Mans Active Obedience, Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI.
How eaſie it is to get a falſe perſwaſion, but difficult to attaine ſound aſſurance of ſaluation: which is another difference betweene them.
THe aſſurance of an hypocrite is of no ſuch excellencie, but it is eaſie to come by, and may bee as ſoone light vponupon as euer it is looked after: for it is as refuſe ſtuffe that lieth in eueryevery mans way, not worth the taking vp. No marueile then that they are ſo full of it, for of ſuch rubbiſh there be cart load fuls ro be had in eueryevery ditch, and throwne out vponupon eueryevery dunghill, which hee that hath vnderſtanding to diſcerne between things that differ, would rather throw from him, then euer take vp, though it lay in his way. A wiſe Chriſtian will rather emptie his heart of ſuch idle conceits (as theſe ſet ſo great ſtore by) if any ſuch he found there, then ſo to fill himſelfe as with emptineſſe and winde that will put him more to paine, then profit him any whit. Such Chriſtians as theſe they are no ſooner borne, but they are growne men the firſt: ſo ſoone as euer they begin to make any profeſſion of Chriſtian religion they attaine to their perfection: ſo faſt as they make any beginning, they by and by know as much as any can teach them, as to louelove God aboue all things, and their neighbour as themſelues. This they reckon to be all that can be taught them, there is no more to be learned: they know al are to be ſaued only by faith in Chriſt Ieſus, what need they any more? they are now ſure of their ſaluation for euer, they will neuer doubt after. It may be ſaid of the aſſurance that theſe men hauehave, according to that which goeth in the prouerbe, it is ſoone ripe, and it will be as ſoone rotten: it is brought foorth at once like Ionahs gourd, they neuer laboured for it, no more then hee did for his gourd (for ſuch weedes as theſe idle conceits and fond fancies, wherewith ſuch ſort of Chriſtians vſe to flatter their owne hearts, they wil grow faſt enough of themſelues): but as it is eaſily come by, ſo it is as eaſily loſt againe: it may grow in one night, as didIonah 4. 10. his gourd, and periſh in another; and then it will be with them as it was with him, they will fret more for the want of it, then euer they ioyed in their firſt hauing of it.
The good aſſurance of Gods faithfull ſeruants, is veryTrue aſſurance hardly gotten. hard to come by. The aſſurance of faith, like faith it ſelfe, as it is moſt pretious, ſo it is moſt rare, and not common to be found. In this particular the truth of that which runneth in another prouerbe (that is common) is much confirmed, that daintie things are deare things, and things of moſt excellencie will not be attained to without great difficultie. Great is the coſt many of Gods ſeruants hauehave been at, and hard hath been the labour which they hauehave taken about this one point of their aſſurance: they hauehave ſweat much and taken ſore paines hereabout, night and day doe they ſeeke it, yea daies and yeeres hauehave they beſtowed vponupon it in ſeeking after it, and yet hardly can finde …, and with much difficultie can euer attaine vntounto it: the Lord ſeeing it meete ſo to hauehave them exerciſed, ſo to de…erre them, and ſo long to put them off, before euer hee will giuegive them to hauehave their hearts deſire herein. For he knoweth ſuch to be the worth and excellencie thereof, as it will quit well the coſt they hauehave been at, and pay well for the trauaile and paines they hauehave taken for the comming by it, when once they ſhall hauehave obtained it: hee holds it therefore at ſo deare a price, that knowing what it coſt them before they could purchaſe it, they may the better eſteeme of it when they hauehave it. The Lord ſeeth well enough that the things we eaſily come by, wee vſe as little care for and as lightly to ſet by. Neither doth the Lord vſe to giuegive this to be had all at once, and wholly to be wrought vp of the ſudden. It is not a plant of a nights growing, as was Ionahs gourd: for when it is once growne and come to perfection, it is neither the bittereſt nor eagereſt froſt of one nights freezing, nor all the ſharpeſt winters of a mans whole life beſide, nor the bitings of all wormes that ſhall lie nibling at the roote, that euer can ſo poſſibly bite it or ſinite it, as wholly for altogether to ouerthrow it in the end. Wee know that the great and mightie oakes, whoſe enduring is for many ages, are longer a growing and ſlower in attaining to their full growth, then are either ſhrubs in the wood, or weeds in the garden, which eaſily may bee bruſht vp, or weeded out with the hand, or being let alone, will of themſelues fade quickly and wither away: but being once growne they will ſtand any ſtorme, and endure the ſoreſt tempeſt. So is the comming forward of the good aſſurance of a true beleeuing Chriſtian: it asketh many a yeeres growth before it can gather ſtrength and attaine to due perfection, it muſt be holpen forwards by manifold experiences, and much obſeruation had of Gods gracious fauours in the whole courſe of our liues, and ſo be made to encreaſe as with the encreaſe of God. The growth of it is ſlow, and requireth much attendance, much labour and coſt to bee beſtowed about it to hauehave it got forward: but when it is growne it is ſure, as that which is euerlaſting, and will not periſh for euer. And it proueth to be of nature inuincible, that dareth encounter the bittereſt enemie that it hath: whereof we hauehave a moſt pregnantRom. 8. 38. example in that bleſſed Apoſtle Paul.