CHAPTER XV: Discrediting God's Grace Through Unbelief
the Doctrine of Assurance; but you by sinning after pardon, How do you disgrace this blessed Doctrine, and take away the answer out of our mouths? So much for the present, to be spoken to those that dishonor the pardoning mercy of God by sinning after pardon.
CHAPTER XV:
Discrediting God's Grace Through Unbelief There is one sort more that are great dishonourers of the pardoning grace of God, and they are those that think they honor him, and yet dishonor him exceedingly, such as being apprehensive of the greatness of their sins, the vileness of them and their own misery, by reason whereof lie down in a sullen desperate discouraging mood, under the wait and burden of them, and are ready to turn against themselves, saying ; certainly, my condition is such, as I must expect no other but to lie forever under the burden of my sins, and bear forever the punishment of them; I have heard much indeed of the riches of the pardoning grace of God; but for my part, my condition is such, that little expectation I have of being made partaker of it; certainly this kind of sullen discouragement, in lying under our sins, is a mighty aggravation of our sin, and exceedingly dishonorable to the pardoning grace of God; many that are thus, let them hear never so much opened of the riches of the Gospel, and the infiniteness of the grace of God; all is nothing to them, it raises them not from the sullenness of their hearts, and the dicouragement of spirit that hangs upon them; they are like to those in Exod. 6.9. that Moses spake unto, but they hearkened not for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage ; God sent Moses to show them the grace (of God, to deliver them from their bondage; but says the Text, they hearkened not to Moses, only for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage; so many
People when God comes to awaken their Consciences, there is so much anguish in the sense of their sin, that they hearken not to what
is said; let them hear never so much in private or in public, they are just where they were, the same complaints, sullenness and objections as before: you may answer all their objections against the grace of God, that they know not what to say, but go away for half an hour, and they will have the same objections as if never anything had been said unto them, certainly there is more evil in this, then you are aware of, this limiting and determining of God's grace: tis true, there is reason to judge yourselves unworthy, and that God may deny you, but that God will deny you is another thing; there is a great deal of difference in these: some when they are put upon the use of means, will confess they ought to attend upon them, and that they will do it, but yet when I have done all, I have little hopes that God will deliver me, but I shall die and perish in my sins, as that woman
1 Kings 12.17. says she, I am a poor Woman, I have but a handful of meal in the barrel, and a little Oil in a Cruse, and am gathering two sticks that I may eat it and die ; so much as I have I am preparing, and when I have eaten this I must die, thus says many a soul, I may go hear the word and pray, but to little purpose; But I will go and do them and then I must die. It is but little that I can make of Prayer, when I have spoken two or three words, I am presently distracted with wandering thoughts. Two or three sticks I may lay together, but when I have done that, I must die. Now know and consider this day, what from God shall be said unto you, thou much dishonorest the pardoning grace of God.
First, Know it is very low thoughts thou hast of the pardoning mercy of God, and what Christ hath purchased, and what God hath intended from everlasting, in the Covenant of grace, to those souls for whom he intends good; and though for his intentions he keeps them to himself (and would not have thee meddle with that) till he manifest them in the work of grace, yet in the mean time having revealed no further, but that thou mayest have it as well as any other, he expects from thee that thou shouldst venture thyself upon his grace through his Son Jesus Christ, and though thou sayest thou art vile, unworthy, and after the use of means, that thou art unprofitable, vain, full of wandering thoughts and deadness, and therefore thou
canst not expect grace; know that thou hast but mean thoughts of the grace of God, that set'st such things as these against it, these are poor low unworthy things to set against the grace of God, and they do lower the grace of God too much; that set such things as these against it. A Scholar would think it a dishonor to him, for one to come to reason with him, and bring nothing but poor low weak objections that are not worth the answering, he would think it a disgrace to him; certainly it is a dishonor to the grace of God, to set such things as these against it, thou look'st upon it in a natural way, and dost not consider, it is the great design of God above all things in the World; to magnify his grace in pardoning of sin; certainly were this understood, these things would be counted too low and unworthy to be set against such a design; when it is the greatest, God hath to magnify his name in.
Secondly, Thou judgest of God according to thy own thoughts, and this God will take exceeding ill, as they Psal. 50.21. Because I kept silence thou thoughtest I was altogether such a one, as thyself ; 'It is a great evil to measure God by our own thoughts, and there are two ways of dishonoring God by it.
1. The way of the carnal secure sinner ; he measured God by his own thoughts, he thinks God is not so strict to be angry for every fault; and if thou offendest, that if we go and cry him mercy, he will be pleased again. We think it an easy matter to please God, and because
God is silent, we think he do's not hate sin as he doth, thats one way of dishonoring God.
A Second way is when a man comes to be troubled for sin, and conscience enlightened ; then we think slightly of God another way.
It may be thou hast a hard heart and wouldst not pardon one that provokes thee again and again, thou wouldst not pass by such and such offenses, and thou thinkest God is so too, thou thinkest God to be like thyself, and that he cannot bear with thee in such and such things, because thou canst not bear with others. This is to judge God by our own line, but know, that the thoughts of God's pardoning
grace are as far above ours as the Heavens are above the Earth ; and therefore we must not measure God by our own thoughts.
Thirdly, Thou dishonorest the pardoning grace of God, by having low thoughts of it, because it is contrary to the Scriptures. For the main scope of all the Scriptures is to magnify the pardoning grace of God, and to set it out in its greatness to to thy soul, and thou makest it thy main work to under-value it, Luther sais, the scope of the whole scriptures are but this, that we might know and acknowledge God to be a gracious and merciful God, and a greater then Luther speaks this; that is a notable Text of Scripture in the Acts of the Apostles 10.42, 43. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify, it is he that was ordained of God to be the Judge of Quick and Dead. To him give all the Prophets witness, that through his name; whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
Mark, to him give all the Prophets witness, that through his name; whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins: So that it is the scope and intention of all the Prophets, to witness this to a poor soul, that whosoever believes in him shall receive remission of sin: You will say, whosoever believes on him, but there is all the Question: but thou hindrest thyself of believing, thou wouldst have assurance before thou dost believe, thou must believe that thou mayest have it, that is, thou must venture and cast thy soul upon this grace of God; all the Prophets witness this, that whosoever believes on him shall receive remission of sins; therefore by thy sitting down in these sullen discouraging thoughts of thy heart, thou givest a lie to all the Prophets of God, thou givest not a lie only to our preaching, for certainly so it is, God sees it so, but to all the Prophets of God: now when God makes it the work of all the Prophets to witness forgiveness of sins by Christ, wilt thou make it thy work to object against it.
Again, Know that thy reasonings are quite contrary to the Scriptures, for thou reasonest, that pardoning mercy will not be thine, because
thy sins are so great, Psal. 25.11. David cries to God to pardon his iniquities for they are great, he makes the greatness of his sins, an argument to drive him too God, not from God, and this is God's own argument. Gen. 8.21. I will not again curse the Ground anymore for man's sake ; why? for the imaginations of Mans heart are evil from his youth ; one would have thought it should have been thus, the imaginations of man's heart are evil, and therefore I will do nothing else but curse the ground. No says God, I will not, because the imaginations of man's heart are evil from his youth; as if he should say, if I should never leave cursing till man leave sinning, I should always be cursing, so says God, If I should never pardon sin till man's sins are less, I should never pardon at all. So in Hosea 2.13, 14. You have God reasoning there like to this here; She went after her lovers, and forgot me, sais God, 14.v. Therefore will I allure her, and bring her into the Wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. For she had forgotten me, and went after her lovers; see how the Scripture makes that an argument of God's mercy. Take another Text in Isaiah the 57.17. For the iniquity of his covetousness, I was wroth and smote him, I hid me and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart. Mark what follows; I have seen his ways and will heal him, and will restore comfort to him and to his mourners, he went on frowardly in the perverseness of his Spirit says God, I have seen his ways and will heal him: thus God expresses himself to the end of the Chap. to encourage the hearts of those that are sensible of their sins, and would be sensible of the evil of sin, and account it a great misery that they cannot be sensible of it, the Lord would encourage them, therefore the greatness of sin is no discouragement at all.
Further, The way that thou takest is the way to perish, there can be no good in that way, thou mayst pine away in thine iniquity, but for to get any Council, help, comfort, or mercy: be assured thou canst not, therefore reason as the Lepers, 2. Kings 7.3. If we sit here we shall certainly die, if we go to the Camp of the Syrians they can but kill us, let us arise and go: And it was a good going to them, for they met with that, that helped and relieved them; So do you say if I sit
down thus, there is no way but I must die, but however though I should never get any comfort or help, yet it is better venture that way than the other: thou knowest not what thou mayest meet with, may be thou thinkest it humility to sit down in this way, but know that most desperate pride may be under it, and stand with such discouragements. We know the most proud spirits may be the most discouraged spirits, as the Devil, the Scripture sets him forth to be as proud as Lucifer, yet none so proud as spirits under such discouragements: there may be much pride in discouragements, therefore take heed least there be any secret pleasing of yourselves this way, though you be in some trouble, yet if you feel there is a secret pleasure in that smart that falls upon you, and some kind of contentedness in going your own way, as many men though they meet with abundance of Crosses, yet if they go their own way, it pleases them much; take heed, there may be desperate pride at the bottom of all this.
If this be to dishonor the pardoning grace of God; what would you have us to do? (We would not speak it were it not so, to what end is it for us to study, and pray to God for light and help to open the grace of God, if a little discouragement of heart and sulleness of Spirit, shall turn all aside, and make all that we say to be of none effest: therefore great reason there is that we should tell you this is a great dishonoring of the pardoning grace of God:) but what, would you have us to doubt no more, but go on and persuade our hearts our sins are pardoned and theres an end?
No, if I should say you could do this, it would be in vain for me to say all this, for it is not in your power to cast off all fears of God's anger, and presently persuade yourselves your sins are pardoned; this is not in your power to do: and therefore this is not the thing I put you upon, it must be the mighty work of God; in the 2. of Ezech. When the Prophet had done in the end of the 1. Chap. the next verse of the 2. Chap. he says, Son of Man stand upon thy feet, but that was not enough to raise the Prophet, no not for God himself to say Son of Man stand upon thy feet but together with the voice of God, verse the
2. There enters into him the Spirit of God, and sets him on his feet; so it is with the Ministers of the Word, we speak to souls that are cast down under the burden of their sins, to stir up themselves that they may not always lie down drooping, but stand up on their feet; But together with our speaking, God must speak and convey his spirit to the soul before it is able to stand up.
Quest Well, but what would you have us to do?
Answ. These are the things I would have you do.
First I would have you turn your fears of presuming, into fears of dishonoring the grace of God. I would have you be as fearful that God's grace should be dishonored by unbelief, as now you are fearful lest you should presume upon God's grace; those that are secure, they fear not lest they should presume; but those whose consciences are awakened, their great fear is least they should presume upon God's grace, and dishonor it by presumption; if thou fearest thou shouldst dishonor the grace of God by presumption, why shouldst thou not fear lest thou shouldst dishonor it by unbelief, as well as by presumption? certainly the strength of this temptation is from the Devil. Those that have their consciences troubled for sin, he labors to keep them from venturing on the grace of God, least they should presume; but the way to cut the Sinews of this temptation, is to fear rather least thou shouldst dishonor the grace of God by unbelief; many look not at unbelief as a great sin, but God is displeased at thy unbelief, as much as by those that do presume.
Secondly, The thing I would have you to do, you that are under the checkings of Conscience for sin, and full of doubts that God will not pardon, and you cannot be persuaded your sins are pardonable.
Labor to set the greatness of the pardoning grace of God in the fullness of it, to the utmost you can, before the eye of your souls, That it may be before you; though you cannot reach to it, yet set it before you; you do not know what an efficacy the pardoning grace of God hath, by being presented before your souls, and kept there; no
marvel you find not the power of it, when as you set it not before your eyes, the efficacy of God's grace lies much in presenting it before your souls. The Brasen Serpent, if they looked not to it, it would never heal ; So though the pardoning grace of God, be in books and Sermons; yet unless it be before your eyes, and you fix and fasten the eye of your souls upon it; it will never heal you: therefore keep it before your eyes, Psal. 5.3. There is an excellent expression; In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. I suppose many of you in the morning will not neglect prayer to God; but mark the expression, I will direct my Prayer ; It is not I will say my prayers, but direct my prayer, there's a great emphasis in it. I will level my Prayer aright, and dart up my soul aright to Heaven, and observe the way that God would have me; and so direct my heart in prayer to him. It may be some of you go thus far, not to content yourselves with a dead hearted sluggish Prayer:
But what do you look to all the day after? what shall wandering and discouraging thoughts bring you to look down all the day? Would you look up to your morning Prayers, and what you prayed for, there would come a great deal of efficacy upon your souls.
Thirdly, Be careful to keep your hearts stirring and active, be afraid of deadness and dullness; take heed of such thoughts, Why should I pray and read, when as I have no heart to perform any duty : Up and be doing, and the Lord be with you; if ever your hearts were active at anything in the world, it ought to be in this, if once you give yourselves liberty to lie down, and the activity of your Spirits be gone, you are in a sad condition, twill be very difficult to get them up again; take heed of a sullen heart, you may be very active, and yet calm, quiet, and patient, theres a great conjunction between these two, when I am active and yet calm, stilling of my heart under God, and yet stirring of my heart unto God, these two are joined together in those whom God directs unto himself.
Fourthly, Renew thy resolutions, that what ever becomes of thee, whether God will ever speak peace or no to thee yet so long as thou
livest, thou will do what thou canst; to honor his name, and keep from sin: Keep thy heart under the power of this resolution.
Fifthly, Keep thy heart in a waiting frame, use the means, lie at the Poole, as the man that lay many years waiting for the stirring of the Waters met with help at last; so do thou keep thy heart in a waiting frame, and think with thyself if mercy come at last, it will recompense thee for all thy waitings and pains.
Sixthly, Be willing to catch hold of any beginnings of God's discoverings of himself, if it be but a little glimpse make much of it, and bless God for it: Many in their trouble seek to God for pardon; but they are always complaining, either to their Neighbors or themselves; but seldom express themselves in Thanks-givings: Now, you should observe what God hath granted, what beginnings and glimpse of his grace appear; look and see if there be not a little cloud, the bigness of a man's hand, it may breed a shower, a shower of grace may come after it; but take notice of it, when it is but the bigness of a man's hand: it is a great evil in such as are under trouble of Conscience, because they find not full Assurance presently, they think they receive nothing at all: Well, wait upon God under these directions, and as you shall not be so guilty of dishonoring the pardoning mercy of God; so 'twill be a means to bring great good unto your souls. We have now done with the several ways of dishonoring the pardoning grace of God; and because God is very jealous of this, and takes it exceeding ill; I have been the larger in it; now I am to show the evil of it.
Of the Evil of dishonoring the Pardoning Grace of God.
First, There is this evil in it, because it is a sinning against mercy, which God accounts his glory ; a man takes it exceeding ill, if he be wronged in his Goods, or good Name, or in anything he apprehends an excellency in; and (mark it) The greater excellency a man apprehends in anything, the greater evil he accounts the wrong that is done to him in that thing: As a covetous man, if you wrong him in
his Estate, he presently as a mad man cannot bear it, because you wrong him of that which he counts his greatest excellency; so a Scholar, a man of parts will rather you wrong him in anything than account of him as a Dunce, because he accounts his parts and learning his greatest excellency, therefore he would not be wronged in that: so you that are Mariners, and have skill in sailing, and in the Art of Navigation, if one vilify your work, and find fault with you there, 'tis as if one touched your free-hold, you cannot bear it; Why? because you account it your excellency; so it is between us and God, if we wrong God in that which he accounts his excellency, he cannot bear it; Now the pardoning mercy of God is that which God counts his excellency and glory, Exod. 34. when God descended to show
Moses his glory, his Pardoning Mercy was one of the great Masterpieces, wherein God accounted his glory to consist, more than in the making of Heaven and Earth: Now for God to be contemned in that wherein his glory consists, must needs be a great dishonor to him; the mercy of God comes from the bowels of his compassions ; Now if you strike one on the arm or shoulder, it is not so much as if you strike him on his bowels; when you dishonor the pardoning grace of God, you do as it were spurn at the Bowels of God and Christ, and he accounts it so: certainly you that can hear this, and neglect it, and prize and prefer every base just before it, you do as it were go up and down kicking and spurning at the bowels of God; and that Child that should spurn at his Mothers bowels, is not so much to be blamed as thou art that goest on in sin, after thou hast heard the pardoning grace of God opened to thee, thy going on in sin is a spurning at the very bowels of God.
Secondly, This aggravates the sin of such men above the sins of the Heathen ; their sins are nothing in comparison of those that live under the Gospel, and have the grace of God opened unto them; at the Day of Judgment, when thou hearest them condemned for sins against the Light of Nature, they may say, Lord, What shall become of these? we never heard of such grace and pardoning mercy in Christ as you heard of, that have lived in such and such a place, and have had the pardoning mercy of God opened to you; if they do not
plead against you, yet it will be made known before all Men and Angels what you have heard, and what has been preached unto you, and what God has done for you; and for you to continue in sin, your sins will thereby be aggravated, and your condemnation heightened.
Thirdly, Your sin is above the sin of the Devils ; the sin of the Devils is not so great as yours is that live under the light of the Gospel, and have the pardoning grace of God preached to you: for though the Devils blaspheme God continually, yet their sins have not this aggravation upon them that yours have; God never came and told them, he was willing to pardon their sins ; nor did Christ make any purchase for them by his blood; but to you is the Gospel preached, and pardon offered daily to you▪ Are not your sins greater then, than the sins of the Devils? Would not you account it a great aggravation of any ones offense, that hath wronged and injured you, and should seek for pardon, and yet you rather seek to him, and offer pardon to him, and sue to him to accept it, and he goes away and contemns you; would not you account this a great aggravation? know, thy sinning against this grace, makes thee to be in a worse condition than Belzebub himself, that is the chief all the Devils; he had never this aggravation, which is a dreadful one to sin against the pardoning mercy of God; so that the very Devils may complain against you, and say, O Lord we sinned against thee, but thou tookest advantage against us presently for one sin; but how have these sinned against thy pardoning mercy, that has been offered to them again and again, which was never offered us?
Fourthly, I might show you the evil the Scripture says of it, take two or three Texts, Joh. 3.18, 19. He that believeth not, is condemned already, and verse. ult. He that believeth not, the wrath of God abideth on him ; it sticks fast upon such a one, and that place in Heb.
10.29. If they that sinned under Moses Law died without mercy, who had but little of this grace revealed unto them; How much sorer punishment shall they have, that sin under the Gospel, under the full revelation of this grace ; but to conclude all, there is nothing will be such an aggravation of thy torments in Hell, as these Sermons of
God's pardoning mercy, if thou go on in sin: When we speak of the pardoning grace of God, we cannot do it without trembling hearts;
Why? Because we know God will be exceeding quick with those that have the grace of the Gospel preached unto them: And therefore when we come upon this argument, we cannot but do as a Physician that is giving his Patient a Potion that is of mighty operation, that will either cure him, or dispatch him suddenly, if it cure not: A Physician cannot but come with a trembling hand, with such a Potion, when he knows it must work one way or other: we know God is exceeding quick with those to whom he reveals his pardoning mercy in the preaching of the Gospel, and those truths we preach, will have a quick operation either to bring you out of your sins to Salvation, or else they will quickly dispatch you for condemnation,
Mark 16.15, 16. Go says Christ, and preach the Gospel to every creature; and he that believes shall be saved; and he that believes not shall be damned: As if Christ had said, go open the Doctrine of the Gospel, and the Justification of a sinner by the freeness of the grace of God through Christ Jesus, and whosoever will come in and believe, and close with it shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be damned: there is no trifling in the business, he that believes and comes in shall be saved; but he that believes not shall perish, he shall be damned; let people know when they have the Gospel preached unto them, there is no trifling, no dallying with it, 'tis not to be put off; he that comes in, shall be saved; but he that stands off shall perish, shall be damned, and shall know that I will fetch up my glory from him another day, in another way; as if Christ had said, Go preach, make quick work of it; either come in and be saved, or stand out and perish: And so John when he came to preach the Doctrine of forgiveness of sin, Matth. 3.10. says, Now the Axe is laid to the root of the tree, every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire: Now also the Axe is laid to the root of the tree;
Why not before? No, all that while they went on in Ignorance, and understood not sin, and the grace of God brought unto them, for the pardon of their sin all that while; God let them grow, though they bore no fruit, or but ill fruit: but now also the Axe is laid to the root,
— If he bears not good fruit now, he is hewn down and cast into the
fire. Now, when you hear of pardon of sin, and grace revealed in the Gospel, either you bring forth fruit, or you do not, if you do not, God is peremptory; if you come in and embrace the Gospel, you shall be saved; but if you do not, the Axe is laid unto your root to cut you down: the Gospel makes quick work with you, as Paul says in 2 Cor. 2.14. it is so strong that it kills with the very savor of it, it has such a savor as it can kill with the very smell of it; To him that believes, it is the savor of life unto life; but to him that believes not, it is the savor of death unto death, Act, 17.30. In the times of Ignorance
God winked, when men understood not what the evil of sin was; but now he commands all men to repent: before you heard the dreadful evil and malignity that is in sin, God might wink at you; but now he commands you all, having heard so many Sermons of the evil nature of sin, to repent, or else God will be very quick with you, Heb. 4.12. an excellent place, The Word of God is quick and powerful ; but what word is it? mark, in the 2d. verse, Unto us, says he, was the Gospel preached: It was the Word of the Gospel, and verse. 8. If Jesus had given them rest: It is that rest spoken of in the Gospel; and mark what he says in the beginning; Let us therefore fear, least a Promise being left of entering into rest, any of you should seem to come short of it: Let us therefore fear, for the Word of God is swift, and will make quick dispatch: No Sermons make such quick dispatch as Sermons of the Gospel; fear least any seem to come short: let us fear, least any of us should go on in any way that makes it seem to appear we reject the Gospel. It is very observable what we find in God's dealings with Israel of old; we never find God swearing against them, till they rejected the Land of Canaan, and prefer'd Egypt before it; when the Spies were sent forth to search the Land, and brought some of the Grapes of it, Numb. 13, 14. Chapters, and told them what an excellent fruitful Land it was; but because of some difficulty in the getting of it, they fell a murmuring; then God took up a solemn Oath they should not enter into it, though they had provoked him ten times, yea forty years in the Wilderness, yet God never sware against them till that time: That soul is in a sad condition, that God shall swear in his wrath it shall not enter into his rest: Thou that walkest in the Wilderness of thy sins, and hast thy heart hardened
against all the Truths of God. But now, if God has come in to thee, and opened Canaan, and brought you any clusters of those Grapes ; revealed the mysteries of the Gospel and pardoning grace through Christ: If you now hang off, and be longing after the Onions and Garlic of Egypt ; fear and tremble, least God should swear you should never enter into rest: you that are wicked, unclean persons, that went on in sin, though you had some light of Nature that caused
Conscience to check you; yet God was patient, and your condition was not so dangerous then. But now, after the hearing of this grace of the Gospel and pardoning mercy, a Drunkard, an unclean person, or a vile liver now, is in a thousand times of more danger, least God should swear against him now than before: Take heed in every act of the renewal of thy sin, thou art in danger, least God in his wrath swear against thee that thou shalt never enter into rest.
Well, If the case be so, then you may say; What shall we do that we might not dishonor this sweet and precious grace, but that we might honor God in it? Is this the frame of thy heart, to be careful above all things in the world, that thou mightest not dishonor this precious grace? Does thy heart work thus? Lord, whatever I have been heretofore, though I have been a negligent vile wretch; yet for time to come, it shall be the work of my soul to give up myself unto whatever
God shall speak unto me, that I may not dishonor God: Is this the frame of thy spirit? The Lord keep it so. Now that I might direct you in this great Point, I shall 1. show who they are that are pardoned; for that will be a foundation for direction; and then 2ly, show you what you ought to do to get it, what we are to put you upon, if you find not Evidence of it: And then 3ly, What is to be done for the honoring of the grace of God by those that have some comfortable Evidence of it.