Spiritual Refining, Religious treatise · Section 12 · Sermon 117
SERMON CXVII.
The Poſsibility and Duty of Aſſurance of our Calling demonſtrated: And the Reaſons why ſome thinke a certain Aſſurance impoſsible; with Anſwers to the Objections brought against it.
2 PET. 1. 10.
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election ſure.
YOu have heard of the poſſibility, yea, and neceſſary duty, to endeavor after the certainty of our Calling and Election; as alſo, what are thoſe means, in the diligent exerciſe whereof, we may expect this priviledge: And for the clearer apprehenſion of this, I ſhall Anſwer one or two Objections, by the diſcuſſion whereof, the truth will be more illuſtrious, as the file getteth off the ruſt: For whereas there were two things in the Doctrine, The poſſibility and duty of this holy certainty, we may firſt queſtion the poſſibility of it, and then the duty. Now in theſe things I ſhall be brief, becauſe the matter hath been formerly more largely handled: That therefore certainty is not poſſible; among other Objections, I ſhall pitch upon one that is moſt practical, and that which doth moſt uſually obſtruct aſſurance in the godly; and that is,
The Hypocriſie and the deceitfulneſs of the heart.
For thus commonly the Chriſtian that is tender about his condition towards God Objecteth:
I know the promiſes are true and good, it is without all queſtion, He that believeth and repenteth, he ſhall be ſaved; he that is born of God, and effectually Objection againſt the certainty of Aſſurance.called, he may conclude, I am my Beloveds, and my Beloved is mine; but whether I do ſo or no, there is my perplexity: The heart is full of guile, and we read of Ahabs humiliation, of the fooliſh Virgins, of the ſtony and thorny ground, ſuch who had ſome affections and delight in holy things, ſome ſorrow and humiliation about ſin; yet for all that, their own hearts deceived them, their gold proved droſs, they took Iohn Baptiſt for Chriſt, ſome imperfect diſpoſitions, for the compleat and effectual workings of grace; and why may not I delude my ſelf? and the rather, becauſe every one is apt to flatter himſelf: We ſee all people, that are indeed far enough from the Kingdom of heaven, between whom and godlineſs there is a great gulf; yet peremptorily conclude, All is well with them: So true is that of Solomon, Every mans way is pure in his own eyes; but then that which followeth ſhould make all tremble, But God pondereth the heart, Prov. 21. 2.
This is very ſpecious, and ſo far this Objection hath ſtrength, that no man Anſw.ſhould eaſily and ſpeedily perſwade himſelf that all is well with him: That thoſe duties of ſearching and trying the heart, and communing with our own ſelves privately, are again and again to be practiſed by us; but yet the Doctrine of the hypocriſie and deſperate guile of the heart overthroweth not this Scripture-certainty. And before I give you the reaſon of that, I ſhall ſet down ſome arguments briefly, out of Scripture and Reaſon, that prove the poſſibility, and then anſwer that; for let it once be manifeſted by Scripture, that ſuch a thing may be, then we are not to regard a thouſand Objections that may be made to the contrary.
Now the grounds for the poſſibility of it, may be taken from theſe general Grounds for the poſſibility of aſſuranc. …1heads:
Firſt, The Scripture requiring this of us: God would not put us upon ſuch a ſearch, if to finde had been impoſſible; for beſides this Text, which ſeems to ſpeak this truth in the Sun beams, Give all diligence to make your calling ſure; if certainty hereof had been impoſſible, might not any one ſtand up and ſay, This is to command one to give all diligence for that which cannot be? I may be as well required to touch the heavens with my hands, or to remove the earth from its center? Beſides this (I ſay) I ſhal name you one impregnable place, which hath ſtood like a rock, that all the Popiſh Engins have not been able to ſtir, 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your ſelves, &c. where you have the duty required, To examine, to prove our ſelves, as the Artificer doth his mettal, to ſee whether it be counterfeit or true, ſo the Greek word ſignifieth; and thus they are to do to themſelves: And he ingeminates the duty, to ſhew his earneſtneſs and affection therein. 2. There is the object matter of this duty, Whether ye be in the faith, whether Chriſt be in ye; that is, whether ye be effectually called or no; and he brings a reaſon from an abſurdity, If you do not know Chriſt is in you, ye are reprobates: As we uſe the Engliſh word, it may ſeem harſh, but the Greek word is no more then unskilful in minde, not able to diſcern: So that reprobate is not here taken for one that is not elected, but for one that is fooliſh, weak, unskilful, as the Scripture ſpeaks of reprobate ſilver: ſee more of this in the firſt Sermon. So that you ſee the Apoſtle makes it an ignorant and weak unskilfulneſs in the ways of God, and in the work of grace, when we are not able thus to diſcern our ſelves. So then, let this Text put it out of all queſtion; for when the Apoſtle commanded the Corinthians to make this proof and examination, had the thing been impoſſible to be found out: It would have been as abſurd, as for a Phyſitian to come to a diſeaſed perſon, and tell him, he cannot be cured, unleſs he eat of a Phenix, or uſe the Philoſophers ſtone, which haply can never be found out.
Secondly, A ſecond general ground is, From the peculiar office and work attributed 2.to Gods ſpirit; and that is, to witneſs with our ſpirit, to ſeal unto us; Its the ſpirit of Adoption, ſubduing thoſe tormenting and ſlaviſh fears about God, which make the ſoul ſuſpect every thing, and to be …oſſed up and down like the uncertain waves, 1 Cor. 2. 12. We have received the ſpirit of God, that we might know the things that are freely given us of God; eſpecially that is clear, 1 John 3. 24. So then in th…s doubt, we muſt attend to a greater cauſe then our own hearts, we muſt conſider, what great things that ſpirit of God can do in our ſouls: No man naturally can hate his ſin, can deny himſelf, yet the ſpirit of God ſanctifying, he is ready and willing in the work: So no man ſeeing the horrible depths of wickedneſs in his own heart, can ever come to be perſwaded; but the ſpirit of God can rebuke theſe waves and tempeſts, and make all ſerene and clear in the ſoul.
The third general head is, From thoſe places where the people of God have plainly 3.declared their aſſurance: That therefore which the children of God have attained unto, muſt needs be poſſible, and we ought to immitate them in. Hezekiah is without queſtion in this point, 2 Kings 20. 3. Remember how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart: He doth not ſpeak this arrogantly, but humbly, making uſe of his ſincerity, as a teſtimony to confirm him in his prayer to God. Now Hezekiah could not make uſe of ſuch an Argument as this, had he not been aſſured, that he was not deceived in what he uttered to God: And thus David is often in his Pſalms, profeſſing his love to God with his whole heart, and the uprightneſs of his heart, which had been a vain brag, and ſinful oſtentation, if he had not known it had been ſo. In the New Teſtament Paul is often ſpeaking of his aſſurance and confidence; and leſt it might be thought he had this by immediate revelation, he ſpeaks as in the perſon of all believers, The ſpirit witneſſeth with our ſpirit, Rom. 8. and ſo Iohn, We know that we know, 1 John 2. He doth not make this a peculiar priviledge vouchſafed to ſome favorites, but ſuch a mercy as all Believers are capable of. So when our Saviour asked ſome, If they did believe with their whole heart; it had been a vain queſtion, to which no man could have returned any anſwer, if they could not be certain whether they did believe or no; and that man, who ſaid, Lord I believe, help my unbelief: He ſhewed the certainty he had of his faith in the firſt place, as the weakneſs of it in the latter.
Laſtly, The general head I ſhall end with is, the joy and thankfulneſs that 4.ought to be in the people of God: Now what joy can there be, where the ſoul knoweth not, or doubteth much of Gods love? How can the heart be inlarged to praiſe God, for thoſe ſpiritual mercies, which findes them not in its ſelf? For joy, the children of God are ſaid To joy in the Holy Ghoſt, Rom. 14. 17. and its called Unſpeakable joy, full of glory, 1 Pet. 1. 8. And can this be in a matter that we know not whether it be ours or no? Can we joy in the promiſe, and yet doubt whether it be ours? Can we rejoyce in Chriſt Jeſus, and yet queſtion whether he dyed for us? And ſo its for praiſe and thankfulneſs, Can any man bleſs God for tranſlating him out of darkneſs into light, for working the fear of him in his ſoul, for the wonderful and mighty change he hath made on his heart? Can the ſoul bleſs and praiſe God, when he doth not think God hath indeed done theſe things for him? Theſe general heads may ſuffice, to clear the poſſibility of it.
I ſhall give you alſo a Reaſon for it, which is this, Supernatural habits or principles of grace, do vitally and evidently diſcover their actions and effects, as rational and animal principles: As the principle of love to God, of repentance for ſin, do in the acts thereof manifeſt themſelves ſpiritually, as rational principles: So that as a rational man, he knoweth the arguments he hath, he diſcerneth his acts of reaſon, he can tell you he is of this judgement, and not of that: Thus it is with a ſpiritual man, he perceiveth the faith in him, the love of God that is within him: Can the Animal lover finde ſenſible love burning within? and doth not the ſpiritual lover feel ſuch fire in his bones? Doth not David cry, That his ſoul breatheth and longeth for God? Doth not the Church cry out, She is ſick of love? So then, ſupernatural principles acting in the ſoul, are perceived ſpiritually, as rational acts are, or ſenſible acts are. As Austin ſaid, He that believeth, findeth he doth believe; viz. Gods ſpirit aſſiſting him; otherwiſe, like Hagar, there may be a pleaſant fountain of refreſhment hard by, and ſhe not perceive it, till her eyes be opened: What then ſhould be the cauſe that men may think this certainty impoſſible? This may ariſe from three grounds:
Firſt, When we take no effects of grace to be ſure ſigns, unleſs they be perfect and Why men think this certaintie impoſſible. 1.compleat: And this is very often a deceit, even to good and tender hearts; they do not love God, they are not ſo heavenly minded, ſo zealous; they have often failings, they have daily infirmities: And thus, becauſe they have not perfect workings of grace, they doubt of any grace at all; but then Hezekiah, Paul, and all the worthies of God, who enjoyed this priviledge, ſhould have been ſtripped of it, for at the ſame time they complain of the remainder of their corruptions, they feel thorns and goads in their ſide: So great a matter is it to make a difference between truth of grace in the Eſſence, and perfection in the degrees.
Another ground may be, Becauſe men for the moſt part keep at a remote diſtance 2.from God: They are not diligent and conſtant in ſpiritual duties and approaches to God: Thus becauſe they draw not nigh to God, God draweth not nigh to them; becauſe they are eſtranged from God, God is alſo from them: If therefore we did take the Scriptures counſel, To walk with God, and to acquaint our ſelves with God, which is done by lively meditation, and quickned duties of Religion, we ſhould then finde that from God, which we thought impoſſible: You ſee the effects of all acts are thought impoſſible, to thoſe that have no skill therein: And thus it is here Aſſurance is a myſtery, and impoſſibility to thee, becauſe thou haſt no familiar acquaintance with God; thou comeſt not into his preſence often, thou delighteſt not to draw nigh to him.
Thirdly, One main cauſe of this uncertainty, is alſo, A nouriſhing a ſervile ſlaviſh 3.fear about God; not praying for the ſpirit of Adoption, and a filial Evangelical frame of heart: This is greatly to be attended unto by timorated conſciences, ſuch as are ſhaken with fear and terror for ſin; Nunquam ſatis cavent etiam cum cavent, they diſtinguiſh not between Timor ſolicitudinis, and Timor anxietatis, A fear of godly care and diligence, and a fear of perplexing anxieties: Oh this many times is a labyrinth that good people are in; their hearts are not directed into the way of believing, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks 2 Theſſ. 3. 5. they fear God as an auſtere Maſter, watching the opportunity to damn them; they have not the reverential fear of a father, which is accompanied with faith and love of God: Thus Cain and Iudas, they did ſplit their ſouls upon this rock, they were terrified about their ſins, horror had taken hold of them, becauſe of the wretched condition they were in; but they had not faith in God as a father, which would have been the clue of thred to have helped them out of their diſtreſs: Oh then do not delight in thy bondage diſpoſition; do not look upon God with a ſlaviſh fear; this will breed hatred at laſt, Odirunt dum metuunt, and hatred blaſpheming deſpair: Theſe things diſpatched, I come to Anſwer the firſt Objection:
The heart of man is deceitful, its ſuch a deep we cannot fathom: Who can underſtand Object.his errors? ſaith David, Cleanſe me from ſecret ſins, Pſal. 19. 13. There may be a great deal of unknown wickedneſs in me, ſuch pride, ſuch earthlineſs, ſuch unbelief, that I never can underſtand.
To this I Anſwer, That though a man may be deceived in his judgement about himſelf, yet it doth not follow, that he is always defacto deceived: We ſay, General Anſw.Councels may erre, yet they did not always defacto crie, ſo it may fall out, that a man in judging about himſelf may be deceived, but that he is in every act deceived, this would bring groſſe Scepticiſm into the world; no man could tell his own thoughts, his own affections, and there could not be ſuch a thing as Truth in the world. Now the Scripture ſpeaks the contrary, 1 Cor. 2. 11. What man knoweth the things of a man, ſave the ſpirit of a man within him? So that you ſee, a man may know the things of his own ſpirit. Again, if this were ſo, then no man could diſcern his Dogmatical faith, as well as his ſaving faith; no man could tell whether he were a Proteſtant or a Papiſt, or a Socinian; for the heart being deceitful, as is objected, I may think I believe ſuch a point, and ſuch a point, when indeed I do not; and ſo the Academical doubting ſhall come in, Nothing is known, and nothing is believed.
But the ſecond and full Anſwer is, That indeed the heart is naturally deceitful, 2.full of guile and hypocriſie, but when its ſanctified and converted, its made ſincere and upright: Its no longer as thoſe pictures that repreſent at a diſtance ſuch and ſuch different Forms, but as a glaſs, ſincerely repreſenting the form of the viſage, if deformed, deformed, if comely, comely: Thus Nathaniel is ſaid to be a man, in whom was no guile; and, Bleſſed is the man, Pſal. 32. to whom the Lord imputeth no ſin, and in whoſe heart there is no guile: Hence its called An upright heart, A ſincere heart, and, Truth in the inward parts: Although therefore there are ſome reliques of guile and hypocriſie in the godly, as of all other ſins, yet for the main they are made ſincere; and ſo all that ſelf flattery, and ſelf-love, is for the main crucified: And this indeed is the full Anſwer to that Objection.
Secondly, Whereas it is ſaid to be a duty, to this it may be Objected:Object.
That this Aſſurance would prove a dangerous temptation, men would grow ſecure, and carnally confident; therefore as God keeps the hour of death, and the day of judgement, to maks us always prepared; ſo by the ſame Reaſon, he ſhould keep the knowledge of our condition from our eyes, that ſo we might always fear.
To Anſwer this practical Objection (for I avoid all ſpeculative and meer controverſal ones.)Aneſw.
Firſt, If the truth of God and the Scripture is not to be maintained or aſſerted, becauſe the corruption of men will abuſe it, we muſt preach no divine truth at all; E vero non niſi verum, E bono non niſi bonum, No good or ſound truth doth produce as its genuine effect, any other then what is good; but by accident, and by reaſon of the poyſonous diſpoſition in ſome men, they will turn the ſweeteſt flowers into poyſon: Paul did frequently preach the grace of God in the Goſpel, and ſome hearers turned this into wantonneſs, ſhall therefore no mention be made of this grace? if therefore ſome men, through Satans deluſions, think they have grace, when they have not, ſhall not he that hath true grace be perſwaded of it? if a man in a dream do verily think he hath ſuch riches, ſuch honors; ſhall we conclude, that a man awake can have no certainty whether he be in a dream or no? And further, by this reaſon no man ſhould contend earneſtly for the true Doctrine of faith; no man ſhould inſeparably adhere to the truth of God even unto death, becauſe an Heretique who pertinaciouſly maintaineth a damnable hereſie, he may be as confident as the Orthodox man: Should not the Iſraelites make a good uſe of the Manna, becauſe he that abuſed it, found it corrupted to worms.
But Secondly, This Doctrine from its own nature, cannot bread any arrogance, or neglect of God and godlineſs for many Reaſons:
Firſt, Its onelyonly maintained and kept up by humility and holy fear: So that when a man ceaſeth to be humble, to have an holy fear of God, his certainty likewiſe ceaſeth, even as the lamp goeth out when the oyl is taken away: The ſecret of the Lord is with them that fear him, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, Pſalm 25. 14.
Secondly, It cannot breed arrogancy, for theſe exerciſes of grace, are onelyonly ſigns and teſtimonies of Election or Salvation, they are no cauſes of it, or merit; wherein then can the ſoul be puffed up. And
Thirdly, Theſe gracious effects that are ſigns, they are not of our working, by our free-will and power of nature: We are his workmanſhip created to good works, Epheſ. 10. So that the diſcovery of theſe effects, may indeed inlarge the ſoul much to praiſe and glorifie God, but to ſtir up pride in us, there is no conſequence at all. And
Fourthly, Theſe very effects of grace, though not wrought by us, but by God, they are not purely good and perfect, there is much droſs, and many imperfections in them: So that the godly heart doth at the ſame time rejoyce and debaſe its ſelf; it rejoyceth to ſee the love of God in the ſoul, but that this love is ſo weak, ſo languid and fainting, it doth alſo grieve: It diſcovers grace indeed, and therefore is aſſured; but it diſcovers alſo thouſands of failings and imperfections, and therefore is laid low: And yet further, though they be in the heart, yet of our ſelves we have not eyes to diſcern what God hath wrought for us, till he inable us; ſo that its Gods gift to be aſſured: How many dear children of God walk in darkneſs, and would give a whole world if they had it, but to have this clear evidence of Gods love to them, though for a day.
Uſe of further Exhortation, to prove and examine your ſelves, whether thoſe Uſe.viſible characters of Chriſt be in thee, or the marks of the Devil: See what fruit ye bring forth, and then you may judge whether you are trees for eternal burning or no: Oh its a ſign all is not well, when thou art unwilling to put thy ſelf upon the touchſtone; its an argument there is guilt within, thou ſhalt finde thy ſelf to be ſuch an one as thou art afraid to think of; thou thinkeſt, If certainty be onelyonly had in the uſe of ſuch means; then farewell my hopes, my evidence for heaven. Oh! who ſayeth as David, Prove me, O Lord, and examine me, if there be any evil in me. And to all the former means, we may adde one main one, which is a ſign that never faileth, If we love the brethren, if we love and delight in thoſe that are godly; as Davids delight was in the Saints of the earth: He that is not godly himſelf, cannot heartily love one that is godly, becauſe ſimilitude is both a cauſe and an effect of love; and this is, when godlineſs is the cauſe of love, not his riches, his parts, his love to thee, but the holy image of God appearing in him.