Evidence for Heaven, Title page – To the reader
EVIDENCE FOR HEAVEN: CONTAINING Infallible Signs and reall Demonstrations of our Union with Christ and Assurance of Salvation.
With an Appendix of laying down certain Rules to be observed for preserving our Assurance once Obtained.
Published by Ed. Calamy B. D. and Pastor of the Church at Aldermanbury London.
PHIL. 2.12.
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
2 PET. 1.10.
Give Diligence to make your calling and election sure.
2 COR. 13.5.
Examine your selves, whether ye be in the Faith, prove your own selves, know ye not your own selves, how that Iesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates.
LONDON, Printed for Simon Miller at the Sta… in Pauls Church-yard toward the West end 1657.
AN EPISTLE, TO THE READER.
THere are two things which ought to be the chief aim of all those who desire to live holily, and dye happily. The one is, to get an interest in Christ, the other, to get an assurance of their interest in him. The first of these is absolutely necessary to Salvation. The second, is absolutely necessary, though not to our Salvation, yet to our Consolation. Without the first, we cannot dye happily. Without the second, we cannot dye comfortably. It must not be denied, but that a man may have true Grace, and yet want the Assurance of it, he may be a Child of Light in darknesse, Is. 50.…0. Iob 13.15.he may have the direct act of Faith, and yet want the reflect act, he may have the Sanctifying work of the Spirit, and yet want the witnessing work. (Though no man can have the witnessing work, who hath not the Sanctifying, yet a man may have the sanctifying, and yet want the witnessing work of the Spirit) Ioseph may be alive and yet his Father Iacob may think him dead, true grace may be in us, and yet we may not only not know it, but beleeve the contrary.
This condition though it be sad, yet it is not damnable. For as a wicked man is never the nearer Heaven, because he presumptuously conceits he is in the way to Heaven, no more is a Child of God the nearer Hell, because he thinks he is in the way to Hell. Christ was not therefore a Gardiner, because Mary thought so, neither was Ioseph therefore dead, because Iacob imagined him to be dead. He that beleevs shall be saved, whether he knows it or knows it not; he that walks in Heavens way shall certainly at last come to Heaven, though he thinks himself out of the way.
Notwithstanding all this, though the Grace of Assurance be not simply, and absolutely necessary, yet it is a most precious jewell, without which we can neither …e comforted while we live, nor willing to part with life. It is a Heaven upon earth, a Heaven before we come to Heaven. The Prelibation and Pregustation of Heaven. It is the hidden Manna, Abraham's bosome, the joy of the Lord, and the peace of God which passeth all understanding. It is to be laboured after with all labour. And therefore the Apostle perswads us, to give diligence to make our calling and election sure.2 Pet. 1.10.
The subject of this ensuing Treatise, is to direct and teach us how to get an infallible assurance of salvation: Here are severall Marks and Characters propounded of a man in Christ, the work is very weighty, and of great concernment, for whosoever undertakes to lay down marks of a Child of God, must be carefull of two things.
1. That he doth not propound evidences of Grace, which are proper only to eminent Christians, as belonging to all true Christians, least herein he makes sad the hearts of those whom God would not have made sad.
2. That he doth not mention such Characters of a true Child of God, which may be found in an Hypocrite, least he makes glad the hearts of those whom God would not have made glad.
The Author of this book hath brought very many marks of a true justifying faith, of a distinguishing Love of God, of of repentance unto life and of a new Creature, &c. Now though thou canst not apply all of them as thy portion; yet if thou canst apply many of them, and sincerely labourest to be capable of applying the rest, thou art in a happy condition.
There are two wayes by which a man may come to know his interest in Christ. The one is by the witnesse of his own spirit. The other by the witnesse of Gods Spirit. There are some who say, there is but one witnesse, the witnesse of Gods Spirit; This I grant is the chief witnesse; but I conceive, that the Scripture doth also hold forth, the witnesse of a mans own spirit as well as of Gods Spirit, Rom. 8.16. It is not said, the Spirit witnesseth to our spirits, but with our spirits, that we are the Sons of God. Wherenote, that a mans own spirit is a co-witnesse. This witnesse of a mans own spirit is nothing else, but the testimony of an illightened andrenewed conscience reflecting upon its grace and assuring the soul that it is in Christ, &c. Of this way of assurance, the Apostle speaks, 2 Cor. 1.12. 1 Iohn 2.3. 1 Iohn 3.21. Heb. 13.18. Act. 24.16. When a mans conscience bears him witnesse upon Scripture grounds, that he doth beleeve and repent, and that he is a new Creature, this is instead of a thousand witnesses, and it is a continuall feast, in the worst of times.
But now because the voice of conscience is sometimes so low a voice, Laetitia bonae c…nscientiae est Paradisus animarum, gaudium Angelorum, Hortus delicia rum …ger benedictionis, Templum Solo monis, Aula …ei, Habitaculum Spiritus Sancti. Bernard.as that the spirit of a man cannot heare it, especially when it is disturbed, and distracted with the voice of sin accusing, and condemning him, and because the voice of conscience is sometimes uncertain, so as the soul knoweth not what the verdict of it is. And because also the eye of conscience is sometimes blind, (through ignorance,) and cannot see the garces it hath, and is ready to beare false witnesse against it self, and to say, it is not justified, when it is. Or if not blind, yet it is many times dimme, and cannot see the happy condition it is in. And sometimes it is infested with melancholly, which makes it look upon its own condition with black spectacles. And because the graces of Gods Spirit in his Children are sometimes so small and little, or at least so blotted and blurred, that conscience cannot read the graces God hath given it. Hence it is, that God out of his great goodnesse hath afforded us another witnesse, besides the testimony of conscience, which is the witnesse of his own Spirit, witnessing with our spirits that we are the Sons of God. This indeed is the great, and the infallible witnesse, therefore it is compared to a Seal, whereby we are sealed to the day of Redemption, and to an earnest, Eph. 4.30. Eph. 1.14. Ioh. 16.7. Rom. 8.16.and it is called the comforter, and the Spirit of adoption, by which we are enabled to cry, Abba father. Of both these witnesses this Treatise speaks to very good purpose.
One thing more I must add, which will unto many seem very wonderfull and almost incredible. The Author of this Book is a Gentlewoman, belonging to the Congregation of Alderman-bury; And one who for these Thirty years, by reason of an affliction lying upon her, hath been in a great measure, deprived of those publique spirituall helps which others enjoy, and also of those private helps, which good Christians do, or might partake of by the Communion of Saints. This makes good that Text of Scripture. Out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings thou hast perfected praise. And that other,Mat. 21.1. 2 Cor. 12.9.That the strength of God is made perfect in weaknesse. Socratis Historia. li. 1 ca 16.Church History tels us of a Captive Woman, whom God made instrumentall to convert the whole Nation of the Iberians, Act 18.24.26.to the Christian Faith. And the Book of God tels us of Priscilla, who was made able by grace to expound the way of God more perfectly unto Apollo himself, an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures. And that she and her Husband Aquila were helpers in Christ Iesus unto Saint Paul, and that for his life, they laid down their necks. Rom 16.23.Much is spoken by the same Apostle, in commendation of divers Women. I hope no man will contemn this Book, because written by a Woman, Phi. 4.2, 3 Rom. 16.1, 6, 12.but rather admire the goodnesse, love, and power of God, who is able to do such great things, by such weak instruments. No man will refuse pearls, or precious stones, though handed to him by the Female Sex. It is her great desire that her Name may be concealed. All that I will say of her is; That she is a precious Iewell, though in a contemptible Box, and a very great ornament to the Congregation of which she is a Member. If any reap any spirituall advantage by reading of this Book, she hath obtained the hight of her ambition; onelyonly she craves their Prayers, that God would blesse her and hers, that the lesse help she hath from men, the more she may have from God, and the incomes of his holy Spirit, that though she wants an outward eare, to hear the voice of Gods Ministers speaking to her outward man, yet she may have an inward ear to hear God speaking to her soul words of everlasting consolation. And this is also the Prayer of
Thy Servant in the work of the Ministery, Edmund Calamy.