Book 1, Chapter 11: Distress from a Man’s Own Sins

Of the fourth special distress, arising from a man's own sins.

The fourth distress of mind is that, which arises from a man's own sins, or rather, from some one special sin committed. And this kind of temptation is twofold: For either it is more violent, and less common; or less violent and more common.

Sect. 1.

The violent distress of mind, shows itself by fears and terrors of the conscience, by doubtings of the mercy of God, by lamentable and fearful complaints made to others.

Now question is moved, How this violent distress of mind, arising from our own sins, is to be cured? Answer: That it may be cured by the blessing of God, three things must be done.

First, that particular sin must be known, which is the cause of this violent distress. And here we are to know, by the way; that it is a usual thing, with the parties thus distressed, to dissemble and cloak their sins: and therefore they will allege, that their trouble arises from some evil thoughts, from wicked affections, and from the corruption of nature: whereas commonly men are not distressed, in violent manner, for evil thoughts, affections, &c. but the violent distress comes from some actual and odious sin or sins done, which wound the conscience, and are the causes of great distraction of mind: and they are many, which having been upon occasion before rehearsed, I will not now repeat them. Only this must be remembered, that the greater sins against the third, sixth, and seventh commandments, are the main and proper causes of violent distresses: and the more secret the sin is, in regard of the practice thereof, the greater horror of conscience it brings; and open offences do not give so deep a wound to it, as secret and hidden sins.

Secondly, the particular sin being known, inquiry must be made, as much as possibly may be, by signs, whether the party distressed repents, yes or no. For except he has repented, he cannot be fitted to receive comfort: and unless he be first fitted to receive comfort, he cannot be relieved in conscience. Now if it be found, that the party has repented, then care must be had in the next place, that his repentance may be renewed, for the particular sin committed.

Thirdly, having thus done, the comfort must be ministered, for the moderating, or taking away of the distress. And here remember by the way, that the comforts ministered, usually and ordinarily, must not go alone, but be mingled and tempered, with some terrors of the Law: that being thereby feared, with the consideration of sin, and of the wrath of God due to the same, the comfort may appear to be the sweeter. The ministering whereof, in case of this distress, would not be direct and present, but by certain steps and degrees: except only in the point of death: for then a directer course must be used. These degrees are two.

First, the party is to be informed of a possibility of pardon, that is, that his sins are pardonable, and though in themselves they be great, and heinous, yet by the mercy of God in Christ, they may be remitted. Now put the case, that the afflicted apprehends only the odiousness of his sins, and the wrath of God due to the same, and in this fit puts off the pardon from himself, and cannot be persuaded that his sin may be forgiven, what then is to be done? Answer: Then for the effecting of this first degree, certain grounds are to be laid down, whereupon assurance in that case may be built up in his heart.

The first ground of possibility of pardon is, That the mercy of God is infinite, yes over all his works (Psalm 145:9). That the death of Christ is of infinite price, merit, and value before God. That God is much in sparing (Isaiah 55:7). That with the Lord is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption (Psalm 130:7). That Christ's satisfaction is not only a price, but a counterprice (1 Timothy 2:6), able to satisfy for the sins of all men, yes for them that have sinned against the Holy Ghost. For that sin, is not therefore unpardonable, because the offence thereof is greater, than the merit of Christ; but because the party offending, neither does, nor can apply the merit of Christ to himself. An ancient father upon Cain's words, My punishment is greater than I can bear, says, You lie Cain, for God's mercy is greater than the sins of all men. The mercy of God was very great to Manasses, to Solomon, to Peter, and to many others, though they were great offenders.

The second ground. Men of years, living in the church of God, and knowing the doctrine of salvation, shall not be condemned simply for their sins, but for lying in their sins. Upon this ground, I say, that men distressed must be grieved, not so much for committing of sin, as for lying and continuing in sins committed.

A third ground. It pleases God many times to leave men to themselves, and to suffer them to commit some sin that wounds conscience. It is true and cannot be denied. But we must withal remember, that sins committed, do not utterly take away grace, but rather make it the more to shine and show itself. For God in mercy turns all things, even sin itself, to the good of them that be his: and therefore sin committed, cannot either waste, or extinguish grace received, but by divine dispensation, serves to amplify and enlarge the same; so as where sin abounds, there grace abounds much more (Romans 5:20). And the Lord said to Paul, being in great extremity (2 Corinthians 12:9), My grace is sufficient for you: for my power is made perfect through weakness. Hence it appears, that the grace of God is not utterly lost, but appears lively in the time of distress.

The fourth ground is this. The promises of God touching remission of sins, and life eternal, in respect of believers are general, and in regard of all and every man indefinite: that is, they do not define, or exclude any person, or any sinner, or any time; only they admit one exception, of final impenitency. Here a question may be moved, How long he that ministers comfort, must stand upon the possibility of pardon? I answer, until he has brought the party distressed, to some measure of true repentance: and this being done, then he is to proceed to the second degree of comfort.

The second degree of comfort is, to teach, that the sin, or sins of the party distressed, are indeed pardoned. But it may be asked, upon what signs may this comfort be applied? I answer, upon these two. First, if the party distressed confess, that he or she is heartily grieved, that by their sin or sins, they have offended so loving and so merciful a God. Secondly, if they profess, that they desire with all their heart, to be reconciled to God in Christ: and at least do desire to repent for their sins; and withal do carry in heart, a purpose to sin no more, but in all things, (as much as in them lies) to perform new obedience to God (Luke 15:11, etc.). Now for the better enforcing of this comfort, some texts of Scripture, fitting this purpose must be rehearsed, as for example, Matthew 9:12-13: I came not to call the righteous, that is to say, those that judge themselves righteous, but sinners, that is, those which are grieved, because in their own conscience, they are vile and heinous offenders, to repentance. Again, Matthew 11:28: Come to me all you that are weary, and heavy laden, and I will refresh you. And Christ says, it was the end of his coming to preach deliverance to the captives, and to set at liberty them that are bruised (Luke 4:18).

To conclude this point, there remains yet a further question to be resolved, and that is this. A man after repentance, for some grievous sin, falls into it again, and is distressed more than before: it is a cause somewhat grievous. For we know, that if a man be recovered of an ague, and through distemper in diet, or otherwise, makes a relapse into it again, his case is often desperate, and he hardly escapes with his life. In the same manner it is a dangerous case, if after repentance, men make a relapse into the same sin again. It may then be asked, how such persons may be recovered after a relapse?

I answer, though we find not any one particular example in scripture, of any one person, that was restored again after a relapse: yet nevertheless there is some comfort for such persons. Upon what grounds may some say? Men that have not so much as a drop of mercy, in comparison of God, must forgive their brethren often and many times, yes as our Savior Christ says to Peter, till seventy times seven times, if they return and say it repents them. Now God is infinite in all his attributes. He is much in sparing: with him is plenteous redemption: and therefore he will questionless, upon true repentance, often forgive and forget, even the same sin iterated again and again.

Now these persons are to be relieved in this sort. First they must have their consciences settled in this point, that their relapse is pardonable, though very dangerous. For proof hereof read Isaiah 2:18, where mention is made of divers apostates, that were by God called to repentance, with promise of pardon, if they turned to him. And in Luke 15, the prodigal child, (by whom I understand one, that after grace received, fell from his repentance and obedience to God) when he did but purpose in his heart to return again, was pardoned, and received into favor. In 2 Corinthians 5:20, Paul says to the Corinthians, that were fallen away, We pray you in Christ's stead that you be reconciled to God.

Secondly, being thus settled in conscience they must again repent them of their sins.

Thirdly and lastly, they are to be comforted, with the promise of remission of sins, after that some signs of renewed repentance for sins past, have been given.

Sect. 2.

The second kind of this temptation or trouble of mind, which is more common and less violent, befalls the children of God: and it is a grief of heart, more or less, whereby men are troubled, in respect of the want of grace in their hearts, and defects of obedience in their lives. Paul the dear servant of God, was possessed with this trouble of mind, as we may read (Romans 7:23). And indeed there is no child of God, but more or less, one time or other, he feels the stings of sin, and the buffetings of Satan, which cause grief in his heart. But this grief is a notable grace of God, and therefore they which want it, must labor to have it, and they which have it, must not seek to put it out, but to keep it in measure and order.

And the grounds of comfort, whereby the heart may be stayed in this sorrow, that it be not immoderate, may be these.

1. Ground. It is God's will, that the work of sanctification, or regeneration, should be imperfect in this life, and remain unfinished till death. This point needs no proof, it is manifest both in the word of God, and in daily experience. The reasons for which God will have it to be so, may be these.

First of all, God gives grace, according to the measure, and manner of our receiving of it, which in this life is imperfect. Some gifts of God in Christ, bestowed on his servants, as remission of sins by his death, and justification by his obedience, are not put into us, but are only applied and made ours by imputation. Some other gifts there be, which are infused and put into us, as namely, sanctification, regeneration, the love of God and man: and by one of these two means, to wit, either by imputation or infusion, are all the gifts of God in Christ made ours. Yet before we can have them, we must receive them: and the means whereby we receive them is faith, which God has ordained, to be the hand of our souls, to receive his benefits bestowed on us. Which faith because it is weak and imperfect, in this life, therefore the gifts which we receive thereby, are also imperfect. For though God's benefits be like a bottomless sea, yet the faith, whereby we lay hold of them, is like to a vessel with a narrow neck, which though it be cast into the great ocean, receives but a little water at once, and that by degrees, drop by drop, according to the wideness of the mouth. And hence it is, that though the gifts of God without us, which are ours by imputation, be perfect; yet all such graces as are put into us, are weak and imperfect.

Secondly, if any servant of God should be perfectly regenerate, and made absolutely holy in this life, then he should fulfill the moral law, and so become a Savior to himself, and by the tenor of the law have life, and so should not Christ be a Savior properly, but only an instrument to dispose us to the keeping of the law, whereby we might save ourselves. But there is one only all-sufficient Savior, Christ Jesus, and the beginning, the middle, and the accomplishment of our salvation is to be ascribed to him alone.

Thirdly, it is the will of God that his own children, with whom he is well pleased in Christ, should be brought to nothing in themselves, that they might be all in all out of themselves in Christ, being, as it were, emptied of self-love, and of all confidence in their own goodness. But if sanctification should be perfect at the first, then a man should not go out of himself, but would rather stay as he is, and rest contented in his own goodness. For this cause Paul, after his exaltation, was buffeted by Satan's temptations, that he might not be exalted out of measure (2 Corinthians 12:7), but should content himself with this, that he was in the love and favor of God in Christ.

The second ground is to consider what makes a man professing Christ accepted of God, and how much he himself must do for this end. The substance of all things to be done of us for this end, that we may become the children of God, may be reduced to three heads.

First of all, we must heartily bewail our sinful lives past, and seriously humble ourselves in regard of our own sins, both of heart and life; and if by occasion we fall into any sin, we must not lie therein, but by speedy repentance recover our former estate.

Secondly, in regard of the sinfulness of our hearts and lives in times past, we must rest ourselves on God's mercy alone, flying to the throne of mercy for the pardon of them all.

Thirdly, we must endeavor in the course of our lives afterward to perform obedience to God in all his commandments, that thereby we may show ourselves thankful to him for his mercy, and profit in our obedience.

For proof hereof, first consider the examples of this practice in God's children. All that David, that worthy servant of God, could do after his sins committed, to bring himself again into the favor of God whom he had offended, consisted of these very heads which have been named: repentance, confidence, and affiance in God's mercy, and performance of new obedience. And this his practice was verified, among many other places, specially in the 119th Psalm, and in all the Psalms commonly called penitential. Again, the Prophet Daniel was accepted of God only for the doing of these things (Daniel 9), and in like manner was Paul, and the rest of the Apostles (Romans 7:1; 1 Timothy 1:12). Again, for further proof, let it be considered what it is that makes a man to become a Christian and servant of God: not this, that he is pure from all sins and never slides or swerves from obedience to God; but because when he sins and falls, he is grieved with himself, and labors every day to mortify his corruptions, which are the matter of sin, in his heart and life; and suffers not sin to reign in his mortal body, but crucifies the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof.

Yet here remains a great difficulty. Many a good servant of God may, and does truly say of himself, I bewail my sins, and do in some sort rest on God's mercy, and withal I endeavor to perform new obedience; but alas! here is my grief, I cannot do these things as I would. In matter of sorrow and grief, I am troubled with hardness of heart; in occasions of boldness and confidence, with doubtings; in endeavor to obey, with many slips and sundry falls. For the staying and moderating of this grief, these rules may further be remembered.

The first rule. If there be in the mind a purpose not to sin, in the will a desire to please God, and in the whole man an endeavor to perform the purpose of the mind and the desire of the will, mark what follows upon this: God in mercy accepts the purpose and will to obey for obedience itself. Yes, though a man fail in the very act, and do not so well as he should, the Lord accepts the affection and endeavor for the thing done. Excellent is the saying of an ancient Father, God accepts that which is his, and forgives that which is yours: his is the grace whereby we are enabled to endeavor to obey in the want of obedience, and that he accepts; ours is the sin and weakness in performance of the duty which he requires, and that he does in mercy forgive. Herein appears the great goodness of God to us, and we can never be sufficiently thankful for the same. But yet, that we may not here delude our hearts with conceits and bless ourselves in vain, we must know that God does not always accept the will for the deed, unless there be a constant purpose in heart, a true desire in will, and some resolved endeavor suitable in the life (Malachi 3:17). God spares them that fear him, as a father spares his own child. How is that? Though the sick or weak child, being commanded some business, goes about it very unhandsomely, and so the deed be done to little or no purpose, yet the father accepts it as well done if he see the child yield to his commandment and do his endeavor to the uttermost of his power. Even so will God deal with those that be his children, though sick and weak in obedience.

For how will some say, can God accept a work of ours that is imperfect? Answer: So far forth as the obedience is done in truth, so far forth God accepts it, because it is his own work in us; and as it is ours, he pardons it to us, because we are in Christ.

A second Rule is laid down (Romans 7:19), where Paul says to this purpose, the good which I would do, I do not, and the evil which I would not, that do I. In these words, is set down the state of all regenerate men in this life: and the meaning is this. The good things which God has commanded, I do them, but not as I would, and the evil forbidden I avoid, but not as I would. This we shall see to be true by comparing the voices of three kinds of men together. The carnal man says, I do not that which is good, neither will I do it, and that which is evil I do, and I will do it. Contrariwise, the man glorified, he says, That which is good I do, and will do it, and that which is evil I do not, neither will I do it. The regenerate man, in a middle between them both, he says; The good things commanded I do, but not as I would; the evil things forbidden I avoid, but not as I would.

And this is the estate of the child of God in this life, who in this regard, is like to a diseased man, who loves his health, and therefore observes both diet and physic: and yet he often falls into his fit again, (though he be never so careful to observe the rules of the Physician) by reason of the distemperature of his body: and hereupon is fain to go to the Physician the second time for new counsel. In like manner, God's children, have indeed in their hearts, a care to please and obey God; but by reason of sin that dwells in them, they fail often, and so are fain to humble themselves again before him, by new repentance. Again, the servants of God are like to a man, by some sudden accident cast into the sea, who in striving to save himself from drowning, puts to all his strength, to swim to the shore, and being come almost to it, there meets him a wave or billow, which drives him clean back again, it may be a mile or further, and then the former hope and joy conceived of escape, is sore abated: yet he returns again, and still labors to come to the land, and never rests till he attain to it.

3. Ground. He that is indeed regenerate, has this privilege, that the corruption of nature, is no part of him, neither does it belong to his person, in respect of divine imputation. Paul says of himself (Romans 7:17), It is no more I, but sin that dwells in me. In which words, he distinguishes between his own person, and sin that is in him. For in man regenerate, there be three things, the body, the soul, and the gift of God's image restored again. Now touching the corruption of nature, that is in his person, and so may be said to be his; but it belongs not to the man regenerate, it is not his, because it is not imputed to him, and so indeed is, as though it were not in him. The Apostle (1 Thessalonians 5:23) prays for the Thessalonians, that God would sanctify them throughout, and preserve their whole spirit, soul, and body. Of which place (among many) this exposition may be given. The Apostle speaking of men regenerate, and sanctified, makes three parts in them: body, soul, and spirit: and by spirit, we are to understand, not the conscience, but the gift of regeneration, and sanctification, which is the whole man body and soul, opposed to the flesh, which in a natural man, is called the old man (Romans 7). And the prayer which Paul makes in the behalf of the Thessalonians, teaches us in effect thus much; that though corruption remain in the regenerate, after regeneration; yet in respect of divine acceptation, he is accounted as righteous, and so continues: his sin, (by the mercy of God in Christ) not being imputed to him to condemnation. And so much for that point.

Now these grounds of comfort, and others of the like nature, may serve to sustain and uphold the hearts of the children of God, when they shall be pressed and troubled, in consideration of their estate in this life, which cannot till death, be fully freed, from much weakness and manifold imperfections.