Additions to the Saints Everlasting Rest, Section 13
§ 13 SECT. XIII.
HAving thus explained my meaning herein, the clearing of all this to you, and fuller confirmation, will be best dispatched these three waies. 1. By exemplifying in each particular Grace, and trying this Rule upon them severally. 2. By examining some of the most Ordinary Marks, which have been hitherto delivered, and Christians use to take comfort in. 3. By enquiring what Scripture saith in the Point. And after these I shall answer the Objections that are against it, and then shew you the Usefulness and Necessity of it, and Danger of the contrary.
1. The Graces of the Spirit in mans Soul, are either in the Understanding, or in the Will and Affections. Those in the Understanding (as Knowledge, Prudence, Assent to Gods Word, called Faith, &c.) I make no Question, are as truly Graces, and as proper to the Saints as those in the Will and Affections. Divers erre here on both extreams. Some say, That there is no special Grace in the Understanding, but in the Will only. Others say that all special Grace is in the Understanding, and that the Will is capable of nothing but Freedom to Choose or Refuse; and that it ever follows the last dictate of the practical Understanding, and therefore no more is needfull but to inform the Understanding, Others say, both Understanding and Will are the subject of special sanctifying Grace, and that in both it must be sought after, and may be discerned. Between these extreams, I conceive this is the Truth: Both Understanding and Will (that is, the whole soul which both Understandeth and Willeth) is truly sanctified where either is truly sanctified: and the several Acts of this sanctified soul, are called several actual Graces: But though Grace be in both Faculties (as they are called) yet is it certainly discernable onelyonly in the Will, and not in the Understanding. For all Acts as they are meerly in the Understanding are but imperfectly Virtuous, being but Preparatory and Introductory to the Will, where they are digested and perfected, as I said before. Dr Stoughton's words are these [As for my own part, I could never comprehend that which Divines have gone about, to be able to put a Characteristical difference in the Nature of Knowledge, that a man may be able to say Such a Knowledge is, and such a Knowledge is not a saving Knowledge. But only, as I use to expresse it (the Sun is the greater Light, but the Moon hath greater Influence on waterish Bodies:) So Knowledge, let it be what it will, if it be good and saving, it hath an influence on the Soul. There may be a great deal of Knowledge which is not Vital and Practical; which carrieth not the Heart and Affections along with it: and they that have it, have not saving Knowledge. But they that have the least degree of Knowledge, so it be such as hath an Influence to draw the Heart and Affections along with it, to Love God, and Obey God, it is solid and saving Knowledge.] So Dr Stoughton in his Righteous mans plea to Happiness, p. 38, 39.
And for my part I know no Mark drawn from the meer nature of Knowledge, or Belief, or any meer Intellectual Act, by which we can discern it from what may be in an unholy person: Those that think otherwise, use to say, that the Knowledge and Belief which is saving is Deep, Lively, Operative, &c. I doubt not but this is true: But how by the Depth we shall discern the saving sincerity directly, I know not: Or how to discern it in the Liveliness or Operativeness, but only in its Operations and Effects on the Will and Affections, I know not. Whether it be so Deep and Lively as to be saving, must not be discerned immediately in it self, but in its v…tal prevalent Operations on the Will. So that I shall dismiss all the meer Acts of the Understanding out of this Enquiry, as being not such as a Christian can try himself immediately by. And for them that say otherwise, they place the sincerity of them in the Depth and Liveliness, that is, in the Degree of Knowledge and Belief. For no doubt a wicked man may Know and Believe every particular Truth, which a Christian doth Believe. Some Learned men I have heard affirm indeed, That no wicked man can Believe Scripture to be the Word of God; but that's a fancy that I think needs no confutation; The Devils beleeve it no doubt. If any say, that saving Knowledge is Experimental, and other is not,
I answer, 1. Of matters of meer faith we have no experience: as that Christ is the second Person, was Incarnate, Crucified, Buried, Rose again, &c.
2. Of common practicals wicked men have experience: as that the world is deceitful, that man is prone to sinne, that Satan must be resisted, &c.
3. For those other special Internal Experiences which denominate a Christians Knowledge Experimental, the Mark of sincerity lieth in the experienced thing it self, rather then the Knowledge of it. For example, a Christian knows experimentally what the New-birth is, what it is to Love God, to Delight in him, &c. Now the Mark lieth not properly in his Knowledge of these, but in that Love, Delight and Renovation which he possesseth and so knoweth.
It follows therefore that we enquire into the Acts of the Will, and see wherein their saving sincerity doth consist. For except the Acts of the Understanding, all that may be called saving is reducible to those two words of St Paul, To Will, and To Do. For all the other Acts of the Soul, are nothing but Velle & Nolle: either exercised on the Object as variously presented and apprehended (as Absent or Present, Facil or Difficult, &c.) or exercised with that vigour as moveth the spirits in the heart, and denominates them Affections or Passions.
First therefore to begin with the proper Act of Willing. Though of our selves without Grace no man ever Willeth God in Christ, yet on this Willing hath God laid our Salvation, more then on any other Qualification or Act in our selves whatsoever. And yet simply to Will God, to Will Christ, to Will Heaven, is not a saving Act. But when God and the Creature stand in competition, to Will God above all, and to Will Christ above all, and Heaven before Earth, this is to Will savingly. That is: to Will God as God, the chief Good and Cause of Good: to Will Christ as Christ, the only Saviour and chief Ruler of us: and to Will Heaven as the state of our chief Happiness in the Glorifying enjoyment of God. Not that all the sincerity of these Acts lieth in the Ʋnderstandings apprehending God to be the chief Good and Cause of it: and Christ to be the only Redeemer, &c. For a man may Will that God and that Christ who is thus apprehended by the Uunderstanding, and yet not Will him as he is thus apprehended. The Uunderstanding may overgo the Will; and the Will not follow the Understanding; and this is no saving Willing. If a man do know and Believe never so much, that God is the chief Good, and do not chiefly Will him (as the Devils may so Believe) it is not saving. Yea it is a great Question, Whether many do not Will God (not only who is apprehended to be the Supream Good, but also) as he is apprehended to be the Supream Good, and yet Love something else more then him, which they know, not to be the chief Good, but against their Knowledge are drawn to it by the force of sensuality, and so these men perish for all their Willing. For certainly, if God have not ordinarily the prevailing part of the Will, that mans state is not good. When I say such men Will God [as] apprehended to be the chief Good, I mean, they Will him under such a Notion, but not with an Act of Will answering that Notion. I refer the term [as] to the understandings apprehension, but not so to the Wils action as if it loved him as the chief Good should be loved or willed: for that's it, that is wanting, for which they perish. I propound this to the Consideration of the Judicious; for it is certainly worth our Consideration. It depends on the common Question, Whether the Will ever follow the last dictate of the Practical Intellect, which I shall handle elswhere. What I have said of Willing, you may easily perceive, may be said of Desire and Love, which are nothing but Willing. Love is an intense absolute Willing of Good as Good: Desire also is a Willing it as a Good not yet enjoyed. Therefore the saving sincerity of both lieth in the same point: Many that perish Desire God, and Christ, and Heaven; and Love God, and Christ, and Heaven: but they desire and love some Inferiour Good more: He that desireth and loveth God sincerely and savingly, desireth him and loveth him above all things else: and there lieth his sincerity.
I need not instance in Hope, Fear, Hatred, or any of the Acts or Passions of the Irascible: For they are therefore good because they set against the Difficulty which is in the way of their attainment to that Good which they Will and Love: and so their chief Virtuousness lieth in that Will or Love which is contained in them, or supposed to them. A wicked man may Fear God, but the Fear of men or temporal evils is more prevalent in the trial. He may have an Aversation of his minde from sinne, or some low Degree of Hatred, as it is known to him to be evil, and to hurt him: but his Love to it is greater, and prevaileth against his Hatred. If any doubt whether a wicked man may have the least Hatred of sin, (yea as sin, or as displeasing to God) we are sure of it two wayes.
1. By daily experience of some Drunkards, that when they are considering how much they sinne against God, and wrong themselves, their hearts rise against their own sin (especially if the temptation be out of sight) and they will weep, and be ready to tear their own flesh: And yet yield to the next temptation, and live weekly in the committing of the sin.
2. By the experience of our own hearts before our Sanctification (those that were not sanctified in Infancy:) many have felt that their hearts had some weak degree of dislike and hatred to the sin that captivated them. And I know divers Swearers and Drunkards that do so hate the same sins in their children, that they are ready to fall on them violently if they commit them.
3. And we may know it by reason too. For whatsoever a man may know to be evil, that his Will may have some hatred (or aversation) towards: (though not enough) But a wicked man may know sin to be Evil: Therefore he may have some hatred to it. The Will may sure follow the Understanding a little way, though it do not farre enough. But me thinks those should not contradict this, that are for the Wils constant determination by the Understanding.
The like I may say also of Repentance: so much of it as lieth in the Will; that is, the Wills turning from Inferiour Good (which it formerly chose) to God the supream Good, whom it now chooseth. The sincerity of this lieth in the prevailing Degree. For if it be not such a Change as carryeth the Will more now to God then the Creature, but to God a little, and to the Creature still more, it is not saving. And if it be not a choosing of God before the Creature, though it be a choosing of God in the second place, it will not serve turn. And for that Repentance which consisteth in a sorrow for sin, 1. If it be not to such a Degree, that it prevail over our Delight in sin and Love to it, it is not saving. Many wicked men do daily repent and sin: I have known men that would be drunk almost daily, and some seven or eight daies continue in one fit of drunkenness before ever they were sober, and yet lament it with tears and pray daily against it; and being men of much knowledge and able parts, would confess it and condemn themselves in very moving language, and yet no means could keep them from it, but they have lived in it some ten some twenty years. Who dare think that this was true Repentance, when the Apostle concludes, If ye live after the flesh ye shall die, Rom. 8. 6, 13. 2. Yet I must tell you, that all these Graces which are expressed by Passions, as Sorrow, Fear, Joy, Hope, Love, are not so certainly to be tried by the Passion that is in them, as by the Will that is either contained in them, or supposed to them: not as Acts of the sensitive, but of the Rational appetite. I will not here stand on the Question, Whether Grace be in the sensitive or Rational appetite, as its subject, or both: Burgersdicius and others, say, that Moral Virtue is in the sensitive only: but something like it in the Will: but Theologicall Virtues are in the Will. But doubtless if he do prove Moral Virtue to be in the sensitive, he will prove a proportionable measure of Theological Virtue, to be there too. For there is no Virtue, truly so called, which is not Theological as well as Moral.
But if there be any doubt whether an unregenerate man may perform the same Acts as a true Christian, it will be especially about the two great and principal graces of Faith and Love. And for that of Faith, I have said enough before. It consisteth (according to the Judgement of most Reformed Divines) partly in the Understanding, partly in the Will. As it is in the Understanding it is called Assent or Belief: And for this I have shewed before, that a wicked man may have it in some degree▪ and that Grace as it is in the Understanding cannot be discerned directly; but only as it thence produceth those Acts in the Will wherein it may be discerned. There is no one Truth which a true Christian may know, but a wicked man may also know it (though not with that lively degree of Knowledge which will over-rule the Heart and Life.) Nor is there any one Truth which a true Christian may Believe, but a wicked man may also Believe it. If any deny this, let them name me one. And do not our Divines confess as much against the Papists, who place Faith in bare Assent? And And do they not expound James (the devils Believe) of such an Assent? If this were not so, it were an easier matter to try and know ones own sincerity, and so to have Assurance of Salvation. For we might presently name such or such an Axiom (as, that The Scripture is the Word of God, or the like,) and ask whether we do Know or Believe this to be True? and so might quickly be resolved. For it is the Heart (or Will) that is deceitfull above all things: but the bare Acts of the Understanding, may more easily be discerned; as whether we Know or Assent to such an Axiom, or not: (Though I know also that even the Understanding participateth of the guilefulnes, and may be somewhat strange to it self.)
But some will say, that no wicked man can Believe the pardonQuamvis quis non habet veram & salvificam in Christo fidem, pote…t tamen in professione & doctrina veritatis, bonam habere conscientiam, ita ut sciat veram esse illam doctrinam quam profitetur & doc…t, &c. Triglandius de Trina Gratia pag. 943 of his own sins; or assent to the truth of this Axiome [My sins are pardoned.] Answ. I confess so many have harped on this string heretofore, that I am ashamed that the Papists should reade it in our writings, and thereby have that occasion of hardening them in their Errors, and of insulting over the Reformed Doctrine. I confess no wicked man (in sensu composito) can Believe for the pardon of sin; or hath such a Faith as pardon is promised to: But that they may Believe their sins are pardoned, and seriously believe it, did not Error make it necessary, I should be ashamed to bestow any words to prove it. 1. A wicked man may (in my judgement, without any great difficulty) Believe an untruth, especially which he would fain have to be true (though every untruth he cannot believe:) But this is an untruth to every wicked man [that his sins are pardoned] (or even by the Antinomians confession it is untrue of all wicked men not elected;) and an untruth which he would fain have to be true: (for what man is so perverse in his fancies, as to doubt whether a wicked man would have his sins pardoned?) therefore he may Believe it. 2. That which is one of the chief pillars in the kingdom of the devil, and the master, deceiving, damning sin, is not sure inconsistent with a wicked mans condition: But even such is the ungrounded Belief that his sins are pardoned (commonly called presumption, and false faith:) Therefore, &c. 3. If it be the main work of a skilfull, faithfull Ministry, to beat wicked men from such an ungrounded Belief, and experience tels us that all means will hardly to it; (and yet that God doth it on all before he bring them by the Ministry to true Conversion,) then sure it is more then possible for a wicked man to have such a Belief. But Scripture, and a world of lamentable experience proves the Antecedent (what do such Writings as Hookers, Boltons, Whateleys, &c. else drive at?) Therefore, &c. 4. Yea that the pardon of sin is not properly Credendum or a Material Object of Faith, I have proved elsewhere, and therefore need not stand on it now.
2. And for those Acts of Faith which are directly in and by the Will, I know not one of them (considered in the nature of the Act, without the prevalent Degree) which a wicked man may not perform. For the most proper and immediate Act [Willing] which containeth a Choice of Christ and a Consent that he shall be ours, together with his Benefits, this I have before made manifest to be consistent with an unregenerate state. If any will affirm that a wicked man cannot be Willing to have pardon of all his sins, Justification and Salvation from hell, I think it not worth my writing six lines to confute them; sense will do it sufficiently. That this man cannot Desire, or Choose, or Will Holiness, and Glory with Christ more heartily, strongly and prevailingly then his pleasures or inferiour good, I easily acknowledge:Notitiam & Assensum quendam non Calvinus tantum, sed & Remonstr. ipsi tribuunt etiam Daemonibus. Fiducia male fundat…, electionis opinio, & fructus evanidi, qui sine bono & hon…sto corde existunt, non magis arguunt temporarios esse vere fideles, quam similitudo probat simiā esse ex genere humano. Amesius Antisynod. in Art. 5. c. 3. pag. (mihi) 354. For in that gradual defect consisteth his unsoundness. But that he may Will, Choose, Accept or Desire Holiness and Glory in a second place, next to his carnal delights or inferiour good, is to me beyond doubt. And accordingly for the obtaining of these, he may Will or Accept of Christ himself that gives them. This I shall prove anon, when we speak of Love.
And for that Act of Faith which most affirm to be peculiarly the Justifying Act, that is, Affiance, Resting on Christ, Recumbency, Adherence, Apprehension of him, &c. these (almost all Metaphoricall) terms, contain not one, but many Acts, all which are most frequently found in the ungodly. For we undoubtedly know it, 1. by experience of our selves whilest we were in their state, 2. and by constant experience of the vilest sinners, that they not only undissemblingly Rest on Christ (that is, Trust verily to be pardoned and saved by him, and expect it from him,) but also that this is the strongest encouragement to them in sinning, and we have need to lay all our batteries against this Bulwork of Presumption. Alas, to the grief of my soul, my frequent and almost daily experience forceth me to know this, whatsoeverLearned Rivet saith the very same as I of the difference between a temporary & true Believer. Discrimen ergo inter cos & vere fideles hoc est, quod quamvis utri{que} ex animo verbum amplectantur, non tamen utri{que} ex tali animo, quo aliis omnibus verbum praeferatur, Nam foreign leviter & perfunctorie credunt, &c. unde est quod vitam suam amant plus quam Christum: fiat{que} ut s…i sint, nec sibi caveant ab infidils Diaboli: deinde ut in pr…ibus▪ gratiarum actione, & omnibus erga proximum officiis languidi fiant, & remissi: Cum Justificans Fides etiam Imbecilla, sollicita sit, nec credentem animo elato esse sinat; studium{que} precum excitet, illud{que} anxium & intentum. Rivet. Disput. de Persever. Sanct. §. 16. pag. 210, 211. men write from their speculations to the contrary. I labour with my utmost skill to convince common Drunkards, Swearers, Worldlings, &c. of their misery, and I cannot do it for my life: and this false faith is the main reason. They tell me [I know I am a sinner, and so are you, and all, as well as I, but if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous: I put my whole trust in him, and cast my salvation on him, for he that Believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting Life.] If I tell them of the nature of true Faith, and the necessity of Obedience, They answer me that they know their own hearts better then I, and are sure they do really Rest on Christ and trust him with their Souls; and for Obedience they will mend as well as they can, and as God will give them Grace; and in the mean time they will not boast as the Pharisee, but cry, Lord be mercifull to me a sinner: and that I shall never drive them from Believing and Trusting in Christ for Mercy, because they be not so good as others, when Christ tels them, that men are not Justified by Works, but by Faith, and he that believeth shall be saved.] This is the case of the most notorious sinners (many of them) and I am most confident, they speak as they think: and from this ungrounded confidence in Christ, I cannot remove them. Where now is any difference in the nature of this Affiance, and that of true Believers? If you say, that it brings not forth fruit, and therefore is unsound, that's true: but that's only an extrinsecall difference in the effects, and speaks not the difference in the nature of the Act it self. But I have spoken of this more fully elsewhere.
But the greatest doubt is, whether in Loving God and Christ as Mediator, there be not more then a gradual difference between the regenerate and unregenerate? And I shall shew you that there is not. For it is undeniable that an unholy person may Love God and the Mediator: and as undeniable that they cannot Love God above all, till they are Regenerate. The later I take for granted: The former if any deny is thus proved. 1. That which the Understanding apprehendeth to be Good, both in it self and to the person, that the Will may in some measure Love. But an unregenerate mans Understanding may apprehend God to be Good both in himself and to the person: Therefore he may in some measure Love him. That wicked men may Believe that God is Good, is no more to be doubted of, then that they may Believe there is a God. For he that Believeth there is a God, must needs believe that he is Good. And that he may Believe that God is Good to him, also is evident thus. 1. Men know that they have all their temporal corporal Mercies from God (which are to them the sweetest of all;) and therefore for these, and the continuance of them they may apprehend God to be Good to them, and so love him. 2. And Scripture and constant experience tels us, that it is usuall with wicked men, not only to apprehend the goodness of prosperity, but thence mistakingly to gather, that God doth specially favour and love them as his people to Salvation. 3. Also nothing is more common with them almost, then from the thoughts of Gods Mercifulness and Goodness, and from mistaking seeming evidences in themselves, to conclude most confidently that their sins are pardoned, and that God will not condemn them, but will save them as certainly as any other. Also that Christ having died in their stead, and made satisfaction for all their sins, they shall through him be pardoned, Justified and Saved. Many a wicked man doth as confidently Believe that God loveth him through Christ, and doth as confidently thank God daily in his prayers for Vocation, Adoption, Justification, and assured hope of Glory, as if they were all his own indeed. Nay out of the apprehensions of some extraordinary Love and Mercy of God to him above others, he oft giveth thanks as the Pharisee, Lord, I thank thee, that I am not as this Publican. And doubtless all these apprehensions of Love may produce some Love to God again. As the grounded Faith and Hope of the Godly produceth a solid saving Love, so the ungrounded Faith and Hope of the wicked, produceth a sleight and common Love, agreeable to the cause of it. As Christ hath a common Love to the better sort of wicked men more then to the worst (he looked on the young man, (Mark 10. 21, 22.) and Loved him, and said, Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God) so may such men have a common love to Christ, and that above the ordinary sort of the ungodly. For I am perswaded there is no man so wicked among us (who Believeth indeed that Christ is the Son of God and the Saviour) but he hath some love to Christ more or less. For 4. God hath been pleased to give those advantages to the Christian Religion above all other Religions among us, which may easily procure some Love to Christ from ungodly men. It is the Religion of our Country: It is a credit to be a Christian: It is the Religion of our Ancestors, of our Parents and dearest Friends: It is that which Princes favour, and all men speak well of: Christ is in credit among us: Every man acknowledgeth him to be God, and the Redeemer of the world: And therefore on the same grounds (or better) as a Turk doth love and honour Mahomet, and a Jew Moses, may a wicked Christian in some kinde Love and Honour Christ: yea and venture his life against that man that will speak against him: as Dr Jackson and Mr Pink have largely manifested.
If any object, that it is not God or Jesus Christ that these men Love, but his Benefits: I answer, It is God and the Redeemer for his Benefits. Only here is the unsoundness which undoes them, They Love his inferiour earthly blessings better then him; and for this they perish.