II. Secondly, consider, that true, sound, solid marJcs, signs, and evidences, are the best uriy to prevent delusions. There is no such deceit in sound and solid evidences, as there is in flashy joys, and in high and strange raptures, by which many glistering professors have been sadly deceived and deluded. Young Samuel, being not accj[uainted with any extraordinary manifestations of the presence and power of God, took the voice of God from heaven to be the voice of old Eli, 1 Sam. iii. 5. Ah ! how many have there been in our days, that have taken the irregular motions of their own hearts, and the violent workings of their own distempered fancies, and imaginations, and Satanical delusions, to be the visions of God, celestial raptures, divine breathings, and the powerful impulses of the Spirit of God ; and so have been stirred up to speak, write, and act such things that have been, not only contrary to the holy word of God, but also contrary to the very laws of nature and nations. Satan, by transforming of himself into an angel of light, hath seduced and ruined many professors, against whom, as an angel of dark- ness, he could never prevail, 2 Cor. xi. ] 4. Gerson^ tells a remarkable story of Satan's appearing to a holy man, in a most glorious and beauti- ful manner, professing himself to be Christ ; and because he, for his exemplary holiness was worthy to be honoured above others, therefore he appeared unto him ; but the good old man readily answered him, that he desired not to see his Saviour in this wilderness ; it shovdd suffice him to see him hereafter in heaven ; and withal added this pithy prayer, ' Oh let thy sight be my reward. Lord, in another life, and not in this ;' and so he became victorious over Satan, though he had transformed himself into a glorious angel of light. But such a victorious crown has not been set upon every oiji i's head to whom Satan hath ap- peared as angel of glory.» Certainly, they that stand so much, so mightily, for an immediate testimony, seem to open such a gap to enthusiasm, as will not be easily shut ; yea, how will they be ever able to secure to purpose, poor souls from sad delusions ? for how easy a thing it is for Satan, — who is the father of lies, John viii. 44 ; who is an old deceiver. Gen. iii. 12 ; 1 Tim. ii. 14 ; who is the grand deceiver. Rev. xii. 9 ; xiii. 14 ; xix. 20 ; xx. 10 ; who has his devices, 2 Cor. ii. 11 ; his wiles, Ephes. vi. 11 ; his snares, 1 Tim. iii. 7 ; his depths, Rev.
* Gerson in his book, Be probatione spirituum. Of the trial of spirits.
* See Dr Casaubon, and Dr Moore concerning Enthusiasm. [More ?— G.]
252 A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. J
ii. 24, — to find various artifices to counterfeit this immediate testimony, and bear witness in the Spirit's stead ; so that, when poor souls think that they have the spirit of grace and truth to assure them that all is well, and shall be for ever well with them, they have none but ' the father of lies' to deceive them, they have none but the devil in Samuel's mantle, to put a soul-murdering cheat upon them. I am not fond of advising any poor souls to lay the stress of their hopes in heaven and salvation merely upon immediate impressions, lest they should subject themselves to infinite delusions. O sirs ! the way of immediate revela- tion is more fleeting and inconstant. Such actings of the Spirit are like those outward motions that came upon Samson, Judges xiii. 25. The Spirit came upon him at times. And so upon ever}' withdrawment, new doubts and scruples arise ; but the trial of a man's estate by grace is more constant and durable, saving grace being a continual pledge of God's love to us. Flashes of joy and comfort are only sweet and de- lightsome whilst they are felt, but grace is that immortal seed that abideth for ever, 1 John iii. 9. But,
The third maxim or consideration.
III. Thirdly, consider. In propounding of evidences for men to try their spiritual and eternal estates by, tliere are two special rules for ever to be m^inded and remembered ; and the first is this, That he that propiounds evidences of grace, vjhich 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 gneved and sadded. Look, as there is a strong faith and a weak faith, 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 evi- dences 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 found joying and rejoicing.
Secondly, Ko ma.n must make such characters, marks, or evidences of a child of God which may be found in an hypocrite, a formalist, &CC. For this were to lay a stumbling-block before the blind, this were to delude poor souls, and to make them glad whom God would not have made glad ; yea, this is the highway, the ready way, to make them miserable in both worlds, Ezek/lxiii. 22. 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 time Chris- tian ; 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 or evidences as are
' Mat. XV. 28, anrl chap. viii. 26. It is one thinp to shpw you tlie properties of n man, find another tiling to shew you the properties of a strong man, 1 Peter ii. 3, 1 John ii. I, 12-14.
Chap. I.] a cabinet of jewels. 253