X. Containing directions for examination, and some marks for trial
judgment. I here put this special request to thee in behalf of thy soul; nay, I lay this charge upon thee in the name of the Lord; that thou defer no longer, but take the next opportunity that thou eanst have, and take thy heart to task in good earnest, and think with thyself, 'Is it so easy, so common, and so dangerous, to be mistaken? Are there so many wrong ways? Is the heart so guileful? Why then do I not search into every corner, and ply this work till I know my state? Must
I so shortly undergo the trial at the bar of Christ? And do I not presently fall on trying myself? Why, what a case were I in, if I should then miscarry! May I know by a little diligent inquiry now, and do I stick at the labour?' And here set thyself to the duty. Object.
But it may be, thou wilt say, I know not how to do it. Answ. That is the next work that I come to, to give directions herein; but, alas! it will be in vain if thou be not resolved to practise them. Wilt thou, therefore, before thou goest any further, here promise before the Lord, to set thyself, to thy power, upon the speedy performing of the duty, according to these directions, which I shall lay down from the word? I demand nothing unreasonable or impossible of thee: it is but that thou wouldest presently bestow a few hours' time, to know what shall become of thee for ever. If a neighbour, or common friend, desires but an hour's time of thee, in conference, or in labour, or any thing that thou mayst help them in, thou wouldst not, sure, deny it.
How much less shouldst thou deny this to thyself in so great a case? I pray thee take this request from me, as if upon my knees, in the name of Christ, I did prefer it to thee; and I will betake me upon my knees to Christ again, to beg that he will persuade thy heart to the duty: and, in hope that thou wilt practise them, I will here give thee some directions.
CHAP. X Containing Directions for Examination, and some Marks for Trial.
SECT. I. I will not stand here to lay down the directions necessary for preparation to this duty, because you may gather them from what is said concerning the hinderances: for the contraries of those hinderances will be most necessary helps. Only before you set upon it, I advise you moreover to the observation of these rules. 1. Come not with too peremptory conclusions of yourselves beforehand. Do not judge too confidently before you try. Many godly, dejected souls come with this prejudging to the work, concluding certainly that their state is miserable before they have tried it: and most wicked men, on the contrary side, do conclude most confidently that their state is good, or tolerable at the least; no wonder if these both miscarry in judging, when they pass the sentence before the trial.
2. Be sure to be so well acquainted with the Scripture, as to know what is the tenor of the covenant of grace, and what are the conditions of justification and glorification, and consequently what are sound marks to try thyself by, and wherein the truth of grace, and essence of Christianity, do both consist,
3. And it will not be unuseful to write out some of the chief, and those scriptures withal which hold them forth, and so to bring this paper with you when you come to examination.
4. Be a constant observer of the temper and motions of thy heart; almost all the difficulty of the work doth lie in the true and clear discerning of it. Be watchful in observing the actings both of grace and corruption, and the circumstances of their actings; as how frequent; how violent; how strong or weak were the outward incitements; how great or small the impediments; what delight, or loathing, or fear, or reluctancy, did go with those acts! By these, and the like observations, you may come to a more infallible knowledge of yourselves.
5. Be sure you set upon the work with a serious, roused, awakened soul, apprehensive of how great concernment it is.
6. And lastly: Resolve to judge thyself impartially, neither better nor worse than thou art, but as the evidence shall prove thee.
Being thus provided, then set to the business, and therein observe these directions following, which I will mention briefly, that lying close together, you may be able to view and observe them the more easily:
1. Empty thy mind of all thy other cares and thoughts, that they do not distract or divide thy mind. This work will be enough at once of itself, without joining others with it.
2. Then fall down before God, and in hearty prayer desire the assistance of his Spirit, to discover to thee the plain truth of thy condition, and to enlighten thee in the whole progress of the work.
3. Make choice of the most convenient time and place. I shall not stand upon the particular directions about these, because I shall mention them more largely when I come to direct you in the duty of contemplation: only this in brief: 1. Let the place be the most private, that you may be free from distractions. 2. For the time thus, 1. When you are most solitary, and at leisure; you cannot cast accounts, especially of such a nature as these, either in a crowd of company, or of employment. 2. Let it be a set and chosen time, when you have nothing to hinder you. 3. But if it may be, let it be the present time, especially if thou hast been a stranger hitherto to the work; there is no delaying in matters of such weight. 4. Especially when you have a more special call to search yourselves: as in public calamities, in time of sickness, before a sacrament, &c. 5. When God is trying you by some affliction, and, as Job saith, is searching after your sin, then set in with him, and search after them yourselves. (Job 10:6.) 6. Lastly:
You should specially take such a time when you are most fit for the work. When you are not secure and stupid on the one hand, nor yet under deep desertions or melancholy on the other hand, for else you will be unfit judges of your own state.
4. When you have thus chosen the fittest time and place, then draw forth, either from thy memory, or in writing, the forementioned marks, or Gospel conditions, or descriptions of the saints. Try them by Scripture, and convince thy soul thoroughly of their infallible truth.
5. Proceed, then, to put the question to thyself, but be sure to state it right. Let it not be whether there be any good in thee at all, for so thou wilt err on the one hand; nor yet whether thou have such or such a degree and measure of grace, for so thou wilt err on the other hand, but whether such or such a saving grace be in thee at all in sincerity, or not?
6. If thy heart draw back, and be loth to the work, suffer it not so to give thee the slip, but force it on; lay thy command upon it; let reason interpose, and use its authority; look over the foregoing arguments, and press them home; yea, lay the command of God upon it, and charge it to obey upon pain of his displeasure. Set conscience at work also. Let it do its office, till thy lazy heart be spurred up to the work; for if thou suffer it to break away once and twice, &c., it will grow so headstrong, that thou canst not master it.
7. Let not thy heart trifle away the time, when it should be diligently at the work. Put the question to it seriously, Is it thus and thus with me, or not? Force it here to an answer. Suffer it not to be silent, nor to jangle and think of other matters. If the question be hard, through the darkness of thy heart, yet do not give it over so, but search the closer, and study the case the more exactly, and if it be possible, let not thy heart give over till it hath resolved the question, and told thee off or on, in what case thou art. Ask it strictly, as Joseph examined his brethren, (Gen. 43:7,) How it stands affected. Do as David, (Psal.
77:6,) "My spirit made diligent search." If thy heart strive to break away before thou art resolved, wrestle with it till thou hast prevailed, and say, 'I will not let thee go till thou hast answered.' He that can prevail with his own heart, shall also be a prevailer with God.
8. If thou find the work beyond thy strength, so that after all thy pains thou art never the more resolved, then seek out for help: go to some one that is godly, experienced, able, and faithful, and tell him thy case, and desire his best advice and help. Not that any man can know thy heart so well as thyself: but if thou deal faithfully, and tell him what thou knowest by thyself, he can tell thee whether they be sound evidence or not; and show thee Scripture how to prove them so; and direct thee in the right use of such evidences; and show thee how to conclude from them. Yea, when thou canst get no further, the very judgment of an able, godly man should take much with thee, as a probable argument: as the judgment of a physician, concerning the state of thy body. Though this can afford thee no full certainty, yet it may be a great help to stay and direct thee. But be sure thou do not make this a pretence to put off thy own duty of examining, but only use it as one of the last remedies, when thou findest thy own endeavours will not serve. Neither be thou forward to open thy case to every one, or to a carnal, flattering, and unskilful person; but to one that hath wisdom to conceal thy secrets, and tenderness to compassionate thee, and skill to direct thee, and faithfulness to deal truly and plainly with thee.
9. When by all this pains and means thou hast discovered the truth of thy state, then pass the sentence on thyself accordingly. A mere examination will do thee little good, if it proceed not to a judgment.
Conclude as thou findest, either that thou art a true believer, or that thou art not. But pass not this sentence rashly, nor with self-flattery, nor from melancholy terrors and fears, but do it groundedly, and deliberately, and truly, as thou findest according to thy conscience.
Do not conclude, as some do, 'I am a good Christian,' or as others do, 'I am a reprobate, or an hypocrite, and shall be damned.' When thou hast no ground for what thou sayest but thy own fancy, or hopes, or fears, nay, when thou art convinced by Scripture and reason of the contrary, and hast nothing to say against the arguments; let not thy judgment be any way biassed or bribed, and so forestalled from sentencing aright.
10. Labour to get thy heart kindly affected with its discovered condition, according to the sentence passed on it. Do not think it enough to know; but labour to feel what God hath made thee see. If thou find thyself undoubtedly graceless, oh! get this to thy heart, and think what a doleful condition it is to be an enemy to God; to be unpardoned, unsanctified; and if thou shouldst so die, to be eternally damned! One would think such a thought should make a heart of stone to quake. On the contrary, if thou find thyself renewed and sanctified indeed, oh! get this warm and close to thy heart; bethink thyself what a blessed state the Lord hath brought thee into; to be his child, his friend; to be pardoned, justified, and sure to be saved!
Why, what needest thou fear but sinning against him? Come war, or plague, or sickness, or death, thou art sure they can but thrust thee into heaven.
Thus follow these meditations, till they have left their impression on thy heart.
11. Be sure to record this sentence so passed; write it down, or at least write it in thy memory: at such a time, upon thorough examination, I found my state to be thus or thus: this record will be very useful to thee hereafter. If thou be ungodly, what a damp will it be to thy presumption and security, to go and read the sentence of thy misery under thy own hand! If thou be godly, what a help will it be against the next temptation to doubting and fear, to go and read under thy hand this record! Mayst thou not think, if at such a time I found the truth of grace, is it not likely to be now the same, and these my doubts to come from the enemy of my peace?
12. Yet would I not have thee so trust to one discovery, as to try no more, especially if thou have made any foul defection from Christ, and played the backslider; see, then, that thou renew the search again.
13. Neither would I have this hinder thee in the daily search of thy ways, or of thy increase in grace and fellowship with Christ. It is an ill
sign, and a desperate vile sin, for a man, when he thinks he hath found himself gracious, and in a happy state, to let down his watch, and grow negligent of his heart and ways, and scarce look after them any more.
14. Neither would I have thee give over in discouragement, if thou canst not at once, or twice, or ten times trying, discover thy case: but follow it on till thou hast discovered. If one hour's labour will not serve, take another; if one day, or month, or year, be too little, follow it still. If one minister cannot direct thee sufficiently, go to another.
The issue will answer all thy pains. There is no sitting down discouraged in a work that must be done.
15. Lastly: Above all, take heed, if thou find thyself to be yet unregenerate, that thou do not conclude of thy future state by thy present; nor say, 'Because I am ungodly, I shall die so;' or, 'Because I am an hypocrite, I shall continue so:' no; thou hast another work to do; and that is, to resolve presently to cleave to Christ, and to break off thy hypocrisy and thy wickedness. If thou find that thou hast been all this while out of the way, do not sit down in despair; but make so much the more haste to turn into it: if thou hast been an hypocrite, or ungodly person, all thy life, yet is the promise offered thee by Christ; and he tendereth himself to be thy Lord and Saviour. Neither canst thou possibly be so willing to accept of him, as he is to accept thee. Nothing but thy own unwillingness can keep thy soul from Christ, though thou hast hitherto abused him, and dissembled with him.
Object. But if I have gone so far, and been a professor so long, and yet find myself an hypocrite now, after all, what hope is there that I should now become sincere? Answ. Dost thou heartily desire to be sincere; thy sincerity doth lie especially in thy will: as long as thou art unwilling, I confess, thy case is sad; but if thou be willing to receive
Christ as he is offered to thee, and so to be a Christian indeed, then thou art sincere. Neither has Christ restrained his Spirit, or promises, to any set time; or said to thee, 'Thou shalt find grace, if
thou but sin so much, or so long; but if thou be heartily willing at any time, I know not who can hinder thy happiness.' Yet is this no diminution of the sin or danger of delaying.
Thus I have given you these directions for examination, which conscionably practised, will be of singular advantage and use to discover your states; but it is not the bare reading of them that will do it. I fear, of many that will approve of this advice, there will but few be brought to use it; however, those that are willing, may find help by it, and the rest will be left most inexcusable in judgment.
Sect. III. I will not digress further, to warn you here of the false rules and marks of trial which you must beware, having opened them to you more fully when I preached on that subject; but I will briefly adjoin some marks to try your title to this rest, by referring you, for a fuller discovery, to the description of the people of God, in the first part of this book: but be sure you search thoroughly, and deal plainly, or else you will but lose your labour, and deceive yourselves.
(Mark 1.) 1. Every soul that hath title to this rest, doth place his chiefest happiness in it, and make it the chief and ultimate end of his soul.
This is the first mark; which is so plain a truth, that I need not stand to prove it: for this rest consisteth in the full and glorious enjoyment of God; and he that maketh not God his chief good, and ultimate end, is, in heart, a pagan, and vile idolater, and doth not take the Lord for his God truly.
Let me ask thee, then, Dost thou truly, in judgment and affection, account it thy chiefest happiness to enjoy the Lord in glory, or dost thou not? Canst thou say, with David, "The Lord is my portion;"
(Psal. 16:5;) and, as Psal. 73:15, "Whom have I in heaven but thee, and whom in earth that I desire in comparison of thee?" If thou be an heir of rest, it is thus with thee. (Psal. 119:57, and 142:5; Lam. 3:4.)
Though the flesh will be pleading for its own delights, and the world will be creeping into thine affection, and thou canst not be quite
freed from the love of it, yet in thy ordinary, settled, prevailing judgment and affections, thou preferrest God before all things in the world.
1. Thou makest him the end of thy desires and endeavours. The very reason why thou hearest and prayest, why thou desirest to live and breathe on earth, is chiefly this; that thou mayst seek the Lord, and make sure of thy rest: thou seekest first the kingdom of God and its righteousness. Though thou do not seek it so desirously and zealously as thou shouldest, yet it hath the chief of thy desires and endeavours, and nothing else is desired or preferred against it;
(Matt. 6:33;) so that thy very heart is thus far set upon it. (Matt. 6:21; Col. 3:1–3.) 2. Also thou wilt think no labour or suffering too great to obtain it; and though the flesh may sometimes shrink, or draw back, yet art thou resolved and content to go through all.e (Matt. 7:13; 2 Tim. 2:5,
12; Rom. 8:17; Luke 4:24, Luke 14:26, 27.) 3. Also, if thou be an heir of rest, thy valuation of it will be so high, and thy affection to it so great, that thou wouldst not exchange thy title to it, and hopes of it, for any worldly good whatsoever. Indeed, when the soul is in doubts of enjoying it, perhaps it may possibly desire rather the continuance of an earthly happiness, than to depart out of the body with fears of going to hell. But if he were sure that heaven should be his own, he would desire to depart, and to be with Christ, as being the best state of all. And if God would set before him an eternity of earthly pleasure and contents on one hand, and the rest of the saints on the other hand, and bid him take his choice, he would refuse the world, and choose this rest. (Psal. 16:9, 10; Rom.
8:23; 2 Cor. 5:2, 3; Phil. 3:20.) Thus, if thou be a Christian indeed, thou takest God for thy chiefest good, and this rest for the most amiable and desirable state: and by the foresaid means thou mayst discover it.
But if thou be yet in the flesh, and an unsanctified wretch, then is it clean contrary with thee in all these respects. Then dost thou in thy heart prefer thy worldly happiness and fleshly delights before God; and though thy tongue may say that God is the chief good, yet thy heart doth not so esteem him. For, 1. The world is the chief end of thy desires and endeavours; thy very heart is set upon it; thy greatest care and labour is to maintain thy estate, or credit, or fleshly delights, but the life to come hath little of thy care or labour. Thou didst never perceive so much excellency in that unseen glory of another world, as to draw thy heart so after it, or set thee a labouring so heartily for it: but that little pains which thou bestowest that way, it is but in the second place, and not the first. God hath but the world's leavings, and that time and labour which thou canst spare from the world, or those few cold and careless thoughts which follow thy constant, earnest, and delightful thoughts of earthly things.
Neither wouldest thou do any thing at all for heaven, if thou knewest how to keep the world: but lest thou shouldest be turned into hell, when thou canst keep the world no longer, therefore thou wilt do something.
2. Therefore it is that thou thinkest the way of God too strict, and wilt not be persuaded to the constant labour of conscionable walking according to the Gospel rule: and when it comes to trial, that thou must forsake Christ or thy worldly happiness, and the wind which was in thy back doth turn in thy face, then thou wilt venture heaven rather than earth, and, as desperate rebels used to say, thou wilt rather trust God's mercy for thy soul, than man's for thy body, and so wilfully deny thy obedience to God.
3. And certainly if God would but give thee leave to live in health and wealth for ever on earth, thou wouldst think it a better state than rest. Let them seek for heaven that would, thou wouldst think this thy chiefest happiness. This is thy case if thou be yet an unregenerate person, and hast no title to the saint's rest.
Sect. IV. The second mark which I shall give thee, to try whether thou be an heir of rest, is this: as thou takest God for thy chief good, so thou dost heartily accept of Christ for thy only Saviour and Lord to bring thee to this rest. The former mark was the sum of the first and great command of the law of nature, "Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart," or above all. This second mark is the sum of the command or condition of the Gospel, which saith, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved." And the performance of these two is the whole sum or essence of godliness and Christianity.
Observe, therefore, the parts of this mark, which is but a definition of faith.
1. Dost thou find that thou art naturally a lost, condemned man for thy breach of the first covenant? And dost believe that Jesus Christ is the mediator, who hath made a sufficient satisfaction to the law; and hearing in the Gospel that he is offered without exception unto all, dost heartily consent that he alone shall be thy Saviour; and dost no further trust to thy duties and works, than as conditions required by him, and means appointed in subordination to him, not looking at them as in the least measure able to satisfy the course of the law, or as a legal righteousness, nor any part of it, but art content to trust thy salvation on the redemption made by Christ?
2. Art thou also content to take him for thy only Lord and King, to govern and guide thee by his laws and Spirit? And to obey him even when he commandeth the hardest duties, and those which most cross the desires of the flesh? Is it thy sorrow when thou breakest thy resolution herein; and thy joy when thou keepest closest in obedience to him? And though the world and flesh do sometimes entice and over-reach thee, yet is it thy ordinary desire and resolution to obey, so that thou wouldst not change thy Lord and Master for all the world? Thus it is with every true Christian. But if thou be an hypocrite, it is far otherwise. Thou mayest call Christ thy
Lord and thy Saviour, but thou never foundest thyself so lost without him, as to drive thee to seek him, and trust him, and lay thy salvation on him alone. Or, at least, thou didst never heartily consent that he
should govern thee as thy Lord;i nor didst resign up thy soul and life to be ruled by him; nor take his word for the law of thy thoughts and actions. It is like thou art content to be saved from hell by Christ when thou diest, but, in the mean time, he shall command thee no further than will stand with thy credit, or pleasure, or worldly estate and ends. And if he would give thee leave, thou hadst far rather live after the world and flesh, than after the word and Spirit. And though thou mayest now and then have a motion or purpose to the contrary, yet this that I have mentioned is the ordinary desire and choice of thy heart: and so thou art no true believer in Christ, for though thou confess him in words, yet in works thou dost deny him, being disobedient, and to every good work a disapprover and reprobate.
(Tit. 1:16.) This is the case of those that shall be shut out of the saint's rest.
But especially I would here have you observe, that it is in all this the consent of your hearts, or wills, which I lay down in this mark to be inquired after; for that is the most essential act of justifying faith: therefore, I do not ask whether thou be assured of salvation; nor yet whether thou canst believe that thy sins are pardoned, and that thou art beloved of God in Christ. These are no parts of justifying faith, but excellent fruits and consequents, which they that do receive are comforted by them; but perhaps thou mayst never receive them while thou livest, and yet be a true heir of rest. Do not say, then, 'I cannot believe that my sin is pardoned, or that I am in God's favour, and therefore I am no true believer.' This is a most mistaking conclusion: the question is, whether thou canst heartily accept of Christ, that thou mayst be pardoned; reconciled to God, and so saved? Dost thou consent that he shall be thy Lord, who hath bought thee, and take his own course to bring thee to heaven? This is justifying, saving faith; and this is the mark that thou must try thyself by: yet, still observe, that all this consent must be hearty and real; not feigned or with reservations. It is not saying, as that dissembling son, Matt. 21:30, "I go, sir," when he went not; to say, 'Christ shall be my Lord,' and yet let corruption ordinarily rule thee, or be unwilling that his commands should encroach upon the interest of the world or
flesh. If any have more of the government of thee than Christ,; or if thou hadst rather live after any other laws than his, if it were at thy choice, thou art not his disciple. Thus I have laid you down these two marks, which, I am sure, are such as every Christian hath, and no other but sincere Christians. I will add no more, seeing the substance of Christianity is contained in these. Oh that the Lord would now persuade thee to the close performance of this self-trying task! that thou mayst not tremble with horror of soul, when the Judge of all the world shall try thee, but have thy evidence and assurance so ready at hand, and be so able to prove thy title to rest, that the thoughts and approaching of death and judgment may revive thy spirits, and fill thee with joy; and not appal thee, and fill thee with amazement!