Ignorance:
What are good thoughts concerning God?
Christian: Even, as I have said concerning ourselves, when
our thoughts of God do agree with what the word saith of him; and that is, when
we think of his being and attributes as the word hath taught, of which I cannot
now discourse at large. But to speak of him with reference to us: then have we
right thoughts of God when we think that he knows us better than we know
ourselves, and can see sin in us when and where we can see none in ourselves;
when we think he knows our inmost thoughts, and that our heart, with all its
depths, is always open unto his eyes; also when we think that all our
righteousness stinks in his nostrils, and that therefore he cannot abide to see
us stand before him in any confidence, even in all our best performances.
Ignorance: Do you think that I am such a fool as to think
that God can see no further than I; or that I would come to God in the best of
my performances?
Christian: Why, how dost thou think in this matter?
Ignorance: Why, to be short, I think I must believe in
Christ for justification.
Christian: How! think thou must believe in Christ, when thou
seest not thy need of him! Thou neither seest thy original nor actual
infirmities; but hast such an opinion of thyself, and of what thou doest, as
plainly renders thee to be one that did never see the necessity of Christ’s
personal righteousness to justify thee before God. How, then, dost thou say, I
believe in Christ?
Ignorance: I believe well enough, for all that.
Christian: How dost thou believe?
Ignorance: I believe that Christ died for sinners; and that
I shall be justified before God from the curse, through his gracious acceptance
of my obedience to his laws. Or thus, Christ makes my duties, that are
religious, acceptable to his Father by virtue of his merits, and so shall I be
justified.
Christian: Let me give an answer to this confession of thy
faith.
1. Thou believest with a fantastical faith; for this faith
is nowhere described in the word.
2. Thou believest with a false faith; because it taketh
justification from the personal righteousness of Christ, and applies it to thy
own.
3. This faith maketh not Christ a justifier of thy person,
but of thy actions; and of thy person for thy action’s sake, which is false.
4. Therefore this faith is deceitful, even such as will
leave thee under wrath in the day of God Almighty: for true justifying faith
puts the soul, as sensible of its lost condition by the law, upon flying for
refuge unto Christ’s righteousness; (which righteousness of his is not an act
of grace by which he maketh, for justification, thy obedience accepted with
God, but his personal obedience to the law, in doing and suffering for us what
that required at our hands;) this righteousness, I say, true faith accepteth;
under the skirt of which the soul being shrouded, and by it presented as
spotless before God, it is accepted, and acquitted from condemnation.
Ignorance: What! would you have us trust to what Christ in
his own person has done without us? This conceit would loosen the reins of our
lust, and tolerate us to live as we list: for what matter how we live, if we
may be justified by Christ’s personal righteousness from all, when we believe it?
Christian: Ignorance is thy name, and as thy name is, so art
thou: even this thy answer demonstrateth what I say. Ignorant thou art of what
justifying righteousness is, and as ignorant how to secure thy soul, through
the faith of it, from the heavy wrath of God. Yea, thou also art ignorant of
the true effects of saving faith in this righteousness of Christ, which is to
bow and win over the heart to God in Christ, to love his name, his word, ways,
and people, and not as thou ignorantly imaginest.
Hopeful: Ask him if ever he had Christ revealed to him from
heaven.
Ignorance: What! you are a man for revelations! I do
believe, that what both you and all the rest of you say about that matter, is
but the fruit of distracted brains.
Hopeful: Why, man, Christ is so hid in God from the natural
apprehensions of the flesh, that he cannot by any man be savingly known, unless
God the Father reveals him to him.
Ignorance: That is your faith, but not mine, yet mine, I
doubt not, is as good as yours, though I have not in my head so many whimsies
as you.
Christian: Give me leave to put in a word. You ought not so
slightly to speak of this matter: for this I will boldly affirm, even as my
good companion hath done, that no man can know Jesus Christ but by the
revelation of the Father: yea, and faith too, by which the soul layeth hold
upon Christ, (if it be right,) must be wrought by the exceeding greatness of
his mighty power, the working of which faith, I
perceive, poor Ignorance, thou art ignorant of. Be awakened, then, see thine
own wretchedness, and fly to the Lord Jesus; and by his righteousness, which is
the righteousness of God, (for he himself is God,) thou shalt be delivered from
condemnation.
Ignorance: You go so fast I cannot keep pace with you; do
you go on before: I must stay a while behind.
Then they said,
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“Well, Ignorance, wilt thou yet foolish be,
To slight good counsel, ten times given thee?
And if thou yet refuse it, thou shalt know,
Ere long, the evil of thy doing so.
Remember, man, in time: stoop, do not fear:
Good counsel, taken well, saves; therefore hear.
But if thou yet shalt slight it, thou wilt be
The loser, Ignorance, I’ll warrant thee.”
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