Additions to the Saints Everlasting Rest, Section 16
§ 16 SECT. XVI.
5. THe next thing which I have to do, is to answer those§. 16. Objections which may be brought against it, and which, I confess, have sometime seemed of some weight to my self.
Object 1. Do not all Divines say, That it is not the measure of Grace, but the Truth; not the Quantity, but the Quality that we must judge our selves by: and doth not Christ say, That he despiseth not the day of small things, and that he will not quench the smoaking flax; and if we had Faith, which is as a grain of mustard-seed, we may do wonders, &c?
Answ. All this is true of sincere Grace, but not of unsincere: Now I have shewed you, that except it be of a prevalent Degree, it is not savingly sincere. If you Love God a Little, and the World a great deal more, will any man dare to think that this is a sincere saving Love? When the Scripture saith, He th…t loveth the World, the Love of the Father is not in him: that is, there is no sincere saving Love in him: For no doubt the young man had some Love to Christ, that yet forsook him, because he Loved the world more: Or else, 1. Christ would not have loved him; 2. Nor would the man have gone away from him in sorrow. But if you Love Christ ever so little more then the world or inferiour Good, though it be but as a grain of Mustard-seed, it will be saving and Christ will accept it. Cicero can tell you, That Friendship, or the sincerity of Love to a friend, consisteth not in every Act and Degree of undissembled Love. If a man Love you a little, and a thousand men much more, or if he love his wealth so much better then you, that he cannot finde in his heart to be at any loss for your sake, this man is not your friend: He doth truly Love you, but he hath no true sincere Friendship, or Friendly Love to you: For that consisteth in such a Degreee as will enable a man to Do and Suffer for his Friend. If a woman love her Husband without dissembling, but yet Loves twenty men better, and prostitutes her self to them, she hath true Love, but not true Conjugal Love to her husband: For that consisteth in a higher Degree. In a word, Lay Christ (as it were) in one end of the☞ Balance in your estimation, and all your carnal Interest, and all Inferiour Good, in the other, and see which you Love most; and every grain of Love which Christ hath from you more then the world and Inferiour things, he will Accept it as sincere: And in this sense, you must not judge of your selves by the Measure of your Grace, but by the Truth: that is, not by any higher Degree, if you have once that Degree which makes it True and saving. And I do not think that you will meet with any sober Divine that will tell you, that if you will Love God never so little without dissembling, yet he will Accept it, though you Love your lusts before him. Nor will any sober man tell you, that if you Love the Godly without dissembling, God will accept it, though you love your carnal Interest so much better, that if they hunger or thirst, or are naked, or in want, you cannot finde in your heart to relieve them, or if they be in prison for a good cause, you dare not be seen to visit them.
Obj. 2. But (perhaps you'l say) if this be so, then there is no specifique difference between Saving Grace and Common.
Answ. I told you before, that you must d…stinguish betwixt a Physical specification, and a Moral: The confounding of our Physicks and Ethicks in Divinity, hath made and continued abundance of controversies, and much confusion. In a word, there is a Moral specifique difference grounded but in a Physical Gradual difference, both of Habits and Acts, as is already more fully opened.
Object. 3. But (you may say) if there be but such a difference in Degrees, then how can a man know the truth of his Grace or ever get Assurance. For who can discern just the parting point: who can say, just such a degree of Love or Faith is sincere and saving, and the next Degree short of it, is not?
Answ. This Objection being of most weight, I shall answer it in these Propositions.
1. Where the prevailing Degree is not discernable, there no true Assurance can be had, in an ordinary way. And where it is very hard to discern the Degree, there it will be as hard to get Assurance.
2. Therefore those that have the smallest Degree of saving Grace, do not use to have any Assurance of salvation. Assurance is the Priviledge of stronger Christians, and not of weak ones, or of all that shall be saved. A Little is hardly discernable from none in nature.
3. And it seemeth that the reason of Gods disposal herein is very evident. For if God should let men clearly see the Least measure of Love, Faith, Fear, or Obedience that is saving, and the greatest measure of sin that will stand with sincerity; and say, Just so far thou maist sin, or maist deny me thy Love, and yet be saved and sincere; then it might have been a strong temptation to men to sin as far as ever they may, and to neglect their Graces. I know some will say, That Assurance breeds not security: But that great measure of corruption which liveth with our small measure of Grace, will make Assurance an occasion of security and boldness in sinning. A strong Christian may bear and improve Assurance: but so cannot the weakest. And therefore God useth not to give Assurance to weakest Christians.
But then mistake me not, but remember that by weak Christians I do not mean those that are weak in gifts and common parts and expressions, nor by strong Christians, those that excel in these. Those are weak Christians that have no more Love to God, nor Desire after Christ, then will just stand with sincerity: and that have as much Love to the world and flesh, and take as much Liberty to sin, as ever will stand with Salvation. And those are strong Christians, that strongly Love God, and have mortified and mastered their corruptions.
4. Where Grace is thus strong and in a great degree, there it is easily discernable; and therefore to such, Assurance is ordinary (except in a fit of Temptation, Revolting, or Desertion.)
5. But the chief part of my Answer is this. It is not the Degree of Grace Absolutely in it self considered, wherein sincerity☞ doth consist, nor which we must enquire after in trial: But it is the Degree in a Comparative sense; as when we compare God and the Creature, and consider which we Desire, Love, Fear, &c. more; And therefore here it is far easier to try by the Degree. You know that Gold is not currant, except it be weight, as well as pure mettal. Now if you put your Gold in one end of the scales, and nothing in the other; you cannot judge whether it be weight or no: But if you put the weights against it, then you may discern it. If it be down-right weight, you may discern it without either difficulty or doubt: If it be but a grain over-weight, you may yet discern it: Though it is possible it may be so little, that the scales will scarce turn, and then you will not discern it so easily, which is the heavier end. But if it want much, then you will as easily on the other side, discern the defectiveness. So it is here. If God had said absolutely, So much Love you must have to me, or you cannot be saved, then it were hard to know when we reach the Degree. But you must (as I said) put Christ and Heaven in one end, and all things below in the other, and then you may well finde out the sincerity in the Degree. Every grain that Christ hath more then the creature, is sincere and saving.