Spiritual Refining

How necessary and advantagious the Assurance of our being in the state of Grace is.

Examine your selves whether ye be in the faith, prove your own selves, &c.

THe Church of Corinth, though it was a Garden immediatly planted by the Apostles, yet quickly was filled with noisome weeds, whereupon the Apostle threatens it with severe Discipline, if they repent not; Ecclesiastical Discipline being in the Church, as the Sword is in the Commonwealth. The Corinthians distaste this severity, and question his Apostolical power and authority: Love to mens lusts, and a desire of security in them, rather then any solid Arguments, make men question the Jus Divinum of Christs institutions. The Apostle proveth his Calling by that spiritual success and powerfull efficacy which his Word had among them, and therefore instead of proving and examining him, he commands them to try their own selves. This very Argument may the faithfull Ministers of God in England use against many who now condemn their Calling.

In the words you have a Duty enjoyned. 2. The object matter of it, Which is illustrated from an absurd consequent, if this duty be neglected.

The Duty is set home in two emphatical words 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, Examine your selves, and 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, Prove your selves. The former word doth in the general signifie to take an experimental knowledge of any thing that is either uncertain, unknown or hidden. Hence that knowledge which we have by general arguments and abstracted reasons, cannot be called 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 an experimental knowledge. Now because, besides the bare knowledge, there may be also a good end or bad propounded in examination, therefore in an ill sense the word is applied to the devil and his instruments, and in a good sense to God, and here in the Text to our selves. It is further to be observed, that these words do imply that men are great strangers to themselves, and that so much self-love doth blinde them, that they know not themselves. Again, These words also imply that there are certain Marks and Signs, whereby a man may come certainly to know what he is, p. 2otherwise this command would be in vain. To the same purpose is the word also 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 implieth a severe and diligent inquisition into our selves, so as to have a full experience of what is in us; hence Rom. 5. 5. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 is used for experience.

p. 2In the next place you have the object matter, Whether ye be in the faith. He doth not here speak of Fides quae creditur, the Doctrine of faith; but the saving grace of faith, as appeareth by the other particular, Know ye not that Christ is in you? The Apostle saith, Ye in the faith, rather then faith in you, to shew the large extent of faith, that we are Subjects who do not contain it wholly; as he useth contrary phrases to be in sinne, and in the flesh rather then sinne, and flesh to be in us; so some observe that, Enter thou into thy Masters joy, not thy Masters joy into thee; though that seem to be a fancy, and the true meaning is, Enter into the place of thy Masters joy, for so 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 is used in Esther. The Popish Commentators to elude this place when brought by the Orthodox, to prove, That a man may be certain of true grace in him, do answer, That the Apostle speaks not here of the saving works of the Spirit, but the miraculous works; This is made an Argument that they were the Apostles of the true Messias, because of the miracles wrought among them. And Gal. 3. 5. the Apostle proveth the true Doctrine of Christ to be among them, because of miracles done to them; we may adde also Math. 11. 5. when Iohns Disciples come to know, Whether he were the true Christ, Jesus returneth this answer, The blinde receive their sight, the lame walk, &c. As if he should have said, These wonderfull works demonstrate me to be the Messias. Now though it should be granted, that this were part of the meaning, when the Apostle cals them to an experimental proof of his Apostleship among them, yet this cannot be all, because Christ is not said to dwell in us, according to the Scripture phrase, or to be in us by a meer miraculous faith only.

The consequent absurdity is in those words, Unlesse ye be reprobates. Piscator takes reprobates here as opposed to those that are predestinated; but I preferre Baza's judgement, who understands it of a corrupt and unsound minde, thus, They might easily discover the work of Christ to be in them, or among them, unlesse their understandings were in part depraved; for that he doth not suppose a totall unsoundnesse in them, appeareth by the Greek, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, where 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 doth mitigate the speech; therefore it is rendred by some, Unlesse in something you be unsound. That a reprobate minde is a corrupted minde, appeareth 2 Tim. 3. 8. Men of corrupt minde, reprobate concerning the faith, and Tit. 1. 16. Although we do not take reprobates here as opposed to predestinated, yet I see not why we may not well translate it Reprobates, not as taking it for such who are out of hope of salvation; but as the Scripture cals Reprobate silver, Jer. 6. 30. which hath no worth or fitnesse in it for trade. Though the Apostle writeth here to the whole Church, yet the duty is to be observed respectively by every believer; Neither is that true of Estius, who to avoid the orthodox Arguments for Assurance of grace, saith, It may be easilier known, Christ is in such a Church or Congregation, then in the heart of a particular believer: for the Text speaks not of Christs being in his Doctrine and Ordinances among them, which indeed is easily discerned; but of his spiritual inhabitation by sanctifying grace in them.