CASE V.

How far may a Perfon judge of the Strength or Weakness. of his Faith by the Brightness or Darkness of his Frames?

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HE Growth of Grace in the Heart of a true Believer is a very myfterious Thing; and there is fcarcely any Particular whereby Chriftians in general are more puzzled, and wherein they are more frequently mistaken, than in judging of the Strength or Weakness of their Graces. 'Tis very common for those to judge themselves declining in fpiritual Experience, who are really growing apace in the Divine Life; and for those to esteem themfelves improving, who are in Reality decaying and withering. I cannot but apprehend that the Foundation of these Mistakes lies in their not properly diftinguishing between Faith and Frames. We are apt to judge of the former by the latter; accounting our Faith and other Graces to be ftrong, when our Frames are comfortable and lively; and thinking that Faith muft certainly be weak, when these our Frames are dark and diftreffing. But, were this Rule juft and valid, there would be no Manner of Difficulty in meafuring the Degree of Grace in us; because no Believer can be at a Lofs to know whether he is in a comfortable or uncomfortable Frame. But that this is an improper Standard to meafure the Degrees of Grace by, is very evident; because nothing is more variable than our Frames, as they are continually waxing and waning alternately.

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alternately. In this Respect we are scarce a Day at a Stand; yea, an Hour often makes a great Alteration herein: Whereas it cannot be fupposed that Grace itself is fo very changeable; for the Path of the Fuft is as the fhining Light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect Day, Prov. iv. 18.

This Cafe is taken under Confideration in Confequence of two diftin&t Letters tranfmitted to me; the one regarding comfortable Frames, and the other uncomfortable ones. These two Letters contain feveral expérimental Queries and Difficulties, all of which center in, and may be folved by a proper Answer to the fingle Question above-specified. The Letters themfelves you will find hereafter inferted in their proper Places, where a diftinct Answer is given to them.

Be pleased therefore to attend seriously to the following Obfervations relating to Faith and Frames.

1. Aftrong Faith tends to produce and promote a bright and comfortable Frame. This must be granted, from the Nature of faving Faith, and from the expreís Declarations of the Divine Word. Nothing tends more to take away our Doubts, to clear up our Evidences, and to comfort our Hearts, than the ftrong and lively Exercifes of a living Faith in the Lord Jefus, as a free and complete Saviour. Faith is often set in Opposition to diftreffing Fears. I will truft, fays the Church, and not be afraid, Ifai. xii. 2. We read likewife of the Joy of Faith, and the Affurance of Faith; of being filled with all Joy and Peace in believing, and of rejoicing by Faith in Christ with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory. These Scripture-Phrases fufficiently testify, that there is no better Way of having our Evidences clear, and our Comforts strong, than by exercifing our Faith, Truft, and Dependence upon a free and glorious Saviour. If then we would be truly

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comfortable, let us defire and endeavour to live by Faith on Chrift, and aim at direct Acts of Recumbency upon him; for the more we can, by the realizing and appropriating Acts of Faith, fee of the Freenefs and Fulness of Divine Grace in Chrift, the more Experience we fhall have of evangelical Supports and Confolations. On the contrary, we muft obferve, that

2. The Weakness of Faith tends to promote and produce dark and uncomfortable Frames. For fince Fear and Faith are fet in direct Oppofition to each other, therefore, as Faith declines, fo in Proportion Fears prevail. The declining of Faith in its Strength and Activity gives Way for our Corruptions to work, for Temptations to affault and overpower us, for diftreffing Fears to arise; and then the Light of God's Countenance withdraws, and our Evidences for Heaven are darkened and clouded. As foon as ever we begin to distrust the Power of Chrift, the Faithfulness of the Promifes, or the abfolute Freeness of Grace, we are finking. Thus Peter, when walking upon the Water at Chrift's Command and in Christ's Strength, is upheld, as if walking upon firm Ground, fo long as his Faith in Chrift's Power and Kindness is maintained: But no fooner does he attend to the Boisteroufnefs of the Wind, and withdraw his Dependence from Chrift, but he begins to fink; his Heart to fink within him, and his Body to fink in the Waves. And mark what a tender and inftructive Rebuke Chrift gives him upon that Occafion, Matt. xiv. 31. O thou of little Faith, wherefore dift thou doubt? Much Doubting argues little Faith. Nothing can be more prejudicial both to our Comfort and Holiness, than to fufpect the almighty Power and free Grace of Christ.

These two Obfervations being made and proved, fome may be ready to imagine, it neceffarily follows,

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that we are to judge of the Strength or Weakness of our Faith, in all Cafes, by the Brightness or Darkness of our Frames. And the Conclufion would be just, were it not for the two following Obfervations. For, notwithstanding all that has been said and allowed, yet, 3. A Believer may be in a dark, uncomfortable Frame and yet be strong in Faith; and that not only in the Grace of Faith, but in its Exercife too. I acknowledge, that this at first View may seem myfterious, and contradictory to what has been declared. And it is this one Thing which perplexes and ftumbles our Friend, who wrote one of the Letters, when he afks, Are not "Light and Peace the peculiar Privileges and Effects "of Faith?" This Confideration, my Friend, is per plexing not to you only, but to many others. Let me therefore attempt to fhew you, in a plain and evident Manner, how this Cafe really ftands. Are Light and Peace the peculiar Effects of Faith? I answer, yes; but not in such a Way as fuppofes that all our Distress and Darkness must arise from the Want or Weakness of Faith. A few fcriptural Inftances will make this appear abundantly evident. What think you of the Condition of the Church, as expreffed in Micah vii. 8. The Church was at that Time in great Darkness, and under heavy Complaints, and yet was ftrong, very strong, in Faith; as appears by the Language there ufed. Rejoice not against me, O mine Enemy! When I fall, I shall arife; when I fit in Darkness, the LORD fhall be a Light unto me. Again, Was not Job in a very dark Frame, and under great Agony of Spirit, when he fays, Though he flay me, yet will I trust in him? Job xiii. 15.

And what fhall we fay concerning the poor Woman of Canaan, mentioned Matt. xv. 21 28. who renewed her Petition, and would not be driven away by

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the feeming Repulfes fhe met with from the Lord Je fus? Was not her Agony great, her Soul in deep Di-. ftrefs, when fhe heard our Lord fay, It is not meet to take the Children's Bread, and caft it to the Dogs? But it is indubitably clear that her Faith was real; yea, that it was very strong, vehement, and skilful in its Exercife, under this Distress, when she replied, Truth, Lord; yet the Dogs eat of the Crumbs that fall from their Mafter's Table. Such Inftances, which I have here adduced, are frequently brought as Proofs of real Faith, though attended with Weaknefs, Doubts, and Fears. But in Reality thefe are Specimens of Faith in its strongest Ef-' forts and Acts.

You may therefore well afk, how can these Things be? If the Strength of Faith tends to a bright Frame, and the Weakness of Faith to a dark Frame, how is it poffible that Faith fhould be fo lively and strong, and yet the Experience of the Soul fo diftreffed and complaining? I fhall endeavour to explain this Paradox by a familiar Simile. Compare fpiritual Things with natural; and let the Strength of Faith be reprefented by bodily Strength. A Perfon may be very ftrong in his Body, yea, and exercife that Strength to the utmost, when under a very heavy Burden, and not be fo easy or comfortable in himself, as one who has not half his Strength, and has no Burden, or but a light one, to carry. We are not to judge a Perfon to be weak, merely because he faints, and pants, and labours; nor to judge a Person to be strong, merely because he seems lively and active. We must take in the Burdens a Perfon has to bear, or the Difficulties he has to encounter. with, in order to pass a right Judgment upon his Ability. Now apply this to the Cafe fimilar to it in fpiritual Affairs, If a Perfon ftrong in Faith is tried,

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