-- Tit. 10. Directions against sinful Despair and Doubting.
be always smarting, when you are always rubbing on it in your thoughts. Of this I spake more fully even now.
Tit. 10. Directions against sinful Despair, (and Doubting.) Despair is the contrary to hope. There is a despair that is a duty, and a despair that is a sin, and a despair that is indifferent, as being but of natural and not of moral kind. Despair is a duty, when it is contrary to the sinful hope before described: that is, 1. When we despair of any thing which God hath told us shall never come to pass: for we are bound to believe his word: as that all the world should be saved or converted, or that our bodies should not die and perish, and many such like. 2. It is a duty to despair of ever attaining a good end by means or upon terms, which God hath told us it shall never be attained by: and so it is a great duty for an unregenerate person to despair of ever being saved without regeneration, conversion and holiness: and to despair of ever being pardoned or saved, if he live after the flesh and have not the spirit of Christ, and repent not unfeignedly of his sin, and be not a new creature, and crucify not the flesh with its affections and lusts. Such a despair is one of the first things necessary to the conversion of a sinner, because the false hopes of being pardoned and saved without regeneration, is the present hindrance to be removed.
Despair is a sin, when it is contrary to any hope which God commandeth us: (so it be not only a negative despair, or bare not hoping, which in sleep and other times may be innocent, but a positive despair which concludeth against hope). As, 1. Particular despair of the benefit of some particular promise (as if Israel had despaired of deliverance from Egypt, or Abraham of a Son). 2.
General despair of the fulfilling of some general promise; as if we despaired of the resurrection, or the kingdom of Christ in glory. 3.
When by misapplication we despair of that parden and salvation to ourselves, which yet we believe shall be to others.
Yea, despair is sinful sometimes when it is not contrary to any promise or commanded hope: for if God have not revealed his will one way or other, it is no duty to expect the thing, and yet it is a sin to conclude positively that it will not be: for then we shall say more than we know, or than God hath revealed. If hope be taken for the comfort that ariseth in us from the apprehension of a mere possibility, then indeed it is a duty to hope for that good which is possible only: but if hope be taken for a confident expectation, then both such hope, and also the contrary despair would be a sin. We may (so) 'non-sperare' but not 'desperare.' Possibles must be taken but for possibles, yet still for such.
He that despaireth but of some common mercy which he should not despair of, 'ratione materiæ' committeth a sin of the smaller sort: he that despaireth of a great mercy to others (though not promised), committeth a greater sin 'ratione materiæ:' (as if you despair of the conversion of a bad child, or the continuance of the Gospel to the kingdom, &c.) But he that despaireth of his own pardon and salvation, sinneth more perilously 'ratione materiæ.'
The despairing of pardon and salvation upon a despair of the truth of the Gospel, or sufficiency of Christ, is damnable, and a certain mark of a wretched infidel, if it be predominant. But to believe all the Gospel to be true, and desire Christ and life as best, and yet to despair upon too bad thoughts of one's self, or through some other mistake, this is a sin of infirmity, consistent with grace, (anless the despair be so total and prevalent, as to make the sinner settledly cast off a godly life, and give up himself to a life of wickedness.) The
Scripture speaketh little of this humble sort of despair, and no where threateneth it as it doth infidelity.
The commonest despair (like Spira's) which cometh immediately from invincible predominant melancholy (though occasioned first by sin) is no otherwise sinful or dangerous, than the despair or the raving of a madman, or one in a doting fever is. It is the too humble despair, through personal misapplication, and particular mistakes, that I shall speak of in this place.
Direct. I. 'Take heed of being ignorant of, or misunderstanding the three great general grounds of faith and hope; that is, 1. The infinite goodness of God, and his unmeasurable love and mercy. 2. The relation of Christ's office to all, and the sufficiency of his ransom and sacrifice for all. 3. The universality of the promise, or the act of oblivion, or deed of gift of free pardon and salvation to all on condition of penitent belief and acceptance, which is procured and given by Christ, and contained in the Gospel.' If you mistake so about any one of these, as not to believe or understand them, or if you do not well consider and improve them, no wonder if you be left under continual doublings and liable to despair.
Direct. II. 'Understand well the true nature of the condition of this universal promise; how much it consisteth in the will or acceptance of Christ and life as offered by the Gospel; or in our hearty consent to the baptismal covenant, that God be our God and Father, our Saviour and Sanctifier: and that in God's account the will is the man, and he is a true believer and hath part in Christ that is truly willing of him to the ends of his office: and that he hath right to all the benefits of the covenant of grace, who doth heartily consent to it.' This is true faith: this is the condition of pardon; and on these terms Christ and life are given. This is the infallible evidence of a state of grace. If you know
not this, but look after something else as necessary which is separable from this, no wonder you are perplexed, and inclined to despair.
Direct. III. 'Understand the extent of this pardoning covenant as to the sins which it pardoneth: that it containeth the forgiveness of all sin without exception, to them that perform the condition of it (that is, to consenters). So that directly no sin is excepted but the nonperformance of the condition; but consequently, all sin is excepted and none at all forgiven by it, to them that do not perform the condition.' Every conditional grant doth expressly except nonperformance of the condition by the making of it to be the condition.
He that saith, All sin is forgiven to them that believe and repent, and no other, doth plainly import, that not believing and not repenting are not forgiven, while they continue; nor any other sin to such. But to penitent believers or consenters, all sin is pardoned. Which made the ancients say, that all sin is washed away in baptism, supposing the person baptized to be a meet subject, and to have the condition of the covenant which is by baptism sealed and delivered to him.
Direct. IV. 'Misunderstand not the excepted sin against the Holy Ghost; which is no other, than an aggravated non-performance and refusal of the condition of the covenant; viz. when infidels are so obstinate in their infidelity, that they will rather impute the miracles of the Holy Ghost to the devil, than they will be convinced by them that Christ is the true Messias or Saviour.' This is the true nature of the sin against the Holy Ghost, of which I have written the third part of my "Treatise of infidelity." So that no one hath the sin against the Holy Ghost that confesseth that Jesus is the Christ and Saviour; or that confesseth the miracles done by Christ and his apostles were done by the Holy Ghost, or that confesseth the Gospel is true; or that doth not justify his sin and infidelity. He must be a professed infidel
against confessed miracles that commits this sin. And yet many despair because they fear they have committed this sin, that never understood what it is, nor have any reason but bare fear, and some blasphemous temptations which they abhor, to make them imagine that this sin is theirs. But the truth is, in their fearing condition, if any other sin had been as terribly spoken of, they would have thought it was theirs.
Direct. V. 'Understand the time to which the condition of the Gospel doth extend, namely, to the end of our life on earth: the day of this grace hath no shorter end.' For the Gospel saith not, He that believeth this year or the next shall be saved: but absolutely without limitation to any time short of death. He that believeth shall be saved: so that to doubt whether true repentance and faith will be accepted at any time before death, is but to be ignorant of the Gospel, or to doubt whether it be true. And therefore for a despairing soul to say, If I did repent, it is too late because the day of grace is past, is but to contradict the Gospel covenant itself, or to say he knows not what. God never refused a soul that truly repented and believed before death.
Obj. I. 'But (they will say) do not some divines say that some men's day of grace is sooner past, and God hath forsaken them, and it is too late, because they came not in time?'
Answ. They that understand what they say, must say but this: that this word 'the day of grace' hath divers senses. 1. Properly by the day of grace is meant, the time in which according to the tenor of the Gospel, God will pardon and accept those that repent: and in this sense the time of life, is the time of grace: whenever a sinner repenteth and is converted, he is pardoned. 2. Sometimes by the 'day of grace' is meant the time in which the means of grace are continued
to a nation or a person: and thus it is true, that the day of grace is quicklier past with some countries than others: that is, God sometimes taketh away the preachers of his Gospel from a people that reject them, and so by preaching offereth them his grace no more. But in this sense a man may easily know whether his day of grace be passed or no? that is, whether Bibles, and books, and Christians, and preachers, be all gone, or not? (And yet if they were, he that receiveth Christ before they are gone is safe.) No man in his wits can think this day of grace is passed with him while Christ is offered him, or while there is a Bible, or preacher, or Christian about him. 3. Sometimes by 'the day of grace,' is meant, the certain time which we are sure of as our own. And so it is only the present minute that is the time of grace: that is, we cannot beforehand be sure of another minute; but yet the next minute when it is come is as much the time of grace as the former was. 4. Sometimes by 'the day of grace' is meant the time in which God actually worketh and giveth grace; and that is no more than the day of our conversion. And in this sense to have the day of grace passed is a happiness and comfort, that is, that the day is passed in which we were converted. 5. And sometimes by 'the day of grace' is meant that day in which God moveth the hearts of the impenitent more strongly towards conversion then formerly he did; and this is it that divines mean when they talk of the day of grace being passed with men before their death: that is, though such have never a day of effectual grace, yet their motions were stronger towards it, than hereafter they shall be, and they were fairer for conversion, than after when they are gone further from it. This is true, and this is all: and what is this to a soul that is willing to come in, and ignorantly questioneth whether he shall be accepted, because the day of grace is passed?
Obj. II. 'But Christ saith, If thou hadst known in this thy day.'—
Answ. That was the day of the offers of grace by preaching: we grant the nations have but their day of enjoying the Gospel which they may shorten by sinning it away.
Obj. III. 'But it is said of Esau that "afterward when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected, for he found no place of repentance though he sought it carefully with tears." It seems then that repentance in this life may be too late.'
Answ. It is true that Esau's time for the blessing was passed as soon as Isaac had given it to Jacob. When he had sold his birthright it was too late to recal it, for the right was made over to his brother; and it was not repentance, and cries, and tears, that could recal the right he had sold, nor recal the words that Isaac had spoken: but this doth not prove that our day of grace doth not continue till death, or that any man repenting before his death shall be rejected as Esau's repentance was; the apostle neither said nor meaneth any such thing,
The sense of the words are only this much: Take heed lest there be any so profane among you, as to set so light by the blessings of the Gospel, even Christ and life eternal, as to part with them for a base lust or transitory thing, as Esau that set more by a morsel of meat than by his birthright; for let them be sure that the time will come
(even the time mentioned by Christ, when the door is shut and the Lord is come,) when they will dearly repent it, and then as it was with Esau when the blessing was gone, so it will be with them when their blessing is gone, repentance, and cries, and tears will be too late: for the Gospel hath its justice and terrors as well as the law. This is all in the text, but there is no intimation that our day of grace is as short as Esau's hope of the blessing was.
Obj. IV. 'Saul had but his time, which when he lost he was forsaken of God.'
Answ. Saul's sin provoked God to reject him from being king of Israel, and to appoint another in his stead: but if Saul had repented he had been saved after that, though not restored to the crown: and it is true, that as God withdrew from him the spirit of government, so many before death by the greatness of their sins, cause God to forsake them so for as to withhold those motions, and convictions, and fears, and disquietments in sin, which sometimes they had, and to give them over to a "reprobate mind," to commit "all uncleanness with greediness," and glory in it as being "past feeling." If it be thus with you, you would be no better, you would not be recovered, you thinksin is best for you, and hate all that would reform you.
Obj. V. 'It is said, 2 Cor. 6:2. "Behold now is the accepted time, behold now is the day of salvation." And Heb. 3:7–12, Heb. 3:7–13.
"To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts—lest any of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." '
Answ. This saith no more than that the present time is the best, yea, the only certain time; and we are not sure that the day of salvation will continue any longer, because death may cut us off: but if it do not, yet sin is a hardening thing, and the longer we sin the more it hardeneth! yea God may withhold the motions of his Spirit, and leave us to ourselves, to the hardness of our hearts: and thus he doth by thousands of wicked persons, who are left in impenitency and hatred of the truth: but most certainly if those men repented they might be saved, and the very reason why they have not Christ and life is still because they will not consent.
Direct. 6. 'Underhand by what help and strength it is that the obedience to the gospel must be performed: not merely by your own strength, but by the help of grace, and strength of Christ: if he have but made you willing, he will help you to perform the rest.' You are
not by this covenant to be a saviour and sanctifier to yourselves; but to consent that Christ be your Saviour, and the Holy Spirit your
Sanctifier. You might else despair indeed if you were left to that which you are utterly unable to do. Though you must "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, it is he that worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure."
Direct. 7. 'Understand well the difference between mortal sins and infirmities, that you may not think that every sin is a sign of death or gracelessness; but may know the difference between those sins which should make you think yourselves unjustified, and those sins which only call for particular humiliation, being such as the justified themselves commit.' Though in the Popish sense we take no sin to be venial, that is, which in itself is properly no sin, nor deserveth death according to the law of works; yet the distinction between mortal and venial sin, is of very great necessity: that is, between sins which prove a man in a state of death, or unjustified, and sins which consist with a state of grace and justification: between sins which the gospel pardoneth not, and those which it pardoneth, that is, all that stand with true repentance. There are some sins which every one that repenteth of them, doth so forsake as to cease committing them: and there are some lesser sins, which they that repent of them do hate indeed, but yet frequently renew, as our defective degrees in the exercise of repentance itself, faith, love, trust, fear, obedience: our vain thoughts and words; some sinful passions, omissions of many duties of thought, affection, word or deed towards God or man; some minutes of time overslip us; prayer and other duties have a sinful coldness or remissness in them, and such like. Many such sins are fitly called infirmities and venial, because they consist with life and are forgiven: it is of great use to the peace of our consciences to discern the difference between these two, for one sort require a conversion to another state, and the other require but a particular
repentance, and where they are unknown, are forgiven without particular repentance, because our general repentance is virtually, though not actually, particular as to them. One sort are cause of judging ourselves ungodly; and the other sort are only cause of filial humiliation. Any one may see the great need of discerning the difference; but yet it is a matter of very great judgment doctrinally to distinguish them, much more actually to discern them in every instance in yourselves. The way is to know first, what is the condition of the new covenant, and of absolute necessity to salvation or justification: and then every sin that is inconsistent with that condition is mortal, and the rest that are consistent and do consist with it are venial, or but infirmities: as venial signifieth only that sort of sin which is pardonable, and may consist with true grace, so a venial sin may be in an unsanctified person materially, where it is not pardoned; that is, e.g. his wandering thought, or passion, is a sin of that sort that in the godly is consistent with true grace: but as venial signifieth a sin that is pardoned, or pardonable without a regeneration, or conversion into a state of life from a state of death, so venial sin is in no unregenerate, unjustified person, but it is only the infirmities of the saints; and thus I here speak of it. In a word, that sin which actually consisteth with habitual repentance, and with the hatred of it, so far that you had rather be free from it than commit or keep it, and which consisteth with an unfeigned consent to the covenant, that God be your father, saviour, and sanctifier, and with the love of God above all, is but an infirmity or venial sin. But to know from the nature of the sin, which those are, requireth a volume by itself to direct you only.
Direct. VIII. 'Understand how necessary a faithful minister of Christ is, in such cases of danger and difficulty, to be a guide to your consciences; and open your case truly to them, and place so much confidence in their judgment of your state as their office, and
abilities, and faithfulness do require, and set not up your timorous, darkened, perplexed judgments above theirs, in cases where they are fitter to judge.' Such a guide is necessary, both as appointed by Christ who is the author of his office, and in regard of the greatness, and danger, and difficulty of your case. Do you not feel that you are insufficient for yourselves, and that you have need of help? sure a soul that is tempted to despair may easily feel it. You are very proud, or blindly self-conceited if you do not. And you may easily know that Christ that appointed them their office, requireth that they both be used and trusted in their office, as far as reason will allow. And where there is no office, yet ability and faithfulness deserve and require credit of themselves. Why else do you trust physicians and lawyers, and all artificers, in their several professions and arts, as far as they are reputed able and faithful? I know no man is to be believed as infallible as God is; but man is to be believed as man; and if you will use and trust your spiritual guide but so far as you use and trust your physician or lawyer, you will find the great benefit, if you choose aright.
Direct. IX. 'Remember when you have sinned, how sure, and sufficient, and ready a remedy you have before you, in Jesus Christ and the covenant of grace; and that it is God's design in the way of redemption, not to save any man as innocent, that none may glory, but to save men that were first in sin and misery, and fetch them as from the gates, of hell, that love and mercy may be magnified on every one that is saved, and grace may abound more by the occasion of sin's abounding.' Not that any should "continue in sin because grace hath abounded: God forbidf." But that we may magnify that grace and mercy which hath abounded above our sins; and turn the remembrance of our greatest sins to the admiration of that great and wonderful mercy. To magnify mercy when we see the greatness of our sin, and to love much because much is forgiven, this is to please
God, and answer the very design and end of our redemption: but to magnify sin, and extenuate mercy, and to say, My sin is greater than can be forgiven, this is to please the devil, and cross God's design in the work of our redemption. Is your disease so great that no other can cure it? It is the fitter for Christ to honour his office upon, and God to honour his love and mercy on. Do but "come to him that you may have life," and you shall find that no greatness of sin past, will cause him to refuse you, nor any infirmities which you are willing to be rid of, shall cause him to disown you, or cast you out. The prodigal is not so much as upbraided with his sins, but finds himself before he is aware, in his father's arms, clothed with the best robes, the ring and shoes, and joyfully entertained with a feast. Remember that there is enough in Christ, and the promise to pardon and heal all sins which thou art willing to forsake.
Direct. X. 'Take heed of being so blind or proud in thy humility, as to think that thou canst be more willing to be a servant of Christ, than he is to be thy Saviour, or more willing to have grace than God is to give it thee, or more willing to come home to Christ, than he is to receive and welcome thee.' Either thou art willing or unwilling to have Christ and grace, to be sanctified and freed from sin: if thou be willing Christ and his grace shall certainly be thine: indeed if thou wouldst have pardon without holiness, this cannot be, nor is there any promise of it: but if thou wouldst have Christ to be thy saviour and king, and his Spirit to be thy sanctifier, and hadst rather be perfect in love and holiness than to have all the riches of the world, then art thou in sincerity that which thou wouldst be in perfection: understand that God accounteth thee to be what thou truly desirest to be. The great work of grace lieth in the renewing of the will: if the will be sound, the man is sound. I mean not the conquered, uneffectual vellcity of the wicked, that wish they could be free from pride, sensuality, gluttony, drunkenness, last, and covetousness,
without losing any of their beloved honour, wealth, or pleasure; that is, when they think on it as the way to hell they like not their sin, but wish they were rid of it, but when they think of it as pleasing their fleshly minds, they love more, and will not leave it, because this is the prevailing thought and will. So Judas was unwilling to sell his
Lord, as it was the betraying of the innocent, and the way to hell, but he was more willing as it was the way to get his hire. So Herod was unwilling to kill John Baptist, as it was the murder of a prophet: but his willingness was the greater, as it was the pleasing of his damsel, and freeing himself from a troublesome reprover. But if thy willingness to have Christ and perfect holiness be more than thy unwillingness, and more than thy willingness to keep thy sin, and enjoy the honour, wealth, and pleasures of the world, then thou hast an undoubted sign of uprightness, and that love to grace, and desire after it, which nothing but grace itself doth give. And if thou art thus willing, it is great wrong to Christ to doubt of his willingness. For, 1.
He is a greater lover of holiness than thou art; and therefore cannot come behind thee, in being willing of thy holiness. 2. He is more merciful to thee, than thou art to thyself: his love and mercy are beyond thy measure. 3. He hath begun to thee and fully shewed his willingness first. He died to prepare thee a full remedy: he hath drawn up the covenant: he hath therein expressed his own consent, and entreateth thine; he is the first in consenting, and is a suitor to thee. Never sinner did yet begin to him in the world. Never any was willing of the match before him: his general offer of mercy, and covenant tendered to all, doth shew his willingness before they can shew theirs by their acceptance. Never man over-went him in willingness and was more willing than he. Take this sinner, as God's infallible truth. If the match break between Christ and thee, and thou be lost, it shall not be through his refusal, but through thine: and it cannot break any other way, no not by the craft or force of all the devils in hell; but either because Christ is unwilling, or because thou
art unwilling; and on Christ's part it shall never break. And therefore if thou be willing the match is made; and there is no danger but lest thy heart draw back. If thou art not willing, why complainest thou for want of that which thou wouldst not have? If thou art willing, the covenant is then made, for Christ is more willing, and was willing first.
Direct. XI. 'Write out those sentences that contain the sense and substance of the Gospel and often read them.' Write them on thy very chamber walls, and set them still before thine eyes; and try whether they agree with the words of him that tempteth thee to despair: such as these which I here transcribe for thee. "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.—This is the condemnation that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.—He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son: and this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son: he that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.—He came unto his own, but his own received him not: but to as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, to them that believe on his name.—Let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.—And ye will not come unto me, that ye may have life.—All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.—If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink.—Come, for all things are now ready." And read oft Luke 15.
Direct. XII. 'Distinguish between sin seen and felt, and sin reigning unto death; that you may not be so blinded as to think your sin
greatest or your condition worst, when your sight and feeling of it are greatest.' To see and feel your sin and misery is at least the ordinary preparation for recovery. To be dead is to be past feeling. They that are most forsaken of God are most willing of their present condition, and most love their sin, and hate holiness and all that would reform them, and if they have power, will persecute them as enemies.
Direct. XIII. 'Think not that the troublesome strivings and temptations which weary you are the worst condition, or a sign of the victory of sin.' It is rather a sign that you are not yet forsaken of God, while he beareth witness in you against sin, and is yet following you with his dissuasives. Paul saith, "For the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would ." Read
Rom. 7 from 14. to the end.
Direct. XIV. 'Understand the difference between weak grace and no grace; that you may not think every want of grace is a sign of total gracelessness.' When you have opened in your complaints a long catalogue of weaknesses, consider whether yet there be not a true desire to be better; and some degree of life with all these?
Direct. XV. 'Think well of the excellency of the least degree of special grace, that it is a seed of glory; the beginning of life eternal; the divine nature, and the image of God, and of greater worth than all the learning, wealth, and honour in the world.' And be not unthankful for so great a mercy, because you have not more.
Direct. XVI. 'Make conscience of observing the grace and mercy received as well as the wants remaining and the sins committed, and of the thankful remembrance and mention of mercy, as much as the humble mention of sin.' Think as oft of mercy as of sin: talk of it as much to others; and mention it to God as much in prayer: this is your
plain duty: if you will not do it, your wilful unthankfulness for what you have received, may well leave you in distress without the comfort of it.
Direct. XVII. 'Let your thoughts of God's goodness bear some proportion with your thoughts of his knowledge and his power.' And then you will not be so apt to entertain false suspicions of it, and think of him as a man-hater, like the devil, nor to run away from him, that is the infinite, most attractive good.
Direct. XVIII. 'Record the particular kindnesses to thyself, by which God hath testified his particular love to thee: that they may stand as near and constant witnesses of his mercy and readiness to do thee good, 'against thy excessive fearfulness and despair.'
Direct. XIX. 'Think how few there are in the world so likely for mercy as thyself.' Look not only on a few that are better than thyself; but think how five parts of the world are open infidels, and heathens; and of the sixth part that are Christians, how few are reformed from popish and barbarous ignorance, and superstition: and among Protestants how small is the number of them that are less in love with sin than thyself? I know that many wicked men abuse this comparison to presumption: but I know also that a Christian may and must use it against despair, and not think of God and the Redeemer as if he would save so few as are next to none at all.
Direct. XX. 'Remember that God commandeth faith and hope, and forbiddeth unbelief and despair, and that it is your sin: and will you sin more when you have sinned so much already?' What if you see no other reason why you should hope, and why you should not despair, but God's command? Is not that enough? I charge you in the name of God obey him and despair not. Sin not wilfully thus against him.
Hope is your duty: and dare you plead against duty? Despair is your
sin, and will you justify it? Yea, consider what a deal of comfort is in this: for if there were no hope of your salvation, God would never have made it your duty to hope, nor forbidden you to despair. He doth not bid the devils nor the damned hope as he doth you: he forbiddeth not them to despair as he doth you: there is cause for this: he would have done it, if your condition were as hopeless as theirs is.
Direct. XXI. 'If God forbid you to despair, it is certainly the devil that biddeth it.' And will you knowingly obey the devil? What if the devil persuade you to it openly with his own mouth? would you not know that it is bad which such an enemy draweth you to? Methinks this should be a very great comfort to you, to think that it is the devil that persuadeth you to despair? For that proveth that you should not despair; and that proveth that your case is not desperate but hopeful.
Direct. XXII. 'Think whither it tendeth: to despair is to give up all hopes of your salvation: and when you have no hope you will use no means.' For to what purpose should a man seek for that which he hath no hopes to find? And so when this weight is taken off, all the wheels stand still. The meaning of the devil hath two parts, the first is, Do not hear, nor read, nor pray, nor seek advice, not talk any more about it with good people, for there is no hope. And the next part is, either destroy thyself, or else sin boldly and take the pleasure of sin while thou mayst; for there is no hope of any better. And dost thou think that either of these is from God? Or is it for thy good?
What is the meaning of all, but cast away thy soul? While thou hopest, thou wilt seek, and use some means; but to cast away hope is to cast away all. And hast thou so far lost self-love as to be thyself the doer of such a deed?
Direct. XXIII. 'Think what a wrong thou dost to the Father, the Saviour, and the Sanctifier of souls, to think so poorly and
despairingly of his grace, as if it were not able to prevail against thy sin: and to obscure thus the glory of his redemption; and to believe the devil in his slandering, extenuating, and dishonouring that in God, which he will have most glorified by sinners?'
Direct. XXIV. 'Bethink thee what one person thou canst name in all the world, that ever perished or was rejected, that was willing in this life to be saved and sanctified by Christ, and had rather have Christ and perfect holiness then the treasures or pleasures of the World.'
Name me any one such person if thou canst: but I am sure thou canst not: and dost thou fear that which never was done to any one; or think that Christ will begin with thee?
Direct. XXV. 'Up man and be doing, and resolve in despite of the devil that thou wilt wait on God in the use of means, and cast thyself on Christ, and if thou perish thou wilt perish there.' Do this, and thou shalt never perish. Thou canst not do worse than despair and give up all; nor canst thou please the devil more, nor displease God more, nor wrong Christ and the Spirit more. Thou art certain that thou canst lose nothing by trusting thy soul on Christ, and hoping in him, and patiently using his means: do but this, and hope shall save thee, when satan by despair would damn thee.
Direct. XXVI. 'Understand in what time and order it is that Christ giveth his grace and saveth his people from their sins: that he doth it not all at once but by degrees, and taketh all the time of this present life to do it in.' As able as your physician is, he will not finish the cure till your life be finished. The next life is the state of absolute perfection: all things are imperfect here: despair not therefore of all that you have not yet attained: your sin may be more mortified yet, and your grace yet more strengthened. If it be done before you come to judgment it is well for you: do your part in daily diligence: do you