Lectures Upon Psalm 51, Part 8 · Lecture 122
Lecture CXXII. On Psalme 51.7. Iuly 7. 1629.
NOw for the signes of true assurance, it is necessary that every one of us should hearken unto them and examine diligently by them whether his assurance be sound or no, whether God have purged him with hysope and sprinkled the bloud of Christ upon his heart, and assured him it is his, or whether he hath only done it himselfe, or Satan hath done it for him.
Two things there be that may assure you of the necessity of this.
First, That there be many whom Satan and their owne foolish heart have extreamely deluded in this point. Many very wicked men are strongly perswaded Christ is theirs, God is their God. Baalam could call God his God, Numb. 27.18. I cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord my God, saith he. And of Israel the Lord saith, Hos. 8.1, 2, 3. that even then when they had transgressed his covenant, and trespassed against his law, when they had cast off the thing that is good, yet even then Israel would cry unto him, my God, wee know thee. Yea the lewdest men are usually more strongly perswaded of this, make lesse doubt, have lesse feare of this, then the best of Gods servants are wont to have. The wise man (saith Solomon, Pro. 14.16. that is, the godly man) feareth, but the foole (the profane and ungracious man) is confident, maketh no doubt of his salvation at all. Yea it is certaine many notorious sinners live and die in this strong perswasion. One dieth (saith Iob 21.23.) in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet; no trouble of mind, no scruple or doubt of this matter, ever entreth into his heart no not upon his death bed. And can any of you thinke that the assurance that such men have is of God? These men seeme to be purged with hysope, to have Christs bloud sprinkled upon their hearts and applyed unto them, but by what hand, by what spirit was it done? Certainely not by the hand and spirit of God, God will speake peace to his people and to his Saints, saith the Prophet, Psal. 85.8. He never spake peace to such men as these are, he never gave them assurance of his favour.
Secondly, That such a kind of assurance as is false and is not of Gods working, will do a man no good at all, but much hurt many waies. It were farre better for a man to live in continuall doubt of his salvation, though that breed feare and terrours in his heart, then to have the confidence and peace of these men. I will give you three reasons of it. For
First, The man that is subject to these continuall doubts and feares is thereby kept in awe and restrained from many sinnes that otherwise he were in danger to fall into; Whereas the man that is so full of this false confidence, and peace walketh licentiously and runneth like the horse that hath the bridle on his neck whither he listeth, feareth no sinne. The wise man feareth (saith Solomon, Pro. 14.16.) and departeth from evill, his feares restraine him from sinne; but the foole rageth and is confident, the more confident he is, the more outragiously he sinneth.
Secondly, The man that is subject to continuall doubts and feares, is thereby stirred up to a diligent use of the meanes, whereby hee may come to true assurance and peace; the meanes of grace are sweet unto him; Whereas the man that is most full of false assurance and confidence careth least for the meanes of grace, nay he loatheth and despiseth them. The full soule (saith Solomon, Pro. 27.7.) loatheth an hony combe (the sweetest the best meanes of grace) but to the hungry soule every bittter thing is sweet, the meanest, the coursest ministery is sweet to that man.
Thirdly and lastly, These doubts and feares use to end in peace and sound assurance, Yea proportionable to the measure of doubts and feares men are troubled with in this kind, the measure of their assurance and peace is wont to be in the end. Your sorrow saith our Saviour, Iohn 16.20.) shall bee turned into joy. Marke the perfect man (saith David, Psalme 37.37.) and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace. Whereas (on the other side) false assurance and confidence useth to end in despaire; and the lesse doubt, the more assurance any man seemeth to have now of his salvation, if it bee false, the more danger hee is in to fall one day into desperate feares and terrours. His confidence shall bee rooted out of his tabernacle (saith Bildad, Iob 18.14.) and it shall bring him to the king of terrours.
It standeth us therefore upon (you see) to examine well and try that assurance wee seeme to have that Christ is ours whether it bee wrought in us by Gods spirit yea or no. No assurance of our spirituall estate can bee sound or such as will yeeld us true comfort but such as the good spirit of God worketh in us. David prayeth heere to God to purge him with hysope, to sprinkle Christs bloud upon his heart, none but the Lord can doe it. It is the spirit that beareth witnesse, because the spirit is truth, as you heard the last day out of 1 Iohn 5.6. No witnesse is sure and beyond exception in this case, but the spirit onelyonly. And in this respect the spirit of God is called the Comforter, Iohn 14 26. There is also an assurance and peace of the divells working, he can cause peace too, Luk. 11.21. When a strong armed man keepeth his palace, all his goods are in peace. But that peace cannot be found and true peace; that spirit cannot be a true comforter. He is a roaring lyon, 1 Pet. 5.8. He is a fierce red dragon, Rev. 12.3. And so shall they all find him in the end, whom he seemeth to give greatest peace unto. Try thy assurance therefore whether it be of God yea or no.
And there be three sorts of signes and notes whereby we may judge of this. 1. By the qualification of the subject, of the person in whom this assurance is wrought. 2. By the ground upon which this assurance is built. 3. By the effects and fruits that this assurance produceth in him that hath it.
For the first,Signe 1. The spirit of God is not wont to sprinkle the bloud of Christ, nor to worke this comfortable assurance in any heart, that was not first humbled and troubled with much feare and doubting. Yee have not received the spirit of bondage againe to feare (saith the Apostle, Romanes 8.15.) but yee have received the spirit of adaption whereby wee cry, Abba, Father. Intimating plainely that the spirit of adoption that beareth witnesse to our spirits that wee are Gods children, useth not to enter into any heart where the spirit of bondage hath not beene before; that is, Where the spirit of God hath not first effectually discovered to a man his bondage unto sinne and to the curse of God, and wrought feare and terrour in his heart thereby. The spirit of the Lord is upon me (saith our Saviour, Luk. 4.18.) because he hath anointed me, to preach the Gospell unto the poore, to heale the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and bond-slaves; that is to say, To them that by the spirit of bondage are troubled with feares and terrours in their hearts. And as he useth not to sprinkle Christs bloud upon any heart that was not first troubled with these feares and terrours; so they whom he hath thus besprinkled, are never perfectly freed from these doubts while they live here. The flesh lusteth against the spirit, as the Apostle speaketh, Gal. 5.17. And they have in them a combat oft times betweene faith and infidelity. The spirits indeed of just men that are translated into heaven are made perfect, as the Apostle teacheth us, Heb. 12.23. But the regeneration of the justest man while he is upon earth, is not so perfected but that even after the spirit of God hath sprinkled the bloud of Christ upon him, and given him a comfortable assurance of Gods speciall love to him in Christ, yet there will be doubting and infidelity remaining in him still. Yea hee is subject also oft to such spirituall desertions that he looseth the sense of his assurance and is visited ever and anon with his old feares and terrours and troubled with them againe. David was so when he cryed, Psal. …2.1. that God had forsaken him. And Heman was so when he complained, Psal. 88.15. that by suffering these terr…urs he was even distracted. And Paul was so when he said, 2 Cor. 7.5. Without were fightings; that is, strong and violent oppositions of persecuters and hereticks, and within were feares, through the doubting and infidelity that he found in his own heart. Finally the Church the deare Spouse of Christ, was so more then once; when Cant. 3.1. She sought him whom hee soule loved, she sought him, but she found him not; and againe, when Cant 5.6. Her beloved had with drawne himselfe, shee sought him, but shee could not find him.
Applic.Let us then make application of this, and try our assurance by this first note. Many men there bee that never doubted of their salvation in their lives, were never acquainted with these feares and terrours that you have heard of. They are and ever were most confident that God is their God, they are in his favour; they wonder to see many Christians so full of doubts and feares this way and are apt to conclude from thence that certainely they are hypocrites and guilty of some grosse sinnes; according to that complaint of Iob 12.5. Hee that is ready to slip with his feet, is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease. To such men I may fitly say of their freedome from all doubtings and feares as the Apostle speaketh to them that are free from all affliction, Hebrewes 12 8. If yee bee and ever have beene without doubtings and feares whereof all are partakers, thou are yee bastards and not sonnes. If thy assurance of thy salvation was bred and borne with thee and thou wert never without it, if it bee so perfect that thou hast no doubts, no motions of infidelity this way, then thou hast just cause to judge thy assurance not of Gods making, it is but a counterfait assurance and a very delusion of the divell; and I will apply to thee that saying of Eliphaz, Iob 15.31. Let not him that is deceived, trust in vanity, for vanity shall be his recompence.
Signe 2.Secondly, By the grounds upon which our assurance is built, wee may judge whether it be sound or no. That assurance of Gods favour which the spirit of God worketh in any heart (as it is wrought by the Word, so it) is grounded onelyonly upon the most sure and infallible testimony of Gods holy Word. The testimony that a false and erronious spirit giveth, is to bee discerned from that which the spirit of God giveth by this note. If they speake not according to this Word (saith the Lord, Esay 8.20.) it is because there is no light in them. Whatsoever is wrought in us by Gods spirit is agreeable to Gods Word. The spirit and the Word goe alwaies together. My spirit which is upon thee, and my words which I have put into thy mouth (saith the Lord, Esa. 59.21.) shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed. So that, that assurance of Gods favour that is wrought in any heart by the spirit of God, is grounded upon the Word of God onelyonly. In which respect the Apostle calleth it the Word of faith, Romanes 10 8 because all true faith is grounded upon it, and upon it alone. I trust in thy Word, saith David, Psalme 119.42. As if hee had said, VponUpon that doe I build that confidence that I have in thy mercy. The Papists tell us that no man can bee sure certitudine fidei with the assurance of faith, of his owne particular estate of grace; Because faith must have the Word to ground it selfe upon, and no particular man hath any Word of God, to assure him that hee is in Christ. And indeed if this were true, that they doe assume, that no particular man hath any Word of God to assure him, that he is in Gods favour, their argument were unanswerable. But blessed be God, that every true Christian hath Gods expresse Word, to assure him in particular, that he is in the state of salvation. I cannot now stand upon all those grounds that he hath in the word to build this assurance upon. I will mention but foure onelyonly.
First, The Scripture expresly saith, that whosoever hath truly repented and leadeth a new life (how lewd soever he was before) he shall certainly be saved. If the wicked will turne from all his sinnes that he hath committed (saith the Lord, Ezek. 18.21.) and keepe all my statutes, and do that which is lawfull and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Secondly, the Scripture expresly speaketh, that whosoever loveth the Lord, obeyeth and serveth him out of love, shall certainly be saved. If any man love God (saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 8.3.) the same is knowne (that is, approved and beloved) of him.
Thirdly, the Scripture expresly saith, that whosoever loveth the godly because they are godly, shall certainly be saved. Hereby we know that we are of the truth (…aith the Apostle, 1 Ioh. 3.19.) and shall assure our hearts before him.
Fourthly and lastly, The Scripture expresly saith, that whosoever with an humbled soule, that despaireth of all helpe by any other meanes, believeth and putteth his affiance in Christ alone, resteth and relyeth wholly upon him, shall certainly be saved. Whosoever belieueth in him (saith our Saviour Iohn 3.16.) shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Two things (I know) are objected against this.
First,Object. 1 That these are generall speeches, and here is no word of God brought to assure such and such a particular of his personall estate.
I answer; That because these speeches are so generall, therefore every particular man that findeth himselfe thus qualified,Answ. may assure himselfe (even by the certainty of faith) that he shall be saved, as verily, as if God should have said to him by name, as once Christ did to the man that had the palsey, Matth. 9 2 Sonne be of good comfort, thy sinnes are forgiven thee, thou shalt be saved. Why so? Because he hath Gods written Word to assure him of it. Els how can any particular man be assured (certitudine fidei) that his body shall rise againe at the last day, as every Papist as well as every Protestant professeth that he is? Hath he any Word of God to assure him by name, that his body shall rise againe? No, but because God in his Word hath said, Ioh. 5.28.29. that all that are dead, good and bad, shall rise at the last day and come unto judgement, therefore every true Christian doth as undoubtedly believe it, as if God had named him in his Word (as he did Iosiah and Cyrus long before they were borne) and said unto him, thy body shall rise againe at the last day.
But then it is objected secondly;Object. 2 That he that is so qualified as is mentined in these foure places that I have alledged, shall indeed be certainly saved, but who can be assured that he is so qualified, that he hath truly repented, that he truly loveth God, and his children, that he truly believeth in Christ? Specially how can he be assured of that by the Word of God? The heart of man (we know) is deceitfull, as the Prophet speaketh, Ieremie 17.9. And experience prooveth, that many that seemed to have truly repented and believed, have (by their falling away) declared that it was nothing so.
Two answers I have to give unto this.
First,Answ. 1. That though many have deceived themselves in this point, yet it is evident by the Scriptures that a true Christian may be assured, he hath all these foure graces in him in truth and sinceritie. Hezekiah was undoubtedly assured that his life was truly reformed, that he had truly repented, or els he could not have said as he did in his extream… …ffliction, Esa. 38.3. Remember now O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. Peter was undoubtedly assured (and that even in the time of the great dejectednesse of his spirit) that he loved the Lord in truth, or els he would never have said as he did, Iohn 21.17. Lord thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee. The faithfull (in whose name the Apostle speaketh 1 Iohn 3.14.) were undoubtedly assured that they do truly love the children of God, or els they could not have said as they did there, By this we know that we are translated from death to life, because we love the brethren. The poore man whose child was possessed, was undoubtedly assured that he had true faith, or els he could never have said as hee did to the Lord himselfe, Marke 9.24. even then when he was so humbled in the sense of his owne infidelity, Lord I doe believe, helpe thou m…ne unbeliefe. In a word; All that have true grace in them, may undoubtedly know they have it in them, in truth, for the Spirit of God is given to that end principally, to give them a comfortable assurance that they are in the state of grace. We have received not the spirit of the world (saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 2.12.) but the spirit that is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given us of God.
Answ. 2.Secondly, A man may be assured by the word that he hath these graces in him in truth and sincerity, so as he cannot be deceived in them, because the word cannot deceive him. For as God gave Moses in the mount a patterne according to which he would have all things made in the Tabernacle; See (saith he) that thou make all things according to the patterne shewed to thee in the mount, Hebr. 8.5. so that when he viewed the worke, and saw all was done according to that patterne, he was sure they had done right, and blessed them, as we read Exod. 39 43. So hath the Lord given us a patterne in his Word, according to which he would have everything in his spirituall Tabernacle (saith, repentance, love, obedience) to be wrought. And if a man can find that that grace that he hath is according to this patterne (as if the fault be not in himselfe, if he will take paines to view the worke well, as Moses did, he may. Let every man prove his owne worke (saith the Apostle, Gal. 6.4.) and then shall he have rejoycing in himselfe alone, and not in another) then may he be sure it is right, then shall he certainly be blessed of God, as Bezaliel and Ab…liab were of Moses, when all that they had done was found to be according to the patterne that was given in the mount. And thus you have seene that all true assurance of salvation is grounded upon the Word of God, and upon it alone.
Applic.Let us now make some application of this second signe in two points unto our selves, and examine our owne assurance by it.
First, canst thou prove by the Word of God that thou art in the state of salvation? Then art thou an happy man. If thou canst nor… how confident soever thou seemest to be, thou wilt find one day that thy state is not good. For, 1. Thou hast cause to distrust thy assurance that it is not sound. No mans private spirit is to be trusted in this case. He that trusteth in his owne heart is a foole, saith Solomon, Pro. 28.26. Gods Spirit must witnesse with our spirits that we are his children (as the Apostle speaketh, Rom. 8.16.) or els we can never be sure of it. And Gods Spirit giveth no testimony (as we have heard) but according to the Word; so that no man can have any sound comfort in the assurance he seemeth to have of Gods favour, unlesse he have the Word of God to confirme it unto him. In God will I praise his Word (saith David, Psal▪ 6.10, 11.) in the Lord will I praise his Word. In God have I put my trust. As if he had said, I thank God for his Word, for that is the onelyonly ground of my comfort, of all that trust and confidence I have in him, of all that assurance that I have of his favour in Christ. 2. Thou must looke to have thy evidence questioned one day. He that desired to have the Apostles in fingering, (as our Saviour telleth them, Luke 22.31.) that he might sift them as wheat, be sure will deale with thee also in this kind one day. And nothing will be able to convince him, to stop his mouth and beat him from thee, but the word onelyonly. That is the onelyonly sword of the spirit, as the Apostle calleth it, Ephes. 6.17. That is the onelyonly weapon whereby Christ our Captaine did fight against him and overcome him, Matth. 4.4, 7, 10. And if thou canst be able to alledge the Word for thy assurance and claime to heaven; to prove by the Word that thy faith, thy repentance, thy love is sincere, then shalt thou be able to overcome …im also; but not els. 3. Lastly, the Lord himselfe will judge thee at the last day by his Word, and by that onelyonly. The word that I have spoken (saith our Saviour, Io…. 12.48) the same shall judge him at the last day. And therefore it standeth thee upon to judge thy selfe by that too.
Secondly, Now (alas) most men (though they say they be undoubtedly assured of their salvation) have no ground at all in Gods Word for this assurance they boast of. Nay though the Word give most expresse and direct evidence against them, yet are they most confident that they shall be saved for all that. Though Gods Word say expresly, Psal. 119.155. Salvation is farre from the wicked: for they seeke not thy statutes: Yet many a one that never seeketh after Gods Statutes, taketh no paines for the Word, nay shunneth it all that ever he can, and though he may enjoy it without any labour or charge at all, will not stirre out of his doores for it, nay that counteth you all arrant fooles and hypocrites that take so much paines for it as many of you do; yet is this man (I say) as sure of his owne salvation as any of you can be. Though the Scripture say expresly, yea though he that must judge us all at the last day say expresly, Matth. 5.37. Whatsoever is more than yea and nay (the least oath that is in our ordinary communication) commeth of that evill one, foreign from the Divell; And though the Apostle say, Iam. 5.12. Above all things my brethren sweare not by any oath, least ye fall into condemnation, least ye be damned; yet have we many a one that sweare ordinarily, not by faith and troth onelyonly, but by fowler oathes a great deale, that yet never doubted of their salvation, but are confident Christ died for them, his blood hath been sprinkled upon their hearts. Though the Scripture say expresly, 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. Neither fornicators, nor wantons, nor theeves, nor drunkards, nor raylors, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdome of God; yet where have you any in Gods Church that are more confidently assured, that have lesse doubt of their salvation than these men have? But let God be true (saith the Apostle, Rom. 3.4.) and every man a lyar. Thou wilt one day find that the Lords testimonies (against thee) are very sure, as the Psalmist calleth them, Psal. 93.5. and that thine owne heart hath prophesied a lie unto thee that thou mightest perish, as the Lord saith of them that prophesied peace unto the Iewes, Ier. 27.10. I know thou art apt to alledge that thou hast repented, and that thou dost believe in Christ, and therefore thou hast the Word to build thy assurance upon. But because neither thy faith nor thy repentance are according to the patterne, according to the Word, I may say of thy confidence thou reposest therein, as Bildad doth of the hope of all hypocrites, Iob 8.14. Thy hope shall be cut off, and thy trust shall be as the spiders webb.