Mount Pisgah, Part 3 · Section 4
A third improvement of this point. Ʋſe 3
Is this the glory and happineſs of the future eſtate in heaven? Let it then excite in us an holy ambition to be often looking into this glory, to anticipate it by our frequent contemplations; the ſweeter the viſion, the more taking it ſhould be with men of aſcending and ambitious ſpirits: Can earth-worms take ſuch complacential contentment from beholding a bag of gold, or a field of corn, or a ſumptuous fabrick, and pleaſe themſelves in a peculiar manner with the reflexion of their intereſt, Pſal. 108.8.this is mine, that appertains to me; as David ſings, Gilead is mine, and Manaſſeh is mine, Ephraim alſo is the ſtrength of my head: And ſhall not Saints turn their ſong to an higher key, and be joyful in glory, ſinging upon their beds?
God is mine, and Chriſt is mine, and the Holy Ghoſt is mine, Angels are mine, and Saints are mine, all the glory of Heaven is mine, this (for ever with the Lord) is mine?
I knew a rich Mammoniſt near the place where I was born, In Kent.that would once a day take all his bage of ſilver and gold out of his trunks, and laying them in ſeveral heaps (for he was exceeding rich) upon a large table, would go to the utmoſt end of the room, and there having glutted his eyes with ſo delightful an object for a good while, would (all on a ſudden) take his run to the table, and with ſtretched out arms, gathering all into one vaſt heap (as a man overcome and diſtracted with joy) cry out, All is mine, Quere. all is mine! Why may not the Children of the Kingdom rejoyce in hope of the glory of God? and collecting thoſe treaſures of glory into ſeveral heaps, and embracing them with the arms of faith, Filius ante diem, patrios inquirit in annos.cry out in an holy extaſie, All is mine, all is mine! Shall the adult heir of a fair Lordſhip, or principality, be often enquiring into his patrimony, ſearch into his writings, and even grow great with the thoughts and contemplations of what he is born to? And ſhall not the Heirs of the Inheritance of the Saints in light, much rather delight themſelves with the fore contemplation of their incorruptible, 1 Pet. 1.4.undefiled inheritance that fadeth not away, reſerved in heaven for them?
Object. Yes, ſo we would, if we were ſure it were ours?
Sol. And is that the cauſe of your apathy and flatneſs of ſpirits to theſe heavenly fruitions? Truly, this very uncertainty ſhould even ſtartle and affright us into an earneſt contention to make heaven ſure; ſo infinite a weight of glory, and we not aſcertained of our intereſt upon ſome good Scripture-evidence, is enough to make us to forget to eat our meat, enough to break our ſleep, and to keep our eyes waking all the night long, and to make us take little comfort in the preſent comforts we poſſeſs.
Queſt. You will ſurely ask then, Evidences of Heaven.What are the Evidences?
Anſw. 1. Why, Evidence 1.truly this one thing would amount to an evidence (and not the leaſt evidence) viz. Active endeavour to aſſure our ſelves of a ſhare in this Inheritance of the Saints; this would argue an high appretiation of this eſtate in the practical judgment, as moſt incomparably and abſolutely eligible; this is the very language of an heaven-born-ſoul, What have I to count upon but my treaſure which is in heaven? What buſineſs have I on earth comparable to this, to enſure my portion in heaven? for this cauſe I was born, and for this end I came into the world; the whole earth, in compariſon of heaven, is but a dunghill, Cabul, 1 Kings 9.13.(as Hiram called the Cities which Solomon gave him) dirty or diſpleaſing.
This will argue a child-like ſpirit, Children mind their inheritance; abſent Children long to be at home at their Fathers houſe, they are often there in their thoughts and wiſhes: ſo the Saints, We groan within our ſelves, deſiring to be cloathed upon with our houſe which is from heaven— and, knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are abſent from the Lord.
Secondly, Evidence ….Eſpecially if the holineſs of heaven do kindle thoſe deſires in us more than the happineſs, when a poor foul can truly ſay, I ſhould not account it an heaven, were it not that it is a land of holineſs, a land flowing with milk and honey of pure and immaculate joyes, that there the beauty of holineſs ſhines forth with unconceivable luſtre and glory, and there (ſaith the ſoul) I ſhall be in ſome degree like my God, glorious in holineſs; this is not only an evidence of heaven, but heaven it ſelf.
Thirdly, Evidence 3.Again, an univerſal hatred of ſin is a good token that heaven is deſigned for thee; for hatred of ſin is the negative part of holineſs, and heaven is a place provided by God on purpoſe, that there the Saints may be as holy as they will without diſturbance or reproach: fear not to think much and often of heaven; if ſin be an offence to thee, if ſin be an hell on earth to thee, heaven is deſigned for thee to be thy Paradiſe: Learned men conceive the ſin of the apoſtate Angels went no further than the firſt ambitious thought.fear not to be often ſolacing thy ſelf in the contemplation of that place where ſin never entred, or if it did, it was caſt out as ſoon as ever it was conceived.
Indeed it is but a fancy men have taken up, that they love happineſs, while they continue to love ſin; a chaſt love of heaven can never conſiſt with the love of impure luſts.
Sin is the Devils image, holineſs is Gods; he loves not the beauty of holineſs that would have the Devil advanced thither; If men would not have it ſo, why elſe do they give ſin ſuch free entertainment in their own boſomes, and will by no means give it a bill of divorce?
Fourthly, Evidence 4.A ſuperlative love to him that hath purchaſed this ſtate for us, and us for it, is an infallible evidence of our right to it, and intereſt in it, that is, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; and a ſtrong motive upon which gracious ſouls are ſo often in heaven by their contemplations, is, that thereby an eye of faith they may behold, not the purchaſe only, but the purchaſer, whom having not ſeen we love, and whom loving, we would fain ſee; and this is the glory of every one that is ſo affected; ſo it is expreſly ſaid, 1 Cor. 2.9.The good things prepared for them that love him. Doſt thou love the Lord Jeſus? Aſcend often in the Chariot of love, that thou mayeſt ſee his face, and in his face the glory and beauty of heaven. Surely ſuch as love not Chriſt, and yet think they love heaven, are miſerably miſtaken, they know neither Heaven nor Chriſt, and may well cry out, Iſa. 44.20.Is there not a lye in my right hand?
Well Chriſtians, you that would gladly have your portion in this glory, ſhut your eyes downward, I may invert the Angels Queſtion to the men of Galilee, and ſay, Acts 1.11.Why ſtand ye paring upon the …arth? Yea, why crawl ye with your bellies upon the ground, as if you had inherited the Serpents curſe as well as your own? Surſum corda, lift up your hearts, let your ſouls often withdraw and bid the body farewell for a time, that you may with Paul be wrapt up to the third heaven, and then ſee things which may even raviſh your ſouls out of your bodies, — ſeek the things above, ſet your affections on things above, where Chriſt ſitteth at the right hand of God. Preguſtation by faith is a kind of prepoſſeſſion, an entrance beforehand into the glorious joyes of our Lord and Maſter, an aſcent into the Mount of transfiguration, when the ſoul may truly ſay, Maſter, it is good for us to be here, and the oftner ye come, the more welcome Chriſt will make you; they that know the divine reliſhes of ſuch contemplation, would not exchange them for the moſt delicious fruitions of the whole inferiour creation. Oh ſtrive to antidate glory, and to get into heaven before your time!
Yet give me leave to add one Caution, I do not ſay, every one that hath a right to heaven, hath an aſſurance of heaven, or elſe no right or warrant to meditate on heaven: but this I ſay,
1. Though every Chriſtian hath not aſſurance, every one may, if not by way of ſpecial prerogative and extraordinary revelation, yet in a way of holy duty, the mediums whereby Chriſtians attain to aſſurance, being common to all.
2. Though all attain not to the ſame degree of aſſurance, the plerophory of Gods love, yet all may attain to ſuch a degree of Scripture-hope, good hope through Grace, 2 Theſſ. 2.16. as may quiet their hearts, and cauſe them to go on their way rejoycing, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt unto eternal life, Jude 16.
3. I ſay not, it is the duty of all to have aſſurance in what degree ſoever, but it is the duty of all to labour for aſſurance in the higheſt degree; not to labour for aſſurance, argues a defect of love to God; true love can reſt in nothing ſhort of aſſurance; and even this may ſuſtain the ſoul till aſſurance comes.
4. Therefore I ſay, let not thy want of aſſurance be the fruit of thy ſloth, do not continue without aſſurance, for want of holy induſtry in the purſuit of it, for want of giving all diligence (as the text ſaith) to make thy calling and election ſure; and thy want of aſſurance need not diſcourage thee from taking a full and frequent proſpect of heavens glory; let God bear witneſs to thy Conſcience, that aſſurance is thy deſign, and that you are not voluntarily and habitually wanting to God and your ſelves, as to the purſuit of that deſign, in a concurrent uſe of all thoſe mediums which God hath ſanctified for the attainment thereof and you may with as much boldneſs and conſidence get within the vail, and there take a full proſpect of the upper Canaan Northward, Southward, Eaſtward, Weſtward, in all the dimenſions of it, as God once ſpake to Abraham, Gen. 13.14. concerning the …ather Canaan, and with the ſame promiſe, All the land, all the glory which thou ſeen, to thee will I give it for ever — I ſay, with as much boldneſs, as if thou hadſt got the plerophory of faith, and were already ſealed with the Spirit of promiſe to the day of redemption; and who knows, but in the ſame Chariot wherein Love aſcends into Heaven, Aſſurance may come down from heaven, and or ever thou art aware, thy ſoul may make thee like the Chariots of Amminadib!
Queſt. But what are thoſe mediums, in the concurrent uſe whereof aſſurance of an intereſt in the heavenly inheritance may be had?
Anſw. The Queſtion being but occaſional, foreign, I ſhall with much brevity but hint, only at ſome ſpecial Helps.
1. Take heed of determining before inquiry.1. Means.
2. Study well your evidences; 2. Help. Take heed of falſe evidence.and verily this is an evidence to be ſollicitous about your evidences. Take heed that neither your evidences be falſe evidences, nor you make a falſe application of the true; that you neither take excluſive evidences for incluſive, i. e. Jam. 1.22.ſuch as are only to ſhut out bold preſumers, (as bare doing of duties, hearing, praying, &c.) for ſuch as do neceſſarily conclude a ſtate of grace, counterfeit, graces for the fruits of the Spirit of God.
3. Earneſtly beg the Spirit of God: 3. Help. Be… the Spirit.His Office is twofold as to aſſurance.
1. Mediate, To clear your evidences: The Office of the Spirit twofold. 1. Mediate.This he doth two wayes
1. By helping the ſoul to know and believe the evidence as it lyeth in the word; ſuch as theſe,
He that believeth ſhall be ſaved, Rom. 10.9.
They that through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ſhall live, Rom. 8.13.
Hereby we know we are paſſed from death to life, becauſe we love the brethren, 1 John 3.14, 18. cum 19.
Hereby we know that we dwell in him, and he in us, becauſe he hath given of his Spirit, 1 John 4.13.
The heirs of glory are only ſuch as God hath made meet for the Inheritance, Col. 1.12.
He that hath the Son hath life, 1 John 5.12.
We groan to be cloathed upon, that mortality might beſwallowed up of life, 2 Cor. 5.4.
Theſe and many other are the Graces and Qualifications, to which God hath infallibly annexed heaven and glory. And to theſe evidences, the Holy Ghoſt helps the Soul to ſet his ſeal, as to the infallible teſtimony of God, that they are true, John 3.33.
2. The Spirit clears the evidence by the Candle of the Lord, enabling the Soul to read it evidently written in the heart by his own finger: the Spirit enlightens the underſtanding to ſee that theſe graces in the Soul are real and genuine.
The believer dan ſay. I believe.
I through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body.
I keep under my body, and bring it into ſubjection, 1 Cor. 9. ult.
I love the brethren, and the more of God I ſee in them, the more my heart cleaves to them.
I have the Son, as a fountain of light and life dwelling in me.
I am in ſome meaſure made meet (I hope) to be partaker of the inheritance, &c.
Now from the premiſes, the Spirit enables the believer comfortably to iſſue this bleſſed concluſion, Therefore I ſhall be ſaved; Therefore I am a partaker of the inheritance of the Saints in light.
Behold! this is the firſt office of the Spirit! Oh pray for it Chriſtians; that in judging of your evidences, neither on one hand you may be deceived with ſhadows inſtead of ſubſtances, foreign. Jam. 1.22.Briſtol-ſtones inſtead of Diamonds (as hypocrites deceive themſelves and periſh for ever) nor on the other hand, ſtill lye trembling under a cauſeleſs ſuſpition that all is but coun…erfeit when there is no juſt ground for it, and ſo (for the preſent) looſe your comfort; be ſure not to truſt your own ſpirit in ſo infinite a concern, and if at firſt you cannot ſo readily make this practical Syllogiſme, wait and pray for the Spirit which is of God, That you may know the things that are freely given to you of God! Cry with David, Search me, O God, 2 Cor. 2.12.and know my heart, &c. Pſal. 139.23, 24. It is good to be afraid to deceive our ſelves.
The ſecond Office of the Spirit is that which ſome Divines call immediate, 2. Office, Immediate.and it is a bright irradiation of the Holy Ghoſt beaming out upon the ſoul, not only giving i… a clear diſtinct diſcerning of its own graces (that we referr'd to in the former Office) but immediately witneſſing to the ſoul its adoption by Jeſus Chriſt, and right and title to the Kingdom of God, wherein God ſpeaks to the ſoul in ſome ſuch like language as that:
I am thy ſalvation, Pſal 35.3.
Making the ſoul to hear joy and gladneſs, Pſal 51.8.
I have loved thee with an everlaſting love, Jer. 31.3.
I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy tranſgreſſions, and as a cloud thy ſins, Iſai. 44.22.
I have redeemed thee—like that in the Goſpel, Thy ſins be forgiven thee, Matth. 9.2,
Now this act is uſually called immediate, i. e. without the mediation of ſigns and evidences (as in the former Office) not but that there are ſigns and evidences in the perſon teſtified, but that the Spirit makes no uſe of them in the act of teſtification; there are gracious qualifications in the ſoul, ſufficient to diſtinguiſh and juſtifie it from all the falſe witneſs of the lying Spirit (upon all ſeaſonable occaſions) but the Spirit of God doth not refer to any of theſe qualifications in this act, but immediately darts in light and comfort, which fill the ſoul wich joy unſpeakable and full of glory: This act of the Spirit is ſometimes called in Scripture,
1. foreign.The Seal of the Spirit, Epheſ. 1.13. The office of a Seal being like that of an Oath, foreign, Heb. 6.16. an end of all ſtrife, to put the matter beyond doubt or diſputation: So a Believer ſealed is ſet beyond all fear or danger, and God, as it were, leaves himſelf no poſſibility of receding or going back from his word and promiſe, Heb. 6.18.
2. foreign.This act is called an earneſt, 2 Cor. 5.5. Who alſo hath given us the earneſt of his Spirit: Now the office of an earneſt is not only to aſſure, but to give poſſeſſion; an earneſt is part of the purchaſe or bargain: ſo is this act of the Spirit an act, whereby the ſoul is not only aſſured of, but put into poſſeſſion of the heavenly inheritance, it is as it were part of it, the joy of the Lord enters into the ſoul, before the ſoul enters into the joy of the Lord, aſſurance is nothing elſe but antidated glory, heaven on this ſide heaven.
This is (my B.) the ſecond Office of the Spirit, which, I well know, ſome eminently learned and godly Divines deny, acknowledging no other act of the Spirit in aſſurance but the former: But I reſolved at the entrance of this work, not to diſpute, but thetically to aſſert my own opinion and judgment in any point that admits of debate.
In this caſe therefore I know and believe there is enough in the former Office of the Spirit, to carry a believer to heaven, yet this ſecond Office can be no uſeleſs redundancy, or over plus; a Believer will need all the aſſurance that is to be had, and therefore if God be ſo bountiful to give both, let a Believer pray and wait for the promiſe of the Spirit in both theſe Offices, mediate, and immediate; if he ſpeed, it will be a labour well beſtowed, if he ſpeed not, it will be a labour well loſt.
I have done with this third Help or Means to attain aſſurance, I come to the fourth, and ſhall more briefly diſpatch them that remain.
A fourth Help to get aſſurance is this, 4. Help. Be very tender of the Spirit.Make much of the Spirit; ſurely it concerns us highly to be very tender of the Spirit, for if both kinds of aſſurance be the fruit of the Spirit, we had need to hear (as it were) founding in our ears, Grieve not the holy Spirit of God, Epheſ, 4.30.whereby ye are ſealed to the day of redemption; whereby ye are ſealed, i. e. whoſe office it is to ſeal up believers. Grieve him not.
Malitious ſins deſpiſe the Holy Ghoſt, Heb. 10.29.
Wilful ſins vex the Spirit, Iſai. 63 10.
Obſtinate going on in ſin, reſiſts the Holy Ghoſt, Acts 7.51.
Immerſing our ſelves in pleaſures and profits of this preſent world, doth quench the Spirit, 1 Theſſ. 5.19.
But the leaſt ſins (convinced of) grieve the Spirit.
He is an holy Spirit, and therefore ſin muſt needs grieve him, ſin, quâ ſin, being a pure contrariety to his holy nature.
Enemies do deſpiſe, and vex, and reſiſt, and quench, but friends are properly ſaid to grieve; and ſuch are the perſons to whom the Apoſtle directs his exhortation, friends, believers; unkindneſſes do moſt properly grieve a friend.
Oh all you that deſire aſſurance, take heed of Ʋnkindneſſes, take heed of ſmall ſins, appearances of ſin, take heed of neglecting your communion with God in holy duties; take heed of bitterneſs, wrath, anger; be ye kind one towards another, Res delicato eſt Spiritia ſanctin.tender hearted, &c. (for ſo it exegetically followeth the Text) q. d. by all theſe the Spirit is grieved. It is a tender thing, and you may quickly grieve it: and if you grieve your Comforter, who ſhall comfort you? And if you grieve the holy Spirit, who ſhall ſanctifie you? And if you grieve the ſealing Spirit, who ſhall ſeal you to the day of redemption? Never look for aſſurance as long as you are not afraid of grieving the Spirit, which is the earneſt of the inheritance. Carnal mens queſtion is, May I do this and not be damn'd? But a godly mans queſtion is, Can I do this and not grieve the Spirit of God? Will not Jeſus Chriſt take this unkindly?
5. 5. Means. Take heed of blotting that evidence.Take heed of any thing that may darken your evidences, or damp your comforts: a ſmall drop of ink or dirt falling upon an Evidence, may make it illegible, or darken it: people make nothing of ſmall ſins, but ſmall ſins do not the leaſt hurt to the ſoul; if it were no more than this, ſmall ſins will raiſe up a jealouſie between God and the ſoul; great ſins will deſtroy peace, little ſins will diſturb it; the leaſt hair caſts its ſhadow; and a barly corn laid upon the light of the eye, will hinder the ſight of the Sun as well as a mountain: abſtain from all appearance of evil, if you deſire God ſhould be a God of peace to you, 1 Theſſ. 5.22. cum 23. Abſtain from all appearance of evil, and the God of peace ſanctifie you.
Make much of the leaſt intimations of love and favour from God, in prayer, hearing, or reading, meditation, 6. Means. Make much of the leaſt hint of Divine love.at Chriſts Table, or any other of your holy converſes with God; the leaſt beam or ray of Gods face upon thy ſoul, let it be as life from the dead; do as Benhadad's ſervants, 1 Kings 20.33. did to the King of Iſrael, Diligently obſerve whether any thing will come from him, any ſmile from Chriſts face, any wink of his eye, any ſweet breath, any whiſper of peace from his lips, ſuch (poſſibly) Son be of good cheer, thy ſins be forgiven thee, or the like, and haſtily catch at it, thy Son Lord! I am moſt unworthy to be called ſo, not worthy to be an hired ſervant; but Lord, ſince thou pleaſeſt to deign me ſo infinite an honour, Luke 1.33.Behold the ſervant of the Lord, and be it unto me according to thy word; come in thou bleſſed Lord, and take poſſeſſion of my ſoul, and rule in me according to all the deſire of thine heart.
Object. But how ſhall I know whether ſuch a whiſper of peace may be (indeed) the voice of God, or a deluſion of Saan?
Anſw. For anſwer briefly.
1. Such breathings of God upon the ſoul do uſually carry their own evidence with them; if God ſay, I am thy ſalvation, the irradiation carrieth a ſatisfying light with it; the Sun needeth no other luminary to comment upon its own light but its own; nor the Spirit of God any other manifeſtation of its own preſence but it ſelf.
2. We ſay, though it want no other manifeſtation, it hath other; the effects (as Chriſt ſaid of his miracles, John 5.36.) and impreſſions of ſuch whiſpers and breathings upon the ſoul, will witneſs of them whence they come; Springs will riſe as high as they fall, that which cometh from heaven will carry up the ſoul to heaven. Do therefore ſuch hints and intimations of love and favour endear God to thy ſoul, cauſe that to ſay, as Pſal. 103.1. and 116.1? Do they make Evangelical Ordinances (publick and private) more ſweet and delightful to thee? To ſay, as Pſal. 43.4. I will go to God my exceeding joy? Do they make thee more active and vigorous for God, and for the promoting of the intereſts of Chriſts Kingdom in thy place and ſtation? Fear not, thy God, and the God of thy Fathers, hath given thee treaſure in thy ſack.
That is the anſwer which in my poor miniſtry I have uſed to give to all thoſe who have repaired to me for ſatisfaction, whether their peace and comfort be good? Doth your comfort make you more humble, more active for God, more holy? Peace be unto you, your comfort is heavenborn comfort, and you may chriſten it Gad, for behold a troop cometh.
Oh be very thankful for the leaſt of ſuch meſſengers of peace to thy ſoul, and write down ſuch divine teſtimonies in thy book, Habemii dabitur. Mat. 25.29.with the year, and day of the month, that it may never be forgotten; be thankful for what thou haſt, and thou mayſt comfortably expect more.
Be much in duties of mortification: 7. Help.lye often in ſackcloath and aſhes before the Lord; exerciſe thy ſelf in frequent acts of Self denial; little doſt thou know how ſoon God may put a new ſong into thy mouth, — Lord, thou haſt turned for me my mourning, Pſal. 30.11.thou haſt put off my ſack-cloth, and haſt girded me with gladneſs, to the end my glory may ſing praiſe unto thee and not be ſilent, &c.
Be careful to mortifie corruptions, and to crucifie the fleſh with the affections and luſts. Gal. 5.24.A mortified Chriſtian is the fitteſt veſſel to contain the precious liquor of aſſurance: Mortification firſt purifieth, and then dilates the heart, and makes it capacious to divine conſolations. I keep under my body and bring into ſubjection, 2 Cor. 9. ult. 2 Cor. 5.1.was his voice that could ſay, We know that if our earthly houſe of this tabernacle were diſſolved we have a building of God, &c. He filleth the hungry with good things.
Set others to pray for thee: Yet not every one, 8. Help.who (it may be) can pray: Aſſurance is not an errand to ſend every common Chriſtian to the Throne of Grace about: Special Favourites are imployed to Princes for ſpecial Favours: thou canſt not pray thy ſelf, nor ſet any of the houſhold of Faith at work for an higher Boon than for Aſſurance: Oh get ſome ſpecial Favourite (under the great Mediator) ſome Noah, ſome Job, ſome Daniel, &c. Men or Women of great acquaintance and much communion with God, Chriſtians of large experience and eminent holineſs, to ſuch God uſually denyeth nothing: And (Heb.) The ſecret of the Lord is with them that fear him, Pſal. 25.14.his Covenant to make them know it. Speaks to others, as men and women ordinarily beſpeak prayers, Pray pray for me, and the like, and (truly for the moſt part) it paſſeth for a common, if not a vain Complement, and there's an end of it; ſpeak to ſome (not Heathen) and they will laugh at thee, they know not what thou ſayeſt; ſpeak to others, and they'l forget thee: He that makes not aſſurance his own concernment, how can he make it thine? Speak to ſerious, ſolid, broken-hearted Chriſtians, who know what aſſurance is, and what it is worth, earneſtly beg of them, If there be any conſolation in Chriſt, if any comfort of love, if any fellowſhip of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies? That they would plead hard for that (in the intereſt of our Lord Jeſus) if God would remember your poor thirſty ſoul for one draught of this wine of this conſolation, Aſſurance, and they cannot, yea, they dare not forget thee: They know whoſe prayers have prevailed for themſelves in the like petitions, and they dare not but pay their debts.
But whilſt thou ſetteſt others to pray for thee, Caution, forget not to pray for thy ſelf.forget not to pray for thy ſelf: If thou ſetteſt others to pray for thee, and prayeſt not thy ſelf, thou art an Hypocrite, and God will account thee as one that mockeſt, and thou wilt get a curſe, and not a bleſſing; wherefore pray, pray conſtantly, and pray inſtantly, Vehementia & conſtantia in iſtu petitionibus requiritur, &c.knock hard at the gate of heaven for this grand mercy, and if God open not the firſt, or ſecond, or twentieth, or the hundreth time, yet, with Peter, continue knocking; let God know, as it were, that thou art reſolved to take no denial to thy Petition for aſſurance. This was the greatneſs of the poor woman of Canaans Faith, Mat. 15.27.ſhe would not be denied.
Be conſtant and conſcientious in your attendance upon Chriſts Table; 9. Help.behold it is the ſealing Ordinance, his Banquetting-houſe, his Preſence-chamber, his Marriage-feaſt, his Bed of love, where he doth uſe to give out to his Spouſe his Loves, Cant. 6.12. ….
Behold, the Spirits run in the blood, and the ſealing Spirit of Chriſt is not ſeldom conveyed in the precious ſtreams of Chriſts blood, in that myſterious Ordinance.
The holy Supper was the pledge of his dying Love, a Seal of his laſt coming to receive home his Spouſe to himſelf: This Cup is the New Teſtament in my blood; 1 Cor. 11.25, 26.this do ye, as eſt as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. As oft as ye eat, &c. Chriſt would have his Spouſe perpetuate the remembrance of his dying love, foreign. 2 Pet. 3.12.that thereby they might look for a haſtning of his coming.
Oh let not thy place be empty at ſuch a glorious feſtivity, who can tell whether the Lord may come in the very hour of this ſolemn Ordinance, which he hath appointed to be the very ſanction and pledge of his glorious and triumphant coming, Sam. 20.27.and ſay concerning thee, Where is the ſon of Jeſſe to day? Oh at ſuch a time for the Bridegroom to find thee abſent, how unkindly may he take it? Who that he might be ſure not to miſs thy company at this Love-feaſt hath ſaid, As oft as ye eat, &c.
Laſtly, Wait. This is bleſſedneſs in aſſurance, 10. Help.next to the beatifical viſion it ſelf, and there wants not bleſſedneſs in waiting for it, while ſhort ſpirited Chriſtians can find no ſweetneſs but in a pleroph…ry: gracious ſouls can taſt bleſſedneſs in waiting for it, Lam. 3.26.
The Saints in Scripture have been not only a praying generation, but a waiting generation; the old Teſtament Believers waited for the Promiſe of the Meſſiah: Luke 2.25.It is ſaid of good old Simeon, He waited for the conſolation of Iſrael: And the Primitive believers in the new Teſtament (after Chriſts Aſcention) were commanded by our Lord, to wait for the Promiſe of the Father, Acts 1.4.which (ſaid he) ye have heard of me; namely, the Promiſe of the Holy Ghoſt, which ſhould fill their hearts with aſſurance, and ſeal them up to the day of Redemption.
Indeed there is Patience in Faith as well as Power, it knoweth as well how to ſtay the Lords leaſure as to wreſtle with him for the bleſſing. Indeed it is a rare temper to be importunate with God and Chriſt, willing to ſtay Gods leiſure; but it is moſt excellent, and there is nothing loſt by it.
Holy David gives us his own experience, Pſal. 40.1. I waited patiently for the Lord, and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry: Go you and do likewiſe.
Pray and wait, wait, and wait patiently; and if the Lord anſwer not as ſoon as your ſouls could wiſh, know this, that you do not ſo much wait for God, as God for you; Iſai. 30 18.The Lord waits to be gracious; God doth but wait the fitteſt ſeaſon of mercy; and therefore bleſſed are they that wait for him.
And let me tell you this for your unſpeakable encouragement, that if aſſurance come not till your dying hour, nor then neither to your own or others ſence and obſervation, yet vigorous and perſevering indeavours ſhall wear the ſame Crown with aſſurance in heaven; not want of aſſurance, but the neglect of it, is the ſin which God takes unkindly.
It was the laſt words wherewith holy Jacob went triumphing out of the world, I have waited for thy ſalvation, Gen. 49.18.O Lord.
And thus I have done with the ſecond Uſe of this Ever.
I come to a third