Seven Treatises, Treatise 6 · Chapter 2
CHAP. 2. Of the firſt priuiledge: That the beleeuers may know in this world, that they hauehave eternall life.
OF the firſt ſort, this is one (which the rich men of the world, who want it, cannot purchaſe with all their ſubſtance:) I meane, that they may know and bee perſwaded that they are beloued of God, and that their names are written in heauen, and therefore although they be ſtrangers heere for a while, yet that they ſhall vndoubtedly be ſaued; whiles in the meane ſeaſon, others who are farre from it, doe pleaſe themſelues with laughing at their folly, ſaucineſſe and madneſſe (as they count it) for that they fancie ſuch things to themſelues. Whereby they declare (in thinking there are no ſuch to whom this is reueiled) what a priuiledge it is,Luc. 12.32. Luc. 10.20. to know ſo much of Gods will and minde, to be partakers of ſo great a treaſure, as the mightie ones doe confeſſe is vtterly hidden from them. Now for proofe of it, that God alloweth them to know it, what is more manifeſt than this which is written by Saint Iohn? Behold, what louelove the father hath giuen to vsus, 1. Ioh. 3.1. Ioh. 1.12. 1. Ioh. 5.13.that we ſhould be called the ſonnes of God. And againe: As many as receiued him, to them he gaue prerogatiue to be the ſonnes of God, euen to them that beleeue in his name. Alſo: Theſe things hauehave I written vntounto you that beleeue in the name of the ſonne of God, that yee may know, that yee hauehave eternall life, &c. But this matter hauing beene largely handled in the firſt chapter, may with fewer proofes ſatisfie ſuch as deſire to heare more of it.
Therefore as this is not to be doubted of, that true Chriſtians know themſelues, or may by ſome euidences, (euen the weakeſt) to be beloued of God, and that they ſhall be ſaued: ſo how great a priuiledge this is, let them learne (who ſet little by it) of Chriſt himſelfe, who hath valued it at a greater price then all the world:Mat. 16.24. What ſhall it profit a man though he ſhould winne the whole world, if he looſe his owne ſoule? or what ſhall a man giuegive for recompence of his ſoule? Now if the knowing of this ſecret, that God loueth vsus, be a priuiledge of ſo great account, yea though a man ſhould know it but dimly, and if he ſhould know it but once in all his life: what a manner of priuiledge then is this to be accounted,Rom. 1.17. that we may grow from faith to faith, and from a darker knowledge of it to a clearer from day to day,A Chriſtian may hauehave better aſſurance of his ſaluation, then any man can hauehave of the things he holdeth in this life. and that, with better aſſurance then we hold any thing in this life by ſeale, writing, witneſſe, or any other way that law can deuiſe? For indeed the benefit of knowing this ſo great a treaſure to be fallen vsus, were by many degrees leſſe, if it were, when it is once knowne to vsus, afterward to be doubted of and called into queſtion againe, and that our aſſurance might not both grow greater, and daily continuance of the ſame be obteined.
This priuiledge is the greater, ſeeing the longer we enioy it, the better we know it.But thanks be to God for his vnſpeakable mercy, who hath prouided, that the longer we liue, the better we may know it. For the longer that we hauehave beleeued Gods promiſe, and beene acquainted with it, who doubteth, but that we may much more cleerely be perſwaded of it, then in former times when we firſt beleeued, and when we had not as yet ſo often conſidered it, nor ſo deepely weighed what might hinder and weaken our faith, or come againſt it? For at the firſt enlightning of our hearts with this ſunne-ſhine of faith, we hauehave many miſtes and cloudes caſt before our eies, to dim & darken it: many doubts ariſing from our owne weakneſſe, vnworthineſſe & feeling of our ſins when we hauehave had as yet little experience of Gods tender compaſſion & care ouer vsus, or at leaſt when little marked of vsus; much feare troubleth vsus then, becauſe we ſee many things to accuſe vsus, and for that we doe not many duties which we heare taught vntounto vsus; but when we are better acquainted with him, we more eaſily beleeue, that he will forgiue them all vntounto vsus. And as the yoong childe is not able to ſtand and go alone, till time hath brought more ſtrength: euen ſo it fareth with vsus. But when we hauehave after longer time ſeene the will and minde of God to be conſtant & vnchangeable,1. Chron. 28.7. God requireth nothing more, then an vnfeigned care to pleaſe him. our own care to pleaſe God to be vnfeigned though vnperfect (more then which nothing is required of vsus) and that the beſt of Gods ſeruants hauehave had the ſame infirmities as well as we, & that we hauehave liberty, when we ſee our weakneſſe to ſeeke pardon of the ſame at the hands of our good God; theſe and ſuch like conſiderations after longer time, when we hauehave oft weighed, God hath giuen vsus greater ſtrength of faith, and ſtrengthned vsus to waxe more confident, euen as we hauehave withall become more humble and obedient. So farre is it off, that this aſſurance the longer time we hauehave inioied it, ſhould be further off from vsus.
Obiection againſt the ſure holding of this priuiledge, anſwered. On cauſe of doubtfulneſſe is, the neglect or careleſſe vſing of the meanes whereby faith is confirmed.And as for that many obiect, that ſundry of Gods children, after they hauehave knowen it, doe fall to doubt of it after, this gainſaieth not that which I affirme. For that it may be and is thus, I deny not; the deuils ſubtilty and malice being ſtronger then men hauehave faith to reſiſt it. But the trueth is, that as the godly are renewed but in part: ſo through corruption they may waxe wearie oftentimes of that care which ſhould procure their welfare, and may (as no doubt but many doe) neglect to nouriſh their faith daily, and ſlake their delight in vſing reuerently the beſt meanes for the conforming of the ſame: and therefore, ſuch doe the oftner taſte of the hard dyet of other men, becauſe they will ſometimes chooſe to follow their waies.
Beſides, there are others which though they offend not that way,A ſecond cauſe is, diſtruſt. yet they giuegive too much place to diſtruſt, hauing no iuſt cauſe, by an euill conſcience, which is the greateſt enemie to faith: and heereby they depriue themſelues of the benefit of this faith and confidence.Pſ. 77.9.10. Which kind of people muſt labor to ſtay themſelues by the perſwaſion of ſuch Scripture as is written of purpoſe for their comfort, as: Take my yoke vponupon you, and yee ſhall finde rest to your ſoules. alſo: A contrite heart God will not deſpiſe, &c. Mat. 11.29. Pſal. 51.17. Mat. 12.20. Pſa. 43.5. But to returne, ſeeing they may hold & abide in Gods louelove, and hold faſt this knowledge of it, the longer they liue, they ſee this muſt be granted them alſo:Ioh. 10.28. That none ſhall take them out of the Lords hands or cuſtodie, but that he will care for them vntounto the reſurrection day.
Wherein this is a further degree flowing from the former, that this louelove of God being ſhed into their hearts plentifully by the holy Ghoſt,Rom. 5.5. This priuiledge is the greater for the ioy it bringeth. it maketh them more quiet, ioyfull and better ſatisfied, then all that can be deſired of them beſides, according to that which Saint Peter ſaith: Though we ſee him not, yet we beleeue in him, and we reioice with ioy vnſpeakable and glorious. For what is there in the world, that can raiſe the like ioy in our hearts, as this, that we know that we ſhall ſee the good pleaſures of the Lord in the land of the liuing (that is,2. Cor. 5.1. in his militant church heere) and hauehave an houſe not made with hands, but eternall, in his triumphant heereafter? who doeth not ſee, as the former ages hauehave found and felt, and they who yet remaine on earth ſhall finde, that to all other things, euen the beſt, there is an appointed end? And therefore the ioy that men conceiue for them, is but flitting and momentanie, not vnſpeakable and euerlaſting. So that the peace and ioy which ariſe from the certeinty of our ſaluation, is woorthely rekoned as a ſingular priuiledge, in as much, as it doeth not onelyonly exceed all worldly treaſures; but alſo, becauſe it is proper to the children of God,Reu. 14.3. and the other hauehave no part in it.
And further, this ſhould better appeare,This priuiledge is the greater by conſidering the woe of the reprobate, who want this. how great a priuiledge it is to be beloued of God, if we could poſſibly conceiue the dreadfull feare of the reprobate in deſperation, and how little comfort ſuch an one taketh in all his wealth and delights which he hath in this world (in whatſoeuer price and account they are with fooles:) but would giuegive them all for one quarter of an houres feeling of Gods louing kindneſſe and ſweet countenance towards him, if it could be inioied, and the ſound peace and comfort that commeth with it. And therefore if any will know the benefit and greatneſſe of this priuiledge, let him aske of them, who hauing hardned their hearts through vnbeliefe, are growne into deſpaire: who with weariſome ſighes and groanes, that cannot be expreſſed, doe thinke with themſelues and ſpeake many times: Oh how happy are thoſe which are ſaued? yea, and what would they giuegive, if they had it, how many thouſand worlds, for a part in Gods kingdome? Or if the damned ſoules in hell could ſpeake, they would tell you, whether this be a prerogatiue, to be kept ſo ſafely from the torments thereof, and honoured with the aſſurance of heauen and happineſſe; as partly may be gathered by that which Saint Luke writeth of the Epicure in the Goſpel,Luc. 16.24. ſaying: Oh that the tippe of a finger were dipped in water to coole my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.For want of the ioy of this priuiledge, the vaine delights of the world are hunted after. This priuiledge is yet greater, ſeeing it may be inioyed dayly and to our end. And without it, (I meane, where this is not inioied) I doe maruell, that vaine, deceiueable and tranſitorie, yea loathſome and filthy pleaſures are ſo hunted after, as they be: euen till they iuſtle out all remembrance and regard of heauenly things altogether. And this ſweet liberty peculiar to Gods children, which I now ſpeake of, is ſo much the greater by this, that we may inioy it all the day long, and ſo throughout our life, and are not ſtinted nor tied to one houre or time wherein we may poſſeſſe it: and alſo becauſe the longer time we be partakers of it, the ſweeter it is vntounto vsus, ſeeing we doe the better know the benefit of it, and that none hath power to depriue vsus of it. And thus much of the firſt priuiledge; namely, The certeintie of our ſaluation, whiles we are in this life: which, if we weigh throughly what we hauehave beene and what we hauehave deſerued, will (I thinke) be thought no ſmall nor meane gift, but great and woonderfull, and yet proper to the beleeuers: ſo that all people which ſhall vnderſtand it, may woorthily and for good cauſe commend the Chriſtians life, to the which it properly perteineth, and wiſh and trauell to imbrace and be partakers of it moſt willingly; euen as we read, that in ages paſt it was ſaid by the Lord, that ten men out of all languages of the nations, ſhall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Iew, and ſay: We will goe with you, for we hauehave heard that God is with you, Zach. 8.23. And if there were no other priuiledge, but this one to be inioied, whiles we liue heere; yet were our porcion exceeding great, ſeeing ſo many thouſands who heare of it would thinke their eſtate right happy and good, if after many yeeres paine and heauineſſe in ſeeking it, they might inioy it.
But, glory be to God on high, theſe are not all the precious benefits and prerogatiues, which God hath willingly bequeathed his ſeruants, beſides all other outward bleſſings which they hauehave in common with the vnbeleeuers. Of theſe therefore, or ſome of them, which either they doe, or may enioy daily in the ſeuerall actions and parts of their liues, to make the ſame well pleaſing to God, acceptable to men, and more eaſie and ſweet to themſelues then the moſt doe finde them; of theſe (I ſay) it followeth next to ſay ſome thing.