RELIGIOUS AFFECTIONS
JONATHAN EDWARDS
XI.
It is no sign that affections are right, or that they are wrong, that they
make persons that have them exceeding confident that what they experience is
divine, and that they are in a good estate.
It is an argument with some,
against persons, that they are deluded if they pretend to be assured of their
good estate, and to be carried beyond all doubting of the favour of God;
supposing that there is no such thing to be expected in the church of God, as
a full and absolute assurance of hope; unless it be in some very extraordinary
circumstances; as in the case of martyrdom; contrary to the doctrine of
Protestants, which has been maintained by their most celebrated writers
against the Papists; and contrary to the plainest Scripture evidence. It is
manifest, that it was a common thing for the saints that we have a history or
particular account of in Scripture, to be assured. God, in the plainest and
most positive manner, revealed and testified his special favour to Noah,
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Daniel, and others. Job often speaks of his
sincerity and uprightness with the greatest imaginable confidence and
assurance, often calling God to witness to it; and says plainly, "I know
that my Redeemer liveth, and that I shall see him for myself, and not
another," Job 19:25, &c. David, throughout the book of Psalms, almost
everywhere speaks without any hesitancy, and in the most positive manner, of
God as his God glorying in him as his portion and heritage, his rock and
confidence, his shield; salvation, and high tower, and the like. Hezekiah
appeals to God, as one that knew that he had walked before him in truth, and
with a perfect heart, 2 Kings 20:3. Jesus Christ, in his dying discourse with
his eleven disciples, in the 14th, 15th, and 16th chapters of John (which was
as it were Christ's last will and testament to his disciples, and to his whole
church), often declares his special and everlasting love to them in the
plainest and most positive terms and promises them a future participation with
him in his glory, in the most absolute manner; and tells them at the same time
that he does so, to the end that their joy might be full: John 15:11,
"These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you,
and that your joy might be full." See also at the conclusion of his whole
discourse, chap. 16:33: "These things have I spoken unto you, that in me
ye might have peace. In the would ye shall have tribulation: but be of good
cheer, I have overcome the world." Christ was not afraid of speaking too
plainly and positively to them; he did not desire to hold them in the least
suspense. And he concluded that last discourse of his with a prayer in their
presence, wherein he speaks positively to his Father of those eleven
disciples, as having all of them savingly know him, and believed in him, and
received and kept his word; and that they were not of the world; and that for
their sakes he sanctified himself; and that his will was, that they should be
with him in his glory; and tells his Father, that he spake those things in his
prayer, to the end, that his joy might be fulfilled in them, verse 13. By
these things it is evident, that it is agreeable to Christ's designs, and the
contrived ordering and disposition Christ makes of things in his church, that
there should be sufficient and abundant provision made, that his saints might
have full assurance of their future glory.
The Apostle Paul, through all his
epistles speaks in an assured strain; ever speaking positively of his special
relation to Christ, his Lord, and Master, and Redeemer, and his interest in,
and expectation of the future reward. It would be endless to take notice of
all places that might be enumerated; I shall mention but three or four: Gal.
2:20, "Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I
live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for
me;" Phil. 1:21, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is
gain;" 2 Tim. 1:12, "I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded
that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that
day;" 2 Tim. 4:7, 8, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my
course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me at that
day."
And the nature of the covenant of
grace, and God's declared ends in the appointment and constitution of things
in that covenant, do plainly show it to be God's design to make ample
provision for the saints having an assured hope of eternal life, while living
here upon earth. For so are all things ordered and contrived in that covenant,
that everything might be made sure on God's part. "The covenant is
ordered in all things and sure:" the promises are most full, and very
often repeated, and various ways exhibited; and there are many witnesses, and
many seals; and God has confirmed his promises with an oath. And God's
declared design in all this, is, that the heirs of the promises might have an
undoubting hope and full joy, in an assurance of their future glory. Heb.
6:17, 18, "Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of
promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: that by two
immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a
strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set
before us." But all this would be in vain, to any such purpose, as the
saints' strong consolation, and hope of their obtaining future glory, if their
interest in those sure promises in ordinary cases was not ascertainable. For
God's promises and oaths, let them be as sure as they will, cannot give strong
hope and comfort to any particular person, any further than he can know that
those promises are made to him. And in vain is provision made in Jesus Christ,
that believers might be perfect as pertaining to the conscience, as is
signified, Heb. 9:9, if assurance of freedom from the guilt of sin is not
attainable.
It further appears that assurance
is not only attainable in some very extraordinary cases, but that all
Christians are directed to give all diligence to make their calling and
election sure, and are told how they may do it, 2 Pet. 1:5-8. And it is spoken
of as a thing very unbecoming Christians, and an argument of something very
blamable in them, not to know whether Christ be in them or no: 2 Cor. 13:5,
"Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye
be reprobates?" And it is implied that it is an argument of a very
blamable negligence in Christians, if they practice Christianity after such a
manner as to remain uncertain of the reward, in 1 Cor. 9:26: "I therefore
so run, as not uncertainly." And to add no more, it is manifest, that
Christians' knowing their interest in the saving benefits of Christianity is a
thing ordinarily attainable, because the apostle tells us by what means
Christians (and not only the apostles and martyrs) were wont to know this: 1
Cor. 2:12, "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the
Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to
us of God." And 1 John 2:3, "And hereby we do know that we know him,
if we keep his commandments." And verse 5, "Hereby know we that we
are in him." Chap. 3:14, "We know that we have passed from death
unto life, because we love the brethren;" ver. 19, "Hereby we know
that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him;" ver.
24, "Hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath
given us." So chap. 4:13, and chap. 5:2, and verse 19.
Therefore it must needs be very
unreasonable to determine, that persons are hypocrites, and their affections
wrong, because they seem to be out of doubt of their own salvation, and the
affections they are the subjects of seem to banish all fears of hell.
On the other hand, it is no
sufficient reason to determine that men are saints, and their affections
gracious, because the affections they have are attended with an exceeding
confidence that their state is good, and their affections divine.[27]
Nothing can be certainly argued from their confidence, how great and strong
soever it seems to be. If we see a man that boldly calls God his Father, and
commonly speaks in the most bold, familiar, and appropriating language in
prayer, "My Father, my dear Redeemer, my sweet Saviour, my Beloved,"
and the like; and it is a common thing for him to use the most confident
expressions before men, about the goodness of his state; such as, I know
certainly that God is my Father; I know so surely as there is a God in heaven,
that he is my God; I know I shall go to heaven, as well as if I were there; I
know that God is now manifesting himself to my soul, and is now smiling upon
me;" and seems to have done forever with any inquiry or examination into
his state, as a thing sufficiently known, and out of doubt, and to contemn all
that so much as intimate or suggest that there is some reason to doubt or fear
whether all is right; such things are no signs at all that it is indeed so as
he is confident it is.[28]
Such an overbearing, high-handed, and violent sort of confidence as this, so
affecting to declare itself with a most glaring show in the sight of men,
which is to be seen in many, has not the countenance of a true Christian
assurance: it savours more of the spirit of the Pharisees, who never doubted
but that they were saints, and the most eminent of saints, and were bold to go
to God, and come up near to him, and lift up their eyes, and thank him for the
great distinction he had made between them and other men; and when Christ
intimated that they were blind and graceless, despised the suggestion: John
9:40, "And some of the Pharisees which were with him, heard these words,
and said unto him, Are we blind also?" If they had more of the spirit of
the publican, with their confidence, who, in a sense of his exceeding
unworthiness, stood afar off, and durst not so much as lift up his eyes to
heaven, but smote on his breast, and cried out of himself as a sinner, their
confidence would have more of the aspect of the confidence of one that humbly
trusts and hopes in Christ, and has no confidence in himself.
If we do but consider what the
hearts of natural men are, what principles they are under the dominion of,
what blindness and deceit, what self-flattery, self-exaltation, and
self-confidence reign there, we need not at all wonder that their high opinion
of themselves, and confidence of their happy circumstances, be as high and
strong as mountains, and as violent as a tempest, when once conscience is
blinded, and convictions killed, with false high affections, and those
forementioned principles let loose, fed up and prompted by false joys and
comforts, excited by some pleasing imaginations, impressed by Satan,
transforming himself into an angel of light.
When once a hypocrite is thus
established in a false hope, he has not those things to cause him to call his
hope in question, that oftentimes are the occasion of the doubting of true
saints; as, first, he has not that cautious spirit, that great sense of
the vast importance of a sure foundation, and that dread of being deceived.
The comforts of the true saints increase awakening and caution, and a lively
sense how great a thing it is to appear before an infinitely holy, just and
omniscient Judge. But false comforts put an end to these things and dreadfully
stupify the mind. Secondly, The hypocrite has not the knowledge of his
own blindness, and the deceitfulness of his own heart, and that mean opinion
of his own understanding that the true saint has. Those that are deluded with
false discoveries and affections, are evermore highly conceited of their light
and understanding. Thirdly, The devil does not assault the hope of the
hypocrite, as he does the hope of a true saint. The devil is a great enemy to
a true Christian hope, not only because it tends greatly to the comfort of him
that hath it, but also because it is a thing of a holy, heavenly nature,
greatly tending to promote and cherish grace in the heart, and a great
incentive to strictness and diligence in the Christian life. But he is no
enemy to the hope of a hypocrite, which above all things establishes his
interest in him that has it. A hypocrite may retain his hope without
opposition, as long as he lives, the devil never disturbing it, nor attempting
to disturb it. But there is perhaps no true Christian but what has his hope
assaulted by him. Satan assaulted Christ himself upon this, whether he were
the Son of God or no: and the servant is not above his Master, nor the
disciple above his Lord; it is enough for the disciple, that is most
privileged in this world, to be as his Master. Fourthly, He who has a
false hope, has not that sight of his own corruptions, which the saint has. A
true Christian has ten times so much to do with his heart and its corruptions,
as a hypocrite: and the sins of his heart and practice, appear to him in their
blackness; they look dreadful; and it often appears a very mysterious thing,
that any grace can be consistent with such corruption, or should be in such a
heart. But a false hope hides corruption, covers it all over, and the
hypocrite looks clean and bright in his own eyes.
There are two sorts of
hypocrites: one that are deceived with their outward morality and external
religion; many of whom are professed Arminians, in the doctrine of
justification: and the other, are those that are deceived with false
discoveries and elevations; who often cry down works, and men's own
righteousness, and talk much of free grace; but at the same time make a
righteousness of their discoveries and of their humiliation, and exalt
themselves to heaven with them. These two kinds of hypocrites, Mr. Shepard, in
his exposition of the Parable of the Ten Virgins, distinguishes by the name of
legal and evangelical hypocrites; and often speaks of the latter
as the worst. And it is evident that the latter are commonly by far the most
confident in their hope, and with the most difficulty brought of from it: I
have scarcely known the instance of such a one, in my life, that has been
undeceived. The chief grounds of the confidence of many of them, are the very
same kind of impulses and supposed revelations (sometimes with texts of
Scripture, and sometimes without) that so many of late have had concerning
future events; calling these impulses about their good estate, the witness of
the Spirit; entirely misunderstanding the nature of the witness of the Spirit,
as I shall show hereafter. Those that have had visions and impulses about
other things, it has generally been to reveal such things as they are desirous
and fond of: and no wonder that persons who give heed to such things, have the
same sort of visions or impressions about their own eternal salvation, to
reveal to them that their sins are forgiven them, that their names are written
in the book of life, that they are in high favour with God, &c., and
especially when they earnestly seek, expect, and wait for evidence of their
election and salvation this way, as the surest and most glorious evidence of
it. Neither is it any wonder, that when they have such a supposed revelation
of their good estate, it raises in them the highest degree of confidence of
it. It is found by abundant experience, that those who are led away by
impulses and imagined revelations, are extremely confident: they suppose that
the great Jehovah has declared these and those things to them; and having his
immediate testimony, a strong confidence is the highest virtue. Hence they are
bold to say, I know this or that--I know certainly--I am as sure as that I
have a being, and the like; and they despise all argument and inquiry in the
case. And above all things else, it is easy to be accounted for, that
impressions and impulses about that which is so pleasing, so suiting their
self-love and pride, as their being the dear children of God, distinguished
from most in the world in his favour, should make them strongly confident;
especially when with their impulses and revelations they have high affections,
which they take to be the most eminent exercises of grace. I have known of
several persons, that have had a fond desire of something of a temporal
nature, through a violent passion that has possessed them; and they have been
earnestly pursuing the thing they have desired should come to pass, and have
met with great difficulty and many discouragements in it, but at last have had
an impression, or supposed revelation, that they should obtain what they
sought; and they have looked upon it as a sure promise from the Most High,
which has made them most ridiculously confident, against all manner of reason
to convince them to the contrary, and all events working against them. And
there is nothing hinders, but that persons who are seeking their salvation,
may be deceived by the like delusive impressions, and be made confident of
that, the same way.
The
confidence of many of this sort of hypocrites, that Mr. Shepard calls evangelical hypocrites, is like the confidence of some mad men, who
think they are kings; they will maintain it against all manner of reason and
evidence. And in one sense, it is much more immovable than a truly gracious
assurance; a true assurance is not upheld, but by the soul's being kept in a
holy frame, and Grace maintained in lively exercise. If the actings of grace
do much decay in the Christian, and he falls into a lifeless frame, he loses
his assurance: but this kind of confidence of hypocrites will not be shaken by
sin; they (at least some of them) will maintain their boldness in their hope,
in the most corrupt frames and wicked ways; which is a sure evidence of their
delusion.[29]
And
here I cannot but observe, that there are certain doctrines often preached to
the people, which need to be delivered with more caution and explanation than
they frequently are; for, as they are by many understood, they tend greatly to
establish this delusion and false confidence of hypocrites. The doctrines I
speak of are those of "Christians living by faith, not by sight; their
giving glory to God, by trusting him in the dark; living upon Christ, and not
upon experiences; not making their good frames the foundation of their
faith:" which are excellent and important doctrines indeed, rightly
understood, but corrupt and destructive, as many understand them. The
Scripture speaks of living or walking by faith, and not by sight, in no other
way than these, viz., a being governed by a respect to eternal things, that
are the objects of faith, and are not seen, and not by a respect to temporal
things, which are seen; and believing things revealed, that we never saw with
bodily eyes; and also living by faith in the promise of future things, without
yet seeing or enjoying the things promised, or knowing the way how they can be
fulfilled. This will be easily evident to anyone who looks over the
Scriptures, which speak of faith in
opposition to sight; as 2 Cor. 4:18,
and 5:7, Heb. 11:1, 8, 13, 17, 27, 29,
Rom.
8:24, John 20:29.
But this doctrine, as it is understood by many, is, that Christians ought
firmly to believe and trust in Christ, without spiritual
sight or light, and although they are in a dark dead frame, and, for the
present, have no spiritual experiences or discoveries. And it is truly the
duty of those who are thus in darkness, to come out of darkness into light and
believe. But that they should confidently believe and trust, while they yet
remain without spiritual light or sight, is an anti-scriptural and absurd
doctrine. The Scripture is ignorant of any such faith in Christ of the
operation of God, that is not founded in a spiritual sight of Christ. That
believing on Christ, which accompanies a title to everlasting life, is a
"seeing the Son, and believing on him," John
6:40. True faith in Christ is never exercised, any further than persons
"behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord, and have the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ," 2 Cor.
3:18
, and 4:6. They into
whose minds "the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image
of God, does not shine, believe not," 2 Cor. 4:5. That faith, which is
without spiritual light, is not the faith of the children of the light, and of
the day; but the presumption of the children of darkness. And therefore to
press and urge them to believe, without any spiritual light or sight, tends
greatly to help forward the delusions of the prince of darkness. Men not only
cannot exercise faith without some spiritual light, but they can exercise
faith only just in such proportion as they have spiritual light. Men will
trust in God no further than they know him; and they cannot be in the exercise
of faith in him one ace further than they have a sight of his fullness and
faithfulness in exercise. Nor can they have the exercise of trust in God, any
further than they are in a gracious frame. They that are in a dead carnal
frame, doubtless ought to trust in God; because that would be the same thing
as coming out of their bad frame, and turning to God; but to exhort men
confidently to trust in God, and so hold up their hope and peace, though they
are not in a gracious frame, and continue still to be so, is the same thing in
effect, as to exhort them confidentially to trust in God, but not with a
gracious trust: and what is that but a wicked presumption? It is just as
impossible for men to have a strong or lively trust in God, when they have no
lively exercises of grace, or sensible Christian experiences, as it is for
them to be in the lively exercises of grace, without the exercises of grace.
It
is true, that it is the duty of God's people to trust in him when in darkness,
and though they remain still in darkness, in that sense, that they ought to
trust in God when the aspects of his providence are dark, and look as though
God had forsaken them, and did not hear their prayers, and many clouds gather,
and many enemies surround them, with a formidable aspect, threatening to
swallow them up, and all events of providence seem to be against them, all
circumstances seem to render the promises of God difficult to be fulfilled,
and God must be trusted out of sight, i.e., when we cannot see which way it is
possible for him to fulfil his word; everything but God's mere word makes it
look unlikely, so that if persons believe, they must hope against hope. Thus
the ancient Patriarchs, and Job, and the Psalmist, and Jeremiah, Daniel,
Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego, and the Apostle Paul, gave glory to God by
trusting in God in darkness. And we have many instances of such a glorious
victorious faith in the eleventh of Hebrews. But how different a thing is
this, from trusting in God, without spiritual sight, and being at the same
time in a dead and carnal frame!
There
is also such a thing as spiritual light's being let into the soul in one way,
when it is not in another; and so there is such a thing as the saints trusting
in God, and also knowing their good estate, when they are destitute of some
kinds of experience. As for instance, they may have clear views of God's
sufficiency and faithfulness, and so confidently trust in him, and know that
they are his children; and at the same time, not have those clear and sweet
ideas of his love as at other times: for it was thus with Christ himself in
his last passion. And they may have views of much of God's sovereignty,
holiness, and all sufficiency, enabling them quietly to submit to him, and
exercise a sweet and most encouraging hope in God's fullness, when they are
not satisfied of their own good estate. But how different things are these,
from confidently trusting in God, without spiritual light or experience!
Those
that thus insist on persons living by faith, when they have no experience, and
are in very bad frames, are also very absurd in their notions of faith. What
they mean by faith is, believing that they are in a good estate. Hence they
count it a dreadful sin for them to doubt of their state, whatever frames they
are in, and whatever wicked things they do, because it is the great and
heinous sin of unbelief; and he is the best man, and puts most honour upon
God, that maintains his hope of his good estate the most confidently and
immovably, when he has the least light or experience; that is to say, when he
is in the worst and most wicked frame and way; because, forsooth, that is a
sign that he is strong in faith, giving glory to God, and against hope
believes in hope. But what Bible do they learn this notion of faith out of,
that it is a man's confidently believing that he is in a good estate?[30]
If this be faith, the Pharisees had faith in an eminent degree; some of which,
Christ teaches, committed the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost. The
Scripture represents faith as that by which men are brought into a good
estate; and therefore it cannot be the same thing as believing that they are
already in a good estate. To suppose that faith consists in persons believing
that they are in a good estate, is in effect the same thing, as to suppose
that faith consists in a person's believing that he has faith, or believing
that he believes.
Indeed
persons doubting of their good estate, may in several respects arise from
unbelief. It may be from unbelief, or because they have so little faith that
they have so little evidence of their good estate: if they had more experience
of the actings of faith, and so more experience of the exercise of grace, they
would have clearer evidence that their state was good; and so their doubts
would be removed. And then their doubting of their state may be from unbelief
thus, when, though there be many things that are good evidences of a work of
grace in them, yet they doubt very much whether they are really in a state of
favour with God, because it is they, those that are so unworthy, and have done
so much to provoke God to anger against them. Their doubts in such a case
arise from unbelief, as they arise from want of a sufficient sense of, and
reliance on, the infinite riches of God's grace, and the sufficiency of Christ
for the chief of sinners. They may also be from unbelief, when they doubt of
their state, because of the mystery of God's dealings with them; they are not
able to reconcile such dispensations with God's favour to them; or when they
doubt whether they have any interest in the promises, because the promises
from the aspect of providence appear so unlikely to be fulfilled; the
difficulties that are in the way are so many and great. Such doubting arises
from want of dependence upon God's almighty power, and his knowledge and
wisdom, as infinitely above theirs. But yet, in such persons, their unbelief,
and their doubting of their state, are not the same thing; though one arises
from the other.
Persons
may be greatly to blame for doubting of their state, on such grounds as these
last mentioned; and they may be to blame, that they have no more grace, and no
more of the present exercises and experiences of it, to be an evidence to them
of the goodness of their state: men are doubtless to blame for being in a
dead, carnal frame; but when they are in such a frame, and have no sensible
experience of the exercises of grace, but on the contrary, are much under the
prevalence of lusts and an unchristian spirit, they are not to blame for
doubting their state. It is as impossible, in the nature of things, that a
holy and Christian hope be kept alive, in its clearness and strength, in such
circumstances, as it is to keep the light in the room, when the candle is put
out; or to maintain the bright sunshine in the air, when the sun is gone down.
Distant experiences, when darkened by present prevailing lust and corruption,
never keep alive a gracious confidence and assurance; but that sickens and
decays upon it, as necessarily as a little child by repeated blows on the head
with a hammer. Nor is it at all to be lamented, that persons doubt of their
state in such circumstances: but, on the contrary, it is desirable and every
way best that they should. It is agreeable to that wise and merciful
constitution of things, which God hath established, that it should be so. For
so hath God contrived and constituted things, in his dispensations towards his
own people, that when their love decays, and the exercises of it fail, or
become weak, fear should arise; for then they need it to restrain them from
sin, and to excite them to care for the good of their souls, and so to stir
them up to watchfulness and diligence in religion: but God hath so ordered,
that when love rises, and is in vigorous exercise, then fear should vanish,
and be driven away; for then they need it not, having a higher and more
excellent principle in exercise, to restrain them from sin, and stir them up
to their duty. There are no other principles, which human nature is under the
influence of, that will ever make men conscientious, but one of these two, fear
or love; and therefore, if one of these should not prevail as the other
decays, God's people, when fallen into dead and carnal frames, when love is
asleep, would be lamentably exposed indeed: and therefore God has wisely
ordained, that these two opposite principles of love and fear should rise and
fall, like the two opposite scales of a balance; when one rises the other
sinks. As light and darkness necessarily and unavoidably succeed each other;
if light prevails, so much does darkness cease, and no more; and if light
decays, so much does darkness prevail; so it is in the heart of a child of
God: if divine love decays and falls asleep, and lust prevails, the light and
joy of hope go out, and dark fear and doubting arises; and if, on the
contrary, divine love prevails and comes into lively exercise, this brings in
the brightness of hope, and drives away black lust, and fear with it. Love is
the spirit of adoption, or the childlike principle; if that slumbers, men fall
under fear, which is the spirit of bondage, or the servile principle; and so
on the contrary. And if it be so, that love, or the spirit of adoption, be
carried to a great height, it quite drives away all fear, and gives full
assurance; agreeable to that of the apostle, 1 John
4:18
, "There is no
fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear." These two opposite
principles of lust and holy love, bring hope and fear into the hearts of God's
children, in proportion as they prevail; that is, when left to their own
natural influence, without something adventitious, or accidental intervening;
as the distemper of melancholy, doctrinal ignorance, prejudices of education,
wrong instruction, false principles, peculiar temptations, &c.
Fear
is cast out by the Spirit of God, no other way than by the prevailing of love;
nor is it ever maintained by his Spirit but when love is asleep. At such a
time, in vain is all the saint's self-examinations, and poring on past
experience, in order to establish his peace, and get assurance. For it is
contrary to the nature of things, as God hath constituted them, that he should
have assurance at such a time.
They
therefore do directly thwart God's wise and gracious constitution of things,
who exhort others to be confident in their hope, when in dead frames; under a
notion of "living by faith, and not by sight, and trusting God in the
dark, and living upon Christ, and not upon experiences;" and warn them
not to doubt of their good estate, lest they should be guilty of the dreadful
sin of unbelief. And it has a direct tendency to establish the most
presumptuous hypocrites, and to prevent their ever calling their state in
question, how much soever wickedness rages, and reigns in their hearts, and
prevails in their lives; under a notion of honouring God, by hoping against
hope, and confidently trusting in God, when things look very dark. And
doubtless vast has been the mischief that has been done this way.
Persons
cannot be said to forsake Christ, and live on their experiences of the
exercises of grace, merely because they take them and use them as evidences of
grace; for there are no other evidences that they can or ought to take. But
then may persons be said to live upon their experiences, when they make a
righteousness of them, and instead of keeping their eye on God's glory and
Christ's excellency, they turn their eyes off these objects without them, on
to themselves, to entertain their minds, by viewing their own attainments, and
high experiences, and the great things they have met with, and are bright and
beautiful in their own eyes, and are rich and increased with goods in their
own apprehensions, and think that God has as admiring an esteem of them, on
the same account, as they have of themselves: this is living on experiences,
and not on Christ; and is more abominable in the sight of God, than the gross
immoralities of those who make no pretences to religion. But this is a far
different thing from a mere improving experiences as evidences of an interest
in a glorious Redeemer.
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