Thirdly, consider, In propounding of evidences for men to try their spiritual and eternal estates by, there are two special Rules for ever to be minded and remembered, and the first is this, That he that propounds evidences of grace, which are only proper to eminent Christians, as belonging to all true Christians, he will certainly grieve and sad those precious Lambs of Christ that he would not have grieved and sadded. Look, as there is a strong faith, and a weak faith,1 so there are evidences that are proper to a strong faith, and evidences that are proper to a weak faith: Now, he that cannot find in himself the evidences of a strong faith, he must not conclude that he has no faith; for he may have in him the evidences of a weak faith, when he has not the evidences of a strong faith in him; in Christ's School, House, Church, there are several sorts and ranks of Christians, as babes, children, young men, and old men; and accordingly, Ministers in their preaching and writing, should sort their evidences, that so babes and children may not be found bleeding, grieving and weeping, when they should be sound joying and rejoicing. Secondly, no man must make such characters, marks or evidences of a child of God, which may be found in an hypocrite, a Formalist, &c. for this were to lay a stumbling block before the blind, this were to delude poor souls,2 and to make them glad whom God would not have made glad; yea, this is the high-way, the ready way, to make them miserable in both worlds. The rule or evidence that every Christian is to measure himself by, must be neither too long nor too short, but adequate to the state of a Christian; that is, it must not be so long on the one hand, as that all Christians cannot reach it, nor yet so short on the other hand, as that it will not reach a true Christian; but the rule or evidence must be such as will suit and fit every sincere believer, and none else: Some Christians are apt to judge of themselves, and to try themselves, by such rules ⟨p. 7⟩or evidences as are competent only to those that are strong men in Christ, and that are grown to a high pitch of grace, of holiness, of communion with God, of spiritual enjoyments, and heavenly attainments, and sweet and blessed •avishments of soul;
THirdly, consider, In propounding of evidences for men to try their spiritual and eternal estates by, there are two special Rules for ever to be minded and remembred, and the first is this, That he that propounds evidences of grace, which are only proper to eminent Christians, as belonging to all true Christians, he will certainly grieve and sad those precious Lambs of Christ that he would not have grieved and sadded. Look, as there is a strong faith, and a weak faith,1 so there are evidences that are proper to a strong faith, and evidences that are proper to a weak faith: Now, he that cannot find in himself the evidences of a strong faith, he must not conclude that he has no faith; for he may have in him the evidences of a weak faith, when he has not the evidences of a strong faith in him; in Christ's School, House, Church, there are several sorts and ranks of Christians, as babes, children, young men, and old men; and accordingly, Ministers in their preaching and writing, should sort their evidences, that so babes and children may not be found bleeding, grieving and weeping, when they should be sound joying and rejoycing. Secondly, no man must make such characters, marks or evidences of a child of God, which may be found in an hypocrite, a Formalist, &c. for this were to lay a stumbling block before the blind, this were to delude poor souls,2 and to make them glad whom God would not have made glad; yea, this is the high-way, the ready way, to make them miserable in both worlds. The rule or evidence that every Christian is to measure himself by, must be neither too long nor too short, but adequate to the state of a Christian; that is, it must not be so long on the one hand, as that all Christians cannot reach it, nor yet so short on the other hand, as that it will not reach a true Christian; but the rule or evidence must be such as will suit and fit every sincere believer, and none else: Some Christians are apt to judge of themselves, and to try themselves, by such rules ⟨p. 7⟩or evidences as are competent only to those that are strong men in Christ, and that are grown to a high pitch of grace, of holiness, of communion with God, of spiritual enjoymen•s, and heavenly attainments, and sweet and blessed •avishments of soul;
- 1Mat. 15 28. and Chap. 8 26. It is one thing to show you the properties of a man, and another thing to show you the properties of a strong man, 1 Pet. 2.3. 1 John 2.1, 12, 13, 14. v.Mat. 15 28. and Chap. 8 26. It is one thing to shew you the properties of a man, and another thing to shew you the properties of a strong man, 1 Pet. 2.3. 1 John 2.1, 12, 13, 14. v.
- 2Ezek. 13.22. v.
