Warnings against misreading God's providences (James Durham)

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[Question Three.] But a third question arises here on occasion of the former; viz, whether believers in Christ need to be afraid of a deluded conscience? And whether they may not be persuaded, and that with a sort of delight and satisfaction, that they are right, when yet they are wrong? (The latter branch of the question necessarily supposes the former which needs not therefore to be particularly spoken to.) We answer with a distinction, that a believer may be mistaken and deluded in a particular, but cannot be deluded as to his gracious state; because, being indeed a believer, it is a most true and certain conclusion which he draws concerning his being in a gracious state. Though possibly as to some of the grounds whence he deduces it, he may be mistaken, or he may draw it from wrong grounds; yet I say, in some particulars he may be deluded as in taking such or such an error to be a truth; and so the first three grounds and rises of a deluded conscience which we formerly assigned, may agree to him. As, he may lay too much weight on carnal reason, and on common gifts, as some of the Galatians did, and the apostles themselves were in hazard to do; and therefore our Lord says to them (Luke 10:20), Rejoice not in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but that your names are written in heaven. He may also lay too much weight on sense or comfort; and the reason may be because, when God graciously condescends to give them now and then some proof that He loves them, they being in so far deserted, draw a conclusion quite cross to the design and end of that manifestation, as if He approved them in that particular wherein they are mistaken. For as a believer when he is right, may think himself to be wrong, because of the want of sense; so by the rule of contraries, he may think himself to be right, because he has much sense, when yet he may be wrong.

I shall, for further clearing, instance it in five or six cases. [Case One.] As when a believer has been in some tender frame, praying to God sincerely, and has gotten a hearing, and when some smiling providence meets him and invites him to side with such or such a thing, he is ready to think that God calls him to that thing. Or it may be the Christian after prayer, meets with a scripture that holds out that thing which he has been praying for; whence he rashly draws the conclusion that he will obtain it and is ready to think that therein he walks according to reason, if the thing looks rational-like to him, and suits the nature of his prayer. We may see something of this or very like it, in Samuel, if we compare the 15th and 16th chapters of the first book of Samuel together. In the end of 1 Samuel 15, he has very probably been praying when he mourned; and 1 Samuel 16:1, he is sent by God to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be king. And when he looks on Eliab (v. 6), he presently and somewhat rashly, yet very confidently, says, Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him. He having been praying, and the thing looking so rational and purpose-like, was persuaded that he was right; but the Lord reproves him, and says to him [v. 7], Look not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. How oft may a tryst of providence be mistaken?[1] “I was in prayer and such a word met me, and such a providence occurred to me, and did cast the balance.”

A second case is when a thing represents itself to the believer, not only as lawful and honest, but as conducing much to God’s glory, and to the good of His work, and he means well in it, how ready is he hence to conclude, that he is certainly called to such a thing and that it is his duty, when yet it is not so? We may see something of this in David (2 Sam. 7:1–4), who having a purpose to build a house to God, proposes the matter to Nathan the prophet, who without consulting God, off-hand says to him, Go, do all that is in thine heart, for the Lord is with thee. And yet, notwithstanding, though God loved the thing, and approved of it in itself as a duty; yet it was not God’s mind that David should perform it, nor that Nathan should have so positively encouraged him to it. Hence, when a thing considered in itself is pleasing to God, and may be for His honour, some good people may think it to be their duty, whom yet God never called to such a thing. As for instance, to aim to be a minister of the gospel is a good thing in itself, and one may have a sort of impulse to it, who yet may not be called to it.

A third case is when believers’ inclinations and affections are exceeding much towards such or such a thing, very readily therefrom they will come to have a sort of persuasion in their conscience anent [about] that thing. As for instance, when they love one sort of life beyond another, which is not simply unlawful, or one child beyond another, as we may see in Isaac, his strong inclination to bless Esau (Gen. 27). We conceive the good man went not against the light of his own conscience in the matter, but he loved him excessively, which made him take the less heed to what otherwise God’s promise and way of dealing with his sons might have taught him. Even when he is about to die (when men use to be [commonly are] most single [sincere; free of deceit]) he is by his excess of affection, carried on that same way, though doubtless not intending to cross God’s purpose anent Jacob. And if I might instance it (without being mistaken by any) in this particular, which does not seldom come to pass, when two parties are making choice each of other for marriage, they may not only think, but some may be persuaded, that they are called to marry such an individual person, because inclination and affection sets them on, when yet there may be no such call of God; and so it may be in reference to other things.

A fourth case is when believers think that God’s interest and their own interest go jointly together in such and such a thing or practice; though their own interest sways more with them than God’s interest, yet they will be ready to allege that they care not so much what becomes of their own interest, but they cannot endure nor admit such or such a prejudice should come to God’s interest. Something whereof we may see in Jonah, to whom the Lord says (Jonah 4:4; 9), Doest thou well to be angry? I do well (says Jonah) to be angry to death; and he would do nothing but die. And even in that evil frame of spirit he adventures to pray to God that he would take away his life; for all which passion and precipitation he alleges a regard to the great concern of God’s glory, as if by that dispensation His truth and faithfulness would be reflected on, while yet in the mean time, respect to his own reputation that he thought would run a considerable risk and hazard, had thereby for the time a prevalent influence on him. And the great impatiency for the withering of his gourd, says plainly that his own interest lay there; and his being so very cankered and impatient on so small an occasion, and where so inconsiderable an interest of his own was touched, might have downright told him that he had need to suspect his impatiency in a greater matter. Thus it was manifestly with godly Baruch (Jer. 45:5), where regard to his own interest had too great a stroke on his fainting and sighing, for which he is sharply checked— Seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not—though no doubt he wanted [lacked] not respect to the public interest that was now going to ruin in all appearance.

A fifth case is when believers seem to have, or indeed have greater manifestations of God than ordinary, whereby, while it may be He is only approving and encouraging them as to the main, they are then in hazard to conclude that he is approving them in some particular thing that was never in His mind. As we may see in Peter, who [in] Matthew 17:4 at the transfiguration, being trysted [met][2] with a glorious manifestation, draws this conclusion: It is good to be here, let us build three tabernacles. It might have been thought that he would not have mistaken and gone wrong then, by any time, and yet even then he does so. There is a very common ground of mistake amongst believers, who if they win at liberty in prayer about such or such a thing, and get as they think, God’s countenance in the duty, they are then very ready to conclude that God certainly approves of the thing, when yet it may be otherwise. But suppose it be that you are indeed countenanced in your duty; yea, though you were upon the mount with Christ, it will not prove that God allows the thing, though He thus manifests His respect to yourself. The reason is that which is said of Peter. This he spoke, not knowing what he said.

A sixth case is when believers’ impulse of conscience proceeds from zeal without light or when their light is not proportional to their zeal. For as there may be in hypocrites light without zeal (which light does not readily keep them from miscarrying), so when the judgment of a believer is misinformed, and zeal drives him without light, he then very readily miscarries; as we may see [in] Acts 21:20. James says to Paul, Thou seest brother, how many thousands of Jews there are that believe, and they are all zealous of the law, etc. Their zeal was such for the ceremonial law of Moses, that neither Paul nor any of the other apostles could get them taken off; and Paul was forced to stoop to them in many things, when it might in reason have been thought that they should rather have ceded to the apostle. Thus believers when not well informed, but having an honest zeal for God, are like a ship that has more sail than ballast, and so cannot well bear up into the wind, nor steer a straight and steady course; and from this honest zeal of theirs, they may err and go wrong, yea even be displeased with others that will not go along with them in their error. As all these are incident to believers, so they would watchfully take heed that in these and other such cases they give not credit to, nor lay weight upon all that their conscience says.


From James Durham, Heaven upon Earth, In the Serene Tranquillity and Calm Composure; in the Sweet Peace and solid Joy of a Good Conscience; Sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus; and Exercised Always to be Void of Offense Toward God and Toward Men. Brought Down and Held Forth in Twenty-two very Search Sermons on Several Texts of Scripture to that Purpose. Wherein many weighty and momentous cases of conscience, greatly influencing a tender Christian walk, are soberly, solidly, succinctly and satisfyingly discussed; several of which are not readily to be met with in the writings of other divines on this subject. By that learned, and eminently conscientious minister of the gospel, Mr. James Durham. Sometime preacher thereof at Glasgow. Working text for collected sermons of James Durham, Naphtali Press, forthcoming 2016?.

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[1] “To concur with; used metaph. as to circumstances or events” (Jamieson). “That strange concurrence and tryst of providence which useth to appear when God is against a people...” (Robert Fleming, The Fulfilling of the Scriptures, in three parts, 2 vols.{Glasgow: Stephen Young} 1.221).
[2] Tryst. Appointment to meet (Jamieson). “5. A concurrence of circumstances or events; 6. A trial, an affliction.”
 
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