XI. A more exact inquiry into the number and use of marks; the nature of sincerity; with other

XI. A more exact inquiry into the number and use of marks; the nature of sincerity; with other

CHAP. XI A more exact Inquiry into the Number and Use of Marks; the Nature of Sincerity; with other things of great moment in the work of Self-examination SECT. I. It is a matter of such inexpressible consequence for every man to make sure work in the great business of his salvation; it being so easy, so ordinary, and so dangerous to be mistaken, that I think fit yet to add some further advice, to help men in the trial of their own states. There is no Christian that hath any care of his soul, or any belief and true sense of the matters of eternity, but must needs be very solicitous in inquiring, 'How he may know what will become of him for ever and ever?' and be glad of a clear, undeceiving direction for the discovery of this. As I lay under seven years' doubting and perplexity of spirit myself, much through my ignorance in the managing of this work, so was I very inquisitive still after signs of sincerity, and I got all the books that ever I could buy, which laid down evidences and marks of true grace, and tended to discover the difference betwixt the true Christian and the hypocrite or unsound; I liked no sermon so well as that which contained most of these marks; and afterward, when I was called to the ministry myself, I preached in this way as much as most. I have heard as many complaints of doubting, distressed souls as most: and had as many that have opened their hearts to me in this point; of whom many have proved the most humble, self-denying, mortified Christians; and many that were deepest in doubtings and distress, upon trial of their lives, I found also deepest in pride, peevishness, unmortified lusts, and unfaithful walking, which did feed their troubles. Upon this long experience of myself and others, and most serious study of this point, and prayer to God for his direction, I think it but my duty to open yet more fully, for the benefit of others, what I have herein discovered, which is necessary for them to understand in this weighty work: for one error here may put the hearts and lives of godly people quite out

of frame, and may do much to the confirming of the wicked in their presumption and self-deceit. I shall therefore lay down what I conceive to be the truth, in certain propositions.

Sect. II. Prop. 1. A sincere Christian may attain to an infallible knowledge of his own sincerity in grace, or his performance of the conditions of the covenant of life, and consequently of his justification, adoption, and title to glory; and this without any extraordinary revelation.

This proposition I have proved before, and therefore need to say no more to it now. I lay it down here by way of caution to prevent mistakes; lest any should think that I am against an attainment of assurance here, because of some passages following.

Sect. III. Prop. 2. This infallible knowledge is not properly a certainty of faith, as too many divines affirm.

This also I have proved before in opening the nature of assurance, and in the Appendix of my Aphorisms of Justification; and Mr.

Wotton de Reconcil., and very many learned divines of late, have confirmed it fully. Proper certainty of faith is, when a man, by mere believing, is sure of the truth of the thing believed: this, therefore, leaneth fully on a divine testimony. But there is no divine testimony revealing, that such or such a man's sins are pardoned, or he justified. The testimony of the Spirit is but partly by giving us the conditions of the promise, which is our evidence, and partly helping us to see them, and conclude from them, and take comfort therein: and so it witnesseth with our consciences, by causing our consciences spiritually and effectually to witness. But this testimony is not the object of faith; it is only God's testimony in Scripture which affords us a certainty of faith, properly divine, in this point. Though in other cases natural discoveries may be truly called a divine testimony in a larger sense; yet this is above nature: now, God's word doth only say, he that repenteth and believeth shall be pardoned, and justified, and saved: but nowhere saith, that you or I shall be saved. Object. But,

you will say, as long as we may know that we believe, is it not all one?

Answ. No: for God's word tells me not that I believe; therefore this must be known by reflection and internal sense, and not by believing.

He that believeth he doth believe, believeth himself and not God; for God nowhere telleth him so: so then it is beyond doubt, that assurance, as I said before, ariseth from the conclusion; one of whose premises is in the word of God, and must be believed; the other is in our own hearts, and must be felt or known; and therefore the conclusion is mixed, and to be deduced by reason, and is not an object properly of divine faith, or of any faith at all. There is but one objection that seems to me to have any appearance of strength, to take with any reasonable man; and that, some think, cannot be answered. And thus they argue: Whatsoever we ask of God through Christ, according to his will, we must believe we shall receive: but we ask justification and glory of God according to his will, through Christ: therefore we must believe we shall receive them. Answ. This makes not our justification and salvation, to be upon certainty of faith. For, 1. The major proposition doth only express a conditional promise of justification and salvation, and no absolute promise.

Now, a conditional promise puts nothing in being till the performance of the condition, nor gives any certainty but on such performance. The condition here expressed is, that we ask, and that we ask according to God's will; which implies many other conditions; for it must be in faith and repentance, and to right ends, not "to consume it on our lusts," saith James, and we must be certain that we are sincere in all this, before we can, upon this conditional promise, have a certainty: 2. So that the minor proposition here, that we thus ask according to God's will in true faith, &c., this no Scripture speaks; and therefore must be known otherwise than by believing: 3. Yet we may be said to believe we shall receive, in reference to the major proposition or promise in Scripture, which is an object of our belief.

Sect. IV. Prop. 3. Though infallible assurance, as aforesaid, may be here attained, yet perfect certainty in degree cannot, nor may lawfully be by any man expected.

This also I have proved before. For if we may be perfect in the degree of assurance, why not of all grace as well; and so have no sin? nay, there are so many graces exercised in producing our assurance, besides reason itself, that if they be not first perfect, it is impossible that assurance should be perfect. For example: He that believeth not in perfection the truth of Scripture, and of that promise, that "Whosoever believeth shall be saved;" 2. And he that knoweth not in perfection the sincerity of his own faith, neither of which any man breathing doth do; cannot possibly be perfectly certain that he is justified, and shall be saved: for who can be perfectly certain of the conclusion, who is but imperfectly certain of the premises? And yet I have met with some men that think themselves very learned and spiritual, that confidently dispute for a perfection in assurance. If any man say, that Bellarmine meant as much as this imperfect certainty, when he grants a conjectural certainty; and be sure that he speaks truly; I will like Bellarmine the better, and his opposers in this the worse, but I will like a plain, necessary truth of God never the worse.

Sure I am that our great divines affirming, that we are sure of salvation by a certainty of faith, hath given the papists fearful ground to baffle them and play upon us, and triumph over them. And when their own students and followers find it so, it hardens them against us fearfully. And as sure I am that no man is perfect gradually in this life in any grace, much less in so high a point as his assurance.

Among all those consciences that I have had opened to me, I never met with a humble, heavenly, upright Christian, that would say, he was perfectly certain; nay, and but few, that durst call their persuasion a certainty, but rather a strong hope: but some licentious, fantastical disputers, I have heard plead for such a perfect certainty; whose pride and loose living, and unmortified passions and corruptions, told the standers-by, that they were the farthest from true certainty of any.

Sect. V. Prop. 4. Though in some cases it may be useful to name several marks; yet the true, infallible marks of sincerity, which a man may gather assurance from, are very few, and lie in a narrower room than most have thought.

As I would not pick quarrels with the most godly divines, who lay down many marks of sincerity in their sermons and books; so would

I not, in foolish tenderness of any man's reputation, be so cruel to the souls of poor Christians, as to hide the truth from them in so weighty a point: and I speak against no man more than myself heretofore. I know ordinary Christians cannot discern how these multitudes of marks do lie open to exceptions; but the judicious may easily perceive it. I shall therefore here tell you the truth, how far these many marks are commendable and convenient, and how far they are condemnable and dangerous. And, I. When we are only discovering the nature of some sin, rather than the certainty of the unholiness of the sinner, it is both easy and useful to give many signs, as from the effects, &c., by which it may be known what that sin is: and so men may know how far they are guilty of it. But to know certainly whether that sin will prove the damnable state of the sinner, is neither easy, in most cases, nor to be done by many marks.

2. When we are discovering the nature of some duty or grace, and not the very point wherein the soul's sincerity in that grace or duty lieth, it is both easy and useful to give many marks of them. But by these no man can gather assurance of his sincerity.

3. When we are describing a high degree of wickedness, which is far from the best state of an unregenerate man, it is both easy and useful to give plain marks of such a state. But to discover just how much sin will stand with true grace, is another matter.

4. When we are describing the state of the strongest Christians, it is easy and useful to mark them out, and to give many marks of their strength; but to give many of their truth, and to discover the least degree of true grace, is not easy. So I have shown you wherein marks may commendably be multiplied; but to lay down many marks of sincerity, and say, 'By these you may certainly know whether you shall be saved or not;' this I dare not do.

Sect. VI. Prop. 5. There is a threefold truth to be inquired after in examination: 1. The truth of the actor habit; 2. The moral truth of it as a grace or duty; 3. The moral truth of it as a saving or justifying grace or duty, or as the condition of justification and salvation. It is the last of these three only that the great business in selfexamination lieth on, and which we are now searching after; the two first being presupposed as more easily discernible, and less controvertible.

I will not here trouble plain readers, for whose sakes I write, with any scholastic inquiries into the nature of truth, but only look into so much as is of flat necessity to a right managing of the work of selfexamination: for it is inconceivable how a man should rationally judge of his own condition, when he knows not what to inquire after; or that he should clearly know his sincerity, who knows not what sincerity is. Yet I doubt not but, by an internal feeling, a strong, sound Christian, who hath his faith and love and other graces in action, may comfortably perceive the sincerity of his graces, though he be so ignorant as not clearly and distinctly to know the nature of sincerity, or to give any just description of it; even as an unlearned man, that is of a sound and healthful body, may feel what health is when he cannot describe it, nor tell distinctly wherein it doth consist.

But yet, as he hath a general knowledge of it, so hath this ignorant, sincere Christian, of the nature of sincerity. And, withal, this is a more dangerous ground to stand on, because our sense is so uncertain in this case, more than in the welfare of the body; and the assurance of such a soul will be more defective and imperfect, and very inconstant, who goes by mere feeling, without knowing the nature of what he feeleth, even as the forementioned unlearned man, in case of bodily health, if he have no knowledge, but mere feeling of the nature of health, he will be cast down with a tooth-ache, or some harmless disease, if it be painful, as if he should presently die, when a knowing man could tell that there is no danger; and he would make light of a hectic, or other mortal disease, till it be incurable, because he feels no great pain in it. It is, therefore, a matter of necessity to open, most clearly and distinctly, the nature of sincerity or truth, so

far as concerns the case in hand. I told you before, that there is a metaphysical truth of being, and a moral; I now add further, that here are three things to be inquired after: 1. The truth of the act; 2.

The truth of the virtuousness of the act; 3. The truth of the justifying or saving nature of the act. The first is of natural, the two last of moral consideration: as, for example, if you be trying the sincerity of your love to God, you must first know that you do love him indeed, without dissembling; 2. That this love is such as is a duty or good, which God requireth; 3. That this love is such as will certainly prove you in a state of salvation. The first of these (whether you believe and love Christ or not) must needs be first known; and this must be known by internal feeling, joined with a consideration of the effects of real love. And to this end many marks may be useful, though, indeed, inward feeling must do almost all; no man else can tell me whether I believe and love, if I cannot tell myself. It is no hard matter to a solid, knowing Christian, to discern this ordinarily; but when they do know this, they are far enough from true assurance, except they go to the rest. A man may be a true man, and not an image, or a shadow, or a corpse, and yet be a false thief, or a liar, and no true man in a moral sense: this I lay down to these uses.

First, That you take heed when you hear or read marks of grace, how you receive and apply them; and inquire whether it be not only the truth of the being of the act or habit that those marks discover, rather than the virtuous, or the saving being or force.

Secondly, That you take heed, in examination, of taking up at this first step, as if, when you have found that you believe, and love, and repent, you had found all, when yet you have not found that you do it savingly.

Thirdly, To take heed of the doctrine of many in this, who tell you, that every man that hath faith, knows he hath it; and it is impossible to believe, and not to know we believe. This may, ordinarily, but not always, be true about this first truth, of the mere being of the act; but is it no wonder that they should not consider that this is but a

presupposed matter, and not the great thing that we have to inquire after in point of sincerity? and that they may know they believe long enough, and yet not know their faith to be saving? It is our beyondsea divines that so mistake in this point: our English divines are sounder in it than any in the world, generally: I think because they are more practical, and have had more wounded, tender consciences under cure, and less empty speculation and dispute. The second truth to be inquired after is, that this act is truly good, or a virtue, or grace; for every act is not a virtue, nor every act that may seem so. I will not stand here curiously to open to you, wherein the goodness of an action doth consist. Somewhat will be said in the following propositions: only thus much at present. To denominate an action properly and fully good, it must be fully agreeable to God's will of precept, both in the matter, end, measure, and all circumstances; but, improperly and imperfectly, it may be called good or virtuous, though there be evil mixed, if the good be most eminent, as if the substance of the action be good, though the circumstances be evil; and thus we ordinarily call actions good: but if the evil be so predominant as that the good lie only in ends or circumstances, and the substance, as it were, of the action be forbidden, then we may not call it a good action, or a grace, or duty. So that it is not perfect, proper goodness that I here speak of, but the second, that is imperfect; when the action is commanded and good in itself, and the good more eminent than the evil; yet it may not be saving for all that.

For there is a common grace which is not saving, yet real, and so true and good, and so true grace; as well as a special grace, which is saving; and there are common duties commanded by God, as almsdeeds, fasting, prayer, &c., which, though they are necessary, yet salvation doth not certainly accompany them, or follow them. A man that finds any moral virtue to be in himself truly, and to be truly a virtue, cannot thence conclude that he shall be saved, nor a man that doth a duty truly good in itself. Many did that which was good in the sight of the Lord, but not with an upright heart; and even an Ahab's humiliation may have some moral goodness, and so some acceptance

with God, and bring some benefit to himself, and yet not be saving nor justifying.

And some actions again may be so depraved by the end and manners, that they deserve not the name of good or duty. As to repent of a sinful attempt is, in itself, considered a duty and good; but if a man repent of it only because it did not succeed, or because be missed of the gain, or pleasure, or honour, which he expected by it, thus he makes it a greater sin; and if he repent but because his pleasure is gone, or because he is brought to poverty or disgrace by his sin, this is but a natural thing, and deserves not the name of a virtue. So to love God is in itself good, and the highest duty; but if a man love God as one that he thinks hath prospered him in his sin, and helped and succeeded him in his revenge, unjust blood-shed, robbery, sinful rising and thriving, thanking God, and loving him for his pleasure in lust, drunkenness, gluttony, or the like, as the most men that idolise their flesh-pleasure do, when they have ease and honour, and all at will, that they may offer a full sacrifice to their flesh, and say, 'Soul, take thine case,' then they thank God for it, and may really love him under this notion. This is to make God a pander or servant to our flesh, and so to love him for serving and humouring it; and this is so far from being a virtue, that it is one of the greatest of all sins; and if another man love God in a better notion a little, and love his lusts more, this is no saving love, as I shall more fully show you. So that you see a man hath more to look after than the mere honesty, virtue, or moral goodness of his action; or else all actions that are virtuous, would be saving.

The third thing to be inquired after is, the sincerity of grace considered as saving. This is much more than the two former, and, indeed, is the greater matter in self-examination to be looked after: here is the work; here is the difficulty; here it is that we are now inquiring, how far marks may be multiplied; how far they may be useful; and wherein this sincerity doth consist. The two former will not denominate a man a sincere Christian, nor prove him justified, and in a state of salvation, without this. Wherein this consisteth, I

shall show you in the following propositions: now, I have first showed you what it is that you must inquire after; and I hope no wise

Christian will judge me too curious and exact here, seeing it is a work that nearly concerns us, and is not fit to be done in the dark: our cause must be thoroughly sifted at judgment, and our game then must be played above-board; and therefore it is desperate to juggle and cheat ourselves now; only, before I proceed, let me tell you, that according to this threefold truth or sincerity, so there is a threefold self-delusion or hypocrisy; taking hypocrisy for a seeming to be what we are not, either to ourselves or others, though, perhaps, we have no direct dissembling intent. 1. To take on us to repent, believe, love

Christ, &c., when we do not at all: this is the grossest kind of hypocrisy, as wanting the very natural truth of the act.

2. To seem to believe, repent, love God, &c., virtuously, according to the former description, and yet to do it but in subserviency to our lusts and wicked ends, this is another sort of gross hypocrisy; yea, to do it in mere respect to fleshly prosperity, as to repent because sin hath brought us to sickness and poverty, to love God merely because he keeps up our flesh's prosperity, &c.; this is still gross hypocrisy.

It may be a great question, which of these is the greater sin: to repent and love God in subserviency to our sin, or not to do it at all?

Answ. It is not much worth the thinking on, they are both so desperately wicked; therefore I will not trouble the reader with a curious resolution of this question, only thus: Though to deny God's being, be a blasphemous denial of his natural excellency, and so of his attributes, which are the first platform of that which we call morality in the creature; yet to deny these his attributes, and, withal, to ascribe sin and positive wickedness to the blessed, holy God, seems to me the greater sin; Sicut esse diabolum est pejus (quoad ipsum) quam non esse.

3. The next kind of hypocrisy, and the most common, is, when men want the sincerity of grace as saving only, but have both the truth of

it as an act or habit, and as a virtue. When men have some repentance, faith, hope, love, &c., which is un-dissembled, and hath good ends, but yet is not saving; this is the unsoundness which most among us in the church perish by, that do perish, and which every

Christian should look most to his heart in. This, I think, is discerned by few that are guilty of it, though they might all discern it, if they were willing and diligent.

Sect. VII. Prop. 6. As it is only the precepts of Christ that can assure us that one action is virtuous, or a duty more than another; so it is only the tenor of the covenant of grace, bestowing justification or salvation upon any act, which makes that act, or grace, justifying or saving, and can assure us that it is so.

By the precepts, I mean any divine determination concerning our duty, what we ought to do or avoid. It is the same sacred instrument which is called God's testament, his covenant, and his new law, the several names being taken from several respects, as I have opened elsewhere, and cannot now stand to prove; this law of God hath two parts, the precept and the sanction. The precept may be considered either as by itself, 'Do this or do that,' and so it maketh duty: this constitutes the virtue of actions, regulating them; and so the second kind of sincerity, 'whether an action be good or bad,' must be tried by the precepts as precepts. What God requireth, is a virtue: what he forbiddeth, is a vice: what he neither requireth nor forbiddeth, is indifferent, as being not of moral consideration: for the popish doctrines of divine counsels is vain.

2. And then these precepts must be considered not only as they stand by themselves, and constitute duty simply, saying 'Do this;' but also as they stand in conjunction with the sanction, and say, 'Do this or that, and be saved, or else perish,' as 'Believe and be saved, else not.'

And in this respect and sense, they constitute the conditions of the covenant; and so they are the only rule by which to know what is saving grace, and what not: and only in this respect it is that they justify or condemn men. They may justify or condemn the action, as

bare precepts and prohibitions; but they justify not, nor condemn the person himself, but as precepts conjoined with the sanction; that is, with the promise or threatening.

So that it is hence evident, that no human conjecture can gather what is a saving grace or duty, and what not, either from a bare precept, considered disjunct from the promise, or from any thing in the mere nature and use of the gracious act itself. The nature of the act is but its aptitude to its office; but the consequents (for I will not call them effects), justification and salvation, proceed from or upon them only as conditions on which the free promise bestoweth those benefits directly. Those, therefore, which make the formal reason of faith's justifying to lie in its apprehension, which they call its instrumentality, being indeed the very nature and being of the act, do little know what they say, nor how derogatory to Christ, and arrogating to themselves, their doctrine is, as I have elsewhere manifested.

I conclude, then, that it is only the Scripture that can tell you what is justifying or saving grace, by promising and annexing salvation thereto.

Sect. VIII. Prop. 7. Whatsoever therefore is the condition which the covenant of grace requireth of man, for the attaining of justification and salvation, and upon which it doth bestow them, that only is a justifying and saving act. And inferior duties are no further marks to try by, nor are justifying and saving, than as they are reducible to that condition.

This is it which I have asserted in the last foregoing chapter, and this is the reason why I laid down but two marks there. Though, in the first part, in the description of God's people, I laid down the whole description, which must needs contain some things common, and not only special properties, yet now I am to give you the true points of difference, I dare not number so many particulars. The performance of the proper condition of the new covenant, promising

justification or salvation, then, is the only mark of justification or salvation, direct and infallible; or is the only justifying and saving grace properly so called. Now, you must understand that the covenant of life hath two parts, as the condition for man to perform, if he will receive the benefits. The first is, the natural part concerning the pure Godhead, who is the first and the last, the principal, efficient, and ultimate end of all; who is our Creator, Preserver,

Governor, happiness, or rest. This is 'the taking the Lord only for our God,' in opposition to all idols visible or invisible. As the end, as such, is before and above all the means, and the Father, or mere

Godhead, is above Christ the Mediator as such, (as he saith, John 14:28, "The Father is greater than I,") so this is the first and greater part of the condition of the covenant: and so idolatry and atheism are the greatest and first condemning sins. The second part of the condition is, 'That we take Jesus Christ only for the Mediator and our

Redeemer, and so as our only Saviour and supreme Lord, by the right of redemption.' This is the second part, consisting in the choice of the right and only way and means to God, as he is the end: for Christ, as Mediator, is not the ultimate end, but the way to the Father. These two parts of the condition are most evident in the word, both in their distinction and necessity. The former was part of that covenant made with Adam, which is not repealed, nor ever will be, though the rest of that covenant may be laid by. It was afterwards still fully expressed to the church before Christ's coming in the flesh: in all the people's covenanting, this was still the sum, that they took the Lord only to be their God. But the latter part was not in the covenant with Adam: nor was it openly and in full plainness put into the covenant of grace in the beginning, but still implied, and more darkly intimated, the light and clearness of revelation still increasing till Christ's coming. Yet so, as that at the utmost they had but the discovery of a Saviour to be born of a virgin, of the tribe of Judah, at such a time, but never that this Jesus was the Christ. And so it was only in a Saviour so to be revealed that they were to believe before: but after Christ's coming, and his miracles, and resurrection, at utmost, he tells them, "If ye believe not that I am he, you shall die in your sins." So that to them to whom he was revealed, at least it was

of necessity to believe that this Jesus is he, and not to look for another. Now, to us Christians under the New Testament, this latter part of the covenant (concerning the Mediator) is most fully expressed, and most frequently inculcated: not as if the former part

(concerning God the Creator and end) were become less necessary than before, or ever the less to be studied by Christians, or preached by the ministers of the Gospel, but on the contrary, it is still implied, as being fully revealed before, and a thing generally received by the church; yea, and confirmed and established by the adding of the Gospel, and preaching of Christ; for the end is still supposed and implied, when we determine of the means; and the means confirm and not deny the excellency and necessity of the end. Therefore, when Paul (Acts 17 &c.) was to preach to the Athenians or other heathens, he first preacheth to them the Godhead, and seeks to bring them from their idols, and then preacheth Christ. And therefore it is said, "He that comes to God (as the end and his happiness, or Creator and Preserver) must first believe that God is, and that he is

(in the Redeemer) a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

(Heb. 11.) And, therefore, the apostles preached "repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ." (Acts 20:21.) The first is, "the turning from idols to the true God," and so repentance is in order of nature before faith in the Mediator, and more excellent in its nature, as the end is than the way; but not before faith in the Godhead. The second is the only highway to God. Therefore, Paul was by preaching, to turn men from darkness to light; both from the darkness of atheism and idolatry, and the darkness of infidelity, but first from the power of Satan, and worshipping devils, to God; that so next, by faith in Christ, they might receive remission of sin, and inheritance among them that are sanctified. (Acts 26:28.) And Christ himself took the same course, and preached these two parts of the condition of the covenant distinctly. "This is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and (then) Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent."

(John 17:3.) Words of knowledge in Scripture commands, import affection. And "The Father is greater than I." (John 14:28.) And "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh to the Father but by me." (John 14:6.) And "Ye believe in God (there is he first part),

Believe also in me;" (John 14:1;) (there is the second part.) But intended brevity forbids me to heap up more proof in so plain a case.

To this last part of the condition is opposed infidelity, or not believing in Christ, being the chiefest condemning sin, next to atheism and idolatry, which are opposite to the first part. On these two parts of the condition of the covenant, hath God laid all our salvation, as much as concerns our part; still supposing that God and the Mediator have done and will do all their part.

The first part of the condition I call, the natural part, being from the beginning, and written in the nature of every reasonable creature, and by an eminency and excellency it is of natural morality above all other laws whatsoever. The second I call the supernatural part of the condition: as being not known to any man by the mere light of nature, but is supernaturally revealed to the world by the Gospel. The first part also is the basis or great command of the decalogue, "Thou shalt have none other God but me;" or in other terms, "Thou shalt love God above all." The second is the great command of the Gospel,

"Believe in the Lord Jesus;" or in other terms, "Love Christ above all." For, as I said, words of knowledge in Scripture imply affection, especially will, where all acts of the soul are complete, which in the intellect are but incomplete, imperfect, and preparatory, the understanding being but the entrance to the will, and the will being an extended understanding. Therefore, sometimes Christ saith, "He that believeth not, is condemned." Sometimes, "He that loveth any thing more than me, is not worthy of me, and cannot be my disciple."

And he joineth them together in John 16:27. Therefore hath the Father loved you, because you have loved me, and have believed, &c.

Intellectual belief, or assent, therefore, wherever you read it commanded, implieth the will's consent and love.

And thus I have showed you what the conditions of the covenant are, which I have done the more fully, that you might know what is a saving grace or act, and what not. For you may easily conceive that it must needs be safer trying by these than by any lower act or duty:

and as all other are no further saving, than as they belong to these, or are reducible to them, so you can no further try yourselves by them, but as they are reduced to these. And now you see the reason why I mentioned but only two marks in the foregoing chapter, and why I say that true marks are so few by which a man may safely try his title to heaven. And yet you shall see that we must yet reduce them to a narrower room, when we come to open the nature of sincerity. In preparation to which I must tell you, that in the terms of these two marks, or two parts of the condition of the covenant, there is contained somewhat common, which an unregenerate man may perform, and somewhat special and proper to the saints. Though all must go together and be found in those that will be saved, yet the specifical form, or constitutive difference, by which, as saving, the act of a true believer is discerned from the act of an unsound person, doth lie but in a part of it, and I think but in one point: as a man is defined to be a reasonable living creature; but to be a creature will not prove him a man, nor to be a living creature neither, because that there are other creatures, and living creatures, or animate, besides himself. But to be a reasonable animal, or living creature, will prove him a man, because reason contains his specific form and constitutive difference. Other inferior creatures may have bodies, and fleshly bodies, as well as man, and others may have life, which we call a soul, and yet man must have these two; but others with these have not reason, or a soul endued with a power of reasoning.

So in these marks of grace, or conditions of the covenant. To love, is common to every man. To love God and Christ, is common to a Christian, with an hypocrite or wicked man; but to love Christ savingly, that is, as I shall show you presently, sovereignly, or chiefly, this is the form or constitutive difference of love which is saving. To take or accept, is common to every man; to take or accept of God and Christ, is common to a true Christian and a false; but to take or accept of God and his Christ sincerely and savingly, is proper to a sound believer; so that even in these two marks, the sincerity of both lieth in one point. For, supposing the truth of the act, and the truth of the virtue in general, (which are both common, as I have told you,) the truth or sincerity of them as saving, is the only thing to be

inquired after. And in this sense, I know but one infallible mark of sincerity: seeing sincerity lieth in this one point. But before I come to open it more fully, I will premise, and but briefly name, two more propositions.

Sect. IX. Prop. 8. God hath not in the covenant promised justification or salvation upon any mere act or acts considered without that degree and suitableness to their objects, wherein the sincerity of them, as saving, doth consist.

It is said, indeed, "that he that believeth shall be saved," but then it is supposed that it be sincere believing; for any believing is not here meant. For many that believed, and that without gross dissimulation, shall perish, as not believing sincerely. And, therefore, Christ would not trust himself with those that yet believed in him, because he knew their hearts, that they did it not in faithfulness and sincerity.

(John 2:23, 24.) But I shall confirm this more fully afterwards.

Sect. X. Prop. 9. There is no one act, considered in its mere nature and kind, without its measure and suitableness to its object, which a true Christian may perform, but an unsound Christian may perform it also.

I have great reason to add this, that you may take heed of trying and judging of yourselves by any mere act, considered in itself. If any doubt of this, we might soon prove it by producing the most excellent acts, and showing it of them in particular. Believing is as proper to the saved as any thing for the act. And yet, as for the assenting act,

James tells us the devils believe. And as for resting on Christ by affiance, and expecting pardon and salvation from him, we see beyond question, that many thousand wicked men have no other way to quiet them in sinning, but that they are confident Christ will pardon and save them, and they undissemblingly quiet or rest their souls in this persuasion, and undissemblingly expect salvation from him when they have sinned as long as they can. And, indeed, herein lieth the nature of presumption: and so real are they in this faith,

that all our preaching cannot beat them from it. If the question be, whether a wicked man can pray, or meditate, or forbear the act of this or that sin, I think none will deny it. But yet all this will be opened more fully anon.

Sect. XI. Prop. 10. The supremacy of God and the Mediator in the soul, or the precedency and prevalency of his interest in us, above the interest of the flesh, or of inferior good, is the very point wherein materially the sincerity of our graces, as saving, doth consist; and so is the one mark by which those must judge of their state that would not be deceived.

Propos. 11. For the saving object being resolved of in the Gospel, here the sincerity of the act, as saving, consisteth formally in being suited to its adequate object, considered in those respects which are essential to it as such an object. And so to believe in, accept, and love

God as God, and Christ as Christ, is the sincerity of these acts. But this lieth in believing, accepting, and loving God, as the only supreme

Authority, or Ruler, and God and Christ as the only Redeemer, and so our Lord, our sovereign Saviour, our Husband and our Head.

I join both these propositions together, because the explication of both will be best joined together. And first, I will tell you what I mean by some of these terms in these propositions.

1. When I speak of the interest of God and the Mediator in the soul, I do not mean a mere right to us, which we call jus ad rem, for so God and the Mediator, God-man, have interest in all men: as being undoubtedly rightful Lord of all, whether they obey him or not; but I mean Christ's actual interest in us, and possession of us, which we call jus in re, and that, as it consisteth in a voluntary entertainment of him into all the powers of the soul, according to the several capacities and offices. As we use to say of men in respect of their friends, 'Such a man hath so much interest in his friend, that he can prevail with him before any other.' So, when God's interest in us is greater than the interest of the flesh, that he hath the precedency and

supremacy in our understandings, wills, and affections, this is the sincerity of all our graces as saving; and so the discovery of our soul's sincerity. I shall yet more fully open this anon.

2. I here include the interest of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, both as they are conjunct, and as they are distinct. As considered in the essence and unity of the Godhead, so their interest is conjunct; both

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, being our Creator, Ruler, and ultimate End, and chief Good. But in the distinction of persons, as it was the Son in a proper sense that redeemed us, and thereby purchased a peculiar interest in us, and dominion over us, as he is Redeemer, so doth he carry on this interest in a peculiar way. And so the interest of the Holy Ghost as our Sanctifier, is specially advanced by our yielding to his motions, &c.

3. By the supremacy of God, and the prevalency of Christ's interest, I do not mean, that it always prevaileth for actual obedience against the suggestions and allurements of the flesh. A man may possibly pleasure a lesser friend, or a stranger, before a greater friend, for once or more, and then it proves not that the stranger hath the greatest interest in him. But I mean, that God hath really more of his esteem, and will, and rational, though not passionate, love, and desire, and authority, and rule, in his heart and life.

4. When I speak of the interest of the flesh, I chiefly intend and include that inferior good which is the flesh's delight. For here are, considerably distinct, 1. The part which would be pleased in opposition to Christ; and that, with the Scripture, I call the flesh. 2.

The thing which this flesh desires as its happiness; and that is, its own pleasure, delight, and full content. 3. The objects from whence it expecteth this delight and content; and that is, all inferior good which it apprehendeth to conduce most to that end, as being most suitable to itself. By the flesh, then, I mean, the soul as sensitive, as it is now since the fall become unruly, by the strengthening of its raging desires, and the weakening of reason that should rule it, and consequently the rational part thereby seduced; or if the rational

(misinformed and ill-disposed) be the leader in any sin, before or without the sensitive; so that I mean, that which inordinately inclineth us to any inferior good. This inferior good consisteth in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and pride of life, as John distinguisheth them; or as commonly they are distributed, in pleasure, profits, and honour; all which are concentred and terminated in the sin we call flesh-pleasing in the general; for that pleasure it is which is sought in all; or it is the pursuit of an inferior, fleshly happiness, preferred before the superior, spiritual, everlasting happiness. Though most commonly this pleasure be sought in honour, riches, eating, drinking, pleasant dwellings, company, sports and recreations, clothes, wantonness, or lustful uncleanness, the satisfying of passions and malicious desires, or the like; yet sometime it riseth higher, and the sinner seeketh his happiness and content in largeness of knowledge, much learning and curious speculations about the nature of the creatures, yea, and about God himself. But perhaps it will be found that these are nearly of the same nature with the former sensitive delights. For it is not the excellency or goodness of God himself that delighteth them, but the novelty of the thing, and the agitation of their own imagination, fancy, and intellect, thereupon, which is naturally desirous to be actuated, and employed, as receiving thereby some seeming addition to its own perfection; and that not as from God, who is the object of their knowledge, but as from the mere enlargement of knowledge in itself; or, which is far worse, they make the study of God and divine things which they delight in, but subservient to some base, inferior object; and so though they delight in studying and knowing God, and heaven, and Scripture, yet not in God as God, or the chief Good, nor in heaven as heaven, nor out of any true saving love to God; but either, because, as some preachers, they make a gainful trade of it, by teaching others; or because it is an honour to know these things, and be able to discourse of them, and a dishonour to be ignorant; or at best, as I said before, they desire to know God and divine truths, out of a delight in the novelty, and actuating, and natural elevation of the understanding hereby; it is one thing to delight in knowing, and another to delight in the thing known. An ungodly man may delight

in studying and knowing several axioms or truths concerning God, but he never chiefly delighteth in God himself. As a studious man desires to know what hell is, and where, and many truths concerning it; but he desireth not hell itself, nor delighteth in it. A godly man desireth to know the nature and danger of sin, and Satan's way and wiles in temptations; but he doth not therefore desire sin and temptation itself. So a wicked man may desire to know the nature of grace, and Christ, and glory, and yet not desire grace, and Christ, and glory. It is one thing to terminate a man's desire and delight in bare knowledge, or the esteem, or self-advancement, that accrues thereby; and another thing to terminate it in the thing which we desire to know; making knowledge but a means to its fruition. So that, though the virtuousness or viciousness of our willing, and several affections, do receive its denomination and specification very much from the object, as in loving God, and loving sinful pleasure, &c. because there is a proper and ultimate terminus of the soul's motion, yet the acts of the understanding may be exercised about the best of objects, without any virtuousness at all; it being but the truth and not the goodness that is its object; and that truth may be in the best object and in the worst. And so it is the same kind of delight that such a man hath in knowing God, and knowing other things; for it is the same kind of truth that he seeks in both. And, indeed, truth is not the ultimate object terminating the soul's motion, not as it is truth, but an intermediate prerequisite to good, which is the ultimately terminating object; and accordingly the acts of the mere understanding are but preparatory to the act of the will, and so are but imperfect initial acts of the soul, as having a further end than their own proper object; and therefore it is that all philosophers place no moral habits in the understanding, but all in the will; for till they come to the will, though they may be in a large sense morally good or evil, virtuous or vicious, yet they are but so in an imperfect kind and sense, and therefore they call such habits only intellectual.

The sum of all this is, that it is but the flesh's pleasure and interest which an ungodly man chiefly pursueth, even in his delightful studying of holy things; for he studieth holy things and profane alike.

Or if any think it too narrow a phrase, to call this flesh-pleasing, or preferring the interest of the flesh, it being the soul as rational, and not only as sensitive, which turneth from God to inferior things; I do not gainsay this: I know that man apostatized from God to himself; and that in regeneration he is turned again from himself to God. Yet this must be very cautelously understood; for God forbiddeth not man to seek himself duly, but commandeth it: man may and must seek his own happiness. The chief good is desired as good to us. But to state this case rightly, and determine the many great difficulties that here rise in the way, is no fit work for this place: I will not therefore so much as name them. The easiest and safest way therefore to clear the present difficulty to us is, to look chiefly at the different objects and ends: God, who is the supreme Good, presenteth and offereth himself to us to be enjoyed. Inferior good stands up in competition with him, and would insinuate itself into our hearts, as if it were more amiable and desirable than God. Now, if God's interest prevail, it is a certain sign of grace; if inferior good prevail, and have more actual interest or possession than God, it is a certain sign of an unhappy condition; or that the person is not yet in a state of salvation.

And as you thus see what I mean by the interest of the flesh, or inferior good in us; so in all this I include the interest of the world and the devil: for the world is, at least, the greatest part of this inferior good, which stands in competition with God. And Satan is but the envious agent to present this bait before us; to put a false gloss on it in his presentation; to weaken all God's arguments that should restrain us; to disgrace God himself to our souls; and so to press and urge us to a sinful choice and prosecution. He shows us the forbidden fruit as pleasant, and as a means to our greater advancement and happiness, and draweth us to unbelief for the hiding of the danger. He takes us up in our imagination, and shows us the kingdoms of the world and their glory, to steal our hearts from the glorious kingdom of God. So that the interest of the flesh, the interest of the world, and the interest of Satan, in us, is all one in

effect. For they are but several causes to carry the soul from God, to a false, deluding, miserable end.

Again, in the proposition, I say, 'It is the prevalency of the interest of God or Christ, above inferior good,' putting inferior good as the competitor with God, who is the greatest Good; because the will cannot incline to any thing under the notion of evil, or of indifferent, but only as good. No man can will evil as evil; he must first cease to be rational, and to be man. If evil appeared only as evil, there were no danger in it. The force of the temptation lies in making evil seem good, either to the senses, or imagination, or reason, or all. Here lies the danger of a pleasing condition in regard of credit, delights, riches, friends, habitation, health, or any inferior thing; the more good appeareth or seemeth to be in them, as disjunet from God, the more dangerous; for they are the liker to stand up in competition with him, and to carry it with our partial, blinded souls in the competition. Remember this, if you love yourselves, when you would have all things about you more pleasing and lovely. Here lies the unknown danger of a prosperous state; and on the contrary lies the precious benefit of adversity, which, if men were not brutish and unbelieving, they would heartily welcome as the safest condition.

Again, observe here, that I mention inferior 'good,' and not 'truth,' as that which stands in competition with God. For of two truths, both are equally true, though not equally evident; and, therefore, though

Satan would persuade the soul that inferior good is better for us than God, yet he sets not truth against truth in competition. He would indeed make us believe that God's word is not true at all, or the truth not certain. But with the understanding there is no competition between truth and truth, if known so to be. For the understanding can know and believe several truths at once, though about ever so different matters, as that there is a heaven and a hell, that there is a God, a Christ, a world, a devil, &c. But the will cannot embrace and choose all different good at once; for God hath made the enjoyment of them incompatible; much less can it will two things as the chiefest

good, when there is but one such; or God and the creature equally good, and both in the highest degree.

Here, then, you further see the meaning of the proposition; when I speak of the prevalency of Christ's interest, I mean it directly and principally in the will of man, and not in the understanding. For though I doubt not but there is true grace in the understanding as well as in the will, yet, as I shall further show anon, as it is in the intellect, it is not certainly and fully discernible, but only as the force of the intellective acts appear in the motions and resolutions of the will. And, therefore, men must not try their state directly by any graces or marks in the understanding. And also if it were possible to discern their sincerity immediately in the understanding, yet it must not be there by this way of competition of different objects in regard of the degree of verity, as if one were more true, and the other less; as it is with the will about the degrees of goodness in the objects which stand in competition. Though yet a kind of competition there is with the intellect too; as, 1. Between God and the creature, who is to be believed rather; and, 2. Between two contradictory or opposite propositions, which is true, and which false. As between these, God is the chief Good, and, God is not the chief Good; or these, God is the chief Good, and, pleasure is the chief good. But though the truth be here believed, yet that is no certain evidence of sincerity; except it be so believed, as may be prevalent with the will; which is not discernible in the bare act of believing, but in the act of willing. So that it is the prevalency of Christ's interest in the will that we here speak of; and consequently in the affections, and conversation. And indeed, as is before hinted, all human acts, as they are in the mere understanding, are but crude and imperfect; for it is but the first digestion, as it were, that is there performed, as of meat in the stomach, but in the will they are more perfectly concocted, as the chyle is sanguified in the liver, spleen, and veins; and in the affections they are yet further raised and concocted, as the vital spirits are begotten in the heart; though many here take mere flatulency for spirits; and so they do common passion for spiritual affections; and then in the conversation, as the food in the habit of

the body, the concoction is finished; so that the sincerity of grace cannot, [think, be discerned by any mere intellectual act: as you may find judicious Dr. Stoughton asserting in his 'Righteous Man's Plea to Happiness.' But yet do not misunderstand it, as if saving grace did not reside in the understanding.

Now, as the apostle saith, "The flesh warreth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary one to the other:"

(Gal. 5:17:) a Christian's life is a continual combat between these two contrary interests. God will be taken for our portion and happiness, and so be our ultimate End, or else we shall never enjoy him to make us happy: the flesh suggesteth to us the sweetness and delight of carnal contentments, and would have us glut ourselves with these.

God will rule, and that in supremacy, or he will never save us. The flesh would fain be pleased, and have its desire, whether God be obeyed and pleased or not. There is no hope of reconciling these contrary interests. God hath already made his laws, containing the conditions of our salvation or damnation; these laws do limit the desires of the flesh, and contradict its delights: the flesh cannot love that which is against it. It hates them, because they speak not good of it, but evil, because it so mightily crosseth its contents. It was meet it should be so; for if God had suffered no competitors to set up their interest against his, how would the faithfulness of his subjects be tried; how would his providences and graces be manifested? Even to Adam, that yet had no sin, this way of trial was judged necessary: and when he would please his eye and his taste, and desire to be higher, it was just with God to displease him, and to bring him lower.

God will not change these, his holy and righteous laws, to please the flesh, nor conform himself to its will. The flesh will not conform itself to God; and so here is the christian combat. Christ, who has purchased us, expeeteth the first or chief room in our affections, or else he will effectively be no Saviour for us. The flesh doth importunately solicit the affections to give the chief room and entertainment to its contents. Christ, who hath so dearly bought the dominion over us all, will either rule us as our sovereign, or condemn us for our rebellion. (Luke 19:27.) The flesh would be free, and is still

soliciting us to treason. For as easy as Christ's yoke is, and light as is his burden, yet it is no more suited with the flesh's interest, than the heavier and more grievous law was: the law of liberty, is not a law of carnal liberty. Now, in this combat, the word and ministry are solicitors for Christ; so is reason itself, so far as it is rectified and well guided: but because reason is naturally weakened and blind; yea, and the Word alone is not sufficient to illuminate and rectify it; therefore

Christ sends his Spirit into the souls of his people, to make that word effectual to open their eyes: here is the great help that the soul hath for the maintaining or carrying on the interest of Christ. But yet once illuminating is not enough. For the will doth not necessarily choose that which the understanding concludeth to be best, (even hic et nunc, et consideratis considerandis.) A drunkard's understanding may tell him, that it is far better, all things laid together, to forbear a cup of wine, than to drink it: and that the good of virtue and duty is to be preferred before the good of pleasure, this experience assures us of, though all the philosophers in the world should contradict it, and I am not disputing now, and therefore I will not stand to meddle with men's contrary opinions; and yet the violence of his sensual appetite may cause him to lay hands on the cup and pour it in. And, indeed, so far it is a brutish act; and it is no such wonder to have sinful acts termed and proved brutish, if we knew that all true reason is against them. Reason is on God's side, and that which is against him is not reason. We may by discourse proceed to sin; but the arguments are all fallacious that draw us. There is no necessity for the committing of a sin, that reason or the understanding should first conclude it best; so great is the power of sense upon the fancy and imagination, and of these on the passions, and the choosing power, especially as to the exciting of the locomotive, that if reason be but silent and suspended, sin will be committed, as a man hath lustful, and revengeful, and covetous desires in his dream, and that very violent. Reason is often asleep when the senses are awake; and then they may easily play their game: even as the godliest man cannot restrain a sinful thought or desire in his dream, as he can waking; so, neither when he is waking, if reason be asleep: although reason never take part with sin, yet if it stand neuter, the sin will be committed.

Yea, that is not all; but if reason do conclude for duty and against sin, and stand to that conclusion; yet, I think, the sensitive sinful appetite and imagination may prevail with the will, unless you may say that this appetite is the will itself, man having but one will, and so may itself command the locomotive, against, as well as without the conclusion of reason, as in the example before mentioned.

To understand this, yon must know, that to the motion of the will effectually, especially where there are violent contrary motions and inducements, it is not only necessary that the understanding say,

This is a duty, or This is a sin; or, It is better to let it alone: but this must be concluded of as a matter of great importance and concernment; and the understanding must express the weight as well as the truth of what it utters concerning good or evil; and this must especially be by a strong and forcible act; or else, though it conclude rightly, yet it will not prevail. Many men may have their understandings informed of the same duty, and all at the very exercise conclude it good and necessary; and so concerning the evil of sin. And yet though they all pass the same conclusion, they shall not all alike prevail with the will; but one more, and another less: because one passeth this conclusion seriously, vigorously, importunately; and the other, slightly, and sleepily, and remissly. If you be busy, writing or reading, and one friend comes to you to call you away to some great business, and useth very weighty arguments, yet if he speak them coldly and sleepily, you may perhaps not be moved by him; but if another come and call you but upon a lesser business, and speak loud and earnestly, and will take no denial, though his reasons be weaker, he may sooner prevail. Do we not feel that the words of a preacher do take more with our wills and affections, from the moving, pathetical manner of expression, than from the strength of argument, except with very wise men? at least, how much that furthers it! when the best arguments in the mouth of a sleepy preacher, or unseasonably and ill-favouredly delivered, will not take. And why should we think that there is so great difference between other men's reasonings prevailing with our wills, and our own reason's way of prevailing?

Now, all this being so, that there must be a strong, lively, loud, pressing, importunate reasoning, and not only a true reasoning and concluding; hence it is that there is necessary to the soul, not only so much illumination as may discover the truth, but so much as may discover it clearly and fully, and may show us the weight of the matter, as well as the truth, and especially as may be still an exciter of the understanding to do its duty, and may quicken it up to do it vigorously; and therefore to this end Christ giveth his Spirit to his people, to strive against the flesh. The soul is seated in all the body, but we certainly and sensibly perceive that it doth not exercise or act alike in all; but it understandeth in and by the brain, or animal spirits; and it willeth, and desireth, and loveth, and feareth, and rejoiceth, in and by the heart; and doubtless the vital spirits, or those in the heart, are the soul's instrument in this work. Now, to procure a motion of the spirits in the heart, by the foremotion of the spirits in the brain, requires some strength in the first motion; and the more forcible it is, likely the more forcible will the motion in the heart be.

This order and instrumentality in acting, is no disparagement to the soul; but is a sweet discovery of God's admirable and orderly works.

Now, therefore, besides a bare act of understanding, there is necessary to this effectual prevailing with the will, that there be added that which we call consideration, which is a dwelling upon the subject, and is a serious, fixed, constant acting of the understanding, which therefore is likely to attain the effect: the use of this, and its power on the will and affections, and the reasons, I have showed you in the Fourth Part of this book. Hence it is, that let their wits be ever so great, yet inconsiderate men are ever wicked men; and men of sober, frequent consideration, are usually the most godly, and prevail most against any temptation; there being no more effectual means against any temptation, indeed, whether it be to omission or commission, than this setting reason forcibly a-work by consideration. The most considerate men are the most resolved and confirmed. So that besides a bare, cold conclusion of the understanding, though you call it practical, this consideration must give that force, and fixedness, and importunity, to your conclusions, which may make them stronger than all the sensitive solicitations to

the contrary, or else the soul will still follow the flesh. Now Christ will have his Spirit to excite this consideration; and to enable us to perform it more powerfully, and successfully, than else we should ever do. And thus the Spirit is Christ's solicitor in and to our souls; and by them it advanceth Christ's interest, and maintaineth it in the saints, and causeth it to prevail against the interest of the flesh.

Where he prevaileth not in the main, as well as striveth, there is yet no saving grace in that soul. Whatever pleadings, or strivings, or reasonings, or concludings, there may be in and by the soul on Christ's side, yet if the flesh's interest be still greater and stronger in the soul than Christ's, that soul is in a state of wrath: he may be in a hopeful way to come to a safer condition, and not far from the kingdom of God, and almost persuaded to be a Christian; but if he die in that state, no doubt he shall be damned. He may be a Christian by common profession; but, in a saving sense, no man is a Christian, in whose soul any thing hath a greater and higher interest than God the Father, and the Mediator.

Sect. XII. Prop. 12. Therefore the sincerity of saving grace lieth materially, not in the bare nature of it, but in the degree; not in the degree, considered absolutely in itself, but comparatively, as it is prevalent against its contrary.

I cannot expect that the reader should suddenly receive this truth, though of so great consequence, that many men's salvation are concerned in it, as I shall show anon, till I have first made it plain.

Long have I been poring on this doubt, whether the sincerity of grace, and so the difference between an hypocrite and a true

Christian, do materially consist in the nature, or only in the degree; whether it be physically considered a gradual or specifical difference; and I never durst conclude that it lay but in the physical degree. 1.

Because of the seeming force of the objections, which I shall answer anon; and, 2. Because of the contrary judgment of those divines whom I highliest valued. For though I am ashamed of my own ignorance, yet I do not repent that I received some things upon trust from the learned, while I was learning and studying them, or that I

took them by a human faith, when I could not reach to take them by a divine faith. Only, I then must hold them but as opinions; but not absolutely as articles of my creed. But I am now convinced of my former mistake; and shall therefore endeavour to rectify others, being in a matter of such moment.

You must remember, therefore, that I have showed you already, that God hath not made an act, considered in its mere nature, without considering it as in this prevailing degree, to be the condition of salvation; and that a wicked man may perform an act for the nature of it, which a true Christian may. But let us yet consider the proposition more distinctly.

Divines use to give the title of saving grace to four things.

The first is, God's purpose of saving us, and the special love and favour which he beareth to us, and so his will to do special good. This is, indeed, most principally, properly, and by an excellency, called saving grace. It is the fountain from which all other grace doth proceed; and by this grace we are elected, redeemed, justified, and saved. Now, the question in hand, is not concerning this grace which is immanent in God, where no doubt there is no specifical difference, when divines accord that there is no diversity or multiplicity at all, but perfect unity, allowing still the unsearchable mystery of the Trinity; therefore, I rest confident that no solid divine will say, that God's common love or grace to the unsanctified, doth by a natural specification differ from his special love and grace to his chosen, as they are in God.

The second thing which is commonly called saving grace, is, the act of God, by which the Spirit infuseth or worketh the special, habitual saving gifts in the soul; not the effect, for that I shall next mention, but the act of the Holy Ghost, which worketh this effect. This is called gratia operans, working grace; as the effect in us is called gratia operata, grace wrought in us. Now,

1. This is none of it we inquire after in the question in hand, when we ask, 'Whether the truth of grace lie only in the comparative or prevailing degree?'

2. If it were, yet there is here no place for such a doubt. 1. Because no man can prove such a natural, specific difference in the acts of God, nor will, I think, affirm them. 2. Especially, because in the judgment of great divines, there is no such act of God at all distinct from his essence and immanent, eternal acts; so that this is the same with the former. God doth not need, as man, to put forth any act, but his mere willing it for the producing of any effect. If man will have a stone moved, his will cannot stir it; but it must be the strength of his arm: but God doth but will it, and it is done; as Dr. Twisse once or twice saith, but Bradwardine and the Thomists peremptorily maintain.

Now, God's will is his essence, and he never did begin or cease to will any thing, though he will the beginning or ceasing of things. He willed the creation of the world and the dissolution of it at once from eternity; though he willed from eternity, that it should be created and dissolved in time; and so the effect only doth begin and end, but not the cause. This is our ordinary, metaphysical divinity. If any vulgar reader think it beyond his capacity, I am content that he move in a lower orb. But we must not feign a natural, specific difference of acts in God.

The third thing which we commonly call saving grace is, the special effects of this work of the Spirit on the soul, commonly called habitual grace, or the Spirit in us, or the seed of God abiding in us, or our real holiness, or our new nature.

Now, 1. Our question is not directly and immediately of this, 'Whether common and special grace do differ more than by the forementioned degree:' for this is not it which a Christian searcheth after immediately, or directly, in his self-examination. For habits, as Suarez and others conclude, are not to be felt of themselves, but only by their acts. We cannot know that we are disposed to love God, but

by feeling the stirrings of love to him. So that it is the act that we must directly look for, and thence discern the habit.

2. But if any man will needs put the question of this habitual grace only, though it be not that I speak of principally, yet I answer him, that no man doubteth but that common grace containeth good dispositions, as special grace containeth habits. Now, who knoweth not that a disposition and a habit do differ but in degree? A carnal man, by the help of common grace, hath a weak inclination to good, and a strong inclination to evil; or, if you will speak properly (for the will cannot choose evil as evil, but as a seeming good), he hath a weak inclination to spiritual and heavenly, superior good, and a strong inclination to fleshly, earthly, inferior good; whereupon the stronger bears down the weaker. But the regenerate have stronger inclinations to superior, spiritual good, than to inferior, fleshly good; and so the stronger in most temptations prevaileth. Now, what natural difference is here, but only in degree?

The fourth thing which we call saving grace, is, the exercise or acts which, from these habits or effectual inclinations, do proceed; and this is the grace which the soul must inquire after directly in its selfexamination; and therefore this is it of which we raise the question, wherein the truth or sincerity of it doth consist? There are, indeed, other things without us which may yet be called saving grace, as redemption and donation (commonly called the imputation) of Christ's righteousness, and so remission, justification, &c.; but because every one may see that our question is not of these, I will not stand to make more mention of them. Now, for these acts of grace, who can produce any natural, specific difference between them, when they are special and saving, and when they are common and not saving? Is not common knowledge and special knowledge, common belief and special belief, all knowledge and belief; and is not belief the same thing in one and in another, supposing both to be real, though but one saving? Our understandings and wills are all, physically, of the like substance; and an act and an act, are accidents of the same kind; and we suppose the object to be the same: common

love to God, and special saving love to God, be both acts of the will upon an object physically the same.

But here, before I proceed further, I must tell you, that you must still distinguish between a physical or natural specification, and a moral; and remember, that our question is only of a physical difference, which I deny; and not of a moral, which I make no doubt of. And you must know, that a mere difference in degrees, in the natural respect, doth ordinarily constitute a specifical difference in morality; and the moral good or evil of all our actions lieth much in the degree, to wit, that they be kept in the mean between the two extreme degrees: and so a little anger, and a great deal, and little love to creatures, and a great deal, though they differ but gradually in their natures, yet they differ specifically in morality; so that one may be an excellent virtue, and the other an odious vice: so, between speaking too much and too little; eating or drinking too much or too little; the middle between these is a virtue, and both extremes are vices; and yet, naturally, they differ but in degree. Virtue, as virtue, consisteth not in the bare nature of an act; but formally it consisteth in the agreement or conformity of our actions or dispositions to the rule or law, which determineth of their dueness; which law, or rule, prescribeth the mean or middle degree, and forbiddeth and condemneth both the extremes, in degree, where such extremes are possible, and we capable of them. So that there is a very great moral difference, such as may be termed specific, between those acts which naturally do differ only in degree. I say a moral, specifical difference is usually founded in a natural, gradual difference: if you confound these two specifications, you will lose yourselves in this point, and injuriously understand me.

Furthermore, observe that I say, that sincerity of grace, as saving, lieth in the degree, not formally, but, as it were, materially only; for I told you before, the form of it consisteth in their being the condition on which salvation is promised. The form which we inquire after, is a relation. As the relation of our actions to the precept is the form of their virtuousness, viz., when they are such as are commanded; so

the relation of them to the promise, is the form of them, as saving, and so as justifying: but because this promise giveth not salvation to the act considered in its mere being, and natural sincerity, but to the act as suited to its object, in its essential respects; and that suitableness of the act, to the form of its object, consisteth only in a certain degree of the act, seeing the lowest degree cannot be so suited; therefore, I say that sincerity lieth, as it were, materially, only in the degree of those acts, and not in the bare and natural being of it.

Lastly, consider, especially, that I say not that sincerity lieth in the degree of any act in itself considered, as if God had promised salvation to us, if we love him so much, or up to such a height, considered absolutely; but it is, in the degree, considered comparatively, as to God compared with other things, and as other objects or commanders stand in competition with him; and so it is in the prevalency of the act or habit against all contraries.

Sect. XIII. Having thus explained my meaning herein, the clearing of all this to you, and fuller confirmation, will be best dispatched these three ways: 1. By exemplifying in each particular grace, and trying this rule upon them severally; 2. By examining some of the most ordinary marks, which have been hitherto delivered, and Christians use to take comfort in; 3. By inquiring what Scripture saith in the point. And, after these, I shall answer the objections that are against it, and then show you the usefulness and necessity of it, and danger of the contrary.

1. The graces of the spirit in man's soul, are either in the understanding, or in the will and affections. Those in the understanding, as knowledge, prudence, assent to God's word, called faith, &c., I make no question, are as truly grace, and as proper to the saints, as those in the will and affections. Divers err here on both extremes: some say that there is no special grace in the understanding, but in the will only; others say that all special grace is in the understanding, and that the will is capable of nothing but

freedom to choose or refuse, and that it ever follows the last dictate of the practical understanding, and therefore no more is needful but to inform the understanding; others say, both understanding and will are the subject of special, sanctifying grace, and that in both it must be sought after, and may be discerned. Between these extremes, I conceive this is the truth: Both understanding and will, that is, the whole soul, which both understandeth and willeth, is truly sanctified where either is truly sanctified; and the several acts of this sanctified soul, are called several actual graces. But though grace be in both faculties, as they are called, yet it is certainly discernible only in the will, and not in the understanding; for all acts, as they are merely in the understanding, are but imperfectly virtuous, being but preparatory and introductory to the will, where they are digested and perfected, as I said before. Dr. Stoughton's words are these: "As for my own part, I could never comprehend that which divines have gone about, to be able to put a characteristical difference in the nature of knowledge, that a man may be able to say such a knowledge is, and such a knowledge is not, a saving knowledge; but only as I use to express it, 'The sun is the greater light, but the moon hath greater influence on waterish bodies;' so knowledge, let it be what it will, if it be good and saving, it hath an influence on the soul. There may be a great deal of knowledge, which is not vital and practical, which carrieth not the heart and affections along with it; and they that have it, have not saving knowledge. But they that have the least degree of knowledge, so it be such as hath an influence to draw the heart and affections along with it, love God, and obey God, it is solid and saving knowledge." So Dr. Stoughton, in his 'Righteous Man's Plea to Happiness,' pp. 38, 39.

And, for my part, I know no mark, drawn from the mere nature of knowledge, or belief, or any mere intellectual act, by which we can discern it from what may be in an unholy person. Those that think otherwise, use to say that the knowledge and belief which is saving, is deep, lively, operative, &c. I doubt not but this is true: but how, by the depth, we shall discern the saving sincerity directly, I know not: or how to discern it in the liveliness or operativeness, but only in its

operations and effects on the will and affections, I know not.

Whether it be so deep and lively as to be saving, must not be discerned immediately in itself, but in its vital, prevalent operations on the will; so that I shall dismiss all the mere acts of the understanding out of this inquiry, as being not such as a Christian can try himself immediately by: and for them that say otherwise, they place the sincerity of them in the depth and liveliness, that is, in the degree of knowledge and belief; for, no doubt, a wicked man may know and believe every particular truth which a Christian doth believe. Some learned men, I have heard, affirm, indeed, that no wicked man can believe Scripture to be the word of God; but that is a fancy that I think needs no confutation: the devils believe it, no doubt. If any say that saving knowledge is experimental, and other is not, I answer: 1. Of matters of mere faith, we have no experience; as, that Christ is the second person, was incarnate, crucified, buried, rose again, &c.

2. Of common practicals, wicked men have experience; as, that the world is deceitful, that man is prone to sin, that Satan must be resisted, &c.

3. For those other special, internal experiences, which denominate a Christian's knowledge experimental, the mark of sincerity lieth in the experienced thing itself, rather than the knowledge of it; for example, a Christian knows experimentally what the new birth is, what it is to love God, to delight in him, &c. Now, the mark lieth not properly in his knowledge of these, but in that love, delight, and renovation, which he possesseth, and so knoweth.

It follows, therefore, that we inquire into the acts of the will, and see wherein their saving sincerity doth consist; for, except the acts of the understanding, all that may be called saving is reducible to those two words of St. Paul, 'to will,' and 'to do.' For all the other acts of the soul are nothing but velle et nolle; either exercised on the object as

variously presented and apprehended, as absent or present, facile or difficult, &c., or exercised with that vigour as moveth the spirits in the heart, and denominates them affections or passions.

First, therefore, to begin with the proper act of willing, though of ourselves, without grace, no man ever willeth God in Christ; yet on this willing hath God laid our salvation, more than on any other qualification or act in ourselves whatsoever. And yet simply to will

God, to will Christ, to will heaven, is not a saving act; but when God and the creature stand in competition, to will God above all, and to will Christ above all, and heaven before earth, this is to will savingly; that is, to will God as God, the chief Good, and cause of good; to will

Christ as Christ, the only Saviour and chief Ruler of us; and to will heaven as the state of our chief happiness in the glorifying enjoyment of God. Not that all the sincerity of these acts lieth in the understandings apprehending God to be the chief Good and cause of it, and Christ to be the only Redeemer, &c.; for a man may will that God, and that Christ, who is thus apprehended by the understanding, and yet not will him as he is thus apprehended. The understanding may overgo the will, and the will not follow the understanding; and this is no saving willing. If a man do know and believe ever so much, that God is the chief Good, and do not chiefly will him, as the devils may so believe, it is not saving; yea, it is a great question whether many do not will God (not only who is apprehended to be the supreme Good, but also) as he is apprehended to be the supreme

Good, and yet love something else more than him, which they know not to be the chief Good, but, against their knowledge, are drawn to it by the force of sensuality, and so these men perish for all their willing; for, certainly, if God have not ordinarily the prevailing part of the will, that man's state is not good. When I say such men will

God, as apprehended to be the chief Good, I mean they will him under such a notion, but not with an act of will answering that notion. I refer the term 'as' to the understanding's apprehension, but not to the will's action, as if it loved him as the chief Good should be loved or willed; for that is it that is wanting, for which they perish. I propound this to the consideration of the judicious; for it is certainly

worth our consideration. It depends on the common question, whether the will always follow the last dictate of the practical intellect, which I shall handle elsewhere. What I have said of willing, you may easily perceive, may be said of desire and love, which are nothing but willing. Love is an intense, absolute willing of good, as good; desire, also, is a willing it as a good not yet enjoyed: therefore the saving sincerity of both lieth in the same point. Many that perish, desire God, and Christ, and heaven; and love God, and Christ, and heaven; but they desire and love some inferior good more. He that desireth and loveth God sincerely and savingly, desireth him and loveth him above all things else; and there lieth his sincerity.

I need not instance in hope, fear, hatred, or any of the acts or passions of the irascible; for they are therefore good, because they set against the difficulty, which is in the way of their attainment to that good which they will and love; and so their chief virtuousness lieth in that will or love which is contained in them, or supposed to them. A wicked man may fear God, but the fear of men or temporal evils is more prevalent in the trial. He may have an aversation of his mind from sin, or some low degree of hatred; it is known to him to be evil, and to hurt him; but his love to it is greater, and prevaileth against his hatred. If any doubt whether a wicked man may have the least hatred of sin, yea, as sin, or as displeasing to God, we are sure of it two ways.

1. By daily experience of some drunkards, that when they are considering how much they sin against God, and wrong themselves, their hearts rise against their own sin, (especially if the temptation be out of sight,) and they will weep, and be ready to tear their own flesh; and yet yield to the next temptation, and live weekly in committing of the sin.

2. By the experience of our own hearts before our sanctification (those that were not sanctified in infancy), many have felt that their hearts had some weak degree of dislike and hatred to the sin that captivated them. And I know divers swearers and drunkards that do

so hate the same sins in their children, that they are ready to fall on them violently if they commit them.

3. And we may know it by reason too. For whatsoever a man may know to be evil, that his will may have some hatred or aversation towards, though not enough; but a wicked man may know sin to be evil; therefore he may have some hatred to it. The will may sure follow the understanding a little way, though it do not far enough.

But methinks those should not contradict this, that are for the will's constant determination by the understanding.

The like I may say also of repentance, so much of it as lieth in the will; that is, the will's turning from inferior good (which it formerly chose) to God, the supreme Good, whom it now chooseth: the sincerity of this lieth in the prevailing degree, for if it be not such a change as carrieth the will more now to God than the creature, but to God a little, and the creature still more, it is not saving. And if it be not a choosing of God before the creature, though it be a choosing of God in the second place, it will not serve turn. And for that repentance which consisteth in sorrow for sin: 1. If it be not to such a degree that it prevail over our delight in sin and love to it, it is not saving. Many wicked men do daily repent and sin. I have known men that would be drunk almost daily, and some seven or eight days continue in one fit of drunkenness before ever they were sober, and yet lament it with tears, and pray daily against it; and being men of much knowledge and able parts, would confess it, and condemn themselves in very moving language, and yet no means could keep them from it, but they have lived in it some ten, some twenty years.

Who dare think that this was true repentance, when the apostle concludes, "If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die?" (Rom. 8:6, 13:2.)

Yet I must tell you, that all these graces which are expressed by passions of sorrow, fear, joy, hope, love, are not so certainly to be tried by the passion that is in them, as by the will that is either contained in them, or supposed in them; not as acts of the sensitive, but of the rational appetite. I will not here stand on the question whether grace be in the sensitive or rational appetite, as its subject,

or both. Burgersdicius and others say, that moral virtue is in the sensitive only, but something like it in the will, but theological virtues are in the will. But, doubtless, if he do prove moral virtue to be in the sensitive, he will prove a proportionable measure of theological virtue to be there too. For there is no virtue, truly so called, which is not theological as well as moral.

But if there be any doubt whether un unregenerate man may perform the same act as a true Christian, it will be especially about the two great and principal graces of faith and love. And for that of faith, I have said enough before. It consisteth, according to the judgment of most reformed divines, partly in the understanding, partly in the will. As it is in the understanding, it is called assent or belief: and for this I have showed before, that a wicked man may have it in some degree, and that grace, as it is in the understanding, cannot be discerned directly; but only as it thence produeeth those acts in the will wherein it may be discerned. There is no one truth which a true

Christian may know, but a wicked man may also know it, though not with that lively degree of knowledge which will overrule the heart and life. Nor is there any one truth which a true Christian may believe, but a wicked man may also believe it. If any deny this, let them name me one. And do not our divines confess as much against the papists, who place faith in bare assent? And do they not expound

James's (the devils believe) of such an assent? If this were not so, it were an easy matter to try and know one's own sincerity, and so to have assurance of salvation? For we might presently name such or such an axiom, (as, that the Scripture is the word of God, or the like,) and ask whether we do know or believe this to be true, and so might quickly be resolved. For it is the heart or will that is deceitful above all things, but the bare acts of the understanding may more easily be discerned, as whether we know or assent to such an axiom or not; though I know also that even the understanding participateth of the guilefulness, and may be somewhat strange to itself.

But some will say that no wicked man can believe the pardon of his own sins, or assent to the truth of this axiom, 'My sins are pardoned.'

Answ. I confess, so many have harped on this string heretofore, that I am ashamed that the papists should read it in our writings, and thereby have that occasion of hardening them in their errors, and of insulting over the reformed doctrine. I confess, no wicked man (in sensu composito) can believe for the pardon of sin, or hath such a faith as pardon is promised to; but that they may believe their sins are pardoned, and seriously believe it, did not error make it necessary, I should be ashamed to bestow any words to prove it. 1. A wicked man may (in my judgment without any great difficulty) believe an untruth, especially which he would fain have to be true, though every untruth he cannot believe. But this is an untruth to every wicked man that his sins are pardoned, or, even by the Antinomian's confession, it is untrue of all wicked men not elected; and an untruth which he would fain have to be true, (for what man is so perverse in his fancy as to doubt whether a wicked man would have his sins pardoned,) therefore he may believe it. 2. That which is one of the chief pillars in the kingdom of the devil, and the master, deceiving, damning sin, is not surely inconsistent with a wicked man's condition: but even such is the ungrounded belief that his sins are pardoned (commonly called presumption, and false faith) therefore, &c. 3. If it be the main work of a skilful, faithful ministry, to beat wicked men from such an ungrounded belief, and experience tells us that all means will hardly do it, and yet that God doth it on all before he bring them by the ministry to true conversion, then surely it is more than possible for a wicked man to have such a belief. But Scripture, and a world of lamentable experience, prove the antecedent; what do such writings as. Hooker's, Bolton's, Whately's,

&c. else drive at? therefore, &c. 4. Yea, that the actual pardon of our sins is not properly credendum, or a material object of faith, I have proved elsewhere, and therefore need not stand on it now.

2. And for those acts of faith which are directly in and by the will, I know not one of them, considered in the nature of the act, without the prevalent degree, which a wicked man may not perform. For the most proper and immediate, act, 'willing,' which containeth a choice of Christ, and a consent that he shall be ours, together with his

benefits, this I have before made manifest to be consistent with an unregenerate state. If any will affirm, that a wicked man cannot be willing to have pardon of all his sins, justification, and salvation from hell, I think it not worthy my writing six lines to confute them; sense will do it sufficiently. That this man cannot desire, or choose, or will, holiness, and glory with Christ, more heartily, strongly, and prevailingly, than his pleasures or inferior good, I easily acknowledge: for in that gradual defect consisteth his unsoundness.

But that he may will, choose, accept, or desire, holiness and glory in a second place, next to his carnal delights or inferior good, is to me beyond doubt. And, accordingly, for the obtaining of these, he may will or accept of Christ himself that gives them. This I shall prove anon, when we speak of love.

And for that act of faith, which most affirm to be peculiarly the justifying act, that is, affiance, resting on Christ, recumbency, adherence, apprehension of him, &c., these, almost all metaphorical terms, contain, not one, but many acts, all which are most frequently found in the ungodly. For we undoubtedly know it; 1. By experience of ourselves whilst we were in their state; 2. And, by constant experience of the vilest sinners, that they not only undissemblingly rest on Christ, (that is, trust verily to be pardoned and saved by him, and expect it from him,) but also that this is the strongest encouragement to them in sinning, and we have need to lay all our batteries against this bulwark of presumption. Alas! to the grief of my soul, my frequent and almost daily experience forceth me to know this, whatsoever men write from their speculations to the contrary. I labour with my utmost skill to convince common drunkards, swearers, worldlings, &c., of their misery, and I cannot do it for my life; and this false faith is the main reason. They tell me, I know I am a sinner, and so are you, and all, as well as I. But if any man sin "we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;" I put my whole trust in him, and cast my salvation on him; for, "He that believeth in him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life." If I tell them of the nature of true faith, and the necessity of obedience, they answer me that they know their own

hearts better than I, and are sure they do really rest on Christ, and trust him with their souls. And for obedience, they will mend as well as they can, and as God will give them grace; and, in the mean time, they will not boast as the Pharisee, but cry, "Lord, be merciful to me a sinner;" and that I shall never drive them from believing and trusting in Christ for mercy, because they be not so good as others, when Christ tells them that men are not justified by works, but by faith, and he that believeth shall be saved. This is the case of the most notorious sinners, many of them, and I am most confident they speak as they think: and from this ungrounded confidence in Christ,

I cannot remove them. Where now is any difference in the nature of this affiance, and that of true believers? If you say that it brings not forth fruit, and therefore is unsound, that is true: but that is only an extrinsical difference in the effects, and speaks not the difference in the nature of the act itself. But I have spoken of this more fully elsewhere.

But the greatest doubt is, whether, in loving God and Christ as Mediator, there be not more than a gradual difference between the regenerate and unregenerate; and I shall show you that there is not: for it is undeniable that an unholy person may love God and the Mediator, and as undeniable that they cannot love God above all, till they are regenerate. The latter I take for granted. The former, if any deny, is thus proved: 1. That which the understanding apprehendeth to be good, both in itself and to the person, that the will may in some measure love. But an unregenerate man's understanding may apprehend God to be good, both in himself and to his person; therefore, he may in some measure love him. That wicked men may believe that God is good, is no more to be doubted of, than that they may believe there is a God. For he that believeth there is a God, must needs believe that he is good. And that he may believe that God is good to him also, is evident, thus: 1. Men know that they have all their temporal, corporal mercies from God, (which are to them the sweetest of all,) and therefore for these, and the continuance of them, they may apprehend God to be good to them, and so love him. 2. And Scripture and constant experience tell us, that it is usual with wicked

men, not only to apprehend the goodness of prosperity, but thence mistakingly to gather, that God doth specially favour and love them as his people to salvation. 3. Also, nothing is more common with them almost, than from the thoughts of God's mercifulness and goodness, and from mistaken seeming evidences in themselves, to conclude most confidently that their sins are pardoned, and that God will not condemn them, but will save them as certainly as any other.

Also, that Christ having died in their stead, and made satisfaction for all their sins, they shall, through him, be pardoned, justified, and saved. Many a wicked man doth as confidently believe that God loveth him through Christ, and doth as confidently thank God daily in his prayers for vocation, adoption, justification, and assured hope of glory, as if they were all his own indeed. Nay, out of the apprehensions of some extraordinary love and mercy of God to him above others, he oft giveth thanks as the Pharisee, "Lord, I thank thee that I am not as this publican." And, doubtless, all their apprehensions of love, may produce some love to God again. As the grounded faith and hope of the godly, produceth a solid saving love, so the ungrounded faith and hope of the wicked, produceth a slight and common love, agreeable to the cause of it. As Christ hath a common love to the better sort of wicked men, more than to the worst, he looked on the young man (Mark 13:21, 22) and loved him, and said, "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God," so may such men have a common love to Christ, and that above the ordinary sort of the ungodly. For I am persuaded there is no man so wicked among us, who believeth, indeed, that Christ is the Son of God and the Saviour, but he hath some love to Christ, more or less. For, 4. God hath been pleased to give those advantages to the christian religion, above all other religions among us, which may easily procure some love to Christ from ungodly men. It is the religion of our country; it is a credit to be a Christian; it is the religion of our ancestors, of our parents, and dearest friends; it is that which princes favour, and all men speak well of. Christ is in credit among us; every man acknowledgeth him to be God, and the Redeemer of the world, and therefore on the same grounds, or better, as a Turk doth love and honour Mahomet, and a Jew, Moses, may a wicked Christian in some

kind love and honour Christ, yea, and venture his life against that man that will speak against him, as Dr. Jackson and Mr. Pink have largely manifested.

Sect. XIV. If any object that it is not God or Jesus Christ that these men love, but his benefits, I answer, it is God and the Redeemer for his benefits. Only here is the unsoundness, which undoes them: they love his inferior, earthly blessings better than him; and for this they perish.

Having thus viewed these several graces, and found that it is the prevalent degree wherein their sincerity, as they are saving, doth consist, I will next briefly try this point upon some of the ordinary marks of sincerity besides, that are given by divines; in which I shall not speak a word in quarrelling at other men's judgments, for I shall speak but of those that I was wont to make use of myself; but only what I conceive necessary to prevent the delusion and destruction of souls.

1. One mark of sincerity, commonly delivered, is this: to love the children of God because they are such. I the rather name this, because many a soul hath been deluded about it. Multitudes of those that since are turned haters and persecutors of the godly, did once, without dissembling, love them; yea, multitudes that are killing them by thousands, when they differ from them in opinion, or stand in the way of their carnal interest, did once love them, and do love others of them still. I have proved before, that a wicked man may have some love to Christ, and then no doubt but he may have some love to a Christian, and that for his sake. Quest. But may he love a godly man for his godliness? Answ. Yes, no doubt; those before mentioned did so. If a wicked man may have some degree of love to godliness, then he may have some degree of love to the godly for it; but that he may have some degree of love to godliness, is evident: 1. By experience of others, and of the godly before conversion, who know this was their own case; 2. The understanding of an ungodly man may know that grace and godliness is good, and therefore his will may in some

degree choose and effect it; 3. That which drew moral heathens so strongly to love men for their virtue and devotion, the same principle may as well draw a man that is bred among Christians to love a Christian for his virtues and devotion to Christ.

Object. But doth not the Scripture say, "that we know we are translated from death to life, because we love the brethren?"

Answ. Yes; but then you may easily know it speaks of sincere love. So it saith, "Whoever believeth shall be saved;" and yet (Matt. 13.)

Christ showeth that many believe, who yet fall away and perish, for want of deep rooting: so that the sincerity of this love also lieth in the degree; and, therefore, when the promise is made to it, or it made a mark of true Christians, you must still understand it of that degree which may be called sincere and saving. The difference lieth plainly here. An unsound Christian, as he hath some love to Christ, and grace, and godliness, but more to his profits, or pleasures, or credit in the world, so he hath some love to the godly, as such, being convinced that the righteous is more excellent than his neighbour; but not so much as he hath to these carnal things. Whereas the sound Christian, as he loves Christ and grace above all worldly things, so it is Christ in a Christian that he so loves, and the Christian for Christ's sake above all such things: so that when a carnal professor will think it enough to wish them well, but will not hazard his worldly happiness for them, if he were called to it; the sincere believer will not only love them, but relieve them, and value them so highly, that, if he were called to it, he would part with his profits, or pleasures, for their sakes. For example, in Queen Mary's days, when the martyrs were condemned to the fire, there were many great men that really loved-them, and wished them well, and their hearts grieved in pity for them, as knowing them to be in the right; but yet they loved their honour, and wealth, and safety, so much better, that they would sit on the bench, yea, and give sentence for their burning, for fear of hazarding their worldly happiness. Was this sincere, saving love to the brethren? Who dares think so, especially in them that went on to do thus? Yet, what did it want but a more intense

degree, which might have prevailed over their love to carnal things?

Therefore, Christ will not, at the last judgment, inquire after the bare act of love; but, whether it so far prevailed over our love to carnal interest as to bring us to relieve, clothe, visit them, &c., and Christ in them: that is, to part with these things for them when we are called to it. Not that every man that loves the godly is bound to give them all he hath in their necessity; for God hath directed us in what order to bestow and lay out our estates; and we must begin at ourselves, and so to our families, &c.; so that God may call for our estates some other ways. But mark it, you false-hearted worldlings, he that doth not so much love the ordinary sort of the godly, and Christ in them, as that he can find in his heart to bestow all his worldly substance for their relief, if God did not require him otherwise to expend it, this man hath no saving love to the godly. If, therefore, you would not cheat yourselves, as multitudes in this age have done, about your love to the brethren, try not by the bare act; but by the radicated, prevalent degree of your love.

2. Another ordinary mark of sincerity is this: when a man is the same in secret before God alone as he is in public before men, making conscience of secret as well as of open duties. But, no doubt, as many a godly man may be the more restrained from sin, and incited to good, from public, and perhaps carnal, motives, and so may be better, in appearance, publicly than he is in secret; for all men have some hypocrisy in them; so many an unregenerate man may make conscience of secret duties as well as open; yea, even of the thoughts of his heart. But, still, both secret duties and open are at the disposal of his carnal interest; for he will follow them no further than is consistent with that; so that this mark doth but show a man's sincerity in opposition to gross hypocrisy or dissembling, but not the sincerity of grace as it is saving.

3. Another ordinary mark of sincerity is thus delivered: when a man loves the closest and most searching preaching of the word, and that which putteth on to the highest degree of holiness. If he therefore love it because it putteth himself on to the highest degree of holiness,

and so far love it as that he is willing to be searched and put on by it; and if he therefore come to this light, that he may know his evil thereby, that he may mortify it, and may get Christ and his interest advanced in his soul; then it is a sign that he hath that degree which I have mentioned, wherein sincerity of saving grace doth consist: but many a wicked man doth love a searching preacher in other respects, and one that draweth men to the highest strain, partly because he may love to have other men searched, and their hypocrisy discovered, and be put on to the highest, and partly because himself may be of, and delight in, the highest strain of opinion, though his heart will not be true to his principles; nay, many a man thinks that he may the more safely be a little more indulgent to his carnal interest in heart and life, because he is of the strictest opinion, and therefore may love to hear the strictest preachers. His conscience is so blind, and dull in the application, that he can easily overlook the inconsistency of his judgment, and his heart and practice. O how glad is he when he hears a rousing sermon, because, thinks he, this meets with such a man or such a man; this fits the profane and lower sort of professors. So that, in these, respects, he may love a searching preacher.

4. Another common mark of sincerity is, when a man hath no known sin which he is not willing to part with. This is a true and sound mark indeed; for it signifieth not only a dislike, nor only a hatred of sin, but such a degree as is prevalent in the will, as I have before described: that Christ's interest in the will is prevalent over all the interest of the flesh. So that this is but, in effect, the same mark that I have before delivered. Except this willingness to part with all sin should be but a cold, inconstant wish, which is accompanied with a greater and more prevalent love to it, and desire to enjoy it; and then who dare think that it is any mark of saving sincerity? The like I might say of hatred to sin, love to good, and many the like marks, that the sincerity lieth in the prevalent degree: so also of the spirit of prayer, which is another mark. The spirit of prayer, so far as it is proper to the saints, lieth in desire after the things prayed for, with the other graces which in prayer are exercised; for an hypocrite may

have as excellent words as the best, and as many of them. Now these desires must be such prevalent desires as is aforesaid.

I think, if I could stand to mention all the other marks of grace, so far as I remember, it would appear that the life and truth of them all lieth in this one, as being the very point wherein saving sincerity doth consist, viz., in the prevalency of Christ's interest in the soul, above the interest of inferior good; and so in the degree, not in the bare nature of any act.

Sect. XV. 3. To this end, let us but briefly inquire further into the scripture way of discovering sincerity, and see whether it do not fully confirm what I say. Christ saith, "He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me," &c. (Matt. 10:37.) So Luke 14:26: "If any man come to me, and hate not" (that is, love not less) "his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, and his own life, he cannot be my disciple: and whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple." So ver. 33:

"Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." Here, you see, sincerity is plainly laid, not in mere love to Christ, but in the prevalent degree of love, as Christ is compared to other things. And for obedience, Christ shows it. (Matt.

25; Luke 19:20, &c.) Therefore Christ saith, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many shall seek to enter, and not be able." (Luke

13:24.) Seeking comes short of striving, in the degree. And Paul saith, "They which run in a race, run all, but one receiveth the price: so run that ye may obtain." (1 Cor. 9:24.) So ver. 26, 27, and Heb. 12:1. And Christ commandeth), "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." (Matt. 6:33.) Showing plainly, that the saving sincerity of our seeking lieth in this comparative degree; in preferring God's kingdom before the things below. So he saith,

"Labour not for the meat that perisheth" (not in comparison), "but for the meat that endureth to everlasting life, which the Son will give you." (John 6:27.) So Heb. 11:6, 14, 16, 25, 26, 35, and 13:14; Col. 3:1;

Rom. 2:7; Luke 17:33, and 12:30, 31; Am. 5:4, 8, 14; Isa. 58:2, 3, and

1:17; Prov. 8:17; Psal. 109:2.) Also, an hundred places might be produced, wherein Christ sets himself still against the world as his competitor, and promiseth life on the condition that we prefer Him before it. To this end are all those precepts for suffering, and bearing the cross, and denying ourselves, and forsaking all. The merchant that buyeth this pearl, must sell all that he hath to buy it, though he give nothing for it. All the beginning of Rom. 8, as ver. 1–14, do fully show that our work and warfare lieth in a perpetual combat between the flesh and spirit, between their several interests, motives, ends, and desires; and that which prevaileth shows what we are. When the flesh prevaileth, finally, it is certain death: and where the Spirit prevaileth, it is certain life. What can be more plain than that sincerity of grace, as saving, is here placed in the comparative or prevailing degree? So also Gal. 5:17, 24: "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary one to the other. But they that are Christ's, have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof." Therefore are we charged, to make no provision for the flesh to satisfy its lusts. (Rom. 13:14.) So 1 John

2:16; Ephes. 2:3; Gal. 5:16–19; John 1:13, and 3:6. And Christ shows fully, (Matt. 13:5, 23, &c.,) that the difference between those that fall away, and those that persevere, proceedeth hence, that one giveth deep rooting to the Gospel, and the other doth not. The seed is rooted in both, or else it would not bring forth a blade and imperfect fruit; but the stony ground gives it not deep rooting, which the good ground doth. Doth not this make it as plain as can be spoken, that sincerity lieth in degree, and not in any physical difference either of habits or acts? The like may be gathered from all those texts of Scripture, where salvation is promised to those that overcome, or on condition of overcoming; not to all that fight, but to all that overcome; as Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 13; 21:7: "He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." So 1 John 5:4, 5: "He that is born of God, overcometh the world. And they overcame the wicked one." (1 John 2:13; 4:4.) So Luke 11:22. And the state of wicked men is described by being overcome by sin and the world. (2 Pet. 2:19, 20.) Fighting is the same action naturally in both; but the valiant, strong, and constant,

conquer; when the feeble, faint, and cowardly, and impatient, do turn their backs, and are overcome. So Christ saith, "The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force." Now violence is not any distinct action, but a different degree of action.

Nor can you say that all these places speak only of outward action.

For no doubt but it is inward violence more than outward, and the inward actions of the soul intended, more than the motions of the body, which lay hold on the kingdom, and make us conquerors. So the saints are described in Scripture by such gradual and prevalent different acts. As David; "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none in earth that I desire in comparison of thee." (Psalm 73:26,

27.) "Thy loving kindness is better than life." (Psalm 63:3.) "The Lord is my portion," &c. A wicked man may esteem God and his loving kindness; but not as his portion, nor better than life. So the wicked are called "lovers of pleasure more than God." (2 Tim. 3:4.) The godly may love pleasure, but not more than God. The Pharisees loved the praise of men more than the honour which is from God. (John

12:43.) A godly man may love the praise of men, but not more, &c.

See also, Job 3:21, 23:12; Psalm 47, 19:10, 52:3, 119:72. Very many more texts might be produced which prove this point, but these may suffice.

Sect. XVI. 5. The next thing which I have to do is, to answer those objections which may be brought against it, and which, I confess, have sometime seemed of some weight to myself.

Object. 1. Do not all divines say that it is not the measure of grace, but the truth; not the quantity, but the quality, that we must judge ourselves by? And doth not Christ say that he despiseth not the day of small things, and that he will not quench the smoking flax; and if we had faith, which is as a grain of mustard-seed, we may do wonders, &c.

Answ. All this is true of sincere grace, but not of unsincere. Now I have showed you that except it be of a prevalent degree, it is not savingly sincere. If you love God a little, and the world a deal more,

will any man dare to think that it is a sincere saving love, when the Scripture saith, "He that loveth the world, the love of the Father is not in him?" that is, there is no sincere saving love in him; for no doubt the young man had some love to Christ that yet forsook him, because he loved the world more: or else, 1. Christ would not have loved him; 2. Nor would the man have gone away from him in sorrow. But if you love Christ ever so little more than the world or inferior good, though it be but as a grain of mustard-seed, it will be saving, and Christ will accept it. Cicero can tell you that friendship, or the sincerity of love to a friend, consisteth not in every act and degree of undissembled love. If a man love you a little, and a thousand men much more, or if he love his wealth so much better than you, that he cannot find in his heart to be at any loss for your sake, this man is not your friend; he doth truly love you, but he hath no true, sincere friendship or friendly love to you; for that consisteth in such a degree as will enable a man to do and suffer for his friend.

If a woman love her husband without dissembling, but yet loves twenty men better, and prostitutes herself to them, she hath true love, but no true conjugal love to her husband; for that consisteth in an higher degree. In a word, lay Christ, as it were, in one end of the balance in your estimation, and all your carnal interest, and all inferior good, in the other, and see which you love most; and every grain of love which Christ hath from you more than the world and inferior things, he will accept it as sincere: and in this sense you must not judge of yourselves by the measure of your grace, but by the truth: that is, not by any higher degree, if you have once that degree which makes it true and saving. And I do not think that you will meet with any sober divine that will tell you, that if you will love God ever so little without dissembling, yet he will accept it, though you love your lusts before him. Nor will any sober man tell you that if you love the godly without dissembling, God will accept it, though you love your carnal interest so much better; that if they hunger or thirst, or are naked, or in want, you cannot find in your heart to relieve them: or if they be in prison for a good cause, you dare, not be seen to visit them.

Object. 2. But, perhaps you will say, If this be so, then there is no specific difference between saving grace and common.

Answ. I told you before that you must distinguish betwixt a physical specification, and a moral. The confounding of our physics and ethics in divinity, hath made and continued abundance of controversies, and much confusion. In a word, there is a moral, specific difference grounded but in a physical, gradual difference, both of habits and acts, as is already more fully opened.

Object. 3. But, you may say, If there be such a difference in degrees, then how can a man know the truth of his grace, or ever get assurance; for who can discern just the parting point? Who can say,

'Just such a degree of love or faith is sincere and saving, and the next degree short of it is not?'

Answ. This objection being of most weight, I shall answer it in these propositions:

1. Where the prevailing degree is not discernible, there no true assurance can be had, in an ordinary way; and where it is very hard to discern the degree, there it will be as hard to get assurance.

2. Therefore, those that have the smallest degree of saving grace, do not use to have any assurance of salvation. Assurance is the privilege of stronger Christians, and not of weak ones, or of all that shall be saved. A little is hardly discernible from none in nature.

3. And it seemeth that the reason of God's disposal herein is very evident: for if God should let men clearly see the least measure of love, faith, fear, or obedience, that is saving; and the greatest measure of sin that will stand with sincerity, and say, 'Just so far thou mayst sin, or mayst deny me thy love, and yet be saved and sincere,' then it might have been a strong temptation to men to sin as far as ever they may, and to neglect their graces. I know some will say that assurance breeds not security. But that great measure of corruption which liveth with our small measure of grace, will make

assurance an occasion of security and boldness in sinning. A strong Christian may bear and improve assurance, but so cannot the weakest; and therefore God useth not to give assurance to weakest

Christians.

But, then, mistake me not, but remember that by weak Christians I do not mean those that are weak in gifts, and common parts and expressions; nor by strong Christians, those that excel in these.

Those are weak Christians that have no more love to God, nor desire after Christ, than will just stand with sincerity; and that have as much love to the world and flesh, and take as much liberty to sin, as ever will stand with salvation. And those are strong Christians who strongly love God, and have mortified and mastered their corruptions.

4. Where grace is thus strong and in a great degree, there it is easily discernible, and therefore to such, assurance is ordinary, except in a fit of temptation, revolting, or desertion.

5. But the chief part of my answer is this: It is not the degree of grace absolutely in itself considered, wherein sincerity doth consist, nor which we must inquire after in trial, but it is the degree in a comparative sense; as when we compare God and the creature, and consider which we desire, love, fear, &c., more; and, therefore, here it is far easier to try by the degree. You know that gold is not current except it be weight as well as pure metal. Now, if you put your gold in one end of the scales, and nothing in the other, you cannot judge whether it be weight or not; but if you put the weights against it, then you may discern it. If it be downright weight, you may discern it without either difficulty or doubt. If it be but a grain overweight, you may yet discern it; though it is possible it may be so little, that the scales will scarcely turn, and then you will not discern so easily, which is the heavier end. But if it want much, then you will as easily on the other side discern the defectiveness. So thus here: if God had said absolutely, 'So much love you must have to me, or you cannot be saved,' then it were hard to know when we reach the degree. But you

must, as I said, put Christ and heaven in one end, and all things below in the other, and then you may well find out the sincerity in the degree. Every grain that Christ hath more than the creature, is sincere and saving.

Sect. XVII. 6. Lastly, having thus given you my judgment in this great point, I will give you some hint of the necessity of it, and the danger of mistaking in this case.

And, 1. I am certain that the misunderstanding of this point hath occasioned the delusion of multitudes of men: even common profane men (much more those that are not far from the kingdom of God), when they hear that it is not the quantity or measure of grace, that we must try by, but the quality, and that the least seed or spark is saving as well as the greatest degree, they are presently confident of the soundness of their state. Alas, how many have I known thus deceived! When they have heard that the least true desire is accepted with God for the deed, they knew that they had desires that were not counterfeit, and therefore doubted not but God did accept them, when in the mean time their desire to pleasure, and profits, and honour, was so much stronger, that it overcame their weak desires after God and goodness, and made them live in the daily practice of gross sin: and they knew not that the sincerity of their desire did lie in the prevailing degree. God doth indeed accept the will for the deed, and the best are fain to cry out with Paul, "To will is present with me, but to do I find not;" in regard of those higher parts of spiritual duty, and in the avoiding of divers infirmities and passions; but then it is only the prevailing bent and act of the will which is thus accepted.

So have, I know, multitudes been deceived by their small degree of love to the godly, hearing that the least was a certain sign of grace, and knowing themselves to love them without counterfeiting, who yet have since been carried to be their constant persecutors, and shed their blood; the like I may say of other marks. And doth it not concern people, then, to be better grounded in this?

2. And, doubtless, the mistake of this hath caused many sincere Christians to take up their comforts on deceitful grounds, which accordingly prove deceitful comforts, and leave them oft in a sorrowful case (though not in a damnable), when they come to make use of them. Satan knows how to shake such ill-grounded comforts, and he usually doth it in a man's greatest agonies, letting them stand till then, that he may have advantage by their fall for our greater terror. When he can put a poor Christian to a loss many times that hath the soundest evidences, what may he do by those that either have none but unsound ones, or know them not at least?

3. Moreover, the ignorance of this truth hath caused some ministers to wrong the holy God, and abuse poor souls, and misapply the promises; absolving those whom God condemneth, by mistaking the meaning of that saying, "That the least degree is saving as well as the greatest;" which is true only of the least prevailing degree, but not of the greatest that it overmastered by the prevalency of its contrary.

4. And to my knowledge this hath been no small hinderance to many to keep them from fruitfulness and growth in grace. They have been more securely contented with their low degree: whereas if they had known that their very sincerity lieth in the prevalency of the degree, they would have looked more after it. For them that say that assurance will make men strive for increase, I answered before: If there were no contrary corruption in strength in us, then I confess it would be as they say.

5. And lastly, the ignorance of this hath been no small cause of keeping the godly in low degrees of assurance and comfort, by keeping them from the right way of attaining them. If they had considered, that both the saving sincerity of their graces lieth in the prevailing degree, and also that the higher degree they attain the clearer and more unquestionable will be their evidence, and consequently, the easier and more infallible will be their assurance; this would have taught them to have spent those thoughts and hours in labouring after growth in grace, which they spent in inquiring

after the lowest degree which may stand with sincerity, and in seeking for that in themselves which was almost undiscernible.

To conclude, this doctrine is exceedingly comfortable to the poor soul that groans, and mourns, and longs for Christ, and knows that though he be not what he should and would be, yet he would be what he should be, and had rather have Christ than all the world. God hath the prevailing degree of this man's will, desire, and love.

And as necessary is this doctrine for caution to all, that as they love their souls, they take heed how they try and judge of their condition by the bare nature of any dispositions or actions, without regard to the prevalency of degree.

I advise all Christians, therefore, in the fear of God, as ever they would have assurance and comforts that will not deceive them, that they make it the main work of their lives to grow in grace, to strengthen and advance Christ's interest in their souls, and to weaken and get down the interest of the flesh. And take heed of those pestilent principles of presumption, which would deceive you by the bare name and specious title of free grace; which make Christ, as justifier only, to be the object of justifying faith, and not Christ as your Head, Husband, or King; which tell you, that you have fulfilled the law, and satisfied it fully in Christ; and so need no more than to get the sense of pardon, or show your thankfulness; which tell you that if you do but believe that you are pardoned, and shall be saved, it shall be so indeed; as if this were the faith that must justify and save you. Deceivers may persuade you that Christ hath done all, and left you nothing to do for your justification or salvation; but you may easily see, from what I have said, that to mortify the flesh, to overcome Satan and the world, and to this end to stand always armed upon our watch, and valiantly and patiently to fight it out, is a matter of more concernment both to our assurance and salvation than many do consider. Indeed, it is so great a part of our very baptismal vow, and covenant of Christianity, that he that performeth it not, is yet no more than a nominal Christian, whatsoever his parts

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