A Cabinet of Choice Jewels, Chapter 1 · Maxim 6
The ſixth Maxim or Conſideration.
SIxthly, conſider, That 'tis granted on all hands, that the leaſt degree of grace, if true, is ſufficient to ſalvation; for the promiſes of life and glory, of remiſſion and ſalvation, of everlaſting happineſs and bleſſedneſs,Mark. 16.16. John 3.16, 36. M…t. 5. John 6, 40. are not made over to degrees of grace, but to the truth of grace, not to faith in triumph, but to faith in truth; and therefore the ſenſe and evidence of the leaſt grace, yea of the leaſt degree of the leaſt grace, may afford ſome meaſure of aſſurance. Grace is the fruit of the Spirit, Gal. 5.22. and the Tree is known by his fruit, Mat. 12.33. I don't ſay,An eminent Miniſter, who was a famous inſtrument of converting many to God, was wont to ſay, that for his own pat he had no other evidence in himſelf of being in the ſtate of grace, than that he was ſenſible of his deadneſs. that weak grace will afford a ſtrong aſſurance, or a full aſſurance (for that rather ariſes from ſtrength of grace, than from truth of grace) but I ſay, weak grace may afford ſome aſſurance: And oh, that all weak Chriſtians would ſeriouſly lay this to heart, for it may ſerve to relieve them againſt many fears, doubts, diſcouragements and jealouſies, which do much diſturb the peace and comfort of their precious ſouls; though the leaſt meaſures of grace can't ſatisfie a ſincere Chriſtian, yet they ought to quiet his conſcience, and chear his heart, and confirm his judgment of his intereſt in Chriſt. The leaſt meaſure of grace is like a Diamond, very little in bulk, but of high price and mighty value, and accordingly we are to improve it for our comfort and encouragement. A Goldſmith makes reckoning of the leaſt filings of gold,Slight not the loweſt, the meaneſt evidences of grace. God may put thee to make uſe of the loweſt as thou thinkeſt, even that, 1 Joh. 3.14. that may be worth a thouſand worlds to thee. Page 33. of a little piece called a choice drop of honey. and ſo ſhould we of the leaſt meaſures of grace. A man may read the Kings Image upon a ſilver penny, as well as upon a larger piece of coyn. The leaſt dram of grace bears the Image of God upon it; and why then ſhould it not evidence the goodneſs and happineſs of a Chriſtians eſtate. It's a true ſaying, That the aſſurance of an eternal life, is the life of this temporal life. I have read, that Mr. Jordain, one of the Aldermen of the City of Exeter, would uſe to ask grown Profeſſors, whether they had any aſſurance; which if they denied, he would tell them, that he was even aſhamed of them; In good earneſt (ſaith he) I would ſtudy the promiſes, and go into my cloſet, and lock the door, and there plead them to God, and ſay, that I would not go forth, till he gave me ſome ſence of his love. He would often mention and try himſelf by theſe three Marks: Firſt, a ſincere deſire to fear the name of God, which he grounded upon that, Neh. 1. ult. Secondly, a ſincere deſire to do the will of God in all things required; which he grounded upon Pſal. 119.6. Thirdly, a full purpoſe of heart to cleave to the Lord, which he grounded upon Act. 11.23.The diſcovery of grace in thy heart though but one grain, and that of muſtard-ſeed, will aſſure thee of thy election and final ſalvation. Fords ſpirit of Adoption, p. 248. Theſe he would often preſs upon others, and theſe he frequently tryed himſelf by, and from theſe he had much aſſurance and comfort. Mr. Stephen Marſhal, in a Sermon of his, on Iſa. 9.2. ſaith, Look and examine, whether thou doſt not loath thy ſelf as a baſe creature; and doſt thou make this nothing? Secondly, Doſt thou not in thy heart value and prize the meaneſt child of God, more than the greateſt men in the world, that have not the image of God, the image of grace and holineſs ſtampt upon them, I pray God (ſaith Mr. Marſhal) that many of God's people do not want theſe evidences. If our ſouls (ſaith another) ſhall like of Chriſt for a Sui…or, when we find no other jointure but the Croſs, Mr. Dod on the commandments page 313, 314.we may be ſure we are Chriſtians. A man may want the feeling of his faith, and cry and call again and again for it, and feel nothing all this while, and yet nevertheleſs have true and ſound faith: For the feeling of, and mourning for the want of faith, and the earneſt and conſtant deſire of it, is an infallible ſign of faith. For this is a ſure Rule, that ſo long as one feeleth himſelf ſick he is not dead; and the high eſtimation of faith, joined with a vehement deſire of it, is a ſingular evidence that there is a ſound and lively root of faith in our hearts. 1. Pet. 1.2. Mr. Love, his zealous Chriſtian, pag. 29. laſt part.All the elect of God ſhall have the ſanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and the ſprinkling of the bloud of Chriſt upon their hearts, ſooner or later. I do not preſs the having of theſe things gradually, but ſincerely; an elect perſon may want many a degree of grace, but if he have them in ſincerity, Dr. Sibbs, his commentary on the firſt Chapter of the ſecond Epiſtle of Paul to the Corinthians, ver. 22. pag. 491, 492.though in the leaſt meaſure, it is a ſufficient evidence of his election. An earneſt is little in regard of the whole; perhaps we have but a ſhilling to ſecure us of many pounds: ſo then the point is this, That howſoever we may be aſſured of our eſtate in grace, and likewiſe that we ſhall hold out, yet the ground of this aſſurance is not from any great meaſure of grace; but though t be little in quantity, it may be great in aſſurance and ſecurity. As we value an earneſt, not for the worth that is in it ſelf, but becauſe it aſſures us of a great bargain; we have an eye more to the conſummation of the bargain, than to the quantity of the earneſt; ſo it is here, grace is but an earneſt: yet notwithſtanding, though it be little, as an earneſt is, yet it is great in aſſurance and validity, anſwerable to the relation of that it hath to aſſure us. Though grace be little, yet as little as it is, ſeeing it is an earneſt, and the firſt fruits (as the Apoſtle ſaith) which were but little in regard of the whole harveſt, yet it is of the nature of the whole, and thereupon it comes to ſecure. A ſpark of fire is but little, yet it is fire as well as the whole element of fire; and a drop of water is but little, yet it is water as well as the whole Ocean. When a man is in a dark place, put the caſe it be in a dungeon, if he have but a …ittle light ſhining into him from a little crevice, that little light diſcovers that the day is broke, that the Sun is riſen. Put the caſe there be but one grape on a Vine, it ſhews that it is a Vine, and that the Vine is not dead: So put the caſe that there be but the appearance of a little grace in a Chriſtian, perhaps the Spirit of God appears but in one grace in him at that time, yet that one grace ſheweth that we are Vines, and not thiſtles, or thorns or baſe plants, and it ſhews that there is life in the root. Thus you ſee how fully this Reverend Doctor ſpeaks to the caſe. That friend that writes the life and death of Mr. John Marcol, once Preacher of the Goſpel at Dublin, ſaith,See his Treatiſe, publiſhed by Mr. Winter, Mr. Chambers, Mr. Eaton, Mr. Carryl, and Mr. Mantou, pag. 36, 37. That in preparation for the Supper-Ordinance, he would bring himſelf unto the Teſt, and to ſay the truth, was very clear in the diſcovering and making out his own condition, being well acquainted with the way of Gods dealing with the ſoul, and with the way of the ſouls cloſing with Chriſt. Inſtance, April. 3. 1653. Upon ſearch I find, 1. My ſelf an undone creature. 2. That the Lord Jeſus ſufficiently ſatisfied as Mediator, the Law for ſin. 3. That he is freely offered in the Goſpel. 4. So far as I know my own heart, I do through mercy heartily conſent, that he only ſhall be my Saviour, not my works or duties, which I do only in obedience to him. 5. If I know my heart, I would be ruled by his Word and Spirit. Behold, in a few words (ſaith he that writes his life and death) the ſum and ſubſtance of the Goſpel. By theſe Inſtances we may ſee, that ſome of the precious ſervants of God have found a great deal of comfort, ſupport, reſt, content, and ſome meaſure of aſſurance, from a lower rank of evidences, than thoſe that many ſtrong Chriſtians do reach unto, &c. But,