First_Baptist

The Poor Doubting Christian Drawn to Christ
Thomas Hooker (1586 – 1647) line

spurgeon

INTRODUCTION

EVERY minister, especially if a pastor, meets with Christians who suffer spiritual trials, of various forms and degrees of intensity. His solicitude as a conscientious and affectionate watchman for souls, is awaked for such, while he yet feels uncertain on the precise counsels to be given, for their instruction and relief. A book, therefore, cannot fail to be esteemed of great worth which can be put into their hands, adapted to their necessities, which they can read repeatedly, by which they can examine their own hearts, over which they can pray, through the aid of which they can understand the causes of their sorrows, and find their way out of perplexity and darkness, into light and comfort. A book of such a character, it is believed, will be found in the present little volume. It will subserve the two-fold purpose of guarding Christians against the devices of their adversary, and preventing discomfort and mistakes relative to their spiritual state. The biographical sketch of the venerable author will apprize the reader how well qualified he was to deal with cases of spiritual perplexity.

Not only the private Christian but the minister will find this little work worthy of frequent perusal. As the physician avails himself of the books of experienced and skillful practitioners, so the Christian minister feels it a privilege to avail himself of the results of the studies, experience and observation of his fathers and brethren, who have been wise and successful in their treatment of the cases of afflicted and tender-spirited Christians.

That there is danger of "healing the hurt" of the professor of Christianity superficially, cannot be doubted (cf. Jer. 6:14). Peace and comfort may be administered where they do not belong, or before the way is prepared. There are probably professors of religion (those who claim to be Christians) who have occasion to stand in doubt of themselves. He in whom a worldly spirit predominates, whose example is inconsistent with his Christian covenant, who lives in an unsettled, uneasy and skeptical frame of mind, relative to great and fundamental doctrines of the gospel, or has adopted unscriptural views of divine truth, or who contends with those doctrines of the Scripture's which humble human pride, and show man dependent entirely on the sovereign grace of God, or who is endeavoring to make hope and profession the means of quiet, notwithstanding the disturbances and rebukes of a dissatisfied conscience,--the professor of religion in whom any of these things appear--has serious reason to be afraid of himself. The following pages do not appear to have been written for such. Fuller's Backslider (Andrew Fuller), Mead's Almost Christian (Matthew Mead?s The Almost Christian Discovered), Alleine's Alarm (Joseph Alleine?s An Alarm to the Unconverted), and Baxter's Call to the Unconverted (Richard Baxter), should be recommended to their serious perusal. The faithful minister will make it one object of his instructions to disturb the peace of such, for they may be ruined by self-deception, except their peace be broken up and substituted by "a better hope."

This book therefore, should be read with a right understanding of its design, and of the precise class of cases to which its counsels are adapted. It is designed for " mourners in Zion," for those children of God whose "souls are cast down and disquieted within them," for those who "walk softly before the Lord," who live in conflict with sin in themselves, who have been wounded with "the fiery dares of the wicked one," and who would prize, inestimably, the peace and comfort to be obtained by going to Calvary, and in "sitting at the feet of Jesus."

It is probable that the present volume will fall into the hands of some who have prematurely entered the visible church. Views of religion have been taught in recent years, which have multiplied such cases to an alarming extent. Under the influence of erroneous instruction, many, it is feared, have made a profession of religion because they have resolved in a general way to live religiously, and have begun to do some of the outward things of religion, while, to use the language of David Brainard, they "do not see any manner of difference between those exercises which are spiritual and holy, and those which have self-love for their beginning, center and end." The statement of such subjects of Christian experience as are contained in this book, may be met, by this class of persons, with the language of the skeptical Athenians to Paul, "you bring certain strange things to our ears" (Acts 17:20). It is affectionately suggested for their consideration, that to have come into the visible church in ignorance of those spiritual affections which are produced in the renewed heart by the Holy Spirit, is to have taken a step attended with serious hazard. If he who professes religion, in ignorance or skepticism relative to the offices and work of Christ in our redemption, does it to the endangering of his soul, equally does he peril his eternal interests, who comes to the altar of God, to declare himself a Christian, and to take a Christian's vows, who misunderstands, fails to esteem or calls in question the offices and work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration.

Should the perusal of the following pages induce in any who profess religion, a spirit of inquiry, a review of their religious course, self-examination, and the correction of mistaken views relative to the work of grace and its Author, and if any perplexed and trembling Christian shall be relieved, established, comforted, in being "drawn to Christ," it will not be in vain that the venerable author, in its re-publication, has broken the silence of more than a hundred years, to speak again, to the children of God, "the heirs of salvation."

The inquiry is respectfully suggested for the consideration of ministers of the gospel, whether the methods of instruction and counsel, exemplified in this book, may not be too rare at the present day. Should not they to whom Christ has said, "feed my sheep, feed my lambs," cultivate that acquaintance with the members of their churches, and take that interest in their spiritual condition which will better prepare them to understand their religious trials, perplexities and conflicts, and more wisely and successfully to administer for their comfort and establishment in the hope which is in Christ Jesus? In such duties will be found some of the most-interesting and profitable labours of the pastor. Good it is, thus to be laborers together with Christ, in "comforting those that mourn in Zion."

In the revision of this volume for the press, the editor has confined himself principally, to changes in the orthography, and the omission of numeral repetitions. The author appears to have translated his Scripture proofs for himself, which accounts for discrepancies from the received English text (King James Version).

No apology is offered for leaving the author to speak in the style of his time. Antiquated though it be, in some instances, it has a simplicity and force of expression which ought not to be sacrificed to so unimportant an object as giving ancient thoughts a modern dress. Puritan thoughts are best expressed in the style of their Puritan authors. That is not good taste which would bring up from his grave a writer of another century, to express himself after the style of the present day. Moreover, changes made in an author's style, place at hazard the precise import of his writings, and thus shades of difference, or even something more important than shades, may be introduced, doing injustice to his true sentiments, and frustrating the original design of his work. There is nothing in the fact that a man has been gone to his grave a hundred years, or only as many days, to justify taking liberties with his book, which we should not dare to take were he living, and in which he may be made to speak unlike himself, either as to his style, or the character of his thoughts.

E. W. HOOKER
Theological Inst. of Connecticut,
East Windsor, Feb. 1845

CHAPTER I

Impediments which hinder souls from Coming to Christ, Removed

THERE are divers impediments which hinder poor Christians from coming to Christ; all which I desire to reduce to these following heads,

I. First, such hindrances as really keep men from coming to take hold of Christ at all, which are briefly these:

A. Blind, careless, or presumptuous security, whereby men content themselves with their present condition, presuming all is well with them, when there is no such matter.

B. Being convinced of this, they think how to save themselves by their own strength, and thereupon set upon a reformation of life, thinking to make God amends by reforming some sins which they hear themselves reproved of by the ministers.

C. The sinner being convinced of his utter inability to please God in himself, at length gets up a stair higher, and sees all his performances, and prayers, and duties to be of no power in themselves, but that he must leave all, and cleave only unto Christ by faith, and this he thinks he can do well enough, and so thrusts himself upon Christ, thinking all the work is then done, and no more to be looked after.

D. If he sees this fails him too, then he goes yet further, and confesses he cannot come to Christ, except Christ give him his hand, and help him up, therefore now he will attend on the ordinances (church attendance, Bible reading, preaching, sacraments, prayer), and labor and bestir himself hard in the use of all good means, conceiving thereby to hammer out at last a faith of his own to make him happy. And here he rests, hanging as it were upon the outside of the ark so long, until at last the waves and winds grow fierce and violent, he is beaten off, and so sinks forever.

II. Besides these, there are other kinds of hindrances which do not indeed deprive a man of title and interest to eternal happiness, but make the way tedious and uncomfortable, so that he cannot come to Christ so readily as he desires and longs to do: the ground whereof is this: when men, out of carnal reason, contrive another way to come to Christ than ever he ordained or revealed, when we set up our standards by God's standard, or our threshold by his, (Ezek. 43:8), and out of our own imagination, make another state of believing than ever Christ required or ordained (i.e. some, although true Christians, do not feel joined to Christ because they have misunderstood God?s ways of relating to Him). No marvel that we come short of him, for thus we put rubs, and make bars in our way, we manacle our hands, and fetter our feet, and then say that we cannot take, nor go. Thus it is with you poor Christians, and the fault is your own. But among many there be three hindrances which are chiefly to be observed, by which many gracious hearts (true Christians) are marvelously hindered from coming to, and receiving that comfort from Christ which they might, and he is willing to impart unto them.

A. The distressed soul, being haply, truly humbled, takes notice of the beauty of holiness, and the image of God stamped on the hearts of his children, and of all those precious promises which God has made to all that are his; now the soul seeing these, begins thus to reason with itself, and says, "surely if I were so holy and so gracious, then I might have to receive the pardon of my sins"; or, "were my heart so enlarged to duties, and could my heart be so carried with power against my corruptions, to master them, then there were some hope. But when I have no power against sin, nor any heart to seek so importunately (refusing to be denied) for a Christ, how dare I think that any mercy belongs to me, having so many wants?" Thus they dare not come to the promise, and they will not venture upon it, because they have not that enlargement to duties, and that power against corruption which sometimes the saints of God have.

But we must know, this does not hinder, and that we make that a hindrance, which, in truth, is none (i.e. these thoughts are false and should not prevent receiving peace from Christ). For (observe it) we must not think to bring our enlargements and hope to the promise, but go to the promise for them. Hope must be stirred, and desire quickened, and love and joy kindled by the promise. But who made this condition of the covenant, that a man must have so much of enlargement, before he can come to the promise? Our Saviour being our husband, requires no portion with us, nor ever looked after any. All that he looks for is mere poverty and emptiness. If you have nothing, yet he will have you with your nothing, provided that you will have him. Therefore it is thus written, "the rich he sends away empty", but the poor he satisfies, and the thirsty he refreshes with good (Ps. 107:9) and so, as that there is nothing required on our side but to receive him as a husband. For, buy without money, is the text (cf. Isa. 55:1). You must not come and think to buy a husband. The Lord looks for no power or sufficiency from you, of yourselves, nor of yourselves any power against corruption, or enlargement to duties. If you will be content that Christ shall take all from you, and dispose of you and all, then take a Saviour, and then you have him.

But the poor soul says, "if I go thus hoodwinked, how shall I know that I do not presume, and how shall I know that I have a true title to the promise?" I answer: there is no better argument in the world to prove that you have an interest in Christ than this, which is your taking of the Lord Christ as a Saviour wholly, and as an husband only, John 1:12: "As many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." He does not say, to as many as had such enlargement to duties, and such power against corruption, but if you will take Christ upon those terms on which he offers himself. There is no better argument under heaven than that, to prove that you have a title to the promise. Indeed there is a desperate despair that often seizes upon the hearts of distressed sinners.

Therefore in the second place, as the sinner looks upon the excellency of Christ and of grace, and upon his own insufficiency withal, which makes him that he will not venture upon the promise, so he looks too altogether upon his own sinfulness and worthlessness, and therefore dare not venture upon it. He views the number of his sins so many and vile, and the continuance of them so long, and durable, and he sees the floods of abominations coming in so amain (forcefully) upon his soul, and Satan to boot (who helps him forward in all this), therefore he dares not make out unto Christ. But this is the policy of the devil, who (if he can) will make a man to see sin through his own spectacles, or not to see it at all, and then to say, there is mercy enough in a Saviour, and therefore I may live as I list. But when the sinner will needs see his sin, then he will let him see nothing but sin and this, to the end that he may despair for ever. (The devil will first move a man to view his sin as a trifle so that he lives as he pleases. But once a man sees his sin, the devil will lead him to feel his sin so much that he thinks he cannot come to Christ).

Now here the poor sinner is at a stand, and can go no further. For tell him of the mercy of God, and of the plenteous redemption in Christ, and of the riches of the freeness of God's grace: "what (says he) should I think there is any mercy for me, and that I have any interest in Christ? That were strange" (i.e. too good to be true). And thus the soul is always poring (focusing) and always too much fastened and settled upon his corruptions, ever stirring the sore, without ever going to the physician. Where note, that a man is as well kept from looking to Christ by despair, as by presumption. Before he sees his sin, he thinks his condition is good, and that he has a sufficiency of his own, and needs not go to Christ, and when he sees his sin, then he beholds so much vileness in himself, and in it, that he dares not go to Christ, lest when he comes before him, he sends him down to that ever-burning lake of fire and brimstone. Herein the devil is very subtle; but this does not hinder our title to Christ, neither ought it to discourage us from laying hold on salvation. For,

1. Observe it, for whom did Christ come into the world, and for whom did he die when he was come? Was it for the righteous? Such needed him not: it was for the poor sinner that judges himself, that condemns himself, and that finds he cannot save himself. Paul said in 2 Timothy 1:15, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief." And the prophet Zechariah in 13:1, "There is a fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness", that is, for all sorts of sins, and kinds of sinners, be their iniquities ever so great, and ever so vile, there is a fountain set open for them, come who will. There was never any saved that was not a rebel first, nor any received to mercy, that first opposed not the mercies of God, and his grace in Christ. The fiery serpents did sting the people in the wilderness, first then they were stung, and being stung, there was a brazen serpent to heal them (Numbers 21). But,

2. Observe the folly of this plea: what Scripture ever said, that the greatness of man's sin could hinder the greatness of God's mercy? No, Scripture says so; we see David praying to the contrary, Psalm 25:11, "Have mercy upon me, Oh Lord, and pardon my sins, for they are great." No, God himself does quite the contrary, Isaiah 43:24,25, "You have made me serve with your sins, and wearisome with your iniquities; yet I am he that blotteth out your transgressions for my name's sake." When the Jews did tire God with their distempered manners, and burdened him with their sinful courses, then the Lord, for his own name's sake, would not so much as remember their iniquities against them.

3. Again observe, that sins fit you to go to Christ, though they be ever so heinous of themselves, yet if the soul can see them, and the heart be burdened with them. They are so far from hindering the work of faith, and from making you incapable of mercy, they make you so as to need a Saviour such as Christ (seeing your sin as sin qualifies you to come to Christ as your Saviour). The truth is (which I pray you to notice) it is not properly our unworthiness, but our pride and haughtiness that hinder us from coming to Christ, for we would have something from ourselves, and not all from him. But to the distressed soul, that sees the vileness of his sins, I say, suppose your sins were fewer, yet upon such a supposition, you would not go to Christ, as persuaded of the freeness of his grace, but because your sins are not many, and upon conceit that you have a worthiness in yourself, and would bring something to Christ, and not receive all from him, therefore you keep back. And is it not plain then that it is your pride and your self-conceitedness that hinders you? You think you must have so much grace and holiness, and Christ must not justify the ungodly, but the godly man. But I tell you, that upon such terms he will never justify you, or any man while the world stands.

But the soul replies again, my sins are worse than so, not only because they are many, but because of the mercy and salvation that I have rejected, and which have been offered me from day to day.

But, I answer: this cannot hurt you, provided that you can see those evils of yours, for then, though you have cast away the kindness of the Lord, yet the Lord will not cast you away, if you will come and seek him earnestly again and again. Isaiah 57:17,18, "For the iniquity of his covetousness I was wroth (said God) and I smote him; I hid myself, and he went on froward in the way of his own heart. " If this could have hindered, Judah should never have received mercy: but the text says, "I have seen his ways and will heal him." Jeremiah 3:1, "You have played the harlot with many lovers, yet return again unto me, says the Lord." So then, there is no time past, if a man has but a heart to return. There is no limitation of the riches of God's free grace, except the sin against the Holy Spirit, therefore says Christ in Revelation 3:20, "I stand at the door and knock." though he cry until he be hoarse, and stand until he be weary, yet he stands still: if any adulterous or deceitful wretch open, the Lord will come in, and bring store of comfort to him, and sup with him.

Objection: "Oh, all that is true, " says the poor soul, "had I but a heart to mourn for my baseness. See my sins I do, but this is my misery, I cannot be burdened with them, I have a heart that cannot break and mourn for dishonoring God, and offending him so many ways."

Answer: This hurts not either, provided that your heart be weary of itself, because it cannot be weary of sin. Micah 7:18, "The Lord shows mercy, because he will shew mercy": it is not because you can please him, but because mercy pleases him. When did the Lord shew mercy to Paul? I say, when, but even when Paul did express most malice against him? Acts 9:4: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" He persecutes Christ., and yet Christ pities him, and shews him mercy. And so the churlish jailer, when he was most opposite against the means of grace, the Lord even then shewed most compassion upon him. He that before resisted the means of grace, was now brought home by those means that before he resisted.

Objection: "But woe to me, " says the poor soul, "you are now come to the quick, this very word is like a millstone about my neck, and I in the sea, ready to be sunk for ever. This is the depth of that baseness that lies on me, even this, that all the means can do no better upon me. Why, what though Paul and the jailer were bad enough, so bad as you say? Yet they were made better by the means: but this is my hopeless condition, that the means of grace prevail nothing on me. Oh, is there such an heart in hell as I have? For how bad must it needs be, when all the means in the world can do it no more good! And now, I think I feel my heart more hard and inexorable under all God's ordinances, than when at first I believed. My condition therefore is most certainly hopeless, seeing the means that should soften me, do but harden me, and make me worse."

Answer: This is the last plea whereby the devil keeps in, and possesses the heart of a poor heartless (discouraged) sinner. But let me answer you, and I say: this hurts not either: for here at least you may have hope of mercy! And here observe three things by way of answer, and know that,

a. The word and means of grace do work good, if they make you more sensible of your hardness and deadness. Though haply they work not that good, and after that manner that you desire, yet if they make you to see your baseness, your hardness of heart, and dullness of spirit, in regard of that body of death which hangs upon you, then the word and they work in the best manner, because it is after God's manner, howsoever not after your own. That physic works most kindly that makes the party sick before it works: so it is with the word. Before, you had a proud heart, and did therefore lift up yourself in your own abilities, and did trust in your own strength, and you thought that your care, and the improvement of the means, would work wonders. But now the word works sweetly, when it makes you apprehensive, that a wounded soul is the gift of God, not of man, nor of the means, when it makes you look up to God for it, and to prize it when you have it, and to wait upon God with your daily prayers, still to continue it so. To feel deadness is life, and to feel hardness is softness. Only remember this one caution, except there be some lust or distemper that your heart hankers after (for then the word will harden you, because you harden yourself), that one I say excepted, you are in a good way.

b. Mark this, I beseech you, you are the cause why your heart is not softened, and why the word works not upon your soul. The distemper of your own heart, hinders the working of the word, and dispensation of God's providence, and the tenor of the covenant of grace. You think to limit the holy one of Israel, but that may not be. For his covenant is a covenant of grace, and the Lord who is free will not stand bent to your bow, or give you grace when you will, for it is not for us to know the times and seasons. What if the Lord will not give you grace this year, nor the next, nor all your life? If at the last gasp he will drop in a little of his favour, it is more than be owes you. Therefore hear today, and wait tomorrow, and continue in so doing, because you know not when God may bless his own ordinances. Complain not of delays, but wait, for God has waited for you long, and therefore if he makes you wait for peace of conscience, and assurance of his love, he deals but equally with you, and as shall be best with you. God gives what, and when, and how he will, therefore wait for it.

c. Know and consider, that you have rested upon your own duties and endeavors, and so do not go to rely upon God, that blesses both the means, and all the endeavors of this way. The fault therefore is your own (I say), your own, because you rest in your own performances, and in the power of the means that you apprehend, and do not go to God, that would have wrought more than all they can. For, did a man depend upon God's power and mercy in his ordinances, he would always find some proportionable succor, as well when he finds no success, as when he finds any. God sometimes gives, and sometimes delays to give. But God's love is as constant when he gives not, as when he gives. Therefore labor to quit all carnal confidence in holy duties. Rest not in your own performances, but look beyond all duties to God in Christ, and desire him to give you the success above them.

Watch how your soul behaves itself after the naked discharge of a duty. All quiet and calm, notwithstanding he lives in a daily course and practice of sin, so that he prays and lies, fasts and cozens (cheats), and yet this makes all whole; I tell you it is an undoubted argument, that the soul did place a carnal confidence in his own performances, and as yet never attained to a Lord Christ in the duty. For he that seeks a Saviour in his duties, and rests not in self-performances, this man brings a Saviour, a Christ into his soul. And mark what follows, Christ brings pardoning virtue, and purging virtue with him, and gives him more power against corruptions, and more suspicion over his own soul than ever he had before. So that the soul begins to quarrel with itself and lies down with shame, and says, what shall I think of my praying and hearing? Where is the virtue and power of it? Did ever Christ hear my prayers, or come into my soul by his ordinances? Where is the purging virtue then, to clear me of my sins? Where is the purifying virtue to cleanse me of my corruptions? This is a ground of a gracious heart, that places not any confidence in holy duties, but only in the Lord Christ.

Do not content yourselves in this, that you see a need of a Saviour, because your minds are enlightened therein, and your reason persuaded thereof, when in the mean time you place a kind of confidence in the duty performed and service discharged, and think thereby to bring Christ at your beck, and you in the mean while do what you please. This is a wonderful cunning craft of Satan. This I say then, a man may see a need of a Saviour, but do not quiet your soul because you know it must be so, and because you find by experience you can not help yourself, the guilt of sin still sticks upon you, and therefore a Saviour now must help you. I say content not yourself with the mere notion of it, to say, "I see it should be so, and it must be so, " and rest yourself contented in the performance of services, and think to bring a Saviour at your beck, to do what you will for your soul: this is a slight that Satan has pinned to your soul. Many think to have a sovereign authority over Christ, when they have performed duties, so that the man does not use the means to be led to Christ, but he takes up his duties to be commanders of Christ, and that he may dispose of Christ for his own turn, so that he makes Christ an abettor of his own wickedness, not a subduer of his corruptions. This is a marvelous deceit, when men rest in their own abilities, and so abuse Christ. And this will appear in these particulars:

First, watch how your heart is in the performance of duty. Does your prayer, and hearings, and performing of services, make you venturous and fool-hardy to meddle with corruptions? Then it is a certain ground you place carnal confidence in your own performances. As for example: if a professor should say, "what if I do now and then sin? And what if I do now and then pilfer, and use false weights and measures? I'll but pray so much the more, and fast so much the oftener. Will not my conscience then be satisfied? It shall be satisfied, I will command it; I will put in bail for my sin, and pray against it." Now I beseech you observe it, this praying and performing of duties, is merely to command a Saviour to give allowance to sin, that so he may commit it freely. As who would say, "I have authority over my Saviour, and he shall pardon my sin, and give me allowance to commit sin." Oh the wretched villainy that is in this man's heart! Fearful is your estate, whosoever you are, that makest your performances an abettor of your distempers, so that you do your duties not to convey Christ, that he may help thee to prevent sin, but that Christ may take off the venom and indignation of sin, that so you may commit wickedness without either suspicion or further distraction.

Many a man makes his services his saviours (he trusts in his works to save him and give him assurance) for, he makes them the bottom to bear up his conscience. The ground whereof is this: haply he finds and feels by woeful experience what the fruits of sin are; he sees the venom of his corruptions, and the lamentable effects of all his sinful practices. He thought it before a fine thing to swear, and lie, and drink, and follow base company, but now they are gravel to his heart, and gall to his soul. His conscience flies in his face, and he is ready to sink down to hell under the burden of his mis-ordered life. Conscience says, "these be your sins, and these will be your damnation; they have been your delight, but they will prove your shame and confusion in the end, and shortly you shall find the smart of them: to hell therefore, be packing, and gone."

Now this man has no other cure for his conscience in such a case, but this, he entreats conscience to be quiet. He confesses he has lived in base courses, and his condition to be very miserable, but now he will reform all. He has neglected prayer heretofore, but now he will pray. He has hated God's servants, but now he will love them. His ways have been exceeding evil, but now he will reform them, and now he will turn over a new leaf. This he says, and this he thinks will serve his turn. And thus many poor souls use the means as mediators, and so fall short of Christ. But a gracious heart does not only pray, and hear, and receive, and use all possible means to obtain Christ, but is restless and unsatisfied until he enjoy and possess Christ in the means. He rests not upon the bare performance of any duty, neither thinks by virtue of any such his endeavors to get into Christ.

I will express this particular more fully in this manner. A rich usurer that is sick of some disease, tell him such a physician can cure him but he stands upon state, and will not come without a great deal of charge. "Charge," says he, "I do not stand upon that, I have money enough by me, enough to fetch him here." Such a man now places all his confidence in his money. So when the soul sees the guilt of sin is not removed, and that conscience is still snarling, and that, the law condemning him, Christ is the only Saviour, and he only that can satisfy and cure all. But now, how shall Christ be procured? Why, his prayer, and fasting, and performances, may command so much, and that by the power and merit of the work done. The voice of a Pharisee, and proper language of a Papist (Roman Catholic). But what promise is there for it? Within the book, none. But thus fools rest on their own performances, and so fall short of Christ and salvation.

Objection: "But oh!" says a poor sinner, fain would I go out of myself. I see too well now, that I have rested, and do rest upon duties done, but I cannot deny myself as I would."

Answer: I answer, it is Satan's subtlety to keep us in ourselves, by endeavoring thus to make us go out of ourselves. For by our own strength he would have us to do it, and persuades us we may. But this is a marvelous deepness of his, wherein he shows both malice and cunning in the superlative. For here he makes us believe (and we, out of ignorance are persuaded as he would have us) that we have the staff in our own hands, that is, the power to get out of ourselves. But is it so? Oh no! It is a supernatural work to be quite out of ourselves. The same hand must bring us out of ourselves, that must bring us to Christ. And this is self-denial. And self-denial is, when the soul knows it has nothing, and therefore is so overpowered with the mighty hand of God, and the work of His Spirit, that it does not so much as expect any power or ability from itself, or from the creature, in the doing of any good. For it knows it is dead, and therefore cannot help itself, much less can the creature do it any good. It therefore looks up to heaven, and seeks all sufficiency from God alone. For observe, while I thus think that I have ability to go out of myself, do I not then say, I have a principle within me to deny myself? But it is not so, rather it is quite contrary. For to deny a man's self, is to know he has no power in himself to do any spiritual duty. Therefore we must look only to the voice that calls us, the voice of Christ, and know that he that calls us from the ways of darkness, and out of ourselves, must and will bring us out. Therefore expect only power from Christ to pluck you out of yourself, and to make you a believer, for the same hand must do both, or it will never be.

I would not have a poor creature think in way about himself: "If this means, and these ordinances will do me no good, nor work upon my heart, I shall never have comfort." But speak in this way unto God, and say, "in truth, Lord, I expect no power from myself, nor from the means, but my resolution is, to look up to Him that has hid his face yet from His poor servant. I will not look any lower, as here within myself, for any such power: no, Lord, but to the highest in power and gifts. Nor will I look to the minister, or to the means, but I will wait upon you, Oh Lord, and look up to your power, to work by your own means." Remember what the prophet says: Isaiah 50:10, "Who is among you that fears the Lord, and obeys the voice of his servant, that walks in darkness, and has no light, let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay himself upon his God." Then when all other things in the world fail, let the soul look up to the Lord, and get away from itself. For then is the fittest time of all to meet with God. I would have a Christian choose this time above all times, the fittest wherein to meet his Saviour, and to disappoint Satan. For as I said, it is the last refuse that the devil has; and if he miss of this, his force is gone forever. For otherwise the sinner, partly seeing the beauty of grace, will not; and partly seeing the baseness of his own heart, will not dare to come to Christ.

B. But the next complaint, is, absence of sense and feeling, such as a Christian must have, and finds not. Therefore the distressed soul says, "Alas! I never knew what it was to have the assurance of God's love, I never received any evidence of God's favour, and can I then think that I have faith? They that believe, have their hearts filled with joy unspeakable and glorious, the word says as much: but I am a stranger to this joy, how then can I think that I have any work of faith wrought in me??

I answer: this does not hinder, either that you have not faith, or that you may not come to God in Christ by believing. Only remember these three particulars:

1. First, you must not think to have this joy and refreshing before you go to the promise. You must look for it when you have chewed and fed upon it. Or would you have the Lord give you the whole bargain at once, and before the match be made? This joy is a fruit that proceeds from faith after much wrestling, and does not presently flow from faith, not so soon as ever a Christian begins to believe, but after a time, and then the heart is joyous, but never filled with joy before believing. Afterwards, and when a man has had the sweet dew of the promises dropping upon him, but many a day after, let him look for this joy.

2. Secondly, know that these joys, and this sense and feeling may be absent from faith. For a man may have a good faith, and yet lack the relish and sweetness which he longs after. One may lack what he desires, and yet lack neither life nor heat. A tree may lack leaves and fruit, and yet lack neither sap nor moisture. And a man's faith may be somewhat strong, when his feeling is nothing at all. David was justified and sanctified, and yet lacked this joy. And Job trusted upon God when he had but little feeling, as when he says, "you make me a butt to shoot at, yet I will trust in Thee though you kill me." Therefore build not your comfort upon sense and feeling, which is to build upon the sand, but go to the promise, as to the rock, for it.

Question: But how comes this desire after Christ?

Answer: I answer: there are no more but two affections in the soul to absent good, God infinitely wise having so framed it, and these two are hope and desire. The understanding says, such a thing is profitable and comfortable if I had it. Then hope is sent out to wait for that goodness. And if it comes not, then desire is sent out to meet that goodness. Hope stands and waits for it, but desire wanders up and down seeking and inquiring after a Lord Jesus, and goes from coast to coast, from east to west "Oh that I could, Oh that I might, and when shall I? And how may I come to the speech of a Lord Christ?" As it was with the spouse in the Canticles (Song of Solomon), when her beloved was gone, she wandered up and down seeking him, and inquiring of the watchmen if they did not see him whom her soul loved so she wanders from this thing to that, from this place to that place, and never ceases to seek and see if she can gain notice of Christ. It goes to prayer to see if that will entreat a Christ. It goes to the word, to see if that will reveal a Christ. It goes to conference, to see if it can hear of Christ there. Then it comes to the congregation, and to the sacrament, to see if it can hear of any news of a Lord Christ, and of mercy. (Desire will cause a person to seek Christ in the means of grace that God has provided--prayer, the Bible, pastors and teachers, church worship, the ordinance of the Lord?s Supper).

The soul thus continues wandering and seeking, until at last the Lord Christ comes into the soul, when the soul has thus hungered and longed for him. At length the Lord Christ is pleased to show himself: "Behold, the King comes", so the soul says, "Behold the Lamb of God, that takes away your sins." Oh you poor broken-hearted sinner, here is your Saviour; he is come down from heaven to speak peace to your soul in the pardon of your sins. You that hunger for a Christ, here he is to satisfy you. You that thirst after Christ, here he is to refresh you. You that have long sought him, he says, "here I am, and all my merits are yours."

Now when the Lord Jesus is pleased to present himself to the soul, desire has met with the Lord.

It is in this case with a sinner, as it is with a traitor who is pursued, and takes a strong hold, and is there besieged. And now he sees no hope of favour, nor hope of escape. Therefore be is content to submit, and lay his head on the block, that he may receive punishment for his offense. Now coming to execution, he hears an inkling from the messenger there is yet hope be may be pardoned. The poor traitor in the prison, with that is stirred up to hope. Nay, then he hears by another messenger from the king himself, if he will come to the court, and seek to his majesty, and importune his grace for mercy and favour, it is likely he shall be pardoned. Then he hurries, and desire carries him to the court to sue for favour from the king. So that now he will be listening and inquiring of every one there, "Did you hear the king speak nothing of me? How stands the king's mind towards me? Pray how goes my case? " Then some tell him, "the truth is, the king hears you are humbled, and that you are sorry for what you have done." At last the king looks out of the window, and sees the malefactor, and says, "Is this the traitor?" One says, "Yes, if it please your highness, this is the man that is humbled and pleads for mercy, and desires nothing so much as favour." Upon this, the king being full of mercy, tells him, "the truth is, his pardon is drawing, and coming towards him." With that his heart leaps, and is enlarged towards his majesty, and he says, "God bless your majesty, never was there so favorable a prince to so poor a traitor." His heart leaps for joy, because his pardon is coming towards him. Haply it is not sealed yet: now when it is sealed, and all done, the king calls him in, and delivers it.

So it is with a poor sinner, he is the malefactor (criminal). You that have committed high treason, you think not of it; but take heed, God will pursue you one day. Haply God lets you alone for the present, but he will surprise you suddenly, and conscience will pluck you by the throat, and carry you down to hell. And now the Lord pursues him with a heavy stroke and indignation, and lets fly at his face, and sets conscience at work as a pursuivant (attendant), and that says, "these are your sins, and to hell you must go, God hath sent me to execute your soul." Now the poor soul sees he can no way escape from the Lord, and to purchase any favour he sees it impossible, therefore he is resolved to lie down at God's feet, and hope. Now hope is a faculty of the soul to look out for mercy. As a man that is in expectation of the coming of his friend, goes to the top of a bill, looks round about him, to see if he can understand any thing of his friend, so the soul hopes and waits, and stretches itself out for mercy. "When will it be, Lord? When will this pardon come? " The soul gets up and stands as it were a tip-toe, "Oh when will it come, Oh Lord? "

Question: How does God stir up the heart to hope? It is worth the while to consider how this is maintained.

Answer one: The Lord sweetly calms the heart, and persuades it that his sins are pardonable, and that the good he wants may be supplied, this is a great support to the soul. Hope is always expectation of a good to come. Now when a poor sinner sees his sins, the number of them, the nature of them, the vileness of them, the cursedness of his soul, that he can take no rest, he sees no rest in the creature, nor in himself. Though he pray all day, yet he cannot get the pardon of one sin. The soul is out of any expectation of pardon, or power of mercy in any thing he has or does. Though all means, all helps, though all men and angels should join together, yet they cannot pardon one sin of his. Now the Lord lifts up his voice, and says from heaven, "Your sins are pardonable." Oh the infiniteness of God's power! Though the guilt of sin is powerful to condemn the soul. But when the infinite power of the Lord is considered, as able to overpower all his sins, this lifts up the heart in some expectation that the Lord will show mercy to a man, though it is a hard thing to hope, when the soul is thus troubled. "Can this heart be broken? Can these sins be pardoned? Can this soul be saved? " Now comes in the power of God: God can pardon them. Never measure the power of God by that shallow conceit of yours. All things are possible to God, though not to men. And as it is said of Abraham, he hoped above hope; he looked to the Lord that was able to do what he had promised: he considered not that he had a dead body, but that he had a living God to hope on. Justice cannot be so severe to revenge you, as mercy is gracious to do good unto you. If your sins be never so many, God's justice never so great, yet mercy is above all your sins, above all your rebellions. This may support your soul.

So here you have the first ground to stir up hope, your sins are pardonable. There is more power in God to show mercy to you, than power in sin to destroy you.

The Lord Jesus Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost. It was the scope of his coming. Now says the broken and humble sinner, "I am lost. Did Christ come to save sinners? Then Christ must fail of his end, or I of my comfort. God says, come to me all ye that are weary and heavy laden: I am weary; unless the Lord intended good to me, why did he invite me, and bid me come? Surely he means to show mercy to me."

Oh take heed of despair. Question your estate; you may; you must; but to cast away all hope is very heinous in the eyes of the Lord. Cast away all carnal confidence you must, and yet you must hope. "Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption" (Ps. 130:7).

The Lord takes this very ill at our hands, You go to the deep dungeon of your corruption, and there you say "these sins can never be pardoned: I am still proud, and more stubborn: this distress God sees not, God succors not, his hand cannot reach, his mercy cannot save." Now mark what the prophet says to such a perplexed soul, Isaiah 40:27, "Why sayest you, my way is hid from the Lord!" The Lord says, "why do you say so? The young men shall faint and be weary, but they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength." Is any thing too hard for the Lord? You wrong God exceedingly: You think it is matter of humility, to count yourself so vile. Can God pardon such a wretch's sin as mine? Mark that place of the Psalmist, they spake against the Lord, "can the Lord prepare a table in the wilderness?" (Ps. 78:19). They spake not against themselves, but against the Lord. So we speak against God, and charge God himself. "It is true, " says the soul, "Manasseh was pardoned, Paul was converted, God's saints have been received to mercy, but can my sin be pardoned? Can my soul be quickened? No, no, my sins are greater than can be pardoned," says the despairing soul. Consider how injurious this is to God, to make the power of sin greater to condemn you, than the power of God to save you, to make the power of Satan stronger to ruin you than the power of God to relieve you and succor you. And what can you say more? And what can you do more against the Lord? Is not this to make God an underling to Satan and to sin? This is just as to say, "the Almightiness of God is weaker than the weakness of sin, the sufficiency of God is weaker than the malice of Satan." It is so, poor humble sinners many times will make bitter complaints this way, and they think they speak against themselves. No, no, they speak against the Lord. They spake against the Lord, when they said, "can the Lord prepare a table in the wilderness?" So you speak in this desperate manner: "why truth, Lord, this proud heart will never be humbled if any thing would have wrought, it would have been done before this day. How many sermons, how many mercies, how many judgments, how many prayers? And yet this proud heart, this stubborn heart will not be reformed." You think you speak against yourselves now; no, no, you speak against the Lord. And know, this is one of the greatest sins you commit, to say your sins cannot be forgiven.

Answer two: As this sin is injurious to God, so it is dangerous to your own soul. It is that which removes the bridge, and cuts off all passages, and there can no spiritual comfort or consolation come into the soul of a poor sinner, Luke 3:5,6, "Every valley (or ditch) shall be filled, and then all flesh shall see the salvation of the Lord." What are these ditches? Why nothing else but those deep gulfs and ditches of despair: and unless they be filled, no man can see the Lord Jesus Christ. The truth is, this despair of the soul is that which cuts the sinews of man's comfort, and takes off the power and edge of all the means of grace, daunts all a man's endeavors, nay, it plucks up endeavors by the very roots; for that which a man despairs of, he will never labor after. It is here, as with a man in the pangs of death; unto such a man, as all things are unavailable for his good, his bed will not ease him, meat will not refresh him, chafing will not revive him, at last we say he is gone, he is a dead man. Friends leave him, physicians leave him. They may go and pray for him, and mourn for him, but they cannot recover him. So this despair of soul makes a man cast off all hope, and lie down in a forlorn condition, expecting no good to come. "Alas," says the poor soul, "what skills for a man to pray? What profits it a man to read? What benefit in all the means of grace? The truth is that the stone is rolled upon me, and my condemnation is sealed forever, and therefore I will never look after Christ, grace and salvation any more." Let him come to hear the word, and mark how he casts off the benefit of it. It was marvelous, seasonable and profitable, it was the good word of God unto such as have share therein: why then may not you expect benefit therefrom? "No" says the soul, "the time of grace is past, the day is gone." If ministers would pray for him, and good people pray for him, he bids them save their labor, for hell is his portion, and his condemnation is sealed in heaven. See now and consider what desperate danger despair brings to a poor heart, and carries him beyond the reach of mercy. That's a sweet passage of David's, Psalm 77:7, "Will the Lord cast off forever? I said this is my infirmity." The word in the original, this is my sickness, as who shall say, "this would be my death; what, is mercy gone for ever? then my life is gone, then is all my comfort gone, my hope gone." Therefore take heed of this, it takes off the edge of all our endeavors and God's ordinances that might do us good.

Answer three: This marvelously condemns that great sin of presumption, a sin more frequent, and if it be possible, more dangerous, the presumption of carnal hypocrites that bolster themselves up with marvelous boldness in their course. It is as true here, and I beseech you observe it, as they said, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands"; despair has slain his thousands, but presumption his ten thousands, that men may swear, and lie and cozen (cheat), and break all commands, and yet hope to be saved. They hope grace will save them, and yet resist grace. They hope Jesus Christ will save them, and yet oppose Christ. This is that which has slain many thousands among us, and they are few that have not split upon this rock. And therefore I say, this serves to reprove the baseness of such hypocrites as boast themselves, and compare their hopes with the hopes of the saints. "It is. true, " say they, "I cannot walk so freely, I cannot repeat a sermon, I have not those parts that they have, yet I hope to be saved as well as they." This is that which has slain so many thousands of souls that are now roaring in hell they may thank presumption for it.

Now this hope is not the hope of the saints. The hope of the saints is a grounded hope, but these hopes hang upon some idle pleas and foolish pretenses, and some carnal reasons. But I tell you they will fall, and sink into the bottomless pit before they are aware. It is the command and counsel of Peter, that every man should be ready to give an account of his faith and hope that is in him (1 Peter 3:15). Look to the reasons that carry you, and to the arguments that persuade you, see they be not groundless and foolish hopes. You hope to be saved, and you hope to go to heaven, and you hope to see the face of God with comfort. Look about, I say, good hope has good reason, grounded hope grounded reason.

Answer four: The saints of God many times are deprived of comfort, not because God withholds it, but because they put it from themselves, and will not have it, though he offered it, as David in Psalm 77:2, "My soul refused to be comforted." He was a sullen child that will not eat his milk, because he cannot have it in the golden dish. So sometimes, and because God does not for us what we would, we will have nothing at all. These are the main hindrances, and I might add many more, for carnal reason is very fruitful this way and we through our own folly, and the devil's craft, are apt to abuse things, and to make them hindrances in our way to happiness eternal.

CHAPTER II

Helps to come to Christ

I come now to the cures of all these impediments, where, if we had the wisdom and care we should have, we might break through them all to Christ. The means especially are four, whereby we may be inwardly strengthened against them all, and be at last able to overcome, and put them to foil for ever.

I. The first cure and help is this, we must not look too long, nor pore (dwell) too much, or unwarrantably upon our own corruptions within, so far as to be disheartened by them from coming to the riches of God's grace. For this is a sure and everlasting truth, that whatsoever sight of sin unfits a man for mercy, when he may take it, and it is offered, that sight of sin is ever sinful, though it have never so fair an outside of sorrow and deep humiliation. Namely, as when we think, and say (as often we do), had I a soul so thoroughly humbled, and bruised, and softened, and so forth, I could do well enough. And thus the devil keeps us in sin by poring too long and much upon our sins, as thinking thereby to get from them. But such a course is a sinful course. Tell not me of sorrow, and repentance, and humiliation; all that sorrow, and humiliation, and repentance is naught, that keeps a man from receiving mercy when there is need and it is offered. See this in Abraham, he had this promise, that he should have a son in his old age; and in Romans 4:19, "He being not weak in faith, regarded not his old age or deadness, nor the barrenness of Sarah's womb, but believed in him who had promised it." There he rests, and there he stays, he saw his body was dead, yet there was a living promise and what if Sarah's womb was barren, yet the promise was fruitful. He knew his own deadness and her barrenness, but he stood not long there. As Abraham, therefore, so we may see our sins, and consider our many weaknesses, but must not so settle upon them, or consider of them so as to be hindered by them from coming to God for mercy, which he freely offers us, and we stand in need of. For, while the soul of a man is daily plodding upon his own misery and distempered life, these two things follow:

A. We stop the stream of God's promise, and let down the sluice against it, so that the promise cannot enter into us.

B. We set open the stream and flood-gate of corruption, and make it to run most violently down, and to flood in upon us; and in the end to overwhelm us. Now the inconvenience arising hereby, is enough to flay the best Christian in the world, for what can a man get out of his corruption? He can have no more thereof than is to be had, and it is in vain to look for comfort where it is not to be had. All this, and the least of all this, may dishearten us, but will not encourage us or put heart into us. See the humility and wisdom of the woman of Canaan in Matthew 15:17. She follows Christ, but he listens not to her, but gives her a rebuff, and calls her dog, and says, "you Gentiles are dogs, and the gospel of grace and salvation is the children's bread." Now if she had only considered the words of Christ, and only looked into herself and her own baseness, she had never come to have received either mercy or comfort from him. But she says, "truth Lord, I am a dog, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their master's table." This was her resolution. Wherein there are two things which express and set forth the frame of a gracious heart (that is, a true Christian): a heart that is truly wise to attend to its own baseness with faith; and that is first, her humility, and second, her wisdom. As if she had said, "you say I am a Gentile and a dog, I confess it." There is her humility. "Yet though I am a dog, I will not go out of doors, but lie under the table for mercy;" there is her wisdom. And thus she possessed, and so we must. And when our corruptions, as I said, flood in upon us, and we see ourselves quite lost, and damned in our sins, we must then say, "in truth Lord, I am as bad as your word can make me, yet let me not fly from mercy, but lie at the feet of my Savior?s mercy, until he look upon me as once upon Peter" (Luke 22:61).

It is fitting, and we ought to see our sins: but stay we must not too long there. See them we must, but not fasten on them, so as to shackle us from coming to Christ. I have said it, and will say it, that that sight of sin which does not drive a man to Christ for mercy, is ever sinful. Labor therefore to see your sins, and that thus:

First, see your sins in the royal law, as in the right glass, a glass that will present them such as they be, and look not off until you have seen them so.

Secondly, so see them, as that by such a holy gaze at them, you may see an utter insufficiency in yourself to satisfy for them.

Thirdly, and so see them, that you may by that sight behold an absolute necessity of Christ to succor you (to give you relief), and then away speedily to him who alone can help you, and dwell no longer on your sins, but go to the throne of grace, where is plentiful redemption, from where pardons are issued in abundance to remove that guilt that sin has brought upon your soul, and where is power enough to enable you to be more than conqueror over your corruption. Briefly, every soul should say thus: "it is true, Lord, my sins are many and great, for I have departed from you, the fountain of bliss, but shall I go on, and so further from you, and persist in evil? God forbid." All this while I speak to broken-hearted Christians. You profane ones, you have your portion already, and shall have more of it in hell hereafter, therefore for a while stand you by, and let the children come to their bread.

Isaiah 66:2, "The Lord looks to him that is of an humble and contrite heart, and that trembles at his word". A poor creature cannot but observe every word of God, and tremble at every truth, whose meditation is such as this: "here is salvation indeed but it is not mine, here is mercy, but I have no part in so great mercy and thus he shakes at every apprehension of every word of God, concluding certainly that he shall never enjoy any part of it. But mark what the text says, "the Lord looks at such a trembling soul," that is, he casts sweet intimations of his goodness and love into him, and says, "you poor trembling sinner, to you be it spoken, I have an eye toward you in the Lord Jesus Christ." Therefore he further says in Isaiah 40:2, "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, speak comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, and her iniquity is pardoned;" "tell Jerusalem she is accepted, tell her what my mind is."

And here he goes on, and says to his minister, "speak to the heart of such an humble penitent, and tell him from me, nay tell him from heaven, and tell him from the Lord Jesus Christ, and from under the hand of the Spirit, that his person is accepted, and his sins are all of them done away, and he himself shined upon in great mercy."

Here Ephraim is the picture of a soul truly humbled, in whose behavior we may see the behavior of a true penitent towards God, and God's dealing towards him. The text says in Jeremiah 31:18,19,20, "Surely I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself (there's the heart broken and thirsty) you have chastised me, and I was chastised, turn you me, and I shall be turned, you are the Lord my God. Surely after that I was turned, I repented, and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh, I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth." Thus the sinner, as if he should have said, "I am the wretch that have seen all the means of grace in an abundant measure, and yet never profited under the hand of any. The Lord has corrected me, but I would not be tamed, and he instructed me, but I would not learn. Lord turn me, you are my God. I have nothing in myself, nay, now I see the evils which before I never perceived, and I observe the baseness of my course, which before I considered not. Now I am ashamed of my abuse of grace so plainly revealed. I am even now confounded with the sense of those abominations my soul did formerly take pleasure in." This may be conceived to be the mourning of a poor and much broken sinner. And now mark God's answer: "Ephraim is my Son, he is a pleasant child, for since I spoke against him, I do earnestly remember him still, therefore my bowls are troubled for him. I will surely have mercy upon him." As much as to say, "I observed all those secret sighs, I considered all those tears, I heard all those prayers, and took notice of all those complaints, and my bowels even yearn towards this poor dejected sinner, an humble soul that seeks to me for mercy. The truth is, I will embrace him with my loving kindness." This describes the first help.

II. Now, the second means of cure is this, take heed of judging your estate by carnal reason without the rule (do not assess your condition by your emotions or reason, but by the Scriptures), which is commonly the fashion and fault of poor distressed spirits, who pass fearful sentence against themselves upon groundless arguments, and say, "I never found it, I feel no such thing, and I fear it is not so." But in this we hear but carnal pleas, coming out of Satan's forge, and by his help, from ourselves, against ourselves, for we judge ourselves by them. But, I say, take heed of this wile of Satan's, and make conscience of this as much as of any other fault, as much as of swearing, stealing, adultery, or murder, for it is as truly sin as those, though not so great, yet a far greater sin than you imagine. Consider this you humble-hearted Christian, for to you I speak. Therefore when upon these grounds you conclude that your case and estate is naught, see and consider against how many commandments you offend (When you doubt your salvation due to looking at your own weakness and absence of feelings, you sin in the following ways):

First, you dishonor God, and the work of his grace, by denying that which God has done for you. Also, and speak unreverently against him. Besides, you are a murderer, for that you wound your own soul. Further, you rob yourself of much comfort, and so are a thief. And you bare false witness against yourself, yea, against Christ, and the spirit of Christ, and the work of grace already wrought in you. Also you join with the devil against the Lord Jesus Christ. Are these no sins?

You will say, "I speak as I think." Yet that hinders not but that you bear false witness. As we see, if a man affirm such an one is a drunkard, and knows it not, this man bears false witness, because though the man be indeed a drunkard, yet it is more than he knows. So you say you have nothing, when you do but only fear it, and suspect it, and do not feel it. I speak this the rather, because of the sinful distemper that creeps in upon the hearts of many broken-hearted Christians, and so as that out of a self-willed road of carnal reason, and a vile haunt that they have gotten, their hearts are persuaded that they do well to do so, and that they can never be well except they do so.

But they that are such, mark what I say, when reason is plain against them, and plain Scripture evidences the contrary, do not so much attend what the minister says, as they stand and invent, how they may answer the minister, and so put away their own mercy. Therefore let the fear of God fall upon every poor soul that hears this, and let him know, that however be has taken or given leave to himself, or taken up the wasters, by taking up pleas against the truth, yet now he is to change the course, to go aside, and to mourn apart for his misprision: also to wonder that the Lord has not all this while taken away all the comforts of his grace, and all the motions of his Spirit from him. The prophet David prays the Lord to turn away his eyes from beholding vanity (Ps. 119:37). Now if God must do that, that is, turn away our eyes that they see not, much more must he turn away our hearts that they attend not on lying vanities. We must attend God and the voice of his Spirit, but to listen to carnal pleas, which we have no warrant to do, is to sin deeply, and to hurt our own soul both deeply and dangerously. No man would deal with a cheater. Carnal reason is a cheater, therefore we should not heed it, unless we would resolve to be cozened (cheated). And now if the danger of the sin cannot make us to do this, let the sorrow that will come of it, constrain us. The prophet says in Isaiah 50:11, "Behold, all you that kindle a fire, and that compass your?selves about with the sparks that ye have kindled, this shall ye have at my hand, ye shall lie down in sorrow. " These are the prophet's words, nay, God's by him. And now I will tell you what is meant by sparks, and what by fire. In the old law, as some of you know, there was heavenly fire kept continually upon the altar of the sanctuary, which shadowed out the will and wisdom of God in his word, and there was also strange fire, that is different sparkles of men's own imaginations and conceits. Concerning this, every poor creature carries his tinder-box about him, and is ever kindling of it. But such a fire much provoked God once, and so does still. So says the text, in which are two things. First, that the heart of man will naturally invent carnal reasons and pleas against itself, and be settled upon them as upon the dregs, of a vessel that is at bottom. Secondly, that the issue that follows is fearful, for it is said, "this shall ye have of mine hand, ye shall lie down in sorrow." Now then, when the Scriptures are clear, and reasons upon it evident, yet you will have your own devices and ways, thus much I must tell you, you shall lie down in sorrow at last, and you may thank yourselves for it. Away then with your tinder-boxes, abase yourselves before the throne of grace, and be at last wise to salvation so nigh.

"Ho, every one that thirsts," says God by his prophet, "come and buy without money, take of the well of the water of life freely, and live forever." Many a poor minister, while he preaches the good word of God, would fain leave his commodity behind him, while be says, "you must have it; and you shall have it; it is your portion; and belongs of right unto you." Thus we are fain even to force God's favour upon you. Hereupon we beseech you to believe, and we entreat you for the Lord Jesus' sake to receive mercy, and to humble your hearts.

Thus we deal with you in fatherly terms. But will you take so great and so good a commodity from us?

No, beloved, many sweet promises, and many admirable precious things of grace and salvation are revealed, but men are negligent to take for themselves. In this case our markets stand upon ourselves we pass not to lay out any thing here to benefit some carnal plea or other mars all. This argues plainly the small estimation that we have of Christ. But the poor hungry sinner, one that is apprehensive of his own weakness and feebleness, longs until the feast-day comes, that he may partake of these and such delicates. Oh! how carefully does he listen, and how diligently does he attend what the minister says? And if the word come home to his conscience, enlightening his heart, and reproving him of his ways: then he cries out, "Oh! I am in great trouble; good Lord comfort me. I am full of doubts; good Lord resolve me. I am ignorant in spiritual things; good Lord teach me. I have a proud, stout, stubborn heart; good Lord humble me." He was never better than now. Therefore take this for a general rule that a good heart is never better at ease, than when the word works most, and most bitingly. Contrarily, a wicked graceless person is never better than when the word works least, or never a whit upon him. But when he thinks the minister will come close to his sore and soul, he will not be at home that day, he will be sure to be out of the town, or not in place. He knows the word would awaken him, and affright him, and he cannot bear the blow, therefore he keeps away, and shuns the hearing of the word, when it should work to his reformation any way.

III. And now for a third help, let us be marvelously wary and watchful that we enter not into the lists of, and dispute with Satan, upon points which are beyond the reach of man, as thus to say "I am not elected, therefore God will not look upon me to do me any good. Or, it is a vain thin, for me to use the means of mercy, my time of mercy being out. Oh! the days of grace that I have seen, when the Lord knocked sweetly at my heart, and was pleased to reveal my sins unto me at such a time: but then, hard-hearted wretch that I was, I shut the door upon him, and now he is gone and past, and now there is no hope for the visit of grace, or that Christ should return again to show me any mercy." If the devil can have you here, all your comfort is gone, for upon this ground a man shall never receive rest to his soul, come what days will. And how can he? For if he cannot judge of, or know comfort, how shall I the minister, be able to give, or he, the heart, to take it?

And here look as it is with a poor traveling man, one that falls among thieves, who come and promise to carry him a nearer way, but bring him into a wood whither no passengers come, and there they do what they will unto him. So it is with a poor soul, when the devil gets him into these unwarranted disputes, as it were, large wildernesses of God's eternal counsel, where are no passengers, and therefore he cannot but be void of helps and succor, and so as that Satan may now exercise his full pleasure, and whole malice, by terrifying his poor desolate soul.

To avoid which straits, observe these three rules.

A. First, let the soul in this case bear upon the Almightiness of the power of God, who said to Abraham, "I am God all-sufficient" (Gen. 17:1). For if you be persuaded of the all-sufficiency of God, that assurance cannot but keep you slipping from. falling. And here remember that God can do more than you can think. He is able, and does you good, though you know it not. And further, consider that the soul cannot doubt of God's will but with that very doubt makes some question of his power. This for the first rule.

B. For the second: it bids check your own heart for meddling with God's secrets, and for prying so into his closet of hidden counsels. For no man should go beyond his bounds, and it appertains not to you to look into this ark of matters sealed up. "Secret things belong to God, but revealed things belong to us (Deuteronomy 29:29). And who has known the mind of God?" says Paul (1 Cor. 2:16). Mark this, you that will be climbing up the ladder of God's eternal predestination, and going up into the skies to know what God's secret mind is. Keep your stations wisely, for neither the devil, nor all the devils in hell, ever knew the mind of the Lord. When Jonah cried against Nineveh, saying, "within forty days all you, that is, all you drunkards, and adulterers, and murderers, and others, shall be destroyed", mark here how the king resolves: "Who can tell if the Lord will repent, and stay his fierce wrath that we perish not?" (Jonah 4:19). Therefore the devil tells you thus much, and says, "God has appointed a way to salvation, and you have had the means, and did not profit by them, therefore God will never show you mercy, nor give you grace." Thus the devil. But how can he tell that? Surely all the devils in hell cannot tell it. Say with yourself, "let me walk in that course which God has appointed and commanded, and do that which I ought, and then I may say, and with comfort say it, who knows but God may break the heart of a proud, rebellious, contrary sinner, such as mine is, and such as I am?" None verily but God knows whether or no.

C. Thirdly, therefore measure not the riches of God's love, and the sweetness of his saving grace according to your own conceits, nor do you think that because you cannot conceive it, therefore God will not do it, for the prophet says in Isaiah 55:7-9, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts," that is, all you wicked ones, and you that have lived lewdly, return from your wicked ways, and vain thoughts, and he will abundantly show mercy.

"But will the Lord pardon all my sins," says the poor doubting soul? "I cannot think it. If I myself were a God, I should never pass by such intolerable things as have been done by me."

Because you cannot, you think God cannot or will not. Yes, says the Lord, "I can abundantly pardon: for my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor my ways as your ways." A poor creature thinks his sins are unpardonable, and that he shall never get assurance of God's favour, or hope of his love. "But you are men," says the Lord, "and have finite thoughts, but I am a God, and in mercies infinite, when you think I will have no mercy."

"But were ever any such received to mercy as I" says the drooping soul. "And therefore why should I be the only man?"

To this I say: when Christ had wrought many strange miracles, the people said there were never any such things done in Israel. And therefore it is plain not to be doubted, that God can do things that never like were done: "He does great things past finding out, and wonders without number," says Job (Job 9:10). Therefore, judge not either God's power or love by your scantling (narrow views).

The best Christians are most suspicious of themselves, and none fuller of doubts and fears, than those that have least cause to fear or doubt that their estates are broken and bad. Therefore Satan makes it his chief work to grieve and terrify such. Besides, their own distrustful hearts are always ready to join issue with his false reports against them, raising false surmises against themselves, and putting mercy from them, as if they were hired by the devil to take his part in pleading against their own sure salvation. Therefore it is worth the time to hear what David says, "The Lord shall command his loving-kindness in the morning" (Psalm 42:8). It is a phrase taken from princes and great men, whose words are a law of command. For so God will send forth, as by a commandment, his loving-kindness to a truly humble Christian. As if it should be said, "go, love and everlasting mercy, take your commission; and I charge you go to that poor broken-hearted sinner, go to that poor, hungry and thirsty soul; go and prosper, and prevail, and stamp my love upon his heart, and there let it stand whether he will or not." Thus the Lord charges his loving-kindness to do good to poor sinners, and by his own Almightiness bears up the soul, when it is ready to sink under the weighty burden of its many transgressions.

"But what? Shall I have mercy? No, no," says the poor doubting heart. "Will the Lord Jesus accept me? No, surely. Could I pray so, and so, and had I these and those parts, and could I perform duties after this and that manner, then there were some hope, but all is contrary, and therefore woe and alas, there is no mercy for me."

But to answer this also, let me tell you, whoever you are, that God invites you in particular, as by name, and that all the sweetness in Christ, and in his precious promises appertain to your soul, and you have as great an interest in them as any servant of God in the world whatsoever.

"No, no," says the trembling soul, "I cannot believe that such a wretch as I, shall, or can go to heaven. It cannot be. Heaven shall rather fall than I come there." Thus the discouraged sinner knocks for mercy, and shuts the door against himself.

And now, when all carnal reasonings, and high soaring imaginations, as Paul calls them, have raised up strong holds against mercy and comfort, when the word cannot for the present settle peace in the unquiet soul, God is made at last to command his loving-kindness, and send it with a commission from heaven, and to say unto it charge you break open the doors of such a reluctant sinner, rend off that veil of ignorance that is before his eyes, silence all his doubts and fears. And when this is done, "I charge you go home to that broken soul, and cheer and refresh it with the sense of my sweet favour, and with the assurance of my love to fill it."

"While we were enemies," says the apostle, "Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8). And here the Lord sends from heaven to a poor miserable creature, and says, "commend my love, commend my mercy to such a distressed soul, and tell it, though it has been an enemy to me, yet I am a friend to it. Tell it, though it has been a traitor to me, I have been a good king to it. And tell it, that though it has been a rebel to me, I have yet been a loving God to it. Tell the man, whose heart that is, that his sins are pardoned, his person accepted, and that his soul shall be saved. Tell him his sighs and groans are not lost, and that his prayers are heard in heaven. Let him know that the Lord Jesus died for sinners when they were sinners. Make all this good to his soul, I charge you before you come back."

IV. The fourth cure is this: pass no heavy sentence against yourself but according to the evidence of the word. This is especially to be observed by a Christian above all in his proceedings with himself in bar of judgment. If you are to be approved, let the word of God do it; and let the same word examine you, if you come to be examined. If this word speak for you, no matter, though all men and angels speak against you, and if it condemn you, no matter who speaks for you: by it you rise or fall to your own master. What though some wrangling fellow step in, and will be determining causes (make accusations) before the judge comes, shall his word stand? No. Therefore a wise man will stay until the judge himself comes, and wait upon the judgment of his mouth. Deal you no otherwise with your own soul: put not the case to be tried by a company of peevish carnal reasons, but stay until the word, which is the judge, come, and judge yourself by that, and hold to that for your life, and the life of your soul. "The light is that which manifests all things," says the apostle (Eph. 4:13). His meaning is: the light of the word, and the evidence of God's truth, manifested to the souls of God's people, these properly are the judges. The other are but wrangling cases, not to be admitted. And here sense and feeling, grounded upon carnal matter, are like fogs and mists, which make a man that he cannot see his way, but upon clearing up his state and condition, it is open before him, and then it is manifest what it is. "Learn of me," says our Saviour, "and you shall find rest to your souls" (Matt. 11:29). And the Psalmist says, "I will inquire what the Lord will say." So you say, "I will not hearken what carnal reason will say, I will hear what God says. " The need of this, is the cause why we have so many distractions and disquiets, and why we are still in our doubtings, even because he that teaches, and can persuade us, is a deluder.

And hereof it is, that the poor soul says: "What, shall I have an interest in Christ? Shall I have a title to the promises? Nay, this belongs to those that are broken-hearted. Indeed if I had such power against corruption, such heavenly-mindedness, and this and that precious grace, there were some hope, but I am so full of weakness, and many times led captive by such a rebellious heart, that it is too apparent I never had saving grace; nay, I fear I never shall have it truly wrought in my soul."

This you say, poor soul: but who told you so? And where did you learn that religion? I am sure you never learned it of Christ. For who, or what word tells you, "if I have such a load of corruptions, I shall never have grace?" Not the word of Christ, I am sure. Wherefore I charge you hold to the truth of the word. "Learn of me," says Christ, and put not your case to be decided by carnal reason, and do not regard what it tells you. For if you take that way, and turn not back, you can never come to Christ, no way to him that way. Learn of the Lord Christ, for his word is faithful, and his promise sure, and there you shall find a tower of rest as strong as mount Zion. It is that word whereby we shall be judged at the last great day, when sense and feeling shall be cast over the bar for deceivers, and never come into court again.

And thus much of the four cures. It rests that I now propound four rules, by which a man may know how to order himself, and so to walk, that he may keep a strait course by the word, and not turn aside to the one hand, or to the other, from that guide of his way. And thus walking, he may get into his hands the evidences that can assure him of a rest perpetual, and establish his mind with perfect peace. For they work none iniquity, that walk in this way.

CHAPTER III

Rules to direct a Christian
How to use the Word of God
for his evidence, or assurance with peace

THE first of these rules teaches to use the word of God aright. For as you must in all things that concern your soul repair to the word, so you must consider your own uprightness by it, and see what work is in your soul that is able to answer the word, and to testify that the work of grace is there. And here be sure to take your soul at the best. Do not always pore (focus) upon the worst that is in it, nor upon your failings, nor that which can only accuse you, but if there be any thing there that may justly speak for you, neglect not that. It is an injustice for any court to hear one side and not another. The Scripture is a text of justice, and the Lord does not lie at catch with his children, but takes them at the best, as in Romans 4:22, it is therefore said that "Abraham believed the promise, and it was imputed to him for righteousness." Indeed, as in Genesis 12, he had some doubtings, but God took him at the best, and speaks this of his faith. So Sarah is spoken of as a gracious woman, and a pattern for women, by calling her husband lord, which was a sign of reverence to her husband, and an humble heart to the Lord. And yet we read that she derided the message of the Lord by the angel (Gen. 18:12). The Lord buries that, and only speaks of that which was to her commendation and so took her at her best too. Now as the Lord dealt with these, so should we with ourselves. Whatsoever is found sincere and upright in us, that should we observe, as well as that which is not so; nay, that rather and before the other. If a man should have his cause handled in any court of justice after this fashion, namely, that there should only be observed what is failing in the cause, and never that which makes for it, the best cause that is might go to the ground. Therefore the court will hear all read, every bond or bill that shall come in, and every matter of agreement, briefly, every thing. The cry will be, let all be read. Again, suppose a man have a bond or other instrument in court, and that the lawyer only does open and read the failings in it, and that which seems to make against the party. If the judge only hear that, how can it but go against that side? Therefore that party says, "good my Lord, hear all." Now when all is read, those defects are corrected, and the cause goes well, which had not been so, if that bond or deed, or other instrument had been read to halves, not thoroughly. So when men shall bring in so many and main indictments against themselves, and say, "Oh what pride and stubbornness is in my heart, Oh! how weak am I, and dull, and dead, and backward to holy duties, Oh! how careless of enjoying communion with God! How negligent in sifting and trying my own heart, in watching over my senses, and mourning in secret for my daily failings!" Though this were so, yet if men will see no more, and these too much, no marvel if they trouble their own house, or if Satan by their own words judge them. To such an one therefore I say, "all that you say may be true, but are you not troubled with these fallings? And are they not the greatest grief that your soul has?" "Yes," says the poor soul, "I confess my heart is vexed, and my soul grieved for them, and I could be content to be any thing that I could not be so." Now hear on this side, and take the best. For as it is with a man's hand and the staff, so it is here. I compare the promise to a staff, you know the back of a man's hand cannot take hold of the staff but the palm of his hand can. So turn the right side of your soul to the promise, and then you may take by it. We take not by it, because we turn the back side of our hearts to the promise: for then, the soul says, "Oh! My stubbornness is great, and mine inabilities grievous, and corruptions many." But this is the wrong side which will ever hinder you from taking hold of the promise. But turn to the right side, and then say, "my soul hates these, and my soul is right weary of them." Oh this is the right side, turn to that, and you are well.

Labor to have your conscience settled and established in that truth, which now out of the word you have gotten to bear witness of the work of grace in you. For if there be any want of the assurance of God's love, and if the evidence of the work of grace come not roundly in, but there be some guilt of sin still remaining, conscience will make new stirs and breed new broils, and continually move and unquiet (disquiet) the heart. Therefore as it is good to have our judgment informed by the word, when we see the good that is in us, so it is meet we should make conscience persuaded of it, so as conscience may speak for us, and all be made strait. Otherwise, as the debtor that is indebted to many creditors, if he agree not with all, or with all save one, that one may come upon him as well as all the rest, so for the poor distressed soul that lies at the mercy of the Lord, and is so deep in arrearages (debt) to the law, that he cannot wind out, if he labor not to still conscience, and what is else against him, in every point as well as in some, if he leave one undischarged, that one may set his conscience against him, as well as an hundred.

The want of this, is the cause why new suits and new bills are daily put in against us, only because conscience is not pacified, nor all quieted. And now take a poor sinner that has all his doubts and objections answered, come to him, and say, "Are all these all your doubts and objections?" He will say, "yes." "And are they all answered?" Here he will say, "yes, too." "And have you now any thing to say against that which has been made known unto you? " "No not now. " But say to him again, "did your conscience say to you, it is a sin to say you have no grace?" Here he demurs and stops, and says, "no, I dare not say so, but I rather say the contrary." And now mark what he says: "all the books are crossed, and all objections answered, and yet conscience puts in a new plea, because haply it was not satisfied to the full, and in every parcel of aberration."

And now come to him again, and say, "you are sometimes captivated by sin, are you not? And are you willing to be at God's free disposal, and that he should pluck away all your corruptions, as it were shackles from you?"

"Oh!" says the poor sinner, "I must yield to that." Then I affirm to your soul, that this is a work of true grace; here therefore let conscience, be fully satisfied. "But how satisfied?" In this way: cancel all self-accusations and this will quit all scores, and clear the heart, scattering all clouds that mist it. This will cast out all cavils (trivial objections), and all new bills against us: for if our consciences condemn us not, then we have boldness towards God (cf. 1 John 3:20,21). We must then stop the mouth of conscience, that is, be convinced, and agree, that it is a sin to say that God has not wrought this work of grace in the heart, when it is so clear he has. For though sense and feeling be gone, as it sometimes will be, yet conscience remembers the day and year when the sinner had a clear evidence of God's love, and therefore says, "Lord you know it, and you did say out of your word at such a time, that the heart of this poor soul was upright and sincere before you."

And here it should be with a poor sinner, as with a wise man, when he would make his lands sure unto him and his posterity by evidences and writing sealed. He is not content here only to have his evidences in his own keeping, but will have them enrolled in chancery (officially recorded), such a year, and such a day: that if he should lose his deeds, he might be sure where to find them. So it should be with the distressed soul; it should not only be willing to have all objections to the contrary of it answered, but it should further get them recorded in the court of conscience, as in chancery, that when sense and feeling are lost, yet it may readily go to that high court of conscience, and there find the day and year when God's love was made sure unto it.

We should strive and that mightily to have our hearts overpowered with the evidence that reason and conscience make good unto us, that so we may quietly receive, and calmly welcome it, yea, and yield and subject our hearts to the truth of it. But here we all stick and there are three things in the soul of a man, three, I say, that abet all these quarrels and oppositions against the evidences of the word in that man: 1. Reason objects. 2. Conscience accuses. 3. The will of man will not submit. And here we find by experience, that when a man has stifled conscience, and silenced all reasons to the contrary of his peace, yet such is the iron of the stubborn heart, that nothing can bar it, but still it maintains, and will, some gainsaying and some new quarrels against the truth and itself. Besides, it keeps on foot even that which has been ago answered, and let down: nay, that a man would think had been buried in a grave as deep as hell, never to rise again. Now in this case it is with a poor sinner as with a man that has a contentious adversary. Haply the cause that they two have in hand, has been tried in all courts of law, and at last comes to the chancery: and there it is concluded against the caviling adversary, as in the other courts. There all matters are as well stated and ordered as a man would wish, and as an honest man would grant. Yet will not this man, that is so contentious, be so concluded, or so yield, but will to the law again with a back suit, and then, and upon that old grudge, stake down all he has, and sell all to his shirt. His will he will have, whatever it cost him. Nor will he give over until the judge does come to take notice of him, and so to cast out his cause with himself, whom therefore he commits to prison, and says, "Sir, these matters were all of them long ago answered, and will you trouble us again, not with new matters but with old quarrels?"

Just so it is with the heart even of a gracious man sometimes, and one that is humbled in some measure, and could be content to yield to the commanding power of God's word, and to the witness of his own conscience: and therefore says, "my condition is better than I thought it was; yet there is an old proud, self-willed heart still in me, an heart that will not be quieted nor said unto, but still will be quarrelsome, and maintain the old exception." For though all reasons are well confuted, and conscience bears witness it is so, and the minister, as the judge under Christ, cast out the cause, yet observe it, the poor distressed sinner will keep the old road of objecting against himself, and though he has been answered fully, and to every point, not many hours before, yet he keeps old matters still fresh, and out of the salt, until they yield a foul scent to all that come within the hearing of them. And thus, even when a man would think he should not dare to come in court with such old cashiered stuff, yet that proud self-willed heart will be doing still, nor will yield or give over. Have we not just cause then to labor our hearts so far as to get them overpowered with the authority of the truth concerning whatsoever God reveals to them for their good? Oh therefore, poor soul, do not reject the evidence which God makes known, and passes upon you for your sure welfare eternally. Do not, because you have not that comfort that you desire to have, reject all, as if you would have none at all. So then the fault here is not properly because you can not, but because you will not receive the promise. And this is that that so racks and torments your spirit, this is that which breeds the quarrel so hard to be compounded. And hence it is, that when reason is satisfied, and conscience convinced, yet the soul is perplexed still. For put this question to it, and say unto it, are you persuaded that the Lord has done you this good, that he will show an everlasting mercy to your soul? And it will say, no, and that all the world shall not persuade it of that. "Ministers are merciful (will such a distempered soul say) and Christians are charitable, and loath to displease too much, or to discourage one in my case, or do to me as I should do to them. But did they know me indeed, they would never think thus of me. Certainly I shall never find it so. What? Have I grace? All the world shall never persuade me to it." Mark what I say: this is merely your pride and self-willedness, that will not receive that good which God is willing to give you. But repent, or this pride of your pettish heart will cost you dear one day; I wish it may not.

But some will say, "how can you make this pride? We are ever complaining of, and condemning ourselves, and can this be pride?" Yes, I say (and mark what I say), it is intolerable pride against the majesty of heaven. And this I make good by these two things. For,

1. For a man to follow his own conceits and self-willedness against the truth, the force of reason, and the witness of the servants of God, and his own conscience cannot but be pride.

2. And for a man, because he has not what he would, to be therefore off the hinges so as to throw away all God's kindness, and to deny the grace that is given him, and this because he cannot be conqueror as he desires, is not this pride? That measure of mercy which God has already shown to your soul, is incomprehensible, beyond man?s reach, and yet because you can not have what you would, you will have nothing at all. Just as if a man that has the law on his side, and his estate settled on him, should, because his evidences are not written in great golden letters, nor in the largest royal paper, throw all away. This is your case: for because you have not so much of grace, or with such a sweetness as you wish, you deny you have any. But have you no humility, because none to your mind, or not so much, or not in such a manner as you require? Oh pride, and pride in the highest degree!

These things considered, labor to bring your hearts more down in a holy subjection to God's measure and time. And think it your duty, as well to receive comfort when God offers it upon good terms, as to do any deity commanded. And know that it is as truly a sin, though of a higher size, to reject mercy when God offers it, as to kill a man, which God has forbidden. I say, not as much for I know there is difference in the degree. Therefore you, the saints of God, that have been thus pestered, and thus possessed to become your own enemies, remember, when your hearts thus begin to slide away, to take your hearts unto you, and not to give them the reins (feelings) at such desperate conclusions against God and conscience. Deal better with your souls, and say, "good Lord, this is the proud unyielding distemper of this vile heart of mine. For, what would I have? Is not God's word clear in this point, and my conscience satisfied? Do not the ministers of God affirm my state to be good? And shall I thus dishonor God, and slight them?"

But what says the poor soul to this? "Must I eat my own words? Must I say and unsay? Say I have grace, when before I said, I had none? "

Yes, and be thankful too to God that you may say so. Is it not better for you to cross your own flesh, than to cross God's Spirit? Take notice of this, and fear lest that proud and peevish soul of yours (which now refuses consolation when God offers it) be forced to fare as a man that eats his own flesh, and so to come upon her knees for comfort, and get none to her dying day. For though God will save you at last, yet meanwhile you shall have an hell upon earth before this be.

One would have thought it had been great humility in Peter to refuse to let Christ wash his feet; but it was no such matter. Indeed nothing less; therefore Christ takes him up round1y for it (which is indeed the only way to cure such a distemper as this); John 13, 8,9: "If I wash you not, you have no part in me." If you must have your own way, and humor yourself, and will not be persuaded, you may go down to hell in the mind. Peter might have paused here, and taken breath, but did not. His stout stomach quickly came down, and he presently said, "then, Lord, not only my feet, but my hands, and my head." It is the humility of a good heart, to take what God offers. Most Christians think they are humble-hearted, when yet they are so far proud, as to give way to this sullen disposition. Therefore labor to master this over-soaring heart of yours, with the authority of the word of God. And be sure to receive mercy while God offers it, lest he draw in, and take away the comfort of his Spirit from you, and make you go howling and roaring to your grave. Though he bring you to heaven in the end yet you may have an uncomfortable hell before you arrive there (you will suffer in this life).

The last rule is this: maintain the good work which your heart has submitted unto, and keep it as the best thing in your house, and of treasure the best under heaven. And then, when you have by it obtained certain evidence that your estate is good, hear nothing against it, but stick fast to it, as to your life. Regard nothing which is not in the word, to the contrary of that evidence of your salvation, that I mean which you have been persuaded of by the word of truth. And here, if Satan or carnal reason have any thing to say against you, let them bring Scripture, and then against you yield to it in the true sense, but without the word, hear nothing. See how it is with a man that is at law for lands, if he have his adversary on the hip, and have gotten some advantage against him, he will keep him there, and hold him to the point. So do you in a better case. For if a man will follow every wrangling lawyer at every impertinent quibble or out-leap, he must never look for an end of lawing. And it is the fashion of many attorneys, rather to breed quarrels, than to kill them in the conception. So in this case, he that will quarrel where he may resolve, shall never have done. And therefore hold to the main point. Deal with Satan as with a subtle adversary, that is full of wiles and fetches. It is the cunning of the enemy to lead you aside and he will have many vagaries, if you be in a good way, to bring you out; but be sure to hold to that truth which you have received from the evidence of the word, and the witness of conscience.

How the soul being tempted, may answer Satan's accusations

When a man has received some comfort, then the devil begins to play the lawyer, in this or the like manner:

Satan: "Do you not see. how weak and poor you are? how destitute of all saving grace, and how contrary you walk to God? "

Answer: "It is true, says the soul, yet it is as true, that, ?Whosoever confesses and forsakes his sin shall have mercy? (Prov. 28:13)."

Satan: "But do you not see that you are full of pride and weakness, and secretly unwilling to come to duties?"

Answer: "It is true I am so, yet I hate, and desire to forsake this way, and therefore shall find mercy, the word says so in Isaiah 55:7."

Satan: "But are you of God's counsel? Secret things belong to God."

Answer: "Indeed I know not what God's secret will is, yet that I know, that the word says, which is, he has no pleasure in the death of a sinner, but invites such daily to come unto him (Ezekiel 33:11)."

Satan: "But many cozen (deceive) themselves; mercy is as a black swan, a rare bird, and few obtain it. And why then may not you be cozened (deceived) as well as others?"

Answer: "But the Lord will not cozen me, and the Lord knows my heart, and the word knows what the Lord knows."

Satan: "But may not you be deceived in the letter of the word? The word is true indeed but how know you that you rightly apply it, and that the word and your heart suit together? "

Answer: "Why I desire as earnestly to have my sin purged, as I do to have it pardoned. I know my heart by the word, and to the word I repair (come), and the Lord knows that I hate all sin inwardly, and reform it outwardly, to my weak power, and therefore I know I shall find mercy. Show me a place of Scripture that says I do not rightly apply the word, and I believe it, but I will not believe you, for you are, as you wast from the beginning, a liar."

Thus hold to the word, and the devil will be tired, weary, and leave you. Keep here, for if he catches you wandering after sense and feeling, you are gone. The prophet says in Psalm 119:98, "Thou, through your commandments, have made me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me." Satan is wise by long experience, and the flesh, and carnal reason, and the world are wise too. But blessed be our God that makes every poor ignorant servant of his wiser than all these. But how? The word must ever be in your hands, and the meditation of it in your hearts. It must be always with you, and you must keep it with you daily. For that will make you to know not only what is amiss, but to get ground against corruption, and whatever else may hinder your peace with God and with yourselves.

Satan deals in this case with the soul, as the enemies in war. When Joshua defeated the men of Ai, he got them out of the city, and then they that lay in ambush went and took it, and burnt it with fire (Joshua 8:19). So the devil does. Our castle or city is the promises, the word and ordinances of God. Now if the devil can but get you out of this castle, he has you where he wants you. If you will look after every bird that flies, and listen after every word of carnal reason and temptation that comes, you are gone. If he can get you from the sure hold of the promise, he will entangle you in his snare of unbelief, and so prevail against you.

"Little children, if you abide in God's commandments, you abide in God," says the apostle" (1 John 2). As if he had said "children, your enemies are many, and great, and cunning, therefore keep at home, and within the walls of your sure hope, and then you are well, whatsoever weather is up." It is the fashion of parents, if their children run abroad and catch a blow, to tell them that they are well enough served, you might have kept at home when you had warning. So here.

The issue of the point is this: judge thy soul by the word, and look upon that sacred piece in the glass of itself, and here, let it bear witness for you. And what the word of God does evidence to you, in that you do maintain yourself, and hear nothing against it. This is the way to receive constant comfort, and the way to go on in your Christian course. Let quarrels, troubles, and temptations come, yet keep close within the doors, and rest yourself upon the riches of that grace that is in Christ Jesus. Then you may be forever comforted, and go singing to heaven, and cheerfully to your graves, though you meet with ever so many temptations and oppositions, crossing your way.

CHAPTER IV

Now follow some Means to obtain
An Interest in the Promises
and improve them for our benefit

IT rests that I show you some means, whereby a man may so improve his time, at last he may obtain this blessed estate of being glad in the Lord. The means are four. But before I begin with them, you must know that we may use the means, and yet find no means under heaven to do it, except God strike the stroke (God must bless our efforts). You must therefore wait upon God, and the Spirit of God in the use of the means for this matter, by believing rightly to your assurance. For, so the text says in Philippians 1:29, "To you it is given to believe": it must be given therefore, and "faith is the gift of God, " (Eph. 2:8). It is God then that must do it, who yet will not do it without us, being reasonable men and women in the power of willing. Again, the Lord affords us means, yet not to use them and give Him the slip. And here it is a good saying, let the Lord do what he will, and let us do what we should. We must not think when we have the means, that we can get faith presently, for as Paul says in Ephesians 1:20, "The same power that raised up Jesus from the dead, must make us able to believe," or else all the angels in heaven, and all the ministers on earth, and all the help that men and means can give us, will do us no good.

Now the means are of different kinds, such as hearing, and prayer, and sacraments, which are the conduit-pipes through which God communicates faith. But I let them pass, and fasten upon those which are needful for feeble Christians, to the bringing them into this blessed state of rightly believing. And these are such as follow:

I. Means. We must, as much as in us lies, labor to pull away all those carnal outward stays (human reasonings) that the soul leans upon, and all other like succors and whatsoever contentment it is, which a poor sinner does betake himself to, as to his refuge for relief and help, that when all these are taken from us, we may be forced to go for succor thither, where right succor is to be had. It is a thing natural to us all, even from our first parents, a desire to have the staff in our own hands, and to be able to supply ourselves of all necessities, without being indebted to others, or to any.

Now therefore, the way to make the soul to lean upon Christ, is, to pluck away all those deceiving props. The last thing we fly unto is the promise, which if we could find good anywhere else than in Christ, we would never go to him for it. God hears last of us, and therefore here we should do with ourselves, as the enemy does with a city besieged, when he would make the inhabitants, or those that keep it, to yield. The way he takes is to famish them, to cut off all provision, and stop all passages, so that none can come to relieve them, then they presently yield themselves to the mercy of the assailant. So it is with our nature. And seeing it is so that we are still trusting to our own strengths, and relying upon something of our own, the best way were to famish the heart by cutting off all the means and comforts whereby the same is succored, and quieted, but not rightly in Christ. For when the heart is thus famished, it will then seek out to a Saviour, and there betake itself, because there is no other thing or means otherwise to help it.

The poor woman in the gospel had spent all her goods upon the physicians (Matt. 5:26f), and if she had had but a little means left, yea, but one farthing-token (for any thing that I know, or does appear) she would never have gone to Christ. But when all these failed, then she was forced to seek to Christ, who was ready and willing, to do that for her, and more than she desired. Our souls must have something to bear upon, and they cannot subsist without some under-props. Hereupon therefore, when all our carnal hopes are taken from us, we stay, as we must, upon the promise, because we have nothing else to rest upon. Yet it is not required, though I thus speak, that a man should cast away all outward comforts, such as God affords him for the interim here. Oh no, but only this: that though he have much this way, yet that he labor to get his heart to see and acknowledge the insufficiency and nothingness of them all, until he have the superlative comfort, Christ, above all, and not to repose in them as some do, making them our whole contentment, and sole rest: for then they are but lying vanities, and broken staves which will not only cozen (cheat) us, but pierce us too, and that deeply.

And now when the soul sees that these things cannot succor it, but lay it in a worse case, a man will then be content to have his heart divorced from them. And here it is with the soul as it was with Noah's dove, when the ark began to rest upon the mountain of Ararat: Noah then sent out the dove, but the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot. No question there were many dead caresses to settle upon, but the dove found no rest, until she came to the ark again. So when a man finds no rest in any thing the creature affords, and can get no footing for the soul there to stay itself upon, then he betakes himself to Christ the ark, and goes home to the promise, and rests there and expects from thence what is needful for him. As therefore in the art of swimming, he that will swim, must pluck his feet from the bottom, and commit himself to the stream to bear him up: so in this our purpose to heaven, we must draw our hearts from these vain things below, and these from them, and though we have honor and preferments, yet we must put no confidence in them, but pluck our affections, as it were feet from them, and learn by our believing to commit ourselves wholly to the power of the promise, and thence to receive comfort, and permanent abiding.

Let not the gods of this world, then, such as honor, and profit, and pleasures, deceive you. Did the pride of Pharaoh's heart deliver him? Did the riches of the rich man in hell save him? Did Herod's applause that he had, do him any good? Did these gods secure them? No, have they not left them in the lurch? Therefore let us take our hearts off from these things, and in comparison to those of our better life, have a base esteem of them, and see so great a vanity and emptiness, and insufficiency in them all, that we may be forced to seek Christ, and say as David, "help Lord, for vain, is the help of man." Labor we further to see the hidden wiles of our own hearts, and to hunt out all those mazes, and turnings, and windings of our subtle souls: for here it is wonderful to see how the soul is ready to hang her comforts upon every hedge, and to shift and shirk in every by-corner for them. Now when you see your heart thus seeking comfort in vain helps, call it from them, and pluck them away, and up by the roots, and see the emptiness of them. Then will your heart be fit and ready to make out to Christ. And this for the first means.

II. Therefore when this is done, there is in some part, some way made for the promise to come into your soul, therefore labor you in the second place, to have your heart possessed thoroughly, and persuaded effectually of the fullness of that good which is in the promise, and of that satisfactory mercy and freeness of the grace that is in Christ, so that the soul may be established with that full content which is to be had in the riches of the promise. But mark what I say, let us persuade our hearts first, and not content ourselves that we are able to dispute somewhat fully of the excellency of the promise, and of those riches in it, through the free grace of God in Christ. For, what is it to purpose that the heart knows this, and knowing it, to be so fore-stalled, that it can never come to the promise? Therefore leave not your heart until it come to value the promise by that which the word speaks of it, in a true account. I say, leave not your heart, until you see the promise of grace most beautiful in your eye and that your heart may get some earnest touching the goodness of God, and the riches of his grace towards you by the same. And here bring your heart to know and see, that the promise is better than all the riches and honors that you can have, or the world can bestow, for so we read in Psalm 9:10, "They that know you, will trust in you; for you, Lord, have never failed them that seek you." If you know and will believe this, this kind of knowledge and persuasion cannot but breed confidence and resolution, and consequently quiet the heart. We dare trust a friend whose faithfulness we have tried, and we rest upon that which we know by the sure card of experience. The promises of God are all of them, as true as gospel. Seek from one end of the heaven to the other, turn all the Bible over, and see if ever any man leaned on the promise, and the Lord did not perform what he had promised for the good of his soul. "Except the Lord had been my delight, I should have perished in my trouble, (says David in Psalm 119: 992). "My flesh fails, and my heart also, but you are the strength of my heart, and my portion forever" (Psalm 73: 26).

But here lies a great matter, a work of marvelous difficulty and great necessity, and therefore, that your heart may sit down satisfied with the sufficiency of the promise, I will propound three rules how the promise may be improved and conduce to your singular benefit here and hereafter.

How to improve the Promises for our benefit

For the first of these, labor daily to present your soul a greater good in the promise, than you can see any where else. It is a man's skill, and it should be his endeavour, daily to look narrowly to his heart, and to see what it is that the heart desires most, and accordingly to present the greatest good unto it. And what may that be? Even that which has more of contentment in it, than anything else in the world. And here, we should deal with our hearts as men will with a corrupt justice, when they would have him to be on their side, there, the only way is to bribe him. But though it be sinful in that case, yet it is good to bribe, as it were, the corrupt heart with the goodness of the promise, that so the heart may cleave to it, and long after it. Do honors, or richer, or the applause of men, or any earthly pleasures offer you contentment and satisfaction? Then persuade your heart there is a greater worth in the promise, than can be had in all them. For here is an exceeding weight of glory: and he that has it shall be made a king, and shall have that glory that will never fade. Further, does your heart hanker after earthly joy and mirth? You shall find more joy in the promise, than in the cracking of these thorns. Does your heart hanker after riches? Tell your heart that there are unsearchable riches in Christ, and that through him we have a title to all the promises of this life and a better. We know that he that offers most for the bargain has it. Therefore we should observe the goings-out of our hearts, and what offers are made to give them the best content, and with such to present them. This the promise does, and this with a greater good in God, than in all things in the world beside. Therefore, "Oh the height, and depth, and length, and breadth of the love of Christ which passes knowledge!"

The consideration of so much, should not only work a longing after Christ and the promise, but fill our faces with shame and confusion, that ever we should set so light by sure riches of mercy, and walk unworthy of so great salvation. If we could comprehend the unmeasurable dimensions of God's love and goodness revealed in his word, Oh how would our hearts be inflamed towards him! When the sinner thinks thus with himself, "I that have done all that I could against so good a God, that my heart even bleeds to think of it, there was no name und