Lectures Upon Psalm 51, Part 8 · Lecture 125
Lecture CXXV. On Psalme 51.7. Aug. 11. 1629.
THE second sort of meanes (which I call more inward and spirituall then the former) are foure principally. The first is, care to keepe a good conscience in all things. The second, a diligent observation of our owne wayes. The third, a consideration of the experiments wee have had of Gods favour. The fourth, a renouncing of our selves, and resting only upon the free grace of God in Christ.
First. Hee that would get a comfortable assurance of the favour of God in Christ, and feele that the bloud of Christ is sprinkled by the spirit of God upon his heart, hee that desireth to keepe and preserve in himselfe this assurance, or to recover it, when hee hath lost it, must nourish in his heart a constant care to please God in all his wayes, and a feare to offend him in any thing. The worke of righteousnesse shall bee peace (saith the Prophet Esay 32.17.) and the effect of righteousnesse, quietnesse, and assurance for ever. As if hee had said, A righteous and godly life, will certainely worke peace in the heart, and no marvell, for it will worke assurance of Gods favour; yea, assurance for ever, a constant assurance of it, an assurance that wee shall have it for ever, and shall never loose it. In the feare of the Lord (saith Solomon. Pro. 14.26.) is strong confidence. As if he should say, Feare God, be carefull not to offend him in any thing, and thou shalt be confident of his favour, yea strongly confident of it. Yea, this care to please God in all our wayes, and feare to offend him, will preserve in the heart of a man, the assurance of Gods favour, even in the time of the greatest tryall, and tentations that hee can fall into. Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doth them (saith our Saviour, Matth, 7.24.25. whosoever hee bee that is not a hearer of the word only, but maketh conscience to practise whatsoever he heareth) I will liken him unto a wiseman, that built his house upon a rocke, and the raine descended, and the winds blew, end the flouds beat upon that house, and it fell not, because it was founded upon a rocke. In which respect the Apostle, 1 Tim. 6.19. calleth good workes, a good foundation for the time to come, whereupon men may lay hold upon eternall life. As if he should have said, A man may in the time to come; that is, in the time of sicknesse, and triall, build a well grounded assurance of eternall life, even upon them. I know well, that experience seemeth to make much against this. Many that are most carefull to please God in all their wayes, and fearefull to offend him, are of all other people in most doubt of their salvation, & are furthest off from confident assurance of it. And on the other side, they that live most licentiously are of all men freest from these doubts, most confident of Gods love, and of their owne salvation. But to this I answer. Let God be true, and every m…n a ly…r. Rom. 3.4. Certainly a constant care to please God in all our wayes, will bring us to a comfortable assurance of Gods favour, sooner or later, in one measure and degree or other, and without this, it is not possible to …taine unto it. Two things there bee that may undoubtedly assure us of this, 1. The promise of God that cannot lye. 2. The nature of God.
First. See what rich and precious promises we have from God, concerning this. To him that ordereth his conversation aright (saith the Lord. Psal. 50.23.) will I shew the salvation of God. As if he had said, I will cause him to see, and know that he shall be saved. And againe, Mal. 4.2. To you that feare my name, shall the sunne of righteousnesse arise, with healing in his wings. To every soule among you that truly feareth God, I may boldly say, that though it bee night with thee now, thou seest no light, no comfort, thou art continually disgui…ted with feares and doubts of thy salvation, yet certainly the sunne of righteousnesse will arise upon thee one day with healing in his wings; thou shalt see the comfortable light of Gods countenance, and have a sweet and full assurance of his favour. Light is sowen for the righteous (as the Prophet speaketh, Psal. 97.11) and gladnesse for the upright in heart. There is not a soule that unfeinedly feareth God, but he hath in him the seed of true comfort and assurance, and he shall certainly one day both see it spring, and tast of the fruit of it. If ye love me, keep my commandements (saith our Saviour, Iohn 14.…5, 16.) and I will pray the father, …nd hee shall give you another comforter, that hee may abide with you for ever. If any man keepe his commandements, keepe them Evangelically, that is, out of love to God, endeavour to keepe them, let him not doubt of comfort, certainly the comforter will come vntounto that man, and abide with him for ever. But you will say, When will the comforter come? I have long desired to feare God and endeavoured to please him, yet could I never attaine to this comfort hitherto. I answer, Doe so still, and the comforter will certainly come, For Christ (whom his father alwayes heareth, Iohn 11.42) hath prayed that it may be so. Yea, it will not be long too. Yet a little while (saith the Apostle, Heb 10.37.) and he that shall come, will come, and will not tary. And for this also we have a promise, Psalme 8….8, 9. For when the Prophet had said. God will speake peace unto his people, and to his Saints. God will certainly speake peace to the heart of every godly man; he addeth, Surely his salvation is nigh unto them that feare him. As if hee had said, Certainely it will not bee long before God giveth to every soule that truly feareth him, a comfortable assurance of his favour, though he doe delay it for a time, surely hee will doe it ere long.
The second evidence for this, is from the nature of God, It must needs bee so, for The righteous Lord loveth righteousnesse (saith David, Psal 11.7.) his countenance doth behold the upright. And Prov. 15.9. The Lord loveth him that followeth after righteousnesse. Hee must needs have the love and favour of the holy God, that leadeth an holy life. Thus speaketh our blessed Saviour, Iohn 14.21. He that hath my commandements, and keepeth them, is hee that loveth me. And hee that loveth me, shall bee beloved of my father, and I will love him, and will manifest my selfe unto him. As if he should say, As I and my father both cannot but love him, that out of love to me maketh conscience of all my commandements, so he shall know it and feele it, and hide the assurance of it in himselfe, I will manifest my selfe unto him, saith he.
On the other side, It is not possible for any man to have true assurance of his salvation, and of Gods favour that doth not feare God, and is not carefull in all his wayes to please him. And certainely the want of assurance that is in any of us, is chiefly to be imputed unto this that wee have not beene so fearefull to offend God, so carefull to please him as we ought to have bene. I speake not onelyonly of such as are wicked men, There is no peace saith my God to the wicked, Esay 57.21 (that is, no true and sound peace) But I speake of Gods dearest children. Let a man that hath the strongest faith, the most comfortable assurance of Gods favour, once give himselfe liberty unto any grosse sin, though hee loose not his faith utterly thereby (Christ prayed for Peter that his faith should not faile, in that his most fearefull fall, Luk 22.3…. and the same prayer that hee made for Peter, he made for all that truly beleeve in his name, as you may read, Iohn 17.20.) yet shall that man certainly loose his assurance and comfort by it. Your iniquities (saith the Prophet to Gods owne people Esa. 59.2. have separated betweene you and your God, and your sins have bid his face from you. You need no other experiment of this then in David. What man hath ever had more comfortable assurance of his salvation, and of the favour of God in Christ, then he sometimes had. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee (saith he, Psal. 118.28.) thou art my God, and I will exalt thee. And Ps. 27.1. The Lord is my light, and my salvation, whom shall I feare? But when this man had once given liberty to himselfe to sin against his conscience, in the matter of Vriah, see how his assurance and comfort was quite lost, and how much adoe he had to recover it againe, Make me to heare joy and gladnesse, saith he here, verse 8. and verse 12. Restore me to the joy of thy salvation. But what speake I of grosse sins? Let a Christian but grow worldly and secure, let him but remit any thing of that watchfulnes, & care to take heed to his wayes, of that feare to offend God in any thing that was wont to be in him, and his comfortable assurance of Gods favour will be lost. See an experiment of this in the Church and spouse of Christ, the mother of us all, Cant. 5.2—6. Shee complaineth ver. 6. that her wellbeloved had with-drawne himselfe, and was gone, shee had lost the comfort and assurance of his love; and both in that verse and those that follow, it appeareth, shee had much adoe to recover him againe. Shee sought him, but shee could not find him, shee called upon him, but hee gave her no answer, And how came this to passe? What had shee done? Surely shee came to this wofull losse, not by any foule sinne shee had fal…e into, but onelyonly through a spirituall lazinesse, and wretchlesnesse, and worldly security that was crept upon her, as appeareth by her answer, verse 3. I have put off my coate, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feete, how shall I defile them? Shee answered him as a lazy sluggard newly awakened out of his sleepe, and loath to arise out of his bed, and the effect of her answer was this, I am now at ease and quiet, and by opening my heart unto thee, by receiving thee to rule and governe in it, by hearkening and yeeldding unto thee in every thing, I shall put my selfe to a great deale of trouble and labour, that I am now eased of. Certainly this is an answere that many a poore soule hath oft made unto Christ. He hath fallen asleep in worldly security, & Christ both by his word and spirit knocked oft at the doore of his heart, and sought to enter, and take full possession of it; and because this could not be without trouble to the flesh, it would put him to labour and paine, therefore he hath refused to open unto Christ, and so hath lost him, and the comfortable assurance of his love.
Applic.Let us now make some application of this unto our selves.
And first, Let every one of us that complaine wee cannot get assurance of Gods love, examine well whither this bee not the cause of it. Dost thou not, or hast thou not lived in some knowne sin that thou hast not yet repented of, or beene humbled for, as thou oughtest to bee; Or art thou not growne more secure and carelesse of thy wayes, and cold in holy duties, then once thou wert? Certainely this must be found out, and repented of, or thou canst have no hope at all to recover the assurance of Gods favour. Sinne unrepented of, is like a filthy vapour rising out of the soule, that will cause such a mist and thicke fog betweene God and us, as will keepe the light of his countenance from shining upon us. That remedy therefore that is prescribed unto us in all other afflictions, Lamenta. 3.39.40. must bee used in this case. Wherefore doth living man complaine, a man for the punishment of his sinne, Let us search, and try our wayes, and turn… againe unto the Lord. Search thine owne wayes, and crave helpe of God also, crying to him with Iob, 10.2. Shew mee wherefore thou contendest and art angry with me? and with the Church, Psalme 44 24. Lord, wherefore hidest thou thy face? If thou canst find out thy sinne that is the cause of this, and humble thy selfe, and returne unto God by unfeined repentance, thou needest not doubt of recovering thy assurance againe. Returne unto mee, and I will returne unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. Mal. 3.7.
Secondly. Let this restraine us from sinne. For is there not force enough in this (beloved) though there were nothing else to make us afraid to sin, to doe any thing that wee know would offend God, that wee shall bee such loosers by it. That though we do not thereby loose our fathers love so farre forth, as to cause him to disinherite us, yet wee shall loose thereby the assurance of his love, wee shall so offend him, as it may be wee shall never have kind looke of him againe while wee live. Is there any pleasure or profit to bee found in sinne, that will countervaile this losse? As ungracious a child as Absalom was, yet hee professeth, 2 Sam. 14.32. that it was no comfort to him at all to bee restored from his banishment to his owne house and land, nay, it was no comfort to him to live, so long as his father refused to looke upon him.
Thirdly and lastly. Should not this make every one of us in love with a Christian course, and willing to walke circumspectly, and exactly, as the Apostle speaketh. Ephes. 5.15. To watch end be sober, as the Apostle Peter exhorteth us to bee. 1 Peter 5.1. to grow in grace and take heed of decaying in zeale or …. If you grow remisse and carelesse, though you loose not your salva…, yet the full and comfortable assurance of it, you will certainely loose. I know this will not bee done without paine and labour. But of all the labours in the world this is the most profitable, yea the most comfortable and sweete labour. The labour of the righteous tendeth unto life. saith Solomon, Proverbs 10.16. And who would not labour for life, specially for life eternall? That which Solomon saith of bodily labour. Ecclesiast. 5.12. The sleepe of a labouring man is sweete, whether hee eate little or much, may much more bee said of this labour, it will make both our food, and rest, and all other comforts sweet unto us, for it will preserve in us the assurance of Gods love in Christ, which will give a pleasant relish unto them all.
The second of these more inward and spirituall meanes of assurance, that I told you of is, A diligent observation of our owne wayes. It is profitable and necessary for a man that would get or preserve or recover the assurance of Gods favour, to observe diligently his owne wayes. Many good soules there bee that feare God unfeinedly, and serve him with upright hearts, that yet doe not know they doe so. And though such may bee sure (as you have heard in the former direction) to attaine vntounto assurance of Gods favour in the end, yet would they (certainly) attaine unto it sooner, and in better measure if themselves did know that they doe unfeinedly feare God, and serve him with upright hearts. Hereby wee know (saith the Apostle, 1 Ioh 3.19.) that we are of the truth, and shall before him assure our hearts. When once we know we are of the truth, of the number of those that are sincere and upright hearted, then shall we assure our hearts even before God. Now no man can know this well, that is not carefull to observe, consider, and examine his owne waies. Ponder the path of thy feet (saith the Holy Ghost, Pro. 4.26.) and let all thy waies be established. As if he had said, By pondering and considering our doings well, we may have them established, make them stable and firme such as we may build sound comfort and assurance upon. Hee that doth truth (saith our Saviour, Ioh. 3.21. that is, hee that is indeed and in his practise not in profession onelyonly a godly man) commeth to the light, that his deeds may bee made manifest that they are wrought in God. As if hee should say, Hee doth by the Word examine his deeds whether they bee so performed, as God may bee pleased with them. Certainely there is never a good duty wee performe at any time, never a prayer wee make, never a Sermon wee preach or heare, never an almes wee give, nay I say more, never a bargaine wee make, never a duty wee performe even towards men in our particular callings, but it may give us assurance of Gods love if we can find it hath beene wrought in God; that is, done by the guidance of his spirit, and with an upright heart. For no man can doe any thing with an upright heart (that is, in faith, and obedience, and love to God) till he be in Gods favour, till he be in the state of grace, and a justified man. A corrupt tree (saith our Saviour, Mat. 7.18. a man that is in his naturall estate) cannot bring forth good fruit. As many as are led by the spirit of God (saith the Apostle, Rom. 8.14.) they are the sons of God certainely. Therfore also he telleth poore servants, Col. 3.24. that did their service to their idolatrous and bad masters in singlenesse of heart, fearing God, that they knew (even by this) that they should receive of the Lord, the reward of inheritance. They might grow assured of their salvation even by doing the duties of servants, with good and upright hearts. And as any one duty performed with a good heart will give assurance of this in some measure; so the more good works any man knoweth he hath done, the longer he knoweth that he hath continued in a constant care to please God in all his waies, the stronger his assurance shall be. A strong and full assurance of salvation, will not be gotten in a day or two by one or two good actions, but by a constant continuing in wel doing and by long proofe and experience of the working of Gods grace, in our hearts. We desire (saith the Apostle, Heb. 6.11.) that every one of you, doe shewe the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end. As if he should say, You have good things in you now, and such as accompany salvation, such as may give you good assurance of your salvation, you shew much labour of love, ye have ministred to the Saints and yet do minister, but if you would get full assurance of hope, you must hold out and doe so still to the end.
Two things there be that are wont to be objected by many a good heart against this.
Object. 1First, If a man could certainely know that the duties hee performeth were done with an upright heart; that in his conversation and course of life, he were led by the spirit of God, then he might indeed thereby get this assurance. But there is all the difficulty, every man may find by experience, the truth of that which the Prophet speaketh, Ier. 17.9. The heart is deceitfull above all things, and desparately wicked who can know it?
Answ.To this I answer that though this be indeed an hard thing, yet this is not impossible. The Lord that knoweth our hearts (as deceitfull as they be as the Prophet there speaketh, verse …0.) maketh his children also able to know their owne hearts, and the uprightnesse of them. Hezekiah knew he had walked before God in truth, and with an upright heart, as himselfe professeth, Esa. 38.3. And Peter certainely knew that hee did unfeignedly love the Lord and durst call the Lord himselfe to witnesse for this, Ioh. 21.17. And there is no Christian but if hee would ponder the path of his feet and take heed to his to his waies according to the word and take paines to examine them by the rules thereof, he might know the uprightnesse of his owne heart in them, it might be made manifest unto him that they are wrought in God, as our Saviour speaketh, Iohn 3.2…. Yea when he is at the worst and most destitute of his assurance, if he could examine his owne heart, he should find in it evident arguments of uprightnesse (as feare to offend God in any thing, longing after his favour and prizing it above all things; love of the brethren, poverty of spirit and griefe of heart for it) upon which he might ground good assurance that he is in the favour of God. O the wrong we doe to our selves in the carelesse neglect of observing and examining our own waies! This is a maine difference betweene the upright hearted Christian, and the naturall man. The one is ever best perswaded of his own estate when he thinketh least of his owne waies and doings, he cannot abide to examine his owne waies, or to thinke seriously of his owne doings. If by any hand of God upon him, or by a searching ministery they bee brought into his mind, it is a death unto him. Like unto the broken merchant that cannot abide to goe into his counting house to cast over his bookes. On the other side, The upright hearted Christian is never so comfortable, as when he hath most seriously co…si…ered his owne waies, when his heart hath beene so searched as he can looke into the bottome of it: Let every man prove his own worke (saith the Apostle, Gal 6.4.) and then shall he have rejoycing in himselfe alone and not in another. A good man shall be satisfied from himselfe, saith Solomon, Pro. 14.14. He shall (if he will take paines to examine his owne heart) find sufficient ground of comfort in himselfe.
The second thing that many a good soule will object against this,Object. 2. is, That hee hath done what hee can to examine his owne heart, and hee can find no truth of grace in himselfe nothing to ground any good assurance upon.
To this I answer,Answ. That this may bee indeed for a time the case of a deare child of God, as we shall heare in the next use. They cannot discerne in themselves for the present any goodnesse. But even in this case, observation and examination of their owne waies will be of great use unto them. For then it will be good for them, to call to minde the times that are past; and those evidences they have had of the truth of grace in them in former times. This course Iob took to recover his comfort sundry times, as you shall find, Chap 23.11, 12. and in three whole Chapters together, 29.30 31. And so did the Prophet likewise, Psal. 77.6. I call to remembrance my long in the night, I commune with mine owne heart, and my spirit made diligent search. He did (by communing with his own heart and searching it diligently) call to mind that there was a time when hee could sing in the night, when the spirit of adoption had given him such assurance of Gods love, as made him full of joy and comfort even in the night season. And this course the Apostle prescribeth to Gods people, Heb. 10.…2. as a singular meanes to preserve and recover their confidence and assurance of Gods favour. Call to remembrance (saith he) the former daies, in the which after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions.
Alas (will you say) what comfort is it to mee to remember what goodnesse hath beene in me in times past,Object. which I am now fallen from, and have lost?
I answer,Answ. That if ever thou hadst grace in thee in truth, although the sense and feeling of it thou mayst loose for a time, the vigour and operation of it may be nipt and interrupted for a time; but the grace and seed of regeneration is an incorruptible seed, as the Apostle calleth it, 1 Pet. 1.23. where it is in truth it is lasting. I will pray the father (saith our Saviour, Iohn 14.16, 17.) and hee shall give you another Comforter, that hee may abide with you for ever. Even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not: neither knoweth him; but ye know him, for he dwelleth in you and shall bee in you. Looke what heart the spirit of God did ever dwell in, there he shall be, there he will abide for ever, Christ hath prayed the father that it may bee so. The poore humbled sinner therefore that did ever in his life, at any one time, in any one action discerne the truth of grace in himselfe (though now he can discerne none) may from thence conclude infallibly that there is truth of grace in him still; and consequently may receive great helpe from thence for the recovery of his assurance againe.
O what cause is there then that we should continually in all our wayes commune with our owne hearts about this; and search diligently to find this truth of grace in our selves, seeing this will stand us in such stead at a dead lift (as wee say) in our spirituall desertions to recover our assurance againe?