CHAP. LV. How farre inherent qualifications, and actions of grace can prove we are in the state of grace.

ANtinomians make a hideous out-cry against signes and marks of our justification, because indeed they are enemies to sanctification.

For establishing soules (saith aSaltmarsh) upon any works of their owne, as away, meane, or ground of assurance, as that upon such a measure of repentance, or obedience, they may be∣leeve by; I dare not deale in any such way of our owne righ∣teousnesse, because I find no infallible marke in any thing of our owne sanctification, save in a lower way of perswasion or mo∣tive. — I find none in the Old or New Testament, but have cause to suspect their owne righteousnesse, as David, Peter, Paul. So the Libertines of New England, bThough a man can prove a gracious worke in himselfe, and Christ to bee the au∣thor of it, yet this is but a sand•e foundation. And cit is a fun∣damentall and soule-damning error, to make sanctification an evidence of justification. And dit were to light a candle to the Sunne: Yea, *it darkeneth justification; the darker my san∣ctification is, the brighter is my justification. And *I may know, I am Christs, not because I doe crucifie the lusts of the flesh, but because I doe not crucifie them, but beleeue in Christ that crucified them for me. So gD. Crispe,*Cornewell,iTowne, teach; that love to the brethren, sincerity, &c. are marks, by which others may know us, rather then we our selves; So kSaltmarsh followeth Crispe.

We never said, that a naturall mans devotion, or his ba∣stard prayers, or wild-fire of blind zeale, can argue the tran∣slation of the man from death to life, as lSaltmarsh dream∣eth; or that wee labour to draw assurance of a good spiritu∣all estate from outward reformation; which saith mTowne, Protestant Legalists labour for, when the heart is naught. Antinomians say, that all our evidences are dung. True, they are not evidences of Legall perfect righteousnesse, more they prove not.

Page  82Asser. 1. Love to the brethren, sincerity, and the like, that have not grace for their stocke,* a right fountaine and principle, the Spirit for their Father, Christ for their Crowne, and gar∣land, are no evidences at all that wee are in Christ; for they rather darken, then render justification evident.

Could wee looke over our selfe, and abstract our thoughts from our selfe, as if we were nothing and dead, and behold the actings of grace, and Christs love-raptures, and the glancing of love on his members,* as on bits, pieces, and little images of a super-excellent transcendently glorious Christ, and see these in the Spirit, the worker; then were surer infe∣rence to be made thus, then when we eye our selves. As be∣holding the excellencie of a Godhead in Sunne and Moone, when we looke above the shaddow-creature, and with sen∣ses abstracted, and the elevation of the Spirit, wee see these created excellencies in the deep and boundlesse Sea, which hath no shoares nor coasts, nor bottome, in a vast and great God, we are farther from Idolatry, then when wee pore on, and pine away in the minds restings in this side of an infinit Majestie; and so is it here.

If it be naturall Logick, and the light of our owne sparks that make the inference,*I love the brethren, therefore I know I am translated from death to life; its but Moone-light of one halfe sleeping, that is suspected to bee day-light: but if naturall light, by the day-light of saving grace make the infe∣rence, it is sure arguing. As, nAnd hereby doe we know, that we know him, if we keepe his Commandements, and weoknow that we have passed from death to life, because we love the bre∣thren. 2. All these are equivalent to the same. But pif we walke in the light, as hee is light, wee have fellowship one with another; and the bloud of Jesus Christ his Sonne, clen∣seth us from all sinnes. And He thatqloveth his brother abi∣deth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. And if yee know that he is righteous, yee know that e∣very one that doth righteousnesse, is borne of him. This is written for our own personall security and knowledge of our owne state, as all the Epistle aymeth at this, and not so much, as we may know one another; as is cleare, when John shew∣eth us the scope of his Epistle, is to give marks; and I no∣thing doubt, but the Holy Ghost aymeth at the discovery of a Page  83 dead faith, and to refute the Antinomians, as is cleare, rThese things have I written unto you that beleeve on the name of the Sonne of God, that yee may know that yee have eternall life, and that yee may beleeve on the name of the Sonne of God. So saith he, 3. Putting a difference sbetweene the children of the world, and the children of the devill; in this the chil∣dren of God are manifest, and the children of the devill, who∣soever doth not righteousnesse is not of God, neither hee that loveth not his brother. Then certainely some hath said in Johns daies, It is enough to salvation, if a man beleeve in Christ, he is obliged by no Law, nor Commandement that is outward and written, to doe righteousnesse. John saith, such a one is not borne of God. And tMy little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth; and hereby (by reall loving of the brethren) we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. And uWhat∣soever we aske, we receive of him, because we keepe his Com∣mandements, and doe the things that are pleasing in his sight. Now, sure this cannot make the keeping of his Commande∣ments, and our good works, fellow-Mediators with Christ. Then John must argue from the effect to the cause, and inti∣mate, that its false, that some may bee borne of God, who keepe not his Commandements; as Antinomians say. When one that walloweth in fleshly lusts, is to beleeve without more a∣doe in Christ, and he is a saved man. So saith John,xLittle children, let no man deceive you; he that doth righteousnesse, is righteous, as he is righteous; he that committeth sinne is of the Devill. Then some have deceived themselves and others, in saying, That doing of righteousnesse, was neither conditi∣on, nor way, nor meane to salvation, nor any infallible signe of a mans being in the state of grace; Now who saith all these this day, but the Antinomian?

Now if Antinomians,y as they doe, say that a discourse by way of a practicall Syllogisme, or naturall Logick, can produce no Divine, but onely a humane Faith. Andzthat all Lo∣gick is to be abeted; the carnall and corrupt discoursings by Logick, that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God, are to be abeted, but that the use of naturall reason not corrupt, should be disclaimed, is against the tenour of the Old and New Testament, in which there bee Lawes, Ordinances, Page  84 reasonings, practicall Syllogismes to beget faith, to cause us slee sinne,* follow holynesse, which no man can say is a humane thing, except Antinomians following their old Masters, the Libertines, who said, to lay aside naturall reason, discoursing, to know neither good nor ill, was true mortification, and natu∣rall reasoning and knowledge of sinne, or righteousnesse, sense of ill doing, or feare of sinne, or judgement, are but the tastings of the old Adams forbidden fruit, as wee shall heare after∣ward.

Asser. 2. Yea, we may know our selves to bee in the state of grace, by holy walking, and acts of beleeving, and we may know our holy walking to be true, by other acts of holy wal∣king and beleeving; so John saith by the loving of the * bre∣thren, we may know we are in Christ, and so that wee be∣leeve and love God; and againe, reciprocally, bBy this wee know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his Commandements, for this is the love of God, that we keep his Commandements. Then the loving of God, that may argue, that wee beleeve, may also evidence our Justification; and all dependeth on this, as the Spirit joyneth the light and evidence of grace, to cause us know our loving of God, and translation into Christ, by our loving of the children of God; and againe, our loving of the Children of God, by our loving of God, 1 Joh. 3.14. 1 Joh. 5.2.

Asser. 3. One and the same cloud that is the cause of our doubting, whether we beleeve or no, is not the cause of our doubting, whether wee love the brethren or no, and so they must furnish different evidences: from a misty twylight, or evening of desertion from some apprehension of the sinnes of youth: often our faith is clowded, that Job, David, Heman, Jonah, say they are cast off of God, yet at the same season, Psalm. 42. Davids heart was toward the Saints, with whom he went to the house of God. 2. Many we see dying, who doubted for a time, if ever they beleeved, or were in Christ, and yet were convinced that they loved the Saints; but because they loved the Saints, they could not make an actu∣all inference, ergo, they were translated from death to life, because that actuall inference requireth the actuall blowing of the Holy Ghost; a Saint in naturall Logick, may be forced to yeeld an antecedent, and the necessary consequence, because both must Page  85 be the cleere Word of God, as 1 Joh. 3.14. I yeeld, I love the Brethren; and ergo, I am translated from death to life. But because hee seeth both the truth of the Antecedent and Consequence, by the sparks of a meere naturall light, he may be farre enough from faith, and a supernaturall evidence of the Spirit, to make him to beleeve it for his owne inward peace, comfort, and quieting of his soule; and this deceiveth Anti∣nomians, that they thinke the knowing of their spirituall con∣dition, by marks, being convincing and strong in a naturall way, is presently the supernaturall evidence of the Spirit, which it is not: and 2. they inferre, that it is to trust in their owne righteousnesse, and stand on their owne legges, if men come by assurance of a spirituall interest in Christ, by their own in∣herent righteousnesse, and then must they be justified (saith Corn∣well) cby works. Yea, 3. the dNew England Libertines say, A man cannot evidence his justification by his sanctifica∣tion, but he must needs build upon his sanctification, and trust to it. And M. eTowne saith, The Saints are to forget, and ne∣ver remember their own holy walking. So say they, fThat true poverty of Spirit, doth kill and take away the sight of grace. But all the three consequences are false; for a naturall evidence of my being in Christ, cannot quiet my soule with the assurance of peace; and for the other two, wee are to forget our holy walking: yea, and as Towne saith, to judge it losse and dung, in the matter of our righteousnesse before God, and thus to forget it so, as we trust not in it, is poverty of Spirit; but simply to forget all our love to the Saints, so as wee doe not remember it for the strengthening of assurance; and our com∣fort is contrary to the whole Epistles of John, and a begging of the question. For sure it is damnable pride to trust in our own righteousnesse, in that regard Paul may say, I know nothing by my selfe, yet am I not thereby justified. And so also we are to cast all behind us, as losse and dung; but it is utterly un∣lawfull, and contrary to spirituall poverty, to make no use at all, wholly to forget, and not to strengthen our faith, and our assurance and comfort, in any holy walking at all. For, Eze∣chiah dying, comforteth himselfe in this. gRemember now, O Lord, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a per∣fect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And David,hI have kept the waies of the Lord, and have not Page  86 wickedly departed from my God, all his judgements were before me. And Job,iMy foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined, neither have I gone back from the Com∣mandement of his lips, I have esteemed the words of his mouth more then my necessary food. And Jeremiah,kThy words were sound, and I did eat them, &c. And the Church,lI am come∣ly.mIn my bed by night I sought him whom my soule loveth, &c.nMy heart waked.oIn the way of thy judge∣ments, Lord, we have waited for thee, the desire of our soule is to thypname, &c, Nor can a Legall Pedagogie be objected; for spirituall poverty q was injoyned, confidence in our own righteousnesse condemned in * the Old Testament, as well as in the new; and Paul hath the same in the New Testa∣ment.

Asser. 4. What ever objections, Crisp, Saltmarsh, Towne, and others, have to prove, that all the marks of sincerity, love, universal obedience, agree to hypocrites, and so can be no certain evidences of our faith, and assured interest in Christ; are 1. such as Papists bring to prove, None can have undoubted assurance they are in the state of grace. 2. The arguments that prove these marks may be counterfeit, because they may be such in hypocrits. We conclude also, that the Faith of the Saints, and their bro•d Seale, and immediate Testimony of the Spirit, may be in hypocrits? A white Devill, and a noone-day Angel, may interpose himselfe in a bastard voice, coun∣terfeiting the tongue of the immediate speaking-Spirits, and the faith of the Elect; and there can be nothing that Saints can rejoyce in, no worke of grace in themselves, by the in-dwelling Spirit, and Christ may as well dwell in the heart of an hypo∣crite by faith, as of a Saint, contrary to Eph. 3.17. Hypo∣crites may be filled with all the fulnesse ofsGod, as the Saints, and have the seed of God remaining in them. The annointing abiding in them, which teacheth them all things, and need not any to teach them.tAnd the Holy Spirit in them, and abiding with them.uThe Father and the Sonne making their abode with them.xA new heart in the midst of them, and the stony heart removed.yA circumcised heart,zthe law in their inward parts. All these are as doubtfull and litigious eviden∣dences of interest in Christ, and the counterfeits of these in hy∣pocrits; as universall obedience, sinceritie, love to the brethren,Page  87 and any inherent qualifications that are in beleevers; for saith aCrispe, All these may be in hypocrits. But its true, there is not a living man, or beast, or bird in nature, but a painter can counterfeit the like by Art; nor a rose, or flower in the garden, but there a is wild flower and rose in the mountaines like it. The Devill is an exact painter, But this wil not prove, but that he that hath a new heart, and the annointing dwelling in him, and inhe∣rent quallifications of the Spirit of Christ, knoweth with a full perswasion, that these are not counterfeits, or such as may be in hypocrits; nor doth it follow, as Papists and Antino∣mians argue, a mad man, or a sleeping man, knoweth not that he is mad or sleeping; (for madnesse and sleepe remove all re∣flect acts of knowledge) that therefore a sober man, and a waking man knoweth not that he is sober. Paul was not in a golden transe, nor in a pleasant night-dreame, when he said, bFor this is our rejoycing, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdome, but by the grace of God, we had our conversation in the world, and more aboundantly to you-wards. Nor doe the Saints speake to God wild-fire, and windmills in the skies, when they say, Lord, the desire of our soule is toward thy name, Lord,*our heart is not turned backedneither have our steps declined from thy way, &c. They knew and were perswaded of a saving worke of grace inherent in them; and we doubt not, but the Prophets (to speake of a case of another nature) knew that God spoke to them, when Jeremiah, upon life and death said,eof a truth, the Lord hath sent me to speake all these words in your eares. And AmosfThe Lord hath spoken, who cannot but Prophecie! And Abraham did not upon conjectures, but upon Faith know, God had commanded him to sacrifice hisgson. Now God speaketh to his Saints by his works of h grace, no lesse then by his word of the Gospel. Augustinei said, By a certaine heavenly tast, hee knew a difference betweene the Lord revealing himselfe to him, and his owne soule dreaming.

But say Antinomians, When we teach, that all our assurance commeth from faith, and the testimony of Christ, and his owne Spirit speaking to us, wee led men to borrow light from the Sunne, which can abundantly inlighten them, when yee send them to their own good works to borrow their assurance of faith, and their interest of Christ, yee desire them to fetch light from Page  88 a candle shining at noone day, and yee cause them rest on a fal∣lible guide, which may deceive them, and at best, breed a pro∣bable and conjecturall assurance onely, not an infallible and un∣deniable confidence, such as Christ rested on, by faith, breadeth.

Answ. 1. But the question is as great a doubt to a weake one, if he receive Christ, and his immediate noone-day irradi∣ation and light, for the weake beleevers act of knowing his full interest in Christ, from either the immediate light that com∣meth from Christ, or the immediate voice and testimony of the Spirit, especially separated from the Word, as Antinomians fan∣cie, is in him a created act, and an inherent quallification, and if inherent qualification furnish no infallible evidence to ascer∣taine me of my interest in Christ, how shall I know, it is Christ I rest on, or his Sunne-shine light, and the immediate irradiation of the Spirit, speaking to my Spirit, more then I know it is Christs spirit assuring me, I am translated from death to life, because I love the brethren? Antinomians say, the Sun cannot deceive when it gives light, a candle beside the Sunne may deceive. But say I, a noone-day Devill may interpose, and speake, and irradiate as the Sunne, and it is but a counterfeit Sunne, and what know yee, that your act of knowing this to be the true Sunne, seeing it is but an inherent act of grace in you, is a perfect mettall, and a true Sunne? And that it is Christ that shineth and speaketh to Mary Magdelen, not the Gar∣dener; more when hee immediatly speaketh and shineth on your soule, then when hee speaketh and shineth thorow such a medium, as the love of the brethren; for the same Spi∣rit that inlighteneth you in the assurance of your translation into Christ, and your interest in him, upon this objective light, be∣cause yee love the brethren, is he who shineth on you in his im∣mediate noone-shine-irradiation; is not the Spirits teaching as sure by one beame of teaching the light of his utterings of grace in us, as in his other immediate conveiance of light, when the Scripture saith, it is the same Spirit, that maketh us know the things that are freely or graciously given us of God, 1 Cor. 2.12. and beareth immediate witnesse that we are sonnes, what ever be the meanes, as Abraham was to beleeve hee was to kill his Sonne, if God should command him, by a Prophet immediatly inspired; suppose such a one as Moses, to have Page  89 beene sent with the Mandat, no lesse then when God spoke immediatly himselfe, and might not Abraham have beene de∣luded in thinking God, was not the true God, that immediatly said, Abraham, take now thy Sonne, thy onely Sonne, and offer him to me, as hee might have doubted if a Moses (say hee had then lived) sent with the same message, was a true and and immediately inspired Prophet, and not a counterfeit, who ranne and the Lord sent him not? When Antinomians loose this knot, they answer themselves.

Asser. 5. First, the truth of what the Spirit speaketh,* de∣pendeth not on the Word, but the credence and faith that I owe to the Spirit, dependeth on the Word,* because I know the Spirit by the Word, as I know the substance of the body of the Sunne by the light, but I know not the Word by the Spi•it, as I know not the light by the sub∣stance of the body of the Sunne; yea now, when God hath put his last seale to the Canon of Scripture; the word of Prophecie is surer to us then the Fathers voice from hea∣ven, 2 Pet. 1. and wee may know the Spirit that biddeth John Becold, kill so many innocent beleevers, and that saith the man walking in darkenesse, and a Pharesee obstinatly going on in killing Christ, and his members, and regarding iniquity in his heart, as he is such, is reconciled to God, and justified, and Christ by faith lodgeth in the same heart, with loved and de∣lighted in iniquity, can be no true spirit. The Spirit of Christ as he cannot bely his owne Word, so will hee not take it ill▪ to be tryed by his owne hand-writing, and seale, and his own works.

Secondly, it is needlesse to make comparisons between assu∣rance resulting from inherent graces, and the immediate voice and speaking of the Spirit; as if the former were our owne spirits reasoning, the latter onely the testimony of the Spirit, for we judge both to bee the testimony of the Holy Ghost; as it is the same love sealed to the Spouse from the Bride∣gromes owne word, and seale, and hand-writing, and con∣firmed to her by his Bracelets, Rings, Jewels, and love-tokens that he sendeth to her, nor are there for that two loves, two love-tokens, two Bridegromes. For say that the love-tokens are true, not counterfeit, and that they carry with them the warme and lovely characters, and undenyable expressions of Page  90 the true Bridegromes soule-love, and that they came not from a stranger▪ as Antinomians say, they may be bastard and fained love-tokens, and come from another lover then Christ; Yet the Lord Jesus manifesteth himselfe, and gives evidences of his love by them, no lesse then by the Spirits immediate testi∣mony.

But we thinke, and can prove the Saints passing, even in their speaches, prayers, and confession to God, their judge∣ment of themselves, and of their owne sincere walking, as is cleare, Cant. 5.1. Cant. 3, 1, 2, 3. Cant. 1.5, 8. Isai. 26.8, 9. Job 23.11, 12. chap. 31.1, 2 3, 4, &c. Psal. 18.21, 22, 23, (so Ezechiah holdeth forth his holy walking before God, Esai. 38.3. and Jeremiah, cap. 15.16, 17. and Paul, 2 Tim. 4.7.8. 2 Cor. 1.12.) doe certainely know the graces of God in themselves, to come from no other principle then the Holy Ghost; and that none can doe these works in them, but Ch•ist, and the inference made from them, are the reasonings of the Holy Ghost, and the result is an infallibly assurance. Antino∣mians thinke both they may be counterfeit works, and the rea∣soning and inference from thence to be a worke of our owne Spirit onely. We say of the Spirit of grace joyning with our Spirit, as is cleare, 1 Cor. 2.12. (3.) The inference (say they) breeds no certaine and infallible assurance, but probable onely, and conjecturall evidence. (4) If these works were not done in faith, and known by us to be so done; I should grant they could give but an uncertaine and controverted evidence; An∣tinomians say, wee separate them from faith and saving grace, and that thus separated, they beare testimony, that wee are in Christ, which is a calumny of theirs, not our Doctrine.

Asser. 6, The assurance of our spirituall acts resulting from our Christian walking,* is a mediate assurance collected by in∣ference, not immediate, as when we see the Sunne. 2. It is called knowledge and assurance in the Word, 1 Joh. 2.3. 1 Joh. 3.14. vers. 18.19. but it is not properly Faith, but sense; therefore we doe not build assurance of justifying faith on works of grace. Antinomians say, that we make our works the pillars and causes of our Faith. But the promise▪ the suffi∣ciency of Christ, the free grace of God to us, are the onely pillars of our faith, and our works of grace are the ropes by which the ship and passengers are drawne to the rock that is Page  91 higher then themselves, but they are not the rocke; they are not the formall objective Sunne-light, by which we passe our judgement and determination of Christ the Mediator, his sweetnesse and power to save, nor the causes of the soules re∣sting on the bloud of attonement▪ as Sunne-light is the for∣mall reason and medium without, of our judging of colours and their beauty. They are onely land-marks, by which we may the better judge of our state, and not the shoare; the land-marke onely sheweth how neere wee are to shoare; by them we know, that we know and beleeve in Christ. Finally, they are rather negatives against unbeliefe, then positive eviden∣ces of faith, and serve for incouragements that we cast not away our confidence. For if I doubt of my state, whether I be tran∣slated, and in Christ, or no, I cannot but doubt of my actions, if I doubt if the tree be a naturall Olive, I cannot but thinke the fruit must be but wild Olives; and when we shall be unclothed with our darkenesse of body, we shall not need such crutches to walke by Faith, for sight shall leade us.