A Manual of Practical Divinity, Treatise · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Of Aſſurance and peace of Conſcience.
ALL Believers have not Aſſurance: ſome Believers walk in darkneſs and ſee no light, Eſay 50.10. A true Saint may be in great doubtings, ſo great as Heman complains, that his troubles were ſo great that they did as i… were diſtract him; yea a Believer may be a long time in that condition, Pſalm 88.15. Heman was ſo exerciſed from his youth up: There are ſeveral cauſes why many Believers are in great doubts about their ſpiritual eſtates; as [1.] want of conſtant meditation upon Gods free Grace in Chriſt. (2:) Falling into great ſins. (3.) The often prevailing of the ſame corruption. (4.) Want of anſwers of prayers. (5.) Some great croſs and affliction that is befallen them, that they are tempted to think would never have befallen them if the Lord loved them: this miſtake hath diſturbed the peace of many a Child of God. (6.) The not meeting with communion with God in Duties; if God loved me ſaith the ſoul, would he let me come and go from his Ordinances and take no notice of me? (7.) The ſubtile Diſputes of Satan againſt our Sincerity in the ways of God many times baffle us and make us fit to give up the cauſe. (8.) The obſerving that a Hypocrite may go far, ſtrikes many a Child of God into a great fear whether he be gone beyond a Hypocrite or no? (9.) Unacquaintedneſs with Gods workings upon our hearts; we know but in part: as we know not all the evil in our hearts, ſo a Saint doth not know all the good and Grace that God hath put into them. (10.) The weakneſs of Grace, but like a graine of muſtard ſeed in our hearts, the leaſt of all ſeeds: ſo Faith and Sincerity lies like a ſmall muſtard ſeed among huge clods of corruption, and the ſoul hath much ado many times to ſee this grain of muſtard ſeed among theſe clods. Thus and many other wayes a true Child of God may fall into great doubts and fears about his ſpiritual eſtate; indeed if men know of no workings that have been upon their ſpirits, its a ſign they are yet in a natural eſtate: the Saint of God knows that there have been workings of the Spirit and convictions upon him; but he feareth that they were but common workings, ſuch as are upon Hypocrites and Reprobates, and not the ſaving work of Gods Spirit, that he queſtions whether he hath gone beyond the ſtony-ground hearers many times.
So that there is great need of the witneſs of the Spirit, beſides all our evidences to put the matter out of doubt, that we are effectually called, and ſo it is writen, Rom. 8.15. The Spirit himſelf witneſſes with our ſpirits that we are the ſons of God; He makes a heart-affecting diſcovery of the love of God in Chriſt to the ſoul, Rom. 5.5. excites and ſtirs up Faith in the heart to act afreſh upon the Lord Jeſus, works ſome joy in the ſoul from the apprehenſion of our Acceptance in Chriſt. The Holy Ghoſt ſometimes in aſſuring us of Gods love in Chriſt, takes Promiſes in the Scriptures and ſets them with power upon the heart, as, I am He that blotteth out thy Tranſgreſſions for my own Names ſake, and will remember thy ſins no more; Not that all words of Scripture that are caſt into our minds are from the Spirit of the Lord, but ſometimes from Satan; ſometimes Promiſes come into our minds in an ordinary way, as other things come to mind that we have read or heard; but when any word of Scriptute is given in and applied in a way of comfort to our ſpirits from the Spirit of God, (1.) It will take ſome Impreſſion, though it may be that when the Spirit comes to comfort and witneſs, he many times comes not with ſuch irreſiſtibility as when he comes to ſanctifie: yet ſome Impreſſion it will have upon the heart, if not to fill it with joy and Triumphing of ſpirit, yet ſome way to ſupport it and bear it up. (2.) If it come from the Spirit, it will be ſuitable and ſeaſonable to our condition; as if a poor Saint be in affliction, and the Holy Ghoſt ſhould give in ſuch a word as that in Heb. 12.9. He afflicts us for our profit, that we might be partakers of his Holineſs, this is a ſeaſonable word; but many will ſay, that ſuch a Scripture was given in to them in ſuch a condition when as the Scripture was nothing ſuitable to their condition, but they miſtook the meaning of the place. (2.) When the Spirit giveth in Scripture, uſually (though not alwayes,) it is when the ſoul is in ſome ſtrait, ſome great ſtrait, and then he giveth them in ſome word upon which he cauſeth them to hope. (4.) Such words of Promiſe as the Spirit applies thus to a ſoul, are very dear to the ſoul ever after, yea it makes the whole Word of God more dear to them, and ſuch words do abide upon the memory very long. (5.) They raiſe up thankfulneſs in the heart. (6.) They do not cheriſh us in any way of ſin: if you thought you had any word from the Lord to put you upon any thing that the Word ſaith is ſin, then you were miſtaken. Somtimes the Spirit of God in comforting and witneſſing to us doth not make uſe of any particular places and Promiſes, but makes a general Diſcovery of the Goſpel and New Covenant, and applies that to the ſoul, and ſhews him that he hath an Intereſt in the New Covenant; that he is one of thoſe whoſe Names are written in heaven, and is ſprinkled with the blood of Chriſt which cleanſeth him from all ſin.
This alſo I would here note, that the Spirit of God doth ſpeak peace to the conſciences of many Believers that yet think they have no peace, and queſtion the truth of Grace in their hearts. I ſay, though it comes not ſo high as Raviſhments of ſpirit, yet the Holy Ghoſt in ſome more ſecret way hath quieted their hearts; How comes it to paſs elſe that thoſe Believers notwithſtanding all their doubtings, yet do really and experimentally find that they can go to God as to a Father in prayer, & they are carried out to put all their caſes to God, and truſt him with all their concernments; and they find that the rancour of their ſpirits is taken off againſt the Lord; theſe things declare plainly that in ſome ſecret way the Spirit of God hath quieted their hearts and given them ſome ſatisfaction concerning their ſincerity and Truth of Grace, though it hath not been ſo plain as to ſome other Saints that have had full aſſurance and abundance of joy in the Holy Ghoſt thereupon.
Let not the Saints be impatient and fret to do evil, if the Spirit don't preſently give them aſſurance; neither let them think that they ſhall never have aſſurance becauſe they have been long without it; The Lord oftentimes lets things come to the worſt before he ſends help: Peace and Aſſurance may be very near when thou thinkeſt that there is almoſt now no hope; yea, this is obſervable that when the Holy Spirit ſhall give aſſurance after much doubting, that aſſurance oftentimes is more laſting then others that have had comfort ſooner.
But God lets ſome even ſpend their dayes in ſighing and their years with heavineſs, and even mourn out their eyes and hearts, and find no reſt and peace in Believing; the Lord makes known to us by ſuch examples the bitterneſs of ſin, the power of his Terrours, the danger of backſliding and that he only can ſpeak peace.
Let Chriſtians beware of getting a habit of complaining and doubting, as I have known ſome have got ſuch a habit of complaining, that upon all occaſions, and in all company they muſt be laying out their doubtings; not but that Chriſtians ſhould make known their troubles and fears in ſuitable times one to another, both that others ſeeing the ſtraits that they are in, may pray the more for them, and might comfort them with the comforts wherewith they have been comforted of God: but I ſay many have ſuch a habit of complaining, that I had almoſt ſaid, whether they have doubts and troubles upon their ſpirits or no, they think it not well if they have not ſome complaint to make, and think that their godly friends expect it alwayes from them.
Some not conſidering what Faith is, viz. the ſouls being brought off from all other things to depend and relie upon the Lord Jeſus for eternal life, they bear falſe witneſs againſt themſelves that they do not believe in Chriſt, thinking that faith is nothing but ſome high Raviſhments and almoſt perfection; whereas ask ſuch ſouls, Hath the Lord convinced you of your miſerable eſtate by nature, both in reſpect of the damning and domineering power of ſin? and they can truly ſay yea; the Lord hath convinced me of this; Ask them further Hath the Lord ſhewn you that all your own Righteouſneſs can never ſave you, nothing but a crucified Chriſt can do it? the ſoul can truly ſay yes, the Lord hath powerfully convinced me of this; ask the ſoul further. Hath the Lord ever made you truly ſenſible that you could not believe in your own ſtrength, but Faith was the Lords free gift? and the ſoul can truly ſay yes; the Lord hath made me ſenſible of this; and you ask further, Did you ever find an Almighty power of Gods Spirit drawing your heart to Chriſt, to take him for the Lord your Righteouſneſs, ſo that your troubled ſoul found reſt and peace from his Blood? yea, the ſoul ſaith truly, This I have felt in ſome meaſure; why here is true Faith and Aſſurance, and yet many a poor ſoul not conſidering that this is the ſaving work; but ſeeing that it comes ſhort in many things, doth queſtion whether it be in Chriſt or no, whereas open and unravel but the work of Grace, and ſay, Have you gone this ſtep and the other ſtep? and it can ſay truly that Theſe things God hath wrought in me.
How much means is uſed to many, and yet they can find no comfort and peace of conſcience? The Covenant of Grace is clearly opened to them, ſervent prayers are put up to God for them, the experiences of other Saints are made known to them, but all will not do it: for indeed the Lord only can ſpeak peace to the ſoul, he is the God of peace.
But let thoſe that have peace of conſcience and Aſſurance, be thankful for it as a great mercy; for all Saints have it not: indeed it is a great mercy, it yields much preſent refreſhment to the ſoul; what will make us glad if the light of Gods Countenance will not? And ſo doth Aſſurance of Gods Love ſtand us in great ſtead in time of Afflictions; it keeps the ſoul from ſinking in great Afflictions: it keeps Satan from many advantages, yea when we come to die, and look that King of Terrours in the face: Aſſurance of Gods Love makes grim Death look ſmilingly in our Eye.