Great Precious Promises, Sermon 7
SERMON VII.
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?
ASsurance is a precious gift which many that live in these dayes do undervalue, and trode under foot; do not the Christians of these times go halting between two opinions, being neither positive that they are received into the adoption of children, not positive that they are yet in a state of alienation, and enemies in their minds by wicked works; yea, and (that which is worse) there are many among us that walk with much contentment under their uncertainty. I think it is a fault to be condemned in many, they pursue more to satisfie their sense for the present, nor to have a solide well grounded assurance for time to come: I could wish that all the debates and questions of these dayes, that take up so much of our time, and so much of our spirits from better things, were happily drowned in these four excellent questions, which without controversie are of greatest concernment for all to have resolved. 1. Where shall I rest all …ight when the long shaddows of the everlasting evening shall be streatched out upon me and whither or not hath Christ gone befor… to take up a place for me in his Fathers house 2. It is a soul-concerning question, Master what shall I do to inherit eternal life? to bee asking at him that can sweetly resolve you▪ And 3. not to rest there, but to bee crying forth in the morning, What shall I do to be… saved, and to be crying out in the evening▪ Lord what wilt thou have me to do. 4. It i… sweet to be asking seriously, Saw yee him whom my soul loveth: There is much of our time spent in asking news from Court▪ and from abroad, concerning the revolutions of States and Kingdomes: But I suppose, it were better to ask, What news from heaven concerning thy self, and what news from within, and news of thy Bridegrooms comeing? for these are great Courts, I mean the Court of heaven, and the Court of conscience, the affairs of which, a Christian should endeavour much to know. 5. It is a soul-concerning question, that a Christian should be much in proposing to himself, What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits. It is certain, we must say, that our faith and assurance, and all our other mercies are from him, and yet alas, we are negligent in praises, we may with Tamar rent our garments of divers colours, even the garments of the Kings daughters, because of spiritual whoredome against God, and our ingratitude to him.
Now having spoken unto you at so great a length of that precious and fundamentall grace of Faith, wee have thought fit to shut up all in speaking a little upon these wo…ds we now have read, concerning the evidence and assurance of Faith. The Apostle in this Chapter is vindicating his Ministery and Apostleship, from the contempt that was cast upon it, he proveth he was a Minister of the New Testament, called and sent of God, by the blessing and successe he had among them, in that hee had not plowed nor threshed in vain; and they being so much in censuring his way, and seeking an account of his Ministery: In these words, he doth (as it were) draw them off by a holy diversion unto another businesse, as if hee had said to them, O Corinthians, I will divert you from the exercise of judging me, and will lead you into an exercise that is more divine and profitable; be much in judging and examining your selves: and indeed, it is a truth worth our observation, that if we were more in judging of our selves, wee would be lesse in judging others: but alas, there are some of us, wee are so much abroad, that we cannot be much at home.
In the words, there is these six things considerable. First, That there is such a thing attainable by a Christian while hee is here, as a distinct perswasion and assurance that he is in the Faith, and hath an interest in Christ: by being in the faith; here is not to be understood, a being in the doctrine of Faith only, but it is to be understood of principally, being indeed and really united to Christ by Faith. Secondly, That the seeking after assurance, is a necessary commanded duty, for ye see here the words very imperative, Examine your selves, prove your selves. Thirdly, That there are many mistakes and delusions among people, concerning that noble and excellent thing, Assurance, there being many that keep fast a hope which Christ shall once discountenance and sweep away, like a spiders web, and this is imported in these words, Examine your selves, or as the word may bee rendered, Take an acurate and an experimental search of your selves, try your selves, or prove your selves: it is a word that is borrowed from the Gold-smiths fineing and trying Gold. And so his putting of the Corinthians to so acurate a search of themselves, saith this clearly to us, there are many mistakes concerning this thing, many do passe a decreet in their own favours before Christ hath passed his approbation of them. Fourthly, Take notice of this from the word, that there is much and exceeding much advantage, by trying and searching whether we bee in the faith or no; this is imported in his doubling the exhortation. Fifthly, That one most excellent and spiritual way of attaining assurance, whether we be in the faith or no, is self examination, and putting our self to the trial, as if he had said, would ye have a distinct perswasion that yee are in Christ, then bee much in the exercise of self-examination. For the rest of the words of the verse, wee intend not to handle.
As to the first, That there is such a thing attainable: I shall only propose these reasons unto you to make it evident. 1. It is known in Scripture, that the Saints of old have in ordinary way attained to distinct perswasion of their interest in Christ, Song. 2. vers. 16. My beloved is mine, and I am his, and Rom. 8.38. I am perswaded (saith the Apostle) that neither death nor life, &c. shall bee able to separate mee from the love of God in Christ. And 2 Cor. 5. ver. 1. For we know, if this our earthly tabernacle were dissolved, wee have a house with God not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2. It is the great scope of many Scriptures, to shew how Christians may attain to assurance, 1 Ioh. 1.13. These things I write unto you, that yee may know that yee have eternal life. The great end and design of Iohn, writing in these Epistles, is, to make a soul acquaint with Christ, and to make them to accept of him, and to give them a distinct assurance that Christ hath accepted them. 3. There are many commands in Scripture for Christians to be serious in searching after assurance, 2 Pet. 1.10. Wherefore brethren, give all diligence to make your calling and election sure. It is the blessed end of Gods oath in the everlasting Covenant, that a Christian might get assurance. What was the ground and great end that God confirmed his Covenant with an oath, was it not, Heb. 6.18. That by two immutable things, wherein it was impossible for God to lie, ye might have strong consolation. 5. If assurance of our interest in Ch…st were not attainable, then these precious graces of joy and love could not be well exercised: if a Christian were evermore in the dark concerning his interest in Christ, hee could not give obedience to that exhortation, Rejoyce evermore, again, I say, rejoyce, 6. The Scripture hath set down these means by which a Christian may win to assurance: as is clear, 1 Ioh. 3.18, 19. 2 Pet. 4.5. compared with vers 10. where the Apostle Peter pressing the Doctrine of making our calling and election sure, hee fetteth down these excellent means by which they may win to in, and doubtlesse the marks and evidences that are registrate in the Scripture of a gracious state, do assure us, that assurance is attainable. 7. What are the ends of the Sacraments, but that our assurance may bee confirmed, and that our faith may be strengthned, the two Sacraments are the two great Seals of heaven that are put to the Charter of the Covenant.
Now as to the applitation, and the more full improvement of this first point, I shall only offer these considerations. 1. I would have it taken notice of, that though grace and assurance be two lovers, yet there is no such band of union between them, that the one cannot consist without the other: A Christian may have the real grace of God, and yet walk in darknesse and have no light: a Christian may be going to heaven, and yet that word oftentimes in his mouth, I am cut off from thy sight; yea, are there not even some who have had assurance, and sometime a day have been admitted to draw that conclusion, I am my beloveds, and his desire is towards me, who are now under darknesse concerning their interest, and in much bitternesse of spirit, doe sometimes cry out, My hope and my strength is perished from the Lord. But therefore let me say this one word, both to weak ones who never had assurance, and deserted ones who have lost it; when ye misse assurance, beware of drawing such negative conclusions concerning your graces, but when ye fit in darknesse and see no light, Trust in the Name of the Lord, and stay your selves upon your God; that is when ye cannot reach the faith of assurance, be much in maintaining of adherence, remember Iobs divinity, Though thou should kill me, yet will I trust in thee, and consider that sweet word, He will keep them in perfect peace, whose hearts are stayed on him.
My second consideration is, That since assurance is attainable, ye would study to finde out and remove these things that doth hinder you from attaining unto it. And that we may help you in this, we conceive, that the obstructions of a Christians assurance, are especially in these two. 1. Our mistaking of the Lords dealing towards us. And, 2. Our untender and unsuitable dealing towards him.
Of the first sort we shall lay before you these five. The first is, want of favourable termes of prayer; this often maketh a Christian to debate his interest▪ and call in question his evidences, Lam. 3 8. compared with verse 18. I cry and shout, but he shutteth out my prayers: And this is the conclusion of that dispensation, verse 18. My hope and my strength is perished from the Lord; and this i… especially occasioned when the Christian i… most serious and fervent in prayer, and the… he meeteth not with a return, this maketh them exceedingly debate their interest. And I confesse, it is a sad dispensation to meet with a silent Christ in prayer; but yet that needeth not make a Believer question all, and debate the reality of his interest in God, since the dearest of all the children of the Kingdom have been so dealt with, even a David, Psal. 22. Cryed night and day without silence, and is not heard, but cryeth out, Why art thou so far from helping▪ and from the words of my roaring; yea, that passage may relate to him who was the root and off spring of David; for even he was so dealt with, and had not presently a sensible return, when he had prayed thrice, that the cup might passe from him.
Secondly, The want of sensible enlargement and liberty in prayer, that hee never got to his knees, but his heart beginneth to die like a stone within him, then hee cryeth forth that word, 2 Cor. 3.17. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, and sure if I had the Spirit of the Lord, I would have liberty in the exercise of prayer, and that this is a rise of the disputing of our interest, is clear from Psal. 77.4. compared with ver. 7.9. saith David, I am sore troubled that I cannot speak, I have no liberty in prayer, I never go to God in prayer, but (as it were) my tongue sticketh to the roof of my mouth: he from hence draweth that conclusion, Hath God forgotten to bee gracious, and hath hee in wrath shut up his tender mercies for ever: I confesse, this also is a sad dispensation to meet with an absent and vailed Christ in prayer: so that we can never go to seek God in secret, but we may write this upon our prayers, He is gone, he is gone, especially when we have lost that liberty that formerly we have had: and therfore is Davids perplexity much heightened, ver. 5, 6. from his remembring his song in the night, and his calling to mind the years of ancient times; yet wee may remember how soon David wrote his retractions, as to that sad conclusion, I said, this is my infirmity, ver. 10. and so should we do when upon every straiting in prayer, wee begin to question all the Lords kindnesse towards us.
A third obstruction of assurance, is a Christians wrestling with his corruptions painfully and seriously, and yet not meeting with any sensible victory over them, but upon the contrary, their corruptions seem to bee stronger, and they themselves seem to bee weaker, and then it is, they strengthen their misbelief, but that word, 1 Joh. 3 3. Every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as he is pure: And indeed, this is a knot that is not easily loosed, but when hee seeth his idols and corruptions prevailing over him, hee will cry out, I am gone, and there is no help in Israel concerning this thing, and yet this also is a word in haste, Paul hath registrate himself a standing witnesse, even after hee was a chosen vessel, Rom. 7. How strangely a childe of God may bee born down with a body of death even under most serious wrestlings against it: And there…fore if thou seriously maintain that combate though thou do not sensibly prevail, thou ha… no reason upon that ground to weaken th… assurance.
Fourthly, When a Christian is put to mor… then ordinary outward affliction, when Go… doth dispence sadly unto them in outwar… things, they then begin to cal in question thei… interest, and dispute their assurance, this i… clear, by comparing Lament 3. vers. 18. wit… the preceeding words, where speaking of th… sad dispensations they meet with, he draweth that conclusion in verse 18. My hope and my strength is perished from the Lord, and Ion. 2.2. where he draweth that conclusion from such a promise. I am now cast out of thy sight, the devil he taketh Eliphaz divinity and presents it to a Christian; Call now if there be any to answer thee, and to which of the Saints wilt thou go: As if he had said, did thou ever know a Christian afflicted so as thou art afflicted, and so he would have Iob to quite his integrity; But yet we know all these blessed ones for all their afflictions, were dear unto the Lord, and had their interest secure in him, yea, as many as he loveth, he doth rebuke and chasten, and it is bastards and not sons on whom he will not bestow a rod, and therefore we ought not to quarrel our interest because of afflictions.
And lastly, The rise of a Christians discouragement, and that which hindereth their assurance, is▪ when their former experience of the manifestations of God doth not relish to them, and when the promises upon which they have built become tastlesse unto …hem as the white of an egge, and when they meet not with God in Ordinances, but these become lifelesse, when these three rise toge…her upon them, their case becomes very per…lexed oftentimes: and this also seemed to …ave been Davids case, Psal. 77. When he remembered his song in the night▪ and the dayes of …ld, and yet had no sweetnesse in them, then he breaketh forth into these bitter complaints which are there expressed: but yet as we said before, this was his infirmity, and there is no reason for a Christian to question his interest upon such an account; because the Ordinances are not at all times alike lively even to the best, and the Lord is not alwayes present, but though sometimes the candle of the Lord doth shine upon his head, yet at other times hee is necessitate to cry out, O that it were with me as in months past.
The second sort of obstructions of a Christians assurance, I mean such as flow from our untender dealing towards God are,
First, A guilty conscience; that is a remarkable word, 1 Tim. 3 9. Holding the mystery of faith in a pure conscience; It telleth us, that this excellent grace of Faith cannot bide but in a cleanly lodging, even in a pure conscience, and when a Christian setteth about to believe hee will know how a guilty conscience will flee in his face, and cry out, O adventure not to believe, dare thou believe; the guiltinesse of a Christians conscience maketh him oft to cry out, Touch not the mountain lest thou be thrust thorow: And I tell you three disadvantages of a guilty conscience. 1. It obstructeth a Christians boldnesse in making applications to Christ; his heart saith close, and his necessity saith close; but his guilty conscience cryeth out, O stand aback and do not close. 2. A guilty conscience oftentimes it hindereth the discoveries of Christ to the soul, and doth so affright and terrifie, yea, it will so sting and bite us, that when he revealeth himself, we cannot take notice, when he would lay on a plaster, our souls will tear it off, and refuse to be comforted. 3. It doth exceedingly obstruct our going about duty. O but our soul moves slowly in the paths of God when wee are under the power of a guilty conscience.
The second obstruction is, That wee are not much in the exercise of tendernesse. O but if a Christian were tender, and if in every step of his life hee desired to set Christ before his eyes, he wold easily win to much assurance, according to that word, Isa. 64 5. Thou meetest him that rejoycest and worketh righteousnesse, and these that remember thee in thy wayes: Would yee know the assured Christian, it is the tender Christian; the Christian that doth not crucifie convictions, the Christian that brea…eth not resolutions, the Christian that doth not sit calls and opportunities to prayer, the Christian that saith not of any sin it is a little one; or the Christian that searcheth alwayes, watcheth alwayes, examineth alwayes, and is alwayes casting out sin, that is the assured Christian.
The third obstruction is, The want of the …ercise of the grace of fear, we are not much …der this disposition, to fear the Lord and … goodnesse; this is clear from that word, …sal. 25.14. The secret of the Lord is with …em that fear him, and hee will shew to them … Covenant. I think there are these two …reat evidences that much of the power of …odlinesse is gone from some of our hearts: …ee fear God no more, nor if wee were his …ompanion. And we fear our selves no more …or if we had not a deceitfull heart within …, we neither fear God nor our selves, and …ut speaketh that much of the life of Religi… is lost amongst us.
The fifth thing that doth much astruct our …ssurance, is, much worldly mindednesse, and … eager pursuit after the things of a present …: That is remarkable, 2 Cor. 4. ver. last, …ompared with 2 Cor. 5.1. We look not unto …he things that are seen, that is, we are not much taken up with the things of a present world, which the men of the world seek …nd delight themselves in: and it is subjoy…ed, For wee know, if this our earthly house …f this tabernacle were dissolved, wee have a …ouse not made with hands; so we see assurance …nd mortification to the world, are much … together. Would yee know where to …nd our hearts, the most part of us are con…ersing with idols of the world; Would …ee know where to find our hearts, they are …mong the vanities of the world O how true …s that word, Psal. 39. Man walks in a vain …hew: What is man in all his actings, but …s one walking in a long gallery that is set about with pictures, gazing on these thing… and saluting them all, as if they were livin… Kings and Queens, and great persons tha… could do him good; and so our pursuing a…ter the world, is nothing else but a dead shad…dow pursuing after dead shaddows, a man tha… is but a short living shaddow pursuing afte… vanity and nothing, and thus he fools awa… his time, forgetting to make sure the one thin… necessary.
Fifthly, Want of distinct apprehension of these three, the infinite love of Christ, th… infinite power of Christ, and the infinit wise…dome of Christ; there is not an objection O Christians that yee have from the multitud… of your sins, but it may be drowned in infi…nit love; there is not an objection that y… have concerning the strength of your idols but it may be drowned in that immense ocea… of the infinit power of Christ; there is no… an objection ye have from your wants, or abou… your evil nature, but ye may drown it in the infinit wisedom and goodnesse of Christ, and there can bee nothing against your assurance, but may be sweetly answered also from these rightly applied, taken up and rested on by the soul. The last thing which hindereth our assurance, is, the smalnesse of the measure of grace that we have attained; for when grace is small, it is hard to be discerned, and therefore, if wee would have assurance, learn not to ly still and dispute, but to rise up and to increase our stock, and then you shall know ye are rich, Grow in Grace and the knowledge of God, and by this ye shall know if … follow to know the Lord.
The third consideration is, that assurance …s not bestowed at all times, but there are some special times and seasons when God giteth a Christian a broad sight of his interest, and I shall but name these.
The first is, when he is first converted, and Christ and he joyns hands together, even then …ometimes the best robe is put on upon the prodigal son, and the farted calf is killed, and … is put upon his hand, and shooes upon his feet, Act. 9.17. Paul meeteth with … immediately after his conversion, 1 Ioh. ….12, …4. I write unto you little children, because ye have known the Father; and before that, in the 12. vers. I write unto you little …hildren, because your sins are forgiven you; so that when a Christian is brought into Christ, … will (as it were) lead them to the Registers of heaven, and say, friend come and see, … is your name written from eternity. But do not mistake me▪ I do not say, this is alwayes so, but these whom Christ converteth through the thunderings of the Law, these most frequently meet with intimation of the …ardon of their sins and peace of God, even …t their first acquaintance? I know there are …ome Christians, that if ye ask at them when …hey were begotten to a lively hope, they would say that word that the blind man once …id, One thing I know, I was once blind, and …ow I see, but for the time and the day, I know …ot when it was.
The second … is, when they are wresting with God like Princes in Prayer, and …atching unto that exercise, Dan. 9.23▪ compared duplicate page duplicate page with the preceeding verse, hee being much and serious in prayer, doth meet with that word from heaven, O man greatly beloved, or as the word is, O man of desires, and Acts 10.2, 3, 4. when Cornelius is much in exercise of watching and prayer, hee set … a vision, and getteth intimation of his peac… with God; and Iacob when he… was wrestling with Christ, Gen. 32. he hath that testi…mony given him, Thou hast as a prince wrest…led with God, and prevailed.
The third time is, when a Christian is p…sing through the gates of death, and is upo… the borders of Eternity: I desire not to b… mistaken in this neither; I know some Chri…stians are led to heaven through a dark … so as they never see a blink of the countenance of Christ, untill the day come th… they get him in their arm… eternally withi… his Fathers house; Some Christians whe… they go through the gates of death, they ma… be disputing of this question, Where am I go…ing, but this is certain, that sometimes, ye… oftentimes Christ will dispense a broad sight of a Christians interest unto him at the day o… death, 2 Sam. 25.5. When was it that Davi… sang that song, which hath strengthned thou…sands in the very jaws of death, God hat… made with me an everlasting Covenant, was i… not when death was shaking hands with him and 2 Tim. 4.8. When was it that Paul san… that song, I have fought the good fight of faith I have finished my course, henceforth is laid … for me a crown of righteousnesse, was it … even then when he was ready, to depart and … be offered up? And when was it when old Simeon did sing that blessed song, Luke 2.29▪ Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for my eyes have seen thy salvation, was it not within a step of death, as it were, he went to heaven with Christ in his arms, or rather in his heart hee carried Christ with him, and found Christ before him, and so death to Simeon was a change of his place, and not a change of his company.
The fourth time is, when hee is to be put to some hard and difficult duty: Before Abraham be put to forsake his native land, and become a stranger and a wanderer, hee meeteth with sweet intimation of his interest, Gen. 12.2. I will make of thee a great nation, and vers. 7. The Lord appeared unto Abraham, and before Ieremiah be sent a Preacher to a rebellious people, he will have that word spoken unto him, I know thee before thou wast brought forth.
The fifth time is, when a Christian hath done some singular act of obedience, when Abraham had obeyed the Lord, and was content to offer up his Isaac, he meeteth with a sight of his interest and Covenant renewed to him with an oath, Gen. 22.16. By my self I have sworn, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not witholden thy son, even thy only son, blessing, I will blesse thee, and multiplying, I will multiply thee as the stars of heaven.
The sixth time is, when a Christian is to meet with hard trials, difficulties and afflictions in the world, then they usually meet with assurance, and so Gen. 28.14, 15, 16. before Iacob go to serve Laban, he meeteth with intimation of his peace with God.
The seventh time is, when a Christian is under sad persecution and affliction, then will the Lord give a word from heaven to comfort him and assure him of his fatherly love and mercy: When was it that Christ left that noble Legacy to his Disciples, Ioh. 14. ver. 27. My peace I leave with you, my peace I give you, was it not when he himself was to leave them to troublesome and sorrowful dayes, in a persecuting world.
The eighth time is at some solemn Ordinances and approaches to God, the dayes of a Communion to a tender Christian have been sweet dayes, when Christ hath come to the soul, and said, Behold me, behold me. I think the eleven Apostles met with much assurance of their interest in Christ at the Communion they were at with him: O what sweet intimations were these, This is my body which is broken for you, and this cup is the New Testament in my blood shed for you, and a little after, you are they which have continued with me in my tentation, and I appoint unto you a kingdom.
We come now to the second point which we proposed from the words, viz. That a… assurance is a thing which may be attained so to seek after it, is a necessary duty: … me not be mistaken, as if I said, the havin… of assurance were simply necessary to Salva…tion; no, that were a Doctrine as comfor…lesse upon the other hand, as the Popis… doctrine of the impossibility of assurance … upon the other: But the thing I say, is, that the Christians seeking after assurance, and his real (endeavouring to attain unto it, is a necessary command of God which hee hath bound upon the consciences of his children amongst other Gospel duties; And certainly, we need go no further for the clearing of this then the Text it self; what meaneth these peremptory injunctions, Examine your selves whether ye be in the faith or not: Prove your own selves; Know yee not, &c. but if you will, you may add that word, 2 Pet. 1. vers. 5. and 10. compared, what can be more expresly commanded, and more strongly pressed, then that Christians should bend their utmost endeavours for attaining unto this blessed condition of assurance: Give diligence, yea, give all diligence, yea, the rather give all diligence to make your calling and election sure.
From this, we shall only lay before you these Considerations. 1. If the seeking after assurance be a necessary duety, then these three things are most lamentable. First, That there are so many in this Generation who are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their iniquity; they flatter themselves with a rotten assurance, that hath no other foundation but their own imagination: they never knew since the first day they were Baptized and did begin to professe Christ, what it was to mortifie one lust, nor seriously to wrestle against one temptation, and yet they want not a strong perswasion of their interest in Christ: But ah, will yee stand in awe, lest ye meet with such a dreadfull disppointment, as (when ye think y… are in the very gate of heaven) even then to fall backwards to the very bottome of hell, and when ye expect a kindly welcome from the Lord of Glory, as one who thinks you have been in Covenant with him this many years, ye meet with that dreadfull summons▪ Depart from me ye cursed, I know you not.
2. How sad may we be upon this account; that howbeit assurance be an attainable thing▪ and a great many dare not say they have attained it; yet so little diligence is used in pursuing after it: Is it not very lamentable▪ that many of you to whom I am speaking, since first ye gave up your names to Christ … a visible way, and were reputed amongst the generation of the seekers of his face, scare… ever set a day or an hour a part to examine whether ever indeed you were in Christ or not▪ Alas, is heaven of so little moment, is the having or wanting all the enjoyments which are there of so small concernment to you, that y… will not be at the pains as once to enquire af…ter your interest in the matter: What if any of you were but possessors of a thousand pound, and your interest or right unto it un…certain and questionable, would not your slee… depart from you, and your rest be unquiet til… you had made it more secure? What thin… you shall the men of this generation answe… in the day of the Lord for neglecting that on thing necessary, when they have been so vex…ing themselves about many things, and hav… been so serious in so many consultations t… make sure a worm eaten portion in a perishing world, that the whole wit of Men and Angels cannot secure for one moment: It is certain, the root of all this slothfulnesse is Atheism: It is not possible that we believe … really there is a heaven as we believe there i… an earth, or that the world to come is as real as that which is present, or else it must be a strange power in these lusts that keep us captive, that we are never suffered to think upon Eternity, nor to ask where we must …dge when this cottage we carry about shall …all about our ears. O will ye think upon it how serious and pressing that command is, 2 Pet. 1.10. Give all diligence to make your …alling and election sure, when the Lord saith, …ive all diligence, will ye give no diligence, and when he saith, make your calling and election sure, will ye live upon uncertainty, I said to the foolish, deal not so foolishly.
3. It is most lamentable, that since assurance is attainable, yet men live so content…dly under the want thereof: how strange is it that many are so seldom on their knees complaining of their uncertainty, if Christ were precious unto you, would it be so, I am sure there are some of us here that have hade the name of Christians I know not how long, that never had one sad thought about the want of assurance: when we look upon the desolations, vastations and plunderings in the world, how many of us can cry out, They have taken away my gods, and what have I more; but when we speak of heaven we care not who deprive us of our portion there. I will not limite the Lord, nor determine what he may do, but believe it, it is one to a thousand, if many Christians of this age have a pleasant night and comfortable closing of their eyes, they are such undervalue … of assurance: I may fear, that lamentation shall be heard upon the death beds of many … O poor wretched wandring Soul, where art thou going: and it is no wonder it come to this▪ when we are so long in beginning to ask the question. And now I close with this one thing, that I think beyond all question the souls that live contentedly under the want of assurance, are the careless daughters that dwelleth at ease; Christ and they are at a remarkable distance; it must be a cold winter and a dark night (at best) as to their present fellowship with God,
A second consideration from this point is▪ that if the seeking after assurance be so necessary a duty, then let me beseech you to ponder with your selves what means are fit for you to use that ye may attain it, and if ye enquire what these means are, I shall onelyonly lay before you some few.
1. That ye would be much in the exercise of Faith, I mean the direct acts of Faith, whereby the sinner from his sense and feeling of his wants, layeth hold on Jesus Christ▪ closing with him, and leaning upon him for a full supply out of his fulnesse: for indeed there are two great faults amongst the Lord… people, some do seek assurance of Faith, before ever they seek to have Faith. 2. Some are much more taken up in debating their evidences, whether they be real or not, then they are in strengthening their evidences, so that most of their time is spent in questioning: O! is this a real evidence of assurance; whereas more actual believing in Christ and gripping to the promises, and l…sse disputing, were the shorter and surer way, that word is most clear, Eph. 1.13. After ye believed, yee were sealed with the Spirit of promise, that is, ye got assurance, but not before ye believed: and ye know it is said, Matth. 9 2. And when Iesus saw their Faith, he said, Son, be of good comfort, thy sinnes are forgiven thee ▪ so then it is clear, that to be much in believing, is the nearest way to assurance.
2. Ye would be much in believing the general truths and promises of the Gospel, and frequently meditatnig of them; all assurance is by a practical sylogisme; the first proposition whereof, must needs bee a Scripture …ruth: and certainly, the firm assent to that truth, and the souls delightful meditation on it, is often blessed of the Lord as a special mean whereby the conscience is helped to make the assumption, and also to bring forth the conclusion: For instance, wee see with what strength of affection Paul acteth his faith on that word, 1 Tim. 1.15. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, Christ Iesus came to save sinners; and presently we see what followeth on it, of whom I am the chief, then is his assurance; for doubtlesse he meaneth, that he was the chief of saved sinners; yea, certainly, a sinner thus exercising himself, will often find so much sweetnesse in the general truths, that he cannot but put to his own name.
3. Be diligent in the exercise of all spiritual graces and Christian duties, that this i… among the best means of attaining to assurance, is manifest from 2 Pet. 1. Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure: for indeed it is very observable, that the diligence there mentioned, is not a diligence in disputing and questioning about our election, but a diligence in the practice of duties and graces▪ as is clear from ver. 5. Give all diligence (saith the Apostle) Whereto? in adding to your faith vertue, to your vertue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, &c. and then vers. 8. If ye do these things, ye shall neither be barren no… unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ; he doth not say in the knowledge of the Lord Iesus Christ simply, but of our Lord Jesus: importing that, that the result of diligence in these graces, shall be the knowledge of Christ as ours, and of our interes… in him: and then he addeth (upon the othe… hand) he that laketh these things, is blind and cannot see afar off, this is, he cannot see far i… any spiritual matter, and so not in the matte… of his interest. O therefore, think not tha… ye will get assurance by lying down with th… …uggard upon your bed, or by your formal… prayer, or your anxious debates, but if eve… ye come to assurance, ye must be striving a… in an agony, for so the word importeth, which is used to expresse our diligence in Christia… duties.
4. As ye would be diligent, so if ever y… would come to assurance, ye would be tender and circumspect in your walking, that is a clear word, Psal. 50. last verse, To him that ordereth his conversation aright, will I shew the salvation of God, and Isa. 32. The effect of righteousnesse is peace and assurance for ever: Ah the untender walk that many of us have: it is no wonder to see us walk in darknesse, such stinking grosse vapors that ariseth off our conversation, cannot but engender clouds that hinder us from seeing God, and certainly such pearls as Assurance is not given to dogs and swine, lest they tread upon them.