The Folly of Trusting ones heart

What is the reason that many go no further in the profession of religion, than to be almost Christians?

Reason 1. It is because they deceive themselves in the truth of their own condition; they mistake their state, and think it good and safe, when it is bad and dangerous. A man may look upon himself as a member of Christ, and yet God may look upon him as a vessel of wrath: as a child of God, by looking more upon his sins than his graces, more upon his failings than his faith, more upon indwelling lusts than renewing grace, may think his case very bad, when yet it is very good: "I am black," saith the spouse; and yet saith Christ, "O thou fairest among women!" [Song 1:5,8] So the sinner, by looking more upon his duties than his sins, may think he sees his name written in the book of life, and yet be in the account of God a very reprobate.

There is nothing more common than for a man to "think himself something when he is nothing;" and so he "deceives himself." [Gal 6:3] Many a man blesses himself in his interest in Christ, when he is indeed a stranger to him. Many a man thinks his sin pardoned, when, alas! "he is still in the gall of bitterness, and bond of iniquity." [Acts 8:23] Many a man thinks he hath grace, when he hath none: "There is," saith Solomon, "that makes himself rich, and yet hath nothing." [Prov 13:7] This was the very temper of Laodicea; "Thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not," (pray mind that,) "that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked." [Rev 3:17]

"Thou knowest not;" as bad as she was, she thought her state good; as poor as she was in grace, she thought she was rich; as miserable and naked as she was, yet she thought she had need of nothing.

Now there are several rises or grounds of this mistake. I will name five to you.

First, The desperate deceitfulness of the heart of every natural man. "The heart is deceitful above all things." [Jer 17:9] The Hebrew word is the same with Jacob’s name. Now you know he was a supplanter of his brother Esau: "He is rightly called Jacob," saith he, "for he hath supplanted me these two times." [Gen 27:36] So the word signifies, to be fraudulent, subtle, deceitful, and supplanting. Thus is the heart of every natural man, "deceitful above all things." [Jer 17:9]

You read of the deceitfulness of the tongue,

And of the deceitfulness of riches,

And of the deceitfulness of beauty,

And of the deceitfulness of friends;

But yet the heart is deceitful above them all. Nay, you read of the deceitfulness of Satan, yet truly a man’s heart is a greater deceiver than he; for he could never deceive a man, if his own heart did not deceive him. [Matthew Mead-The Almost Christian Discovered]

Natural Conscience Vs Renewed Conscience

Why, or whence is it, that many men go so far, as that they come to be almost Christians?

First, It may be to answer the call of conscience. Though few men have grace, yet all men have conscience. Now do but observe, and you shall see how far conscience may go in this work.

1. Conscience owns a God, and that this God must be worshipped and served by the
creature. Atheists in practice, we have many; such as the apostle speak of: "They profess to know God, but in works they deny him." [Titus 1:16] But atheists in judgment none can be. Tully, a heathen, could say, "Nulla gens tam barbara," etc. Now there being such a light in conscience, as to discover that there is a God, and that he must be worshipped by the help of further light—the light of the word: a man may be enabled to do much in the ways of God, and yet his heart [be] without a particle of grace.

2. Know this, that natural conscience is capable of great improvements from the means of grace. Sitting under the ordinances may exceedingly heighten the endowments of conscience. It may be much regulated, though it be not at all renewed: it may be enlightened, convinced, and yet never savingly converted and changed. You read in Heb 6:4, of some that were "once enlightened, and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost." What work shall we call this? It could not be a saving work, a true change and conversion of state: for, notwithstanding this enlightening, and tasting, and partaking, yet they are here said to fall away, Heb 6:6. Had it been a true work of grace, they could never have fallen away from that. A believer may fall, but he cannot fall away: he may fall foully, but he cannot fall finally; for, "underneath are the everlasting arms." [Deut 33:27] His faith is established in the strength of that prayer of Christ,that our faith fail not. Nay, he tells us expressly, that it is eternal life which he gives, from which we shall never perish.

This work, then, here spoken of, cannot be any saving work, because it is not an abiding work; for they that are under it, are said to fall away from it. But though it be not a saving grace, yet it is a supernatural work. It is an improvement made by the word upon the consciences of men, through the power of the Spirit; and therefore they are said to "taste the good word of God," and to be made "partakers of the Holy Ghost." [Heb 6:4] They have not the Spirit abiding in them savingly, but striving with them, and working upon them convincingly, to the awakening and setting conscience on work. And conscience, thus stirred, may carry a man very far in religion, and in the duties of the gospel, and yet be but a natural conscience.

A common work of the Spirit, may stead a man very much in the duties of religion, though it must be a special work of the Spirit that steads a man to salvation. A man may have the assisting presence of the Spirit, enabling him to preach and pray, and yet he may perish for want of the renewing presence of the Spirit, enabling him to believe. Judas had the former, and yet perished for want of the latter. He had the Spirit assisting him to cast out devils; but yet he had not the Spirit renewing him; for he was cast out himself. Thus a man may have an improved conscience, and yet be a stranger to a renewed conscience; and conscience, thus improved, may put a man very much upon duty. I pray God none of us mistake a conscience, thus improved by the word, for a conscience renewed by the Spirit. The mistake is very easy, especially when a line of duties is the fruit of it.[Matthew Mead-The Almost Christian Discovered]

Natural Conscience

If a natural conscience may go thus far, then what difference is there between this natural conscience in hypocrites and sinners, and a renewed conscience in believers? or, how may I know whether the working of my conscience be the working of nature only, or else of grace wrought in it?

Answer.—I grant that it is difficult to distinguish between the one and the other: and the difficulty hath a twofold rise.

1. It ariseth from that hypocrisy that is in the best saints. The weakest believer is no hypocrite, but yet there is some hypocrisy in the strongest believer. Where there is most grace, there is some sin; and where there is most sincerity, yet there is some hypocrisy.

Now it is very incident to a tender conscience to misgive and mistrust its state, upon the sight of any sin. When he sees hypocrisy break out in any duty or performance, then he complains "Surely my aims are not sincere! my conscience is not renewed! it is but natural conscience enlightened, not by grace purged and changed."[1]

It ariseth from that resemblance there is between grace and hypocrisy; for hypocrisy is a resemblance of grace, without substance; the likeness of grace, without the life of grace. There is no grace but a hypocrite may have somewhat like it; and there is no duty done by a Christian, but a hypocrite may outstrip him in it. Now, when one that hath not true grace shall go further than one that hath, this may well make the believer question whether his grace be true or not; or whether the workings of his conscience be not the workings of nature only, rather than of grace wrought in it.

But to answer the question—You may make a judgment of this in these seven particulars:—

1. If a natural man’s conscience putteth him upon duty, he doth usually bound himself in the work of God. His duties are limited; his obedience is a limited obedience. He doth one duty, and neglecteth another. He picketh and chooseth among the commands of God; obeyeth one, and slighteth another. Thus much is enough; what need any more? If I do thus and thus, I shall go to heaven at last. But now, where conscience is renewed by grace, there it is otherwise. Though there may be many weaknesses which accompany its duties, yet that soul never bounds itself in working after God: it never loves God so much, but still it would love him more; nor seeks him so much, but still it would seek him more; nor doth it serve God so well at any time, but it still makes conscience of serving him better. A renewed conscience is a spring of universal obedience, for it seeth an infinite excellency, and goodness, and holiness in God; and therefore would fain have its services rise up towards some proportionableness to the object. A God of infinite excellency and goodness should have infinite love, saith conscience: a holy God should have service from a holy heart, saith conscience.

Now then, if I set bounds to my love to God, or to my service to God; if I limit myself in my obedience to the holy God; love one command, and slight another; obey in one point, and yet lie cross in another; then is all I do but the workings of a natural conscience. But, on the other hand, if I love
the Lord with my whole heart, and whole soul, and serve him with all my might and strength; if "I esteem all God’s precepts concerning all things to be right," [Ps 119:128] "and have respect to all his commands;" [Ps 119:6] then is my love and service from a renewed conscience.

2. If a natural man’s conscience check or accuse for sin, then he seeketh to stop the mouth of it, but not to satisfy it. Most of the natural man’s duties are to still and stifle conscience. But now, the believer chooseth rather to let conscience cry, than to stop the mouth of it, until he can do it upon good terms, and till he can fetch in satisfaction to it from the blood of Jesus Christ, by fresh acts of faith apprehended and applied. The natural man seeketh to still the noise of conscience, rather than to remove the guilt. The believer seeketh the removal of guilt by the application of Christ’s blood; and then conscience is quiet of itself. As a foolish man, having a mote fallen into his eye, and making it water, wipeth away the water, and labours to keep it dry, but never searcheth his eye to get out the mote; but a wise man mindeth not so much the wiping, as the searching his eye; somewhat is got in, and that causeth the watering, and therefore the cause must be removed. Now then, if, when conscience accuseth for sin, I take up a life of duties, a form of godliness, to stop the mouth of conscience; and if hereupon conscience be still and quiet: then is this but a natural conscience; but if, when conscience checks, it
will not be satisfied with any thing but the blood of Christ, and therefore I use duties to bring me to Christ; and if I beg the sprinkling of his blood upon conscience, and labour not so much to stop the mouth of it, as to remove guilt from it; then this is a renewed conscience.

3. There is no natural man, let him go never so far, let him do never so much in the matters of religion, but still he has his Delilah, his bosom-lust. Judas went far, but he carried his covetousness along with him. Herod went far; he did many things under the force of John’s ministry; but yet there was one thing he did not; he did not put away his brother’s wife;—his Herodias lay in his bosom still. Nay, commonly all the natural man’s duties are to hide some sin; his profession is only made use of for a cover-shame. But now the renewed conscience hateth all sin, as David did: "I hate every false way." [Ps 119:104] He regardeth no iniquity in his heart: he useth duties, not to cover sin, but to help work down, and work out sin. Now, then, if I profess religion; if I make mention of the name of the Lord, and make my "boast of the law, and yet through breaking the law, dishonour God;" [Rom 2:23] if I live in the love of any sin, and make use of my profession to cover it, then I am a hypocrite, and my duties flow but from a natural conscience: but, on the other hand, if I "name the name of the Lord Jesus, and withal depart from iniquity;" [2 Tim 2:19] if I use duties, not to cover, but to discover and mortify sin; then am I upright before God, and my duties flow from a renewed conscience. [Matthew Mead--The Almost Christian Discovered]