Thirdly, Then do we miscarry about Signs, when we make use of them in a prejudicial way to those direct and immediate acts of Faith, whereby we receive and apply⁴ Christ to our souls. For the great work of a Christian is out of the sense and feeling of its own want and spiritual poverty, to roll himself, and rest only upon Christ for Atonement and Reconciliation, that is that faith […], (a phrase not known to humane Authours, which the Scripture so often requireth and commands: This is that whereby we are justified; this is that whereby we set up Christ, and give glory unto God. Now it many times fals out, that while a godly man is poring and digging into his own heart to finde grace there, he forgets to exercise applicative acts of Faith, so as thereby to close with Christ. Alas, though the sight of thy graces be comfortable, yet that of Christ ought to be much more. These graces are but the handmaids and servants that wait upon Christ, they are but tokens from him, they are not himself: A man is not only to go out of his sins, but also out of his graces unto Christ. See Paul, Phil. 3. how excellently doth he debase all his own graces to be found in Christ. Let not therefore the desire after inherent righteousnesse make thee forget imputed righteousnesse; This is to take the friend of the Bridegroom for the Bridegroom it self; and for this end (without doubt) it is that the people of God are so often in darknesse and have no light, see no comfortable sign or token of Gods love unto them, that so they may stay themselves upon God. This trusting in God and in Christ, when we feel nothing but guilt and destruction in our selves, is the greatest honour we can give God, and therefore though the living by signes be more comfortable to us, yet the living by faith is greater honour to God. Hence it is that the life of a godly man, is called a life of faith, because though God may many times encourage him with those sensible evidences, yet he doth morefrequently call them to combate and conflict with sense & reason. Do not therefore be unacquainted with this way of relying on Christ in the midst of all darkness, for God many times will cause an eclipse of thy signs, thou shalt many times look into thy heart, and find no comfort at all, see nothing but barrennes, hypocrisy, and every thing that may make thee tremble and be astonished at thy self, and then the immediate depending upon, and adhering unto a promise, will be thy only refuge.

4. We miscarry about Signs, when we make them more then Signs, even grounds and⁵ causes of our comfort and hope, thus making them in Christs stead. The fear of this hath made many so hot against signs; but these things may well be composed; comfort by signs & recumbency only upon Christ, & when we go further to take pride in them, or put carnal confidence in them, this is woful wronging our souls. It is worthy our observation, when Peter in the name of the Apostles Mat. 8. 24. had professed they had left all and followed Christ, with some kind of pride and carnal confidence, thereupon asking, what should they have? our Saviour to humble them, and to keep them low in theirown eies, speaks a Parable to infer this truth, That many which are first shall be last, and many that are last shall be first, which whether you expound in this sens (as some do) many that were first, both in order of time and zeal of affection to do God service, yet wanting the truth of grace and inward humility; Shall be last, that is none at all in the Kingdom of heaven, or if you explain it (as others) Many that are first, that is, who have been exceeding forward and active for God, and that with truth of grace, yet being puft up with pride, and trusting in themselves, as the Apostles at that present were; Shall be last, that is, shall have lesse glory and honour in heaven. Whether (I say) of these Expositions you take, they are both terrible, and sufficient to take us from pride and security. when we discover Gods graces in us, the discovery of grace in thee, is to make thee walk more comfortably and thankfully unto God, not to cause any tumors or swellings in thy own self.

5. When we try our selves by Signs, we shall deceive our own selves, if we cast not⁶ out two cursed corrupt principles out of us; the former is Self-love, and Self-flattery, whereby we perswade our selves of grace, when there is no such matter. Hence the Scripture bids us, Commune with our own hearts, and search and try our wayes, which supposeth that without diligent scrutiny, we shall alwayes be strangers to what is in our own souls. Thus many deceive their own souls, saying, They do repent, they do believe, they do love God with all their heart, when (alas) they know not the power of these things upon their own souls, thy heart is naturally a liar, and therefore believe it not. Thus the Pharisees did not know their own hearts, when they prayed, fasted and gave alms: Thus the Jews did not know their own hearts, when they cried The Temple of the Lord, and abounded in Sacrifices. This knowing of our own hearts is a supernatural lesson, taught only by the Spirit of God. Oh this self-flattery, how doth it damn its thousands, men making it no question, but they do repent and love God, when yet Christ hath said, Many are called, but few are chosen, that is, of those many that are called by God to the enjoyment of Church-Ordinances and Priviledges, few have those true works of grace, which are proper to the elect only! O how should this terrible sentence spoken by Christ himself, make thee question again and again, yea a thousand times again, whether thou art called only, and no more, not chosen at all! for they are few.

The other sinfull principle to be ejected, is unbelief and suspitious jealousie over our selves, not giving credit to what we see and feel in our own souls, but argue and cavil against it. For as while a man is in the state of unregeneration, he is alwaies in love with himself, and cannot be brought to loath and dislike himself, as you see in Paul while unconverted; so when the Spirit of God hath throughly humbled us, made us see our beastlinesse and filthinesse, then we run into another extream, not taking notice of, but even denying the work of God upon our hearts; Their hearts did once so deceive them, that now they know not how to trust them any more. Hence the people of God are subject to no temptation so much as this, Whether they be sincere and upright, they look only to the evil they finde in themselves, not the good God hath wrought in them; whereas it is their duty to take notice of all the good God hath vouchsafed to them: for how shall they be thankfull unto God, and acknowledge him, if they be ignorant herein?

Sixthly, When they do not take the fit season, then they also are in danger of miscarriage. Now then it is unseasonable, when they are full of dark, and black temptations,⁷ for then are they in a mist, and not able to see things aright, while Heman is distracted with Gods terrors upon him, that doth eclipse his judgement; How often doth David in sad exigents think God hath forsaken him? When the looking-glasse is broke in several pieces, it doth represent the face of a man much deformed; The muddied water is not fit to give the true shape of the face, and thus it is here, the heart full of temptations within, and sollicited with Satans injections from without, putteth the soul upon an amazement. The incestuous person, though truly repenting of his sin, yet takes no comfort, but is even swallowed up by Satan, Signs thereof from within do not at such times affect, and no marvel when Gods signs without, the Sacraments that are seals of his love, do not perswade him.

Seventhly, When they apprehend no Sign sufficient, unlesse they have had an actual perseverance to the end. Now although it be true, that the good ground differed⁸ from the bad, in that it held out to the end, yet that was not the only, nor the principal difference, but this perseverance was an effect flowing from the nature of the good soul. Although therefore afflictions and persecutions do detect the falseness of many, as appeareth Matth. 13. yet it doth not follow, that therefore none can have Assurance, but such who are come to their journies end. The Arminians indeed much presse this, and therefore they hold, There is no absolute and peremptory Election, but upon perseverance in faith and obedience. Hence they joyn with that of the Poet, Ante obitum, No man is happy before his death, because they may decline and apostatize from what they had. It cannot be denied but the revolt and degeneration of those who have seemed pillars in the Church of God, hath much affrighted the godly, making them also fear, as if one day or other, in one temptation or other they should fall away: but they are to consider, That wheresoever grace is already truly wrought in a mans heart, there God hath made a promise to keep us till the end, so that we may be assured of perseverance as well as of our present righteousnesse, for God who beginneth a good work in us, will also make an end; and we have a gracious promise of Gods care to us in […] Prophet Isaiah, That as he gave us being at first, and bore us in his arms, so he wi[…] also carry us on to old-age it self; as Gods grace hath planted, so he will water it, […] give encrease to it.⁹

Eighthly, When in the searching for evidence by Signs, we do not above all pray to God for his Spirit, so to enlighten our eyes, that in and through these Marks we may come to be perswaded. For the Spirit of God is the efficient cause of all this Certainty; Even as its in matter of Doctrine, though a man reade the Scripture again and again, though […] diligently peruse all Authors that are diligent in writing of Arguments for the truth, yet all these do not move him, till the Spirit of God set it home upon him; So likewise about sin, though a man read the threatnings over and over, though he know himself guilty of those sins the word of God condemneth, yet all this doth not touch his heart, to make it bleed, till Gods Spirit doth convince him: After this manner […]t is in matter of evidence. Although those godly exercises of grace be plentifull and copious in thee, yet thy heart is not perswaded of this, till Gods Spirit establish and confirm thy heart. Do not therefore think that by the strength of thy natural light, thou canst attain to this certainty.

Ninthly, When we think it a duty not to lay hold on Christ at all, till we have this¹⁰ Certainty by Signs. Believers are very prone to think, that the first work they have to do, when called to God, is to see whether they have true qualifications in them; and upon the Certainty of this, then to apply Christ for Justification. But this is not the Scripture method, for that cals the hungry, the thirsty, the loaded and burdened; and where this need and desire of Christ is, such are called to come unto him; Therefore certainly that we have truth of grace is not an antecedent to justifying faith, but a consequent fruit of it. Hence that received opinion, That faith is a fiducial or strong perswasion that my sins are pardoned, hath justly caused many doubts, for this is not justifying faith, but a fruit of it. Hence Ephes. 3. we are said To have boldnesse and accesse to him through faith. And when the Apostle, Gal. 2. saith, The life he liveth is by faith in Christ, who gave himself for me, and loved me; he was not justified by this believing, but this did rather suppose him justified before, and united to Christ by a precedent act of faith.

If therefore a Christian should not come into Gods presence, or lay hold on a promise, till he have this Assurance of his inward qualifications, he may be debarred all his life; and the truth is, the soul in time of straights, is like Esther to go into the Kings presence though it perceive not the Scepter held out. We must not be assured and then lay hold upon Christ, but by laying hold on Christ we come to be assured: Christ many times doth that for a godly man, which in another case he said to Peter, Thou knowest not yet what I do to thee, but thou shalt know.

Lastly, We miscarry about Signs, when we compose not our selves, and put our¹¹ selves in a disposed and prepared way to receive this evidence of Grace; For we must not expect that God will assure us, whether we will or no. We by our unbelief and peevishnesse may refuse those good consolations the Spirit doth offer; So that although this sealing of Gods Spirit be efficiently from him, as conversion also is, yet we may in the former as well as in the later resist the Spirit of God: And it is a great sin to rebell against Gods Spirit, whether convincing of sin and duty, or comforting against doubts and distrusts: yea this is a greater sinne, for though the Spirit of God do convince, reprove, yet it hath a denomination from this operation especially, that it is a Spirit of Adoption enabling us to call Abba Father: Therefore when we do peevishly refuse the Spirits work herein, we do in a most eminent manner oppose it in that wherein its greatest glory is.

Footnotes

1. 1. Dangers on the right-hand.
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2. Danger on the left-hand. ↩

3. 2. There is danger when we try not our graces by a true touchstone.
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4. 3. Or when we make use of signs in a prejudicial way to the immediate acts of faith.
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5. 4. Or when we make them more then signs.
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6. 5. And when we cast not away self-love and self-flattery.
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7. 6. And when men take not the fit season to examine themselves in.
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8. 7. Also when no sign will suffice till they have an actual perseverance to the end.
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9. Isa. 46. 3, 4. 8. And when in searching for evidence by signs, we do not above all pray for the Spirit to enlighten us. ↩

10. 9. Or when we think it a duty not to lay hold on Christ till we have this certainty by Signs.
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11. 10. And lastly, when we compose not our selves, &c.
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