Fourth. Do God’s people keep holy fasts? They who are not his people may also keep fasts often, even twice a week. “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself: God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice weekly; I give tithes of all I possess.” (Luke 18:11,12) I might enlarge upon things, but I intend but a little book. I do not question, but many Balaamites will appear before the judgment seat to condemnation; men that have had visions of God, and that knew the knowledge of the Most High; men that have had the Spirit of God come upon them, and that have by that been made other men; yet these shall go to the generations of their fathers, they shall never see light. (Num 24:2,4,16, 1 Sam 10:6,10, Psa 49:19) I read of some men whose excellency in religion mounts up to the heavens, and their heads reach unto the clouds, who yet shall perish forever like their own dung; and he that in this world hath seen them, shall say at the judgment, Where are they? (Job 20:5-7) There will be many who were gallant professors in this world, wanting among the saved on the day of Christ’s coming; yea, many whose damnation was never dreamed of. Which of the twelve ever thought that Judas would have proved a devil? Nay, when Christ suggested that one among them was naught, they were more afraid of themselves than of him. (Matt 26:21-23) Who questioned the salvation of the foolish virgins?
The wise ones did not; they gave them the privilege of communion with themselves. (Matt 25) The discerning of the heart and the infallible proof of the truth of saving grace is reserved for the judgment of Jesus Christ at his coming. The church and best of saints sometimes hit and sometimes miss in their decisions about this matter, and the cause of our missing in our judgment is 1. Partly because we cannot always distinguish grace that saves from that which doth but appear to do so. 2. Partly also because some men have the art to correctly name wrong things. 3. And partly because we, being commanded to receive him that is weak, are afraid to exclude the most minor Christian. By a hidden means, hypocrites creep into the churches. But what saith the Scripture? “I, the Lord, search the heart; I try the reins.” And again, “All the churches shall know that I am he which searched the reins and hearts, and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.” (Jer 11:20, 17:10, Rev 2:23) To this Searcher of hearts is the time of infallible discerning reserved, and then you shall see how far grace that is not saving hath gone; and also how few will be saved indeed. The Lord awaken poor sinners by my little book.
