No wonder why papists maintain doubting, who hold salvation by works, because Satan joining together with our consciences will always find some flaw even in our best performances ; hereupon the doubting and misgiving soul comes to make this absurd demand, as. Who shall ascend to heaven ? Ps. xxiv. 3, which is all one as to fetch Christ from heaven, and so bring him down to suffer on the cross again. Whereas if we believe in Christ we are as sure to come to heaven as Christ is there. Christ ascending and
* Grace and peace. See 1 Cor. i. 3 ; 2 Cor. i. 2 ; Gal. i. 3 ; Epli. 1, 2 ; 1 Peter .2; Rev. i. 4, &c., &c.— G.
THE soul's conflict. 139
descending, with all that he hath done, is ours. So that neither height nor depth can sepai'ate us fi'om God's love in Chiist, Rom. viii. 39.
But we must remember, though the main pillar of our comfort be in the free forgiveness of our sins, yet if there be a neglect in gi-owing in holiness, the soul ^vill never be soundly quiet, because it will be prone to question thg truth of justification, and it is as proper for sin to raise doubts and fears in the conscience, as for rotten flesh and wood to breed worms.
8. And therefore we may well join this as a cause of disquietncss, the neglect of keeping a clear conscience. Sin, like Achan, or Jonah in the ship, is that which causeth storms withia and without. Where there is not a pure con- science, there is not a pacified conscience ; and therefore though some, thinking to save themselves whole in justification, neglect the cleansing of their natm-es and ordering of their Hves, yet in time of temptation they wiU find it more troublesome than they think. For a conscience guUty of many neglects, and of allowing itself in any sin, to lay claim to God's mercy, is to do as we see mountebanks sometimes do, who wound their flesh to tiy conclusions upon their own bodies, how sovereign the salve is ; yet oftentimes they come to feel the smart of their presumption, by long and desperate wounds. So God win let us see what it is to make wounds to trx the preciousness of his balm ; such may go mourning to their graves. And though, perhaps, with much wi'estling with God they may get assurance of the pardon of their sins, yet their conscience will be still trembling, like-as David's, though Nathan had pronounced unto him the forgiveness of his sin, Ps. li., till God at length speaks farther peace, even as the water of the sea after a storm is not presently still, but moves and trembles a good while after the storm is over. A Christian is a new creatm-e and walketh by rule, and so far as he walketh according to his rule, peace is upon him, Gal. vi. 16, Loose walkers that regard not their way, must think to meet with sorrows instead of peace. "Watchfulness is the preserver of peace. It is a deep sphitual judgment to find peace in an ill way.
9. Some again reap the fruit of their ignorance of Christian lihcrtg, by un- necessaiy scruples and doubts. It is both unthankfulness to God and wrong to oui'selves, to be ignorant of the extent of Christian liberty. It makes melody to Satan to see Chiistians troubled with that they neither should or need. Yet there is danger in stretching Christian liberty be- yond the bounds. For a man may condemn himself in that he approves, as in not walking circumspectly in regard of chcumstances, and so breed his own disquiet, and give scandal to others.
10. Sometimes also, God sufiers men to bo disquieted ^ox want of employ- vient, who, in shunning labour, procure trouble to themselves ; and by not doing that which is needful, they are troubled with that which is unnecessaiy. An unemployed life is a burden to itself. God is a pure act, always working, always doing ; and the nearer our soul comes to God, the more it is in action and the fi-eer from disquiet. Men experimentally feel that comfort, in doing that which belongs unto them, which before they longed for and went without ; a heart not exercised in some honest labour works trouble out of itself.
11. Again, omission of duties and offices of love often troubles the peace of good people ; for even in time of death, when they look for peace and desire it most, then looking back upon their former failings, and seeing opportunity of doing good wanting to their desire (the parties perhaps being deceased to whom they owed more respect), are hereupon much disquieted, and so much the more because they see now hope of the like advantages cut off.
140 THE soul's conflict.
A Christian life is full of duties, and the peace of it is not maintained without much fruitfulness and looking about us. Debt is a disquieting thing to an honest mind, and duty is debt. Hereupon the apostle layeth the charge, ' that we should owe nothing to any man but love,' Rom. xiii. 8.
12. Again, one special cause of too much disquiet is, icant of firm resolution in good tilings. The soul cannot but be disquieted when it knows not what to cleave unto, like a ship tossed with contrary winds. Halting is a deformed and troublesome gesture ; so halting in religion is not only troublesome to others and odious, but also disquiets ourselves. * If God be God, cleave to him,' 1 Kings xviii. 21. If the duties of religion be such as will bring peace of conscience at the length, be religious to purpose, practise them in the particular passages of life. We should labour to have a clear judgment, and from thence a resolved purpose ; a wavering-minded man is incon- sistent in all his ways, James i. 6. God will not speak peace to a stagger- ing spirit that hath always its religion and its way to choose. Uncertain men are always unquiet men : and giving too much way to passion maketh men in particular consultations unsettled. This is the reason why, in par- ticular cases, when the matter concerns ourselves, we cannot judge so clearly as in general truths, because Satan raiseth a mist between us and the matter in question.