An Answer to the Query and Letter, inserted in the Spiritual Magazine, No. 45 (1762)

Rev. and dear Sir,

         As you gave your friend leave, to whom you wrote, “to transmit what was written in your query and letter, to the Authors of the Spiritual Magazine, to desire the sentiments of two or three of them that are spiritual, concerning such a person, as described therein, and what they have to propose to his consideration.” Permit me, though the least and last in your Father’s house, to attempt somewhat by way of answer to your desire. And first, I begin with the Query, viz.

         What advice can be given to a person that is grievously distressed with fears, doubts, and unbelief? – to this I reply:

         My advice is this: That such a person should instantly attempt his duty, to believe on Christ afresh, just as he did at first. When he cannot come to Christ as a believer, let him come, as being in himself, an every way helpless and miserable sinner; and let him do this instantly and repeatedly, as soon, and as often, as he is attacked with fear from his felt and future-dreaded misery. Nothing like a fresh act of faith, to baffle Satan’s temptation, and the suggestions of his own unbelieving heart, that he is yet in a state of unbelief. If the grand enemy of souls can but get believers to reason the point with him, whether they have believed, or not, from past experiences in a time of vailed evidences, or from present experience, at a time of suspended influence: He knows he shall lead them at once into an endless maze of sore perplexity, to God’s dishonour, and to the wounding of their souls exceedingly. Let such a person then attend the Saviour’s voice, “look unto me, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” Here such a person may see that the words divide themselves naturally into two branches, the first respects duty, looking, the second privilege, salvation. And the commad is given to sinners, at the greatest apprehended distance from God, by sin, at the very ends of the earth. Let such a person then, as a sin-wounded soul, an apprehended law-condemned sinner, a Satan-accused, and a conscience condemned sinner too, instantly cast up his eye to that great Saviour who is exalted on high, to save to the uttermost every poor soul that looks unto him for the whole of his salvation. For as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so once was the Son of Man lifted up on the cross; and now is the Son of Man, as the great ordinance of God, for a sinner’s salvation, lifted up to his Father’s throne, and in the glorious gospel, to be looked unto by a perishing sinner for his eternal life, as the stung Israelite was to look for healing, by God’s appointment, to the brazen serpent; and having looked, let such a person instantly attempt his further duty, to believe that he shall be saved in looking. Let him credit the word of truth, the royal grant of the Prince of grace, from his high throne of his everlasting salvation, in his looking unto him: for lo, he says, unto all, and unto every one of them, “Be ye saved.” The word is gone out of his mouth in faithfulness, in immutable, omnipotent grace, and he will not, cannot, reverse it: He is God and cannot lie nor repent. Once hath he spoken, and it stands fast for ever. His unchanging word, of all—producing grace and glory, [91] stands engaged for that soul’s salvation eternally. And thus, he himself, who is the faithful and true witness, tells us, that the inseparable consequent of his being looked unto, as lifted up, is salvation; “that whosever believeth in him (i.e. looks unto him to answer the type) should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Now let such a person consider, whether this solemn declaration, for the great Saviour, is not worthy to be credited by him, instantly, and constantly for God’s glory, and his own joy? Whoever, or whatever, from within, or without him, says to the contrary can he doubt it, if it is but for one moment, without grievous sin, without making the God of truth a liar? he must, even in this, either “set to his seal, that God is true,” or give his truth the lie! Again, let such a person observe, that his looking unto Christ for salvation, in obedience to the divine command, is faith’s first and direct act, unto which the promise of life, in the sacred word, is annexed. And his persuasion of salvation is an after and reflex act of faith, that is, and ought to be, founded upon the promise given to him, as a believer in Jesus; the former respects his eternal security, the latter God’s glory and his more abundant joy. If he has now put forth the direct act, he is, and ever shall be, in God’s account, and according to his written word, a true believer; and tho’ he may not at present make conscience of the reflex act, or may be obstructed in the exercise of it, by Satan and unbelief, this makes no alteration in his state as a believer, but only robs God of that glory which he ought to give to his Saviour, and himself of that joy which is his soul’s desire, in a full persuasion of God’s everlasting favour. Having been so prolix in my answer to the query, I need say the less to the letter, but

         Dear Sir, Take a few hints, and you tell us, “That you still dread yourself to be an unbeliever.” As to this, if I understand you right, you take believing in Christ, through the main of your letter, to be a believing your interest, in the Saviour, unto joy in his infinite favour. This is answered above, as being that which do not constitute your state, as a believer; it is the direct act of faith, in looking, coming, fleeing, &c. unto the Saviour, that puts a specific difference between you, and all the unbelievers in the world. Indeed, Sir, in this closing part of your sentence, you preface it with your being tempted to doubt of those several articles of faith: You do well, when thus assaulted, to endeavour to conclude that they are darts from Satan; but as to their “not being the disposition of your mind,” you must distinguish between your new and your old mind. Darts from Satan, they are most certainly, to wound your new mind, and to excite in your old, its native infidelity. For in you, though a believer, there dwells and works unbelief; and Satan’s temptations, to disbelieve the doctrines of faith, as well as our acts of faith, may more or less draw out the forces of our unbelief with respect to both. And what Satan suggests, is the disposition of your own mind, so far as it is unbelieving; but this remaining unbelief, ought not in any wise to make you doubt of your having the grace of faith in your heart; for if you had not faith in those doctrines, your temptations to doubt them would be to you no affliction. It is your new mind, or your soul, so to as renewed by grace, and blest with the grace of faith, that is grieved and distressed with [92] temptations to, and the workings of, unbelief. Again, Sir, you say, “I cannot view Jesus Christ in that lovliness [sic], excellency, and preheminence, as I find him set forth in the word of truth. I cannot find sufficient ability in my soul to believe in him, wholly, entirely, and unfeignedly, and how can I believe in him without a right view of him?” Let me ask you, have there been no moments in which you have viewed Christ, in that lovliness, excellency, and preheminence, in which he is set forth in the word of truth? If you have ever seen his glory, when presented to your eye of faith by the Holy Ghost in the word of truth, how did you esteem of him then? Did he not then appear, in your view, to be transcendently excellent! a Saviour none like unto him! if he did, this was faith, in your understanding, discerning, or seeing of the Son; and how did this work upon your will? Did not your will bow to, and choose the Saviour beheld as, and to be, your Saviour? If it did, this was faith in your will; and hence did not your affections go out after him? Was not he, altogether lovely, or all desires, unto you? If so, this was faith in your affections, or that faith which worketh by love, to its all-surpassing, and altogether lovely object! And have there been no moments, in which the blood of Christ, in its sin-cleansing, and pardon, and peace-procuring efficacy, has appeared sufficient to your conscience? In which his righteousness, as your desired justifying dress, has appeared all-glorious? In which his fulness of sanctifying grace, unto an increasing, and perfect meetness for eternal glory, appeared to you, most precious and soul-satisfactory: If there have, this was faith in your conscience; and so you have been blest with a spiritual, a supernatural ability, to believe in Christ wholly, in a whole Christ, with all the powers of your soul, so far as they are renewed. And whether you refer this faith, to its direct, or reflex act, it is true with respect to both, so far as they are put forth, you believe wholly in a whole Christ, with all the powers of your soul, so far as they are sanctified initially; and yet, with regard to the unrenewed, unsanctified part which still remains in your every faculty; you may be said as truly not to believe in Christ wholly, i.e. with all the powers of your soul, as entire faculties; as darkness in your understanding, rebellion in your will, earthliness in your affection, and legality in your conscience still remain; but your regenerate part, being your leading principle of action, your acts of faith therein, are in every power of your soul therefrom, on and in Christ; from hence you are denominated, a believer in him, and however unbelief, in your unregenerate part, may be permitted to work, this doth not in the least injure that your state. You add, Sir, “Sometimes I can set him forth to others, in the words and light of scripture; and upon certain times, I myself am much delighted with the work; but when I retire into myself, and consider the barrenness of my soul, my strangeness to, and alienation from God, Jesus Christ, &c. I conclude that my good frame and delight in preaching proceed from the agreeable frame of the people, rather than from any good wrought in me.” To this I reply: That your retiring into yourself, to consider your own barrenness, &c. is from the weakness of your faith in its reflex act whch ought to be strong in, and towards the promise, given you in Christ upon your first [93] direct act. “Abraham considered not his own body being dead, nor yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb; he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, believing that what he had promised he was able also to perform.” And it is an excellency in Abraham’s children, Abraham-like, to be strong in faith, to consider the promise, and God’s power and faithfulness, and not their own barrenness. As to your conclusion, Sir, “That your delight in preaching Christ, proceeed rather from the agreeable frame of the people in hearing,” I think is ill-founded. As you afterwards say, “At times, when I join with the saints in divine worship, I am pretty confident of an interest in Christ.” Now, Sir, as I take it, this your confidence of interest in Christ, while preaching him to others, is the ground of your supreme delight in the work; though from the agreeable frame of the people in hearing, you may have a lower additional pleasure in your being an instrument to exalt your beloved before others, and thereby to win them unto faith in Jesus, and to build up those who have believed thro’ grace on their most holy faith; and your faith of interest in Christ, which gives you a supreme delight in the work, is a pregnant proof, that God has wrought in you faith’s good and saving work. Once more, and I must have done, as for want of room I cannot go through with an answer to your letter, and you say, Sir, God will endue me with a measure of light in his word, and give me some delight in the ministration thereof, for the benefit of his people, yet not for any love or regard he has to my person; as a person is favourable to a nurse, while nursing his children, but when her work is done, he turns her off, as one that is not of his family.” This, Sir, is a temptation, and an affliction that is common to you, with others of your ministering brethren. The grand enemy though he cannot destroy the Lord’s servants eternally, by this he strives to destroy their joy in his service temporally; he well knows that what the Lord’s servants love supremely, which is himself, and his special favour eternally, they cannot bear a thought that they must part with these without pain of extremity. No, dear Sir, God has adopted you as a believer into his family, and from his love to your person, he calls you to be a servant to some of your dear brethren; and having put you among the children of his infinite favour, you shall abide in his family for ever, and possess, with the rest, his great Self as your vast and eternal Inheritance! I must trespass on my room, and your patience, in giving you a hint as to this: “If you believe the Saviour’s ability, and doubt his will, to save you eternally,” come and try, come in all your discerned pollution, and misery, and fall down before him and say, “Lord, if thou wilt thou canst make me clean; and Jesus, moved with compassion, will say, I will, be thou clean.” That the God of peace may bruise Satan under your feet shortly, so prays, Rev. Sir,

                                             Yours, &c.

A.    D.

Dutton's letter was in response to the letter below by "J. T.," who has not been identified:

To the Editors of the Spiritual Magazine.  

Gentlemen,

         If the following Query and Letter are inserted soon in your periodical work, it will oblige,

                     Your constant Reader,

                                             J. T.

Query. What advice can be given to a person that is grievously distressed with fear, doubts, and unbelief?

         In perusing the subsequent letter, the query maybe more fully understood. The original was wrote very lately by a particular acquaintance of mine, who is very useful and successful in the ministry. After he had finished the substance of what is here inserted, he adds, “If you think proper, you may transmit this to the Authors of the Spiritual Magazine, to desire the sentiments of two or three of those that are spiritual, concerning such a person, and what they have to propose to his consideration. Perhaps it may not be unprofitable to others, and even to some that are engaged in the sacred function. If the Lord graciously condescend to guide and instruct those who may give their thoughts, it may rouse the careless, and be a support to the weak; nay, who knows but it may be blessed to me?” Now the case being so interesting, and thus explained, it is to be hoped, that your serious correspondents who are not ignorant of Satan’s devices, will give proof of their readiness to assist their fellow soldiers; and, to the utmost of their power, be helpers of their joy.

[What follows is a letter inserted by J. T. from a dissenting minister who wrote to him over his concerns that his relationship with Christ was not genuine and thus leaving him burdened with constant thoughts of unbelief.]

Dear Friend,

         As you desired, in your last, to know the particulars of my unbelief, of which I had complained in my preceding letter; you will find my compliance, with your request, in the following lines.

         My unbelief consists chiefly in these things, viz. I am in some doubt, now and then, concerning the Being of God, his nature, attributes, and person: – concerning Jesus Christ, his excellency and mediatorial capacity, or qualifications: – concerning the Holy Ghost, regarding his immediate energy and operation on man: – concerning the resurrection of [the] dead, the general judgement, and the certainty, that all persons that ever hath been, are, or shall be, will exist in either of two places or states. But my doubts, about these articles are not so abiding as they be regarding the particulars hereafter mentioned; yet even these do grieve and distress my soul, more than a little, and I fear they be the cause of the hardness of my heart; especially when they attack me in prayer, meditation, &c. though when assaulted in my addresses to God, I know they have caused me to pray more earnestly, at some season; then I would endeavour to conclude they were darts from Satan, and not the disposition of my mind: yet still dreading myself to be an unbeliever.

         But the most settled and general part of my unbelief may appear by the following hints, viz. I cannot view Jesus Christ in that loveliness, excellency, and preheminence, as I find him set forth in the word of truth. I cannot find sufficient ability in my soul to believe in him, wholly, entirely, and unfeignedly; and how can I believe in him, without a right view of him? Sometimes I can set him forth to others, in the words and light of scripture, so that I believe many of the children of God have their very souls nourished and fed by what I say: and upon certain [46] times I myself am much delighted in, and with the work; but when I retire into myself, and consider the barrenness of my soul, my strangeness to, and alienation from God, Jesus Christ, &c. I conclude that my good frame and my delight in preaching, proceed from the agreeable frame of the people, rather than from any good wrought in me; that God will endue me with a measure of light in his word, and grant me some delight in the ministration thereof, for the benefit of his people, yet not for any love or regard he has to my person, but that my soul is rejected of him; as a person that is favourable and kind to a nurse, while nursing his children, only for their sake; that thereby she might be a more willing and better qualified nurse; but when her work is done, he turns her off, as one that is not of his family, but only for a time, and for a purpose just mentioned; then it will appear to all that she never was really of his family. Again, Though I set forth Christ to others, yet I question whether Christ be in me and I in him. A person cannnot experience true joy except he believes; and because I cannot rejoice at the very thoughts of grace, death, the resurrection, and the like, I am afraid I do not truly and sincerely believe. Believers are exhorted to rejoice always; but I cannot rejoice when I ponder upon the most important concerns of my soul; therefore I fear I am not a believer. Alas! I am not able to look steadily upon Christ as my Saviour. At times, when I join with the Saints in divine worship, I am pretty confident of an interest in Christ, but when I retire, I conclude that that proceeds only from a kind of a heavenly gale upon them; or else upon myself, merely to capacitate me for more use and service among them. I conceive that my heart is not in the least renewed, but in the sense of scripture is still a stone – I do not question God’s everlasting love to his people as much as I do his love to Me. What will it avail me to know that God is unchangeable, and that his unchangeableness is a strong hold to his people under all their instabilities and vicissitudes, when at the same time I cannot conclude that he hath loved Me? Are there not some whom he never loved? I fear I am one of those. If he has not loved me, all the things in heaven and on earth; nay, his infinite power cannot prevail with him to love me, seeing he is unchangeable in his nature. – I don’t question the ability and capacity of Jesus Christ, to save to the uttermost, even the vilest and chief of sinners, so much as I question whether he will save Me: not because he cannot, regarding his capacity, but because he will not: not because my sins, though so great and numerous, are more than he can take away; but I fear lest he should leave me to die in them. One sin is enough to condemn, except there be an interest in Christ. – I do not so much call in question, perseverance in grace, as I do the beginning of grace in me. If I were sure that the good work of grace was begun in my soul, I think all my other doubts would flee way and vanish. But while I doubt of the very beginning of the work I cannot be confident in any thing that may profit me. If I did now endeavour to resolve, believe, and conclude myself to be a gracious person, and that it will be well with me at last, notwithstanding all my fears, and so strive to be comfortable, not giving way to doubts any more, such confidence would but [47] vanish after all, to my endless horror. – I endeavour to perform every secret duty in religion constantly; but fear all my aim is to quiet an uneasy conscience. I diligently observe every public duty, as a professor of the Christian religion, and as a minister of the Gospel; yet often fear the whole terminates in self and vain-glory, so that I have my reward! I am acquainted with many, far and near, who, I believe, are godly persons, and I am of opinion that the greatest part of them, if not all, judge me to be truly a gracious man; nay, I am confident they look upon me as a person eminent in grace: but all that does not amount to a proof of the power of godliness in me, neither does it evidence the least degree of supernatural grace in my heart. I think that pious people who hear me preaching and praying, conclude that I was very comfortable in my soul, and that I enjoy much communion with God in the discharge of duties; but their conjecture is no evidence that I enjoy the least grain of solid comfort: though their favourable judgement should yield me some groundless joy for the present, yet if I am not born again it can yield me no sweet consolation at death and judgment. – I am endued with some measure of light in all the doctrines of grace, which I believe are consistent, according to the scripture, and I am enabled to express, and set them forth according to the consistency of my Ideas, against the oppositions made to them, both in private conference, and in a more public manner; but that profiteth me nothing myself, while I imagine that I am an utter stranger to any experience of saving grace in my own soul. Satan knows very well that all the doctrines of grace are remarkably harmonious, yet he is not, in the least, more happy for that. – I am in the general persuaded that all those who believe in Christ shall be saved: but as I cannot believe, how can I be saved? The word says, that perfect love calleth out fear; I fear greatly; -- I cannot be confident, but rather disbelieve: therefore, how can the love of God dwell in me? And if I love not God, what is my state better than that of the most profligate? tho’ I understand something of the doctrine of grace, I understand likewise by the same doctrine, and by experience, that nothing can persuade me to believe in Christ, but the Spirit of God; and if I should believe in Christ, I perceive that it is impossible for any to convince me that my faith is of the right kind, except it be by the same spirit. Therefore, Oh! that God would be pleased to make use of some means, some word, some instrument or instruments to resolve my doubts and dissipate my fears, for his own glory and my present and eternal comfort and advantage! Oh! where shall such a Messenger be found! An interpreter that would be to me one among a thousand! I am,

                                 Your’s, &c.

Text: Divine and Moral, Miscellanies, in Prose and Verse. Containing many Valuable Originals, Communicated by various Correspondents, and other Pieces extracted from different Authors, and antient Manuscripts. The Whole being such a Collection of Miscellaneous Thoughts, as will tend not only to please, but enlighten and profit the Reader, Vol. 2 (London: Printed for J. Fuller, in Newgate-Street, London; and T. Luckman, in Coventry. 1762), pp. 90-93; 45-47.