from the plague and puniſhment of the other; 2 Tim. 2. 26. Well, I had not enjoyed this Heaven upon earth but a few months, but I fell into ſome groſſe ſinne: and God doth hide his face again, and my ſoul is ſore troubled, and if I miſtake not, I ſee a greater ſtumbling block before me now, then ever I ſaw before; and I finde by Scripture, the ſentence of death and damnation put upon me. Oh! I was enlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and yet I am fallen away. Oh! here is my ſtate ſet forth in theſe three Scriptures, Heb. 6. 4, 5. For it is impoſſible, that they which were once enlightned, and have taſted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the holy Ghoſt, if they fall away, ſhould be renewed again by repentance. Heb. 10. 26. For if we ſin willingly after we have received the truth, there remaineth no more a ſacrifice for ſinne, but a fearfull looking for of Judgement and violent fire. 2 Pet. 2. 20. 21. They that have eſcaped from the filthyneſſe of the world, if they be intangled again therein, and overcome, the latter end is worſe with them then the beginning; for it had been better for them not to have acknowledged the way of righteouſneſse, then after they have acknowledged it, to turne from the holy commandements given unto them. This is my ſtate ſaith the ſoul, I have fallen ſhamefully, and ſinned willingly, and certainly I muſt never looke to repent, nor to finde mercy with God, but expect hell-fire hereafte, and ſome fearfull end here, &c.
Anſw. That place Heb. 6. 4, 5. is not to be underſtood of one or more particular faillings, but of an invincible apoſtaſie and falling from Chriſt; for the Apoſtle ſaith not, if they fall, but if they fall away utterly, renouncing Chriſt, not ſparing what lyeth in them to crucifie him afreſh.
That place Heb. 10. 26. is in like manner not to be underſtood of any one or more ſinnes voluntarily committed, for ſee even the beſt of Gods children after regeneration have ſinned, but to ſinne wilfully, that is ſpitefully and malitiouſly, treading underfoot the Sonne of God, and counting his bloud an unholy thing, and even deſpiting the ſpirit of grace, this I ſuppoſe every backſlider doth not doe.
Again, it is one thing to have the whole conſent of the will unto ſome ſinne ſtolen away by ſome particular temptation, and another thing to be wholly addicted and devoted to the wayes of ſinne, to have a whole heart univerſally married to Iuſt, and filled with Satan; the deareſt Saints have fallen in the former, but not in the latter.
And as for that place 2 Pet. 2. 20. it is not meant of every re-inſnarement, and re-intanglement into ſinne after converſion; for which of all Gods children can ſo carefully looke unto himſelfe, but that ſome of Satans nets, ſnares, baites, traps, which he ſets in a Chriſtians way, if God leave him never ſo little to himſelf, Satan will re-inſnare him? but it is to be underſtood of ſuch a re-inſnarement, and re-intanglement, in ſinne and ſinnefull courſes, as that he is thereby overcome and made the ſervant and ſlave of ſinne again; for of whom a man is overcome, of the ſame is he brought into bondage, to doe the will of ſinne, to obey it in the luſts thereof, and to give up his members as ſervants to commit iniquity, and that with greedineſſe: But I truſt this is not thy ſtate, and if not, conſider, that we have proved before that ſinnes againſt light and checks of conſcience have been pardoned, and ſins againſt experimentall taſts of Spirituall things have been pardoned, and blaſphemous thoughts have been pardoned, and ſome fallen from their firſt love, have been reſtored: ſo thou haſt no juſt cauſe to doubt of, but rather to betake thy ſelfe unto Gods pardoning mercy freely tendred to thee in Jeſus Chriſt.