The Way to True Happiness, Sermon 18
The eighteenth SERMON.
MATTH. 5.9.
Blessed are the peace-makers: for they shall be called the sonnes of God.
HItherto of our Saviours assertion here, Blessed are the peace-makers. The proofe or confirmation thereof comes now to be spoken of, in these words: For they shall bee called the sonnes of God.
There is a double calling of things: The one from man, the other from God. That from man is oftentimes groundlesse, through mistake, flattery, malice, or some other distemper, whereby it falles out that men call not things as they be many times, but change their names, and call them otherwise than they are. But now, it is not so with God, he ever calles things as they be; yea things therefore are so, because he calles them so. Wee call things so because they be so, (if we call them rightly) but his calling precedes the being of things; whence it is that he can never mis-call any thing. So that to be called the sonnes of God here, is as much as indeed to be so: It is all one with that which followes toward the latter end of this Chapter, Love your enemies, &c. that you may bee the children of your heavenly Father, &c. To be and to be called is all one with him. Hence are those phrases of holy Scripture, He shall be called the Son of the most high, Luk. 1. and, Behold (saith S. Iohn) what love the Father hath shewed to us, that we should be called the sonnes of God. 1. Ioh. 3.1.
And yet there is somewhat more in this kinde of expression to be further conceived, than this of barely being the sons of God: For when he saith, they shall be called the sonnes of God, his meaning is, that they shall not onelyonly be so, but they shall bee reputed and esteemed to bee so both of God and men too; They shall have the credit and the comfort of it. They shall commonly passe among men, and bee knowne for a seed which the Lord hath blessed, they shall bee [called] the sonnes of God.
[Sonnes.] This terme stands in a threefold relation.
First, to Christ in peculiar; for he, and onelyonly he, is the naturall Sonne of God by eternall generation.
Secondly, to all the creatures, who, in some sense, have God for their Father; namely, in respect of creation and conservation.
Thirdly, to Christians, to the Saints in a speciall manner, by the grace of Adoption. And in this sense the peace-makers in our text are called the sonnes of God; that is, they truely be so, and are rightly reputed so; namely, by grace and by Adoption.
The point that hence we will note, shall be this,
That it is a most blessed thing to be rightly called the childe of God.
It is the ground of our Saviours argument here: They that are rightly called the sonnes of God, are blessed men: but so are all peace-makers. Therefore they are in a blessed estate.
This to be so, shall be proved from Moses: see what he sayes, Deut. 33. vers. 29. Happy art thou, O Israel: Who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord? Why? Wherein consisted this their happinesse, so much magnified by Moses? Surely herein, that God was their shield to protect, and their sword to defend them; as it followes in that text, Who is the shield of thy helpe, and who is the sword of thine excellency, &c. Herein stood their happines. So Moses saies, & so he thought, as appeares by his practice, Heb. 11.24. there the Apostle records it thus: By faith Moses, when he was come to yeares, (and so knew what he did, for he was no novice) refused to bee called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter. Pharaohs daughter! who was shee? Why, a great Princesse, and such a one as had no sonne of her owne, and therefore had adopted Moses for her owne childe: and doth hee refuse such a preferment? hee is a strange fellow indeed. Yea, but he knew well enough what he did; he sees another thing better than all that, and therefore makes another choice for himselfe, he chose rather to be called the sonne of God (though with affliction) than by becomming the sonne of Pharaohs daughter to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season. And what was his reason? why, he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures in Egypt. And herein his judgement was right, whiles he thought it a farre greater happinesse for men to be the children of God, than to be the sonnes of the mighty. And what he thought of the point, other Christians have thought too, Psal. 144.15. when the Psalmist had reckoned up many blessings of a State, as that their sonnes bee as plants growne up in their youths, their daughters as corner stones polished after the similitude of a palace, their garners full, affording all manner of stor…, their sheepe bringing forth thousands, and ten thousands in their streets, &c. at length he shuts up all with this Epiphonema, Happy, saith hee, are the people that are in such a case: nay rather, and much more happy is that people, whose God is the Lord. Hence is this speech of our Saviour here in the text, Blessed are the peace-makers: for they shall have a name, a tittle: What is that? why, they shall be called the sonnes of God; this is the blessing-title. Hence is it, that God himselfe, 2. Cor. 6. verse the last, when hee would promise unto his people the greatest mercy of all, I will make, saith he, such a man my sonne, and such a woman my daughter. I will be their father, and they shall be my sons, and my daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Hence (lastly) was that promise of God to David, 2. Sam. 7. concerning Salomon, I will be his father, and he shall be my sonne, &c. Whereupon David much affected and ravished therewith, O Lord God, saith he, what am I, or my fathers house, that thou shouldst vouchsafe me so great honour & happinesse, as to find to my child? yea, to take him for thine owne, and to become his father &c.
And thus, you see, we have the testimonies of the Prophets, of the Church, of Christ, of God himselfe, for confirmation of the point; shall we consider a little of the grounds and Reasons thereof?
It must needs bee a blessed thing to bee rightly Reas. 1 called the sonnes of God, for this title hath substance in it, it carries meat in its mouth (as I may so speake) for he that hath title to the name, hath title to the thing, sith God never miscals any thing (as we said before) but in calling a man so, he causeth him to be so. Now to bee the childe of God must needs be a blessed thing: first, in the causes of becomming Gods childe; secondly, in his alliance; thirdly, in his inheritance.
The causes first, are two: first, Gods speciall love, and favour; for none can bee Gods childe, but they must have his love, they must be his favourites; and can there possibly be a greater honour than that? See what the Apostle saith to this, 1. Ioh. 3.1. Behold, what love the Father hath shewed unto us, that we should be called the sons of God. Here was love indeed, a matchlesse, boundlesse, bottomlesse love. Why, wherein hath hee exprest so much love? Surely in this, that we should be called the sonnes of God: here was greatest love sealed up. This act in God, of making sonnes, is an act of his speciall love and grace: for have this, and have all; to have Gods love, is to have Gods selfe, and all hee is worth, I meane, our share and interest in it. Here then is the first ground of such a mans happinesse, that he is beloved of God. Possibly an earthly father may not love his childe, but God cannot but love his, and therefore makes him his childe because he loves him.
Secondly, as God loves every childe whom he receives, so hee stamps his image upon him, and makes him like vntounto himselfe; in which respect also, hee musts needs bee happy. Like as a father conveyes his nature to his childe; for what is a childe, but the father multiplyed? the father set forth in a new impression or edition? so God conveyes his nature to us, when he makes us his children: So farre as wee are capable, wee are made partakers of the divine nature in our measure; for that which is a nature in God, becomes a quality in us, a pearle, a gemme that sets us forth, and makes us like unto God. And in this all happinesse consisteth, as we see in Adam, who, so long as hee retained Gods image undefaced, was perfectly blessed; as when he lost it, he became extremely miserable. The childe of God, having Gods image restored him, hath together therewith, God himselfe, and so blessednesse it selfe.
Reas. 2 Secondly, as he is happy in the enjoyment of Gods speciall love and image set upon him, so also in his alliance and relation: For first, God is his Father, and in that name hee is a happy man. For God is not a Father in name onelyonly to doe us honesty, and to beare us out &c. but hee is our father indeed. For he will doe to his children whatsoever can be expected from a father; he will pitty them in their weaknesses, protect them in their dangers, provide for them in their necessities, passe by their follies and frailties, accept of their small and slender services, sparing them as a man spares his owne sonne that serves him, Mal. 3. Nay more, gather all the loves of all the fathers in the world together, and mothers too, (as the Prophet expresseth it, Can a mother forget her childe? &c.) it will not make the tithe of that love which God our Father beares to his children. He will pitty when no father will, love us when none else will, forgive us when none will, &c. all that love that is shewed by the creature, is but a drop to that Ocean of love that is in him toward his children. Besides, such a man is allyed to Christ, who is his brother: A brother, saith Salomon, is borne for the day of adversity; so is Christ: in all their affliction he is afflicted; this Angel of Gods presence saveth them; in his love and in his pitty he redeemed them, &c. he is not ashamed to call them brethren, he dealeth with them like as with brethren, yea, he is more unto them than a brother, Mat. 12. and the last verse, Whosoever (saith Christ) shall doe the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother: that is, they are all in all to Christ, and Christ is all in all to them: It is as much as if hee had said, If all the love that commonly is betweene brother and brother, father and sonne, mother and daughter, were put all in one, it would not amount to that measure of love that is in me toward all my fellow-brethren. And as the childe of God is allyed to Christ, so is hee also to all Christians among whom hee hath a childes part, even a share and interest in all the prayers, gifts, and graces of all the Saints in earth: He hath also reference to those above, Paul is his brother, Abraham his brother, David his brother, and al the rest of the crowned Saints above are his brethren. And thus is hee blessed in his alliance.
Reas. 3 In his inheritance also is he a happy man, that is rightly called the childe of God: for every such is an heire of God, and heire annexed with Christ; and therefore most blessed, first in his immunities, secondly, royalties.
For the first, he is freed from the evill of all crosses; which way soever they come upon him, they can do him no hurt. If sicknesse befall him, yet is he freed from the evill of sickenesse: If poverty, yet he is free from the sting of poverty, &c. nothing can hurt him. Ever since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast bin honourable, and I have loved thee, &c. Feare not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine: When thou passest through the waters, I will bee with thee, and through the rivers, they shall not over-flow thee: when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt, &c. but thou shalt come out of the furnace much more refined and purified, as Iob did, and that is all the hurt that afflictions shall doe any one of Gods children, Esay 43.1, 2, 4.
And as for the present they are freed, if not from the smart, yet certainely from the hurt of afflictions: So secondly, for the future, nothing shall prejudice them; the sting of death is pulled out, the grave softned and sweetned, the mouth of hell stopt, &c. so that every childe of God may triumph over them all with the Apostle, and say, O death where is thy sting, O hell where is thy victory? &c. These are his immunities.
Secondly, he is no lesse blessed in his royalties and priviledges.
For first, he hath liberty; all Gods children are free, as our Saviour pleades to Peter, Matth. 17. What thinkest thou Simon? The kings of the earth, of whom take they custome or tribute? Of their owne children or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers: Iesus saith unto him, then are the children free. So are all Gods children much more; they are delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God, Rom. 8.21.
Secondly, he hath a glory put upon him as well as a liberty; for it is a glorious liberty into which hee is brought, and his joyes in this life are unspeakeable and glorious.
Thirdly, hee hath safety, soveraignety, and eternity; a Crowne laid up for him in Heaven that is uncorruptible, and that fades not away; hee is a King of the best Kingdome, matcht to the best match, a sonne to the best father, &c. And therefore whether wee looke to his immunities or royalties, he is truely blessed.
Our first Use, shall be of Exhortation, Ʋse. to make after this title of Gods childe, and so to get interest into the blessing. You see what reaching there is in the world after titles and dignities, what a businesse men make, and what labour they undergoe to become worshipfully honourable, &c. what a great matter men thinke it (and so it is in its kind) to be the sonnes of the mighty. What is it then to be the heire of all the world, to be the sonne of the most High? When our saviour came amongst us in the flesh, this was the title set upon him by the Angell, He shall be great, and shall be called the Sonne of the Highest, Luk. 1.32.
Endeavour it therefore: For first, this is the blessing-title, as here, Blessed are the peace-makers: Why? for they shall be called the sonnes of God. All other titles a man may have, and yet goe without the blessing; as on the other side, one may have Gods blessing, though hee have no other titles: But this title, of being the childe of God, still carries the blessing along with it.
Secondly, it is a speeding title, it carryes the inheritance with it aswell as the blessing. Many names of honour among men are meerely titular, they have a title to such a place or dignity, and that's all. Some others againe have right and title to lands or offices, who yet not able to defend their owne are many times baffled out of their rights, outed, put beside their owne, and defeated: but here there is no such thing; this title carries substance along with it, it hath the inheritance, & such an inheritance as is aboue all exception, for it is incorruptible (as S. Peter describes it) undefiled & that fades not away; (so it cannot be sayd of any other) & reserued for vsus in so sure a place as heaven, and in so sure an hand as is God's. Sith then it is such a great matter, such an excellent commodity, make out for it in the first place, doe your utmost to attaine it: if you get this once, you are made for ever; whatever you can desire in any other thing, riches, pleasures, honours &c. it is eminently included in this of being rightly called the sonnes of God. If riches be our aime, what portion to God? if honour, heres honour in deede; and what not? It is a great honour to bee of alliance to great personages, and therefore Saul propounded it as the greatest reward to such a one as should undertake to fight with Goliah, that hee would give him his daughter, and enrich him with great riches, and make his fathers house free in Israell. Loe here even thus shall it bee done also to him whom the King of heaven will honour, he shall be called the sonne of God, and be made a free-man in Israell, for hee shall bee delivered out of the bondage of lust, sin, Satan and death, into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God. If liberty be any thing, if glory be any thing, if safety bee any thing, if eternity be any thing; loe here they are all to bee had by labouring to become the children of God. If any one of these apart bee enough in earthly things to move us to do our utmost for the atchieving of them, how should they prevaile with us all together to secure this main point, and to make it good to our selves, that we are rightly called the sonnes of God?
Obiect. Why (may some man say) so we are already, for are we not all members of the Church, and have had our christendome? is not the name of God called upon us? and are not all the Lords people holy? what neede is there then that you should exhort us to the getting of that which wee have already?
Ans. For answer hereunto (and that you may not delude your selves with a pleasing, but dangerous errour about this businesse) we must tell you that the Lord hath sonnes of two sorts in the visible Church: Some are sonnes onelyonly in name, they have the title of sonnes and no more: Amongst us they passe for sonnes, we esteeme them so in the iudgement of charity, and so wee are bound to esteeme them, so long as they carry themselves fairly to the world, and are outwardly conformable. Some againe are sonnes in deed and in truth, not onelyonly in the iudgement of charity they are sons, but also in the iudgement of verity: not men only, but God also takes them to bee sonnes, and calls them so; labour we to be thus, or else wee are nothing. We read in the Gospel of a father that had two sonnes, whom he bade go worke in his Vineyard:Bastard sonnes knowne from other. the one answered he would, but yet did not; the other though he refused at first, yet he repented him, and went about his fathers businesse: They are both called sonnes, and so they were both in name and profession, but the latter was only in deede and reality. All those that live in the Church, and make an outward shew may be called sonnes of God in respect of profession, the externall worship of God, conformity to the ordinances, the iudgement of men &c. But such a child oftentimes proves a bastard and no sonne, when hee is put to it, when it comes to a matter of competition, as it fell out in those mentioned Genes. 6.2. The sonnes of God saw the daughters of men &c. sons of God these were not in deede, but in profession only, and in the repute of men, but it was but a name that they had; and so they made it appeare when it came to a matter of delight or profit. Secondly such will usually discover themselves by their carriage toward their brethren, as the elder brother did, Luk. 15. When hee saw his prodigall brother returned againe, & received to mercy, you see his behavior what it was, he stomacks the matter, he envies and spleenes him, & discontentedly mutters against him, Loe these many yeares do I serve thee &c. but as soone as this thy sonne was come which hath devoured thy living with harlots thou hast killed for him the fatted calfe. So you see how he layes himselfe open; and such is the property of sonnes in profession onelyonly, they cannot endure that any should be more esteemed than themselves, or turn truely to God, they cannot abide that any should outstrip them in grace, or goe beyond them in fauour. Thus it wilbe easie to discerne of our selves, whether wee bee Gods children or not, by our workes and practice. Our Saviour disputing against the Iewes that vainly vaunted of Abraham to be their father, tels them in downright termes, that the Devill was their father: And how shall that be made good? Why, saith he, your workes shew it: And as every child doth expresse his father, so do you the Devill; for his workes you do,Iohn 8, and this not in a passion only, but upon setled resolution, you will doe 't: and hereby he proves them to be the Devils children. It will not then serve our turnes to be sonnes of God in name only, and after we have spoken and done evill things as we could, to put on a whores forehead with Idolatrous Israell, & cry unto him, My father, my father, thou art the guide of my youth, Ier. 3. A sonne indeed, is known 1. by his inward affection & disposition; he hath the heart of a sonne, he loues his father, studies his honour, feares to do any thing that may displease or prouoke him to anger, his heart is good to him. 2. by his outward carriage & deportment. Here eueryevery child of God rightly so called doth 1. serue him 2. submit unto him.
For his seruice. See Mal. 3.17. I will spare them, saith the Lord there, as a man spareth his owne sonne that serves him: he shews himselfe obedient to all the wills of God, as David, Act. 13. If God bid him doe any thing, hee'le upon't presently; if leave any sinne, he'le leave it, he sets forthwith upon the practice of all knowne duties.
Secondly, as he serves God, so he submits to his corrections, is content to beare his rod, Heb. 12. hee is in subjection to the father of spirits, knowing that he scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth, and that if we endure chastisement, God dealeth with us as with sonnes; for what sonne is hee whom the father chasteneth not? Therefore he is well content to be where God will place him, to lye under his rod, if he will have it so, and to endure chastisement, whereof all are partakers, unlesse they be bastards, and no sonnes; rebels and no children. You see now how to judge, and what to thinke of your selves; 'tis not enough to bee children in name, so you may be and yet not inherit: cease not therefore till you have secured your selves of this maine point, that you are sonnes indeed, such as have a calling and right to the inheritance.
Quest. But how is that possible, sith to the making of us sonnes there must be the same nature in us that is in God? but God and we cannot possibly concurre.
Ans. To satisfie you in this, understand that we are not made sonnes of God by nature, but by a double grace; first of Adoption, secondly of Regeneration.
First, God adopts us for his owne, and makes us of no children to be come children to himselfe. Hee predestinated us (saith the Apostle) unto the adoption of children by Iesus Christ to himselfe, according to the good pleasure of his will. For in Adoption these things are required. First, that it be an act of grace, not of merit, that one take another mans child of meere good will, because it pleaseth him so to doe. Secondly, hee must be a stranger that is adopted, at least no child afore adoption. Thirdly, it must be some inheritance, priviledge, &c. that he is adopted unto: These three things make up Adoption. And thus God deales with us. Of his own free grace he adopts us, who were strangers and forreiners, yea traitors and enemies to the inheritance of heaven, to the priviledges of sons.
Next, he regenerates those whom he hath adopted: And this is a thing proper to God alone. Another may adopt a sonne, but none besides God can regenerate, and give a new nature to the adopted as God doth; for he imprints his owne nature upon those whom hee adopts, (for we are made partakers of the godly nature, for qualities, saith the Apostle: he takes off the image of the old Adam, (for there must be a corruption before there can be a generation:) next he stampes upon us his owne, and so brings us to a new nature, life, and constitution, making us like unto himselfe in holinesse, meekenesse, mercifulnesse, &c. Thus God makes one his child.
Quest. Yea, but how shall I bee sure that I am thus adopted of God and regenerated? Is it a thing possible to be assured hereof?
Ans. It is both possible and necessary also in many respects. First, that it is possible for a man to attaine to this, to bee able to say, I am Gods child, and God (againe) is my father, appeares by these arguments.
First, It is an evangelicall precept, Give all diligence to make your calling & electiō sure to your selves. 2. Pet. 1. And againe, Examine your selves whether you bee in the faith, prove your owne selves. Know you not &c. 2. Cor. 13.5. Thus wee are bidden to settle this point, & to make sure worke of it; therefore it is a thing possible, otherwise these exhortations were to no purpose. And besides in the new & second covenant God hath undertaken to enable us unto whatsoever he requires us to doe.
Secondly, there are sufficient means given us of God to secure us of this point, and to confirme us in it: we have many scriptures to this purpose, as the first Epistle of Iohn thorowout, the 15. Psalm, the 24. and 26. Psalmes, and divers other places of the holy word, wherein we may read certaine and infallible signes of such as shall be saved.
Thirdly there have been some in all ages of the world that have attained to this comfortable assurance of their spirituall sonship, men of all ages, and of all sexes; and therefore what hinders but that we may also? The maine objection here (for wee may not stand to refute all that is alledged by our adversaries against this truth) will be this.
There is no particular word in the Scriptures, Object. for the salvation of any one, as it is no where said, Thou Iohn, or thou Thomas shalt be saved: therefore, say they, there cannot be any particular faith, or certaine assurance of a mans salvation.
To this we answer, Answ. first, that there is a particular word; namely, as it is included in the generall promise: for all generalls include their particulars. For, if this be denyed us, let us but aske them, how shall it bee proved that God made Hens and Duckes, &c. but by this, that God made all the world, and gave being to every creature? And how it shall be proved that such and such particular persons, that live and dye in their sinnes shalbe damned, but that wee have a generall word for it. That all the wicked shall be turned into hell, and are accursed of God. Psal. 9. the generall infolding every particular. Secondly, we answer, that there is a particular word for the ensuring of this unto us.
First, an audible word, in the application of the ministery: for this is also the word of God, as St. Peter telles us 1. Pet. 1.25. The word of the Lord endureth for euer, and this (saith he, lest any man should doubt) is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you. Now in the ministery of the word, we descend to particulars, and apply our selves to particular persons. The promises are made to you and to your children: and, beleeve & ye shalbe saved, thou and all thy houshold.
Secondly, a visible word, in the administration of the Sacraments, wherein the Lord comes and offers himselfe to every particular person; as if he should say, thou Thomas or thou Iohn take and eat, this is my body &c. and they each for himselfe receive & apply Christ, as if all he had done or suffered, had bin done for them.
Thirdly, an inward word, in the testimony of the Spirit, which saith, and that by warrant from the word, (for as for suggestions, lyes, enthusiasmes &c. which leave the word written, wee have nothing to say for them) Thou art the sonne or daughter of God.
Object. Oh but mans heart is deceitfull aboue all things, who can know it?
Ans. True, it is so: but yet we have an anoynting from the holy One which teacheth us all things, and is truth, and is no lye. 1. Iohn. 2. And the Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deepe things of God, which God hath revealed unto us by his Spirit. 1. Cor. 2. The naturall man indeed can neuer sound the depth of his own heart, but God can: wherefore also hee answereth that question before mentioned, Ier. 17. I the Lord search the heart, I try the reines, &c. namely, by my word and ordinances, by the which we come to be at a certainty.
Ob. Yea, but how then comes it about that so many are deceived in this matter, for none but will say, that they are the children of God?
Ans. It is because they winke, and are willing to be deceived; for there is light enough afforded us by God, for the discerning of our estates, if men will but bring themselves to the touch-stone, put themselves to the triall of it. But most men winke with their eyes, as did the Pharisees, and dissemble the knowledge of those things which they either doe know, or certainly might know by themselves. None are deceived, but through their owne wilfulnesse or negligence.
Ob. If wee may be once assured that wee are sonnes, and beloved of God, what further need or use is there then of the Ordinances? what need we repent, pray, heare, communicate any more?
Ans. As if a man should not therefore love God, because God loves him more, or onelyonly serve our selves on God, and then deny to doe him any further service, when we have our portion.
Secondly, as yet, our assurance of Gods speciall love is but in part, it is but in fieri, in the making as it were, many gifts are yet wanting in us, all are weake, therefore there is continuall use of the Ordinances, that thereby wee may get growth.
Thirdly, and a man must therefore pray, because he believes; wait, because he is sure of the thing, &c.
Of the possibility therefore wee need not once make question, this assurance of our spirituall sonship is doubtlesse feisable, attaineable, onelyonly you must go to worke herein wisely and soundly. And that you may first understand the point well, state the question aright: it is a certainety of faith that we here understand, not of sense: it is an assurance of Adherence, not of Evidence; such as hath a certainty though not alwayes of the thing, yet in the word, as being grounded on this or that promise of the Gospel. A certainty it is, not so perfect as to exclude all doubtings, all feares, all unbeliefe, but onelyonly that which is invincible, that which is raigning, and hath dominion in a man. Some measure of faith and feare may well stand together, Why doe ye feare, O ye of little faith? And, Why doubt ye, O ye of little faith? And againe, Lord, I believe, helpe thou mine unbeliefe. Here we finde faith and feare, doubting and faith, faith and unbeliefe met together in the same subject.
As a man may be surely ancred, and yet be waved and tossed with the billowes and surges of the sea. A tree may be well rooted, and yet be sorely shaken by a strong blast of winde. Wee have seene a strong steeple, which yet stands firme enough, to shake with the ringing of belles. A ship that lyes at anchor playes up and downe, and may be much tossed to and fro in a troubled water, which yet is in no danger at all of sinking: So there may in the best heart some scruples arise, some feares and doubtings, and yet notwithstanding it be well bottom'd, and stand sure as mount Sion, which cannot be removed. Wee cannot indeed be as sure of our salvation, as that God made the world, that Christ is come in the flesh, which are things accomplished and in facto esse; yet sure we may bee in the sense above-said. OnelyOnly wee must learne to distinguish, in the second place, as of certaineties, so of times. There be some calme times to a Christian heart, when the Lord lookes pleasantly upon his children, filles them with many sweet feelings of his favour, with much peace and joy through beleeving; and then the worke of faith is carried on an end, it goes on amaine, there is a cleare sky, a light day, heaven it selfe openeth unto them; they have such a sensible apprehension of Gods deare love unto them, that they feele not the very ground they goe upon: Sometimes againe, the case is far otherwise with them, the weather is over-cast as it were, the sky clouded, they suffer a desertion, are under a temptation, whereby their evidences are shaken, their soules unsetled; they goe to God by prayer, but he hides his face; they seeke the Lord, but hee will not bee found. We speake now of a Christian, when hee is not bemisted or amated, when he is himselfe, then if he be not wanting to himselfe, he may attaine to some comfortable assurance of his salvation.
Thirdly, it is necessary that we distinguish of persons.
There bee Christians of all ages and of all sizes in Gods family. S. Iohn rankes them into three sorts; some are babes, some young men, some old men in Christ: for every one comes not to the like growth. As any mans experience is more, and his grace greater, so is his assurance also. All Gods children have some assurance, though all have not a like.
Lastly, wee must distinguish of signes and evidences.
There be some signes that lye common to all Gods people, some proper to such as are strong, as victory over every corruption, power to resist strong temptations, earnest desires after the comming of Christ, and the like: But these cannot be attained by all. There are other signes, that are common to the meanest of all Gods children (for wee must creepe before wee can goe, and grace is not gotten at once, but comes by degrees) as, first in his company: The weakest Christian when he lookes to his company, finds a difference of people, sees an excellency in the Saints, priceth the best most, and loves them above others. Secondly in his affections: He loves God and goodnesse, hates sinne and wickednesse, as saith the Psalmist, ye that love the Lord hate evill: Hee hungers and thirsts after grace, and the meanes of grace, though he hath not such and such graces and gifts of the Spirit, yet hee would have them: and although he have not so much of them as he would, yet he desires after more. To the former sort of these signes, it is not given to every childe of God to attaine; if wee finde but the latter sort, or but some of them, onelyonly in the truth of them, let us be thankefull, and grow.
These things thus observed, it is not impossible to be assured; onelyonly we must proceed in a due order, and right method. Begin in selfe-deniall; for wee must deny our selves if wee would attaine to assurance, first, in our owne merit: for the reason that the Papists are at such uncertainties is, because they found their assurance upon themselves, they will needs bring somewhat of their owne toward their salvation. Deny thy selfe therefore utterly in this respect. He can never bee secure, that will be found in himselfe, having his owne righteousnesse: The question is, not what thou art in thy selfe, but what thou art in Christ; not what corruptions thou hast, but what true grace is in thee. Secondly, thou must deny thine owne sense and feeling; rest upon the word, if thou would'st bee on sure ground. Here I find a promise, Come unto me, &c. Matth. 11.28. Hoe every one, &c. Esay 55.1. Blessed are the mourners, &c. there rest thy soule, pitch upon such like places, &c. He that builds his comfort upon this, that he hath a great deale of joy, feeling, &c. and is lifted up thereby, will sinke as low in time of desertion.