Chapter 3. A Cautionary Direction from What We May Not, and from What We May Judge Our Graces to Be in a Declination

Quest. FIrst of the first, How may a Christian judge whether grace be declining in him or no?

Answ. First, I shall resolve this negatively, and show by what he is not to judge his grace to decline.

Secondly, positively, by what he may certainly conclude a decay of grace.

First, negatively, and that in several particulars.

Frist, Christian, do not judge grace to be fallen weaker, because your sense of corruption is grown stronger: This oft lies at the bottome of poor souls complaints in this case O they never felt pride, hypocrisie and other corruptions so haunt them as now; none knows how they are vexed with these, and the like besides themselves. Now let me ask you who makest this sad moane, whether you doest not think these corruptions were in you before you did thus feel them? how oft have you prayed as formally, and not been troubled? how oft have you stood chatting with the same lusts, and your soul has not been laid low before the Lord with such abasement of your self as now? deal faithfully between God and your soul, and tell not a lie for God by bearing false witnesse against your self. If it be thus, you have rather a comfortable signe of grace growing then decaying. Sin cannot be on the getting hand, if the sense of sin grow quick; this is the concomitant of a thriving soul, none so full of complaints of their own hearts as such; the least sin goes now to their very souls, which makes them think viler of themselves then ever▪ but it is not the increase of sin in them, but the advance of their love to Christ makes them judge so: when the Sun shines with some power, and the year gets up, we observe, though we may have frosts and snow, yet they do not lie long, but are soon dissolved by the Sun, O 'tis a sweet signe that the love of Christ shines with a force upon your soul, that no corruptions can lie long in your bosome, but they melt into sorrow and bitter complaints. That is the decaying soul where sin lies bound up and frozen, little sense of, or sorrow for it appears.

Secondly, Take heed you thinkest not grace decayes, because your comfort withdrawes. The influence of the Sun comes where the light of it is not to be found, yea, is mighty, as appears in those mines of gold and silver, which are concocted by the same. And so may the actings of grace be vigourous in you, when least under the shines of his countenance. Did ever faith triumph more than in our Saviour, crying, My God, my God; here faith was at its meridian, when it was midnight in respect of joy. Possibly you comest from an Ordinance, and bringest not home with you those sheaves of comfort you usest to do, and therefore conclude grace acted not in you as formerly. Truly if you have nothing else to go by, you may wrong the grace of God in you exceedingly. Because your comfort is extrinsecal to your duty, a boon which God may give or not, yea, does give to the weak, and deny to the strong. The traveller may go as fast, and rid as much ground, when the Sun does not shine, as when it does; though (indeed he goes not so merrily on his journey) nay, somtimes he makes the more have; the warm Sun makes him sometime to lie down and loyter, but when dark and cold he puts on with more speed. Some graces thrive best (like some flowers) in the shade, such as humility, dependance on God, &c,

Thirdly, take heed you doest not mistake, and think your grace decayes, when may be it is only your temptations increase, and not your grace decrease. If you should hear a man say, because he cannot to day run so fast, when a hundred weight is on his back, as he could yesterday without any such a burden, that therefore he was grown weaker, you would soon tell him where his mistake lies. Temptation lies not in the same heavinesse alway upon the Christians shoulder; observe therefore whether Satan is not more than ordinary let loose to assault you, whether your temptations come not with more force and violence then ever; possibly, though you doest not with the same facility overcome these, as you have done lesse, yet grace may act stronger in conflicting with the greater, then in overcoming the lesse. The same ship, that when lightly ballasted, and favoured with the winde goes mounting, at another time deeply laden, and going against winde and tide, may move with a slow pace, and yet they in the ship take more pains to make it sail thus, then they did when it went faster.

Secondly, positively, how you may conclude that grace is declining; and that in a threefold respect.

First, in reference to temptations to sin.

Secondly, in reference to the duties of Gods worship.

Thirdly, the frame of your heart in worldly employments.

First, in reference to sin, and that is threefold.

First, when you are not so wakeful to discover the encroachings of sin upon you as formerly; at one time we finde Davids heart smote him, when he but rent the skirt of Sauls garment: at another time when his eye glanced on Bathsheba, he takes no such notice of the snare Satan had him in, and so is led from one sin to another, which plainly showed that grace in him was [〈1 page duplicate〉][〈1 page duplicate〉] heavy-eyed, and his heart not in so holy a frame as it had been. If an enemy comes up to the gates, and the sentinel not so much as give an alarm to the City of his approach, it shewes he is off his guard, either fallen asleep, or worse: If grace were awake, and your conscience had not contracted some hardness, it would do its office.

Secondly, when a temptation to sin is discovered, and you findest your heart shut up that you doest not pray against it, or not with that zeal and holy indignation, as formerly upon such occasions; it is a bad signe, that lust has got an advantage of your grace, that you can not readily betake your selfe to your armes. Your affections are bribed, and this makes you so cold a Suitour at the throne of grace, for helpe against yours enemy.

Thirdly, when the arguments prevailing most with you to resist temptations to sin, or to mourn for sin committed, are more carnal and lesse Evangelical then formerly: may be you remembrest when your love to Christ would have spit fire on the face of Satan tempting you to such a sin; but now that holy fire is so abated, that if there were not some other carnal motives to make the vote full, it would hazard to be carried for it, rather than against it; and so in mourning for a sin there is possibly now some slavish arguments, (like an onion in the eye, which makes you weep, rather than pure ingenuity arising from love to God whom you have offended, this speaks a sad decay, and the more mixture there is of such carnal arguments, either in the resisting of, or mourning for sin, the greater the declination of grace is. Davids natural heat sure was much decayed, when he needed so many cloathes to be laid on him, and he yet feel so little heat, the time was he would have sweat with fewer. I am afraid, many their love to Christ will be found (in these declining times) to have lost so much of its youthful vigour, that what would formerly have put them into a holy fury, and burning zeal against some sins, (such as Sabbath-breaking, pride of apparel, neglect of family-duties, &c.) has now much ado to keep any heat at all in them against the same.

Secondly, in point of duties of worship.

First, if your heart does not prompt you with that forwardnesse and readinesse as formerly, to hold communion with God in any duty; possibly you knowest the time when your heart echoed back to the motions of Gods Spirit, bidding you, Seek his face; Your face, Lord, will I seek; yea, you did long as much till a Sabbath or Sermon-season came, as the carnal wretch does till it be gone; but now your pulse does not beat so quick a march to the Ordinances publick or secret; nature cannot but decay, if appetite to food go away; a craving soul is the thriving soul, such a child that will not let his mother rest, but is frequently crying for the breast.

Secondly, when you declinest in your care to performe duties in a spiritual sort, and to preserve the sense of those more inward failings, which in duty none but your self can check you of. It is not frequency of duty, but spirituality in duty causes thriving, and therefore neglect in this point soon brings grace into a consumptive posture. Possibly, soul, the time was you wert not satisfied with praying, but you did watch your heart strictly, (as a man would every piece in a summe of money he payes, lest he should wrong his friend with any brasse or uncurrant coin) you wouldest have God not only have duty, but duty stamp't with that faith which makes it currant, have that zeal and sincerity which makes it Gospel-weight; but now you are more careless and formal, O look to it (poor soul) you will, if you continue thus carelesse, melt in your spiritual estate apace. Such dealings will spoil your trade with heaven. God will not take off these slighty duties at your hands.

Thirdly, when a Christian gets little spiritual nourishment from communion with God, to what it has done. The time has been (may be) you couldest show what came of your praying, hearing and fasting; but now the case is altered. There is a double strength communion with God imparts to a soul in a healthful disposition, strength to faith, and strength for our obediential walking; doest you hear and pray, and get no more strength to hold by a promise, no more power over, or brokennesse of heart under your usual corruptions? what? come down the Mount and break the Tables of Gods Law, assoon as you are off the place? as deep in your passion, as uneven in your course as before? there is a sure decay of that inward heat which should and would (if in its right temper) suck some nourishment from these.

Thirdly, by your behavior in your worldly employments.

First, when your worldly occasions do not leave you in so free and spiritual a disposition, to return into the presence of God as formerly; may be you couldest have come from your shop and family-employments to your closet, and finde that they have kept you in frame, yea, may be delivered you up in a better frame for those duties, but now 'tis otherwise, you can not so shake them off, but they cleave to your spirit, and give an earthly savor to your praying and hearing; you have reason to bewail it; when nature decayes men, go more stooping, and 'tis a signe some such decay is in you, that you can not as you usest, lift up your heart from earthly to spiritual duties. They were intended as helps against temptation, and therefore when they prove snares to us there is a distemper on us. If we waxe worse after sleep, the body is not right, because the nature of sleep is to refresh; if exercise indisposs for work, the reason is in our bodies: So here.

Secondly, when your diligence in your particular calling is more selfish; possibly you have wrought in your shop, and set close at your study, in obedience to the command chiefly; your carnal interests have swayed but little with you, but now you tradest more for your self, and lesse for God. O have a care of this.

Thirdly, when you can not bear the disappointment of your carnal ends in your particular calling, as you have done; you workest and gettest little of the world, you preachest and are not much esteemed, and you knowest not well how to brook these. The time was you couldest retire your self into God, and make up all you did want elsewhere in him; but now you are not so well satisfied with your estate, rank and condition; your heart is fingering for more of these then God allowes you; this shows declining; children are harder to be pleased, and old men, (whose decay of nature makes them more froward, and in a manner children the second time) then others; labor therefore to recover your decaying grace, and as this lock grows, so your strength with it will, to acquiesce in the disposure of Gods Providence.

Question: How can a Christian tell whether grace is declining in him or not?

Answer. First, I will answer this negatively — showing what should not be taken as evidence of declining grace.

Second, I will answer positively — showing what can reliably be taken as evidence of a decay of grace.

First, the negative answer, with several particulars.

First, Christian, do not conclude that grace has grown weaker simply because your sense of corruption has grown stronger. This is often the root of poor souls' complaints in this area: they feel they have never been so haunted by pride, hypocrisy, and other corruptions as they are now, and no one knows how troubled they are by these things. Let me ask you who make this sad complaint: do you not think these corruptions were in you before you felt them so keenly? How often have you prayed just as formally without being troubled at all? How often have you entertained the same lusts without your soul being brought low before God in such self-abasement as you feel now? Deal honestly between God and your soul — do not tell a lie in God's name by bearing false witness against yourself. If this is your situation, you have more of a comforting sign that grace is growing than that it is decaying. Sin cannot be gaining ground if the sense of sin is becoming sharper. That sharpened sensitivity is a mark of a thriving soul. No one complains more about their own heart than those who are growing in grace — the smallest sin now cuts them to the core, making them think more poorly of themselves than ever. But it is not that sin has increased in them: it is that their love for Christ has grown, which makes them judge more severely. When the sun shines with some strength and the year advances, we notice that even when frosts and snow come, they do not lie long — they are soon melted by the sun. It is a sweet sign that the love of Christ is shining with power on your soul when no corruption can remain long in your heart without melting into sorrow and bitter complaint. The truly decaying soul is the one where sin lies bound up and frozen — with little sense of it and little sorrow for it.

Second, be careful not to conclude that grace is decaying simply because your comfort has withdrawn. The influence of the sun reaches where its light is not directly seen — as is evident in the mines of gold and silver formed underground by that same heat. In the same way, grace may be working vigorously in you even when you are least enjoying the sunshine of God's countenance. Did faith ever triumph more gloriously than in our Savior's cry, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?' There faith was at its highest, while joy was at its darkest midnight. Perhaps you come away from a worship service without the sheaves of comfort you usually bring home, and you conclude that grace was not at work in you as before. Honestly, if that is all you have to go on, you may be doing a great injustice to the grace of God in you. Comfort is external to duty — it is a gift God may give or withhold. In fact, He often gives it to the weak and withholds it from the strong. A traveler may walk just as far and cover just as much ground when the sun is not shining as when it is — though perhaps not as cheerfully. In fact, he sometimes makes better progress: the warm sun tempts him to lie down and dawdle, while the cold and dark drive him on faster. Some graces thrive best in the shade — like certain flowers — such as humility and dependence on God.

Third, be careful not to mistake an increase in your temptations for a decrease in your grace. If you heard a man say that because he cannot run as fast today with a hundred-pound pack on his back as he could yesterday without any burden, he must have grown weaker — you would quickly point out his mistake. Temptation does not always press on the Christian with the same weight. Observe, therefore, whether Satan has not been unusually let loose against you — whether your temptations are not coming with more force and violence than before. Even if you are not overcoming them as easily as you handled smaller ones in the past, grace may actually be working harder in struggling with the greater ones than it did in overcoming the lesser. A ship that rides light and sails with a fair wind makes fast and easy progress. The same ship, heavily laden and sailing against wind and tide, moves slowly — and yet the crew is working far harder than they were when it sailed faster.

Second, positively: how you may conclude that grace is declining — and this in three areas.

First, in relation to temptations to sin.

Second, in relation to the duties of worship.

Third, by the condition of your heart in worldly occupations.

First, in relation to sin — and this is threefold.

First, when you are no longer as alert to the inroads of sin as you once were. At one point we find David's heart smiting him when he merely cut off the corner of Saul's robe. At another time, when his eye glanced at Bathsheba, he took no notice of the snare Satan had laid for him — and was led from one sin to the next. This clearly showed that grace in him had grown sluggish and his heart was not in as holy a condition as it had been. If an enemy approaches the gates and the sentinel gives no alarm, it shows he is off his guard — either asleep or worse. If grace were awake and your conscience had not grown somewhat hardened, it would do its job.

Second, when a temptation to sin is recognized and you find your heart closed — not praying against it, or not with the same zeal and holy indignation as before. This is a bad sign: it shows that sinful desire has gotten the upper hand over your grace, and you cannot readily take up your weapons. Your affections have been won over — and this is why you are such a cold petitioner at the throne of grace when you need help against your enemy.

Third, when the arguments that most move you to resist temptation or mourn for sin committed have become more worldly and less shaped by the Gospel than they once were. Perhaps you remember a time when your love for Christ would have spit fire in the face of Satan tempting you to such a sin. But now that holy fire has so diminished that without some worldly motive tipping the scales, you might well give in rather than resist. And when you do mourn over sin, there may now be more of a servile, forced quality to it — like an onion in the eye that makes you weep — rather than the genuine sorrow arising from love to God whom you have offended. This speaks of serious decay. The more such worldly arguments mix into your resistance to sin or your mourning over it, the greater the decline of grace. David's natural warmth was surely much diminished when so many blankets were piled on him and he still felt no heat — there was a time when he would have been warm with far less. I fear that in these declining times, many people's love for Christ will be found to have lost so much of its early vigor that what once would have stirred them into holy fury and burning zeal against sins such as Sabbath-breaking, pride in dress, and neglect of family duties now has trouble keeping any warmth at all.

Second, in the area of the duties of worship.

First, if your heart no longer prompts you with the same eagerness and readiness to seek communion with God in any duty. Perhaps you remember a time when your heart echoed back to the stirrings of God's Spirit saying, 'Seek His face' — and you answered, 'Your face, Lord, I will seek.' You once longed as much for the Sabbath or a time of preaching to arrive as the worldly person longs for it to be over. But now your pulse does not beat as quickly toward either public or private means of grace. Just as the body must decay when the appetite for food disappears, so grace declines when this spiritual hunger is lost. A hungry soul is a growing soul — like a child who will not let his mother rest but keeps crying for the breast.

Second, when you begin to neglect performing your duties in a truly spiritual manner, and stop attending to those inner failures that only you yourself can check. It is not the frequency of duty but the spiritual quality of it that produces growth. Neglect in this area quickly brings grace into a wasting condition. Perhaps, soul, there was a time when you were not satisfied with merely having prayed — you also watched your heart carefully, as a person counts every coin they pay to make sure none are counterfeit. You wanted God to receive not just the duty but the duty stamped with living faith, carrying the zeal and sincerity that make it acceptable. But now you have grown more careless and formal. O take care, poor soul — if you continue in this carelessness, your spiritual estate will melt away quickly. Such careless dealing will ruin your trade with heaven. God will not accept these thin, hollow duties from your hands.

Third, when a Christian draws little spiritual nourishment from communion with God compared to what he once did. Perhaps there was a time when you could point to what came of your praying, hearing, and fasting. But now the picture is different. Communion with God gives the soul two kinds of strength when it is in healthy condition: strength for faith, and strength for obedient living. Do you hear and pray and come away with no greater grip on a promise, no more power over your habitual sins, no deeper brokenness of heart under them? Do you come down from the mountain and break the tablets of God's law as soon as you step off the holy ground — back to your old passions, as unsteady as before? This is a sure sign of decay in the inward fire that, if it were in its right condition, would draw some nourishment from these very things.

Third, by your conduct in your worldly occupations.

First, when your worldly activities no longer leave you in the free and spiritual frame you once had for returning to God's presence. Perhaps you could once come from your work and household duties to your private prayer and find that they had kept you in a right spirit — perhaps even brought you to prayer in a better condition than before. But now it is different. You cannot shake them off — they cling to your spirit and give an earthly flavor to your praying and hearing. You have reason to mourn this. When health declines, people walk more stooped — and it is a sign of similar decay in you that you can no longer lift your heart from earthly to spiritual things as you once did. Earthly activities were meant to serve as guards against temptation. When they become snares instead, something is wrong with us. If we wake from sleep feeling worse, the body is not right — sleep's nature is to refresh. If exercise leaves us unfit for work, the problem is in our bodies. The same principle applies here.

Second, when your diligence in your particular calling has become more self-serving. Perhaps you once worked in your shop or applied yourself to your studies primarily out of obedience to God's command — your personal interests played little part. But now you trade more for yourself and less for God. Take careful notice of this.

Third, when you can no longer bear disappointment in your earthly work as you once could — when you work and gain little, or preach and are not much respected, and you do not know how to accept this. There was a time when you could withdraw into God and find in Him all you were lacking elsewhere. But now you are less content with your situation, your position, your circumstances. Your heart is reaching for more than God allows you. This is a sign of decline. Children are hard to please, and so are old men — whose natural decline makes them more irritable, in a sense becoming children again. Work therefore to recover your declining grace. As it grows, so will your strength to rest in whatever God's providence arranges for you.