Great Precious Promises, Sermon 9
SERMON IX.
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?
I Think ere long, there are many that passeth under the notion of Professors, that the veriest atheist when he beholdeth their walk, may cry out, Are thou also become like unto one of us: Are there not many here that are in a golden dream, and in a fools paradise, that dream they eat, and behold, when they awake, they shall be hungry; therefore I think it is incumbent upon us, to search and examine our state, and condition; profanity hath slain its thousands, but delusion and presumption hath slain their ten thousands. It was an ancient complaint of Christ, Luk. 12.57. And why even of your selves judge ye not what is right; I am perswaded of this, there are many decreets of peace past upon earth, that are never ratified in heaven, there are many that cry out, The bitternesse of death is past, whom yet God by the sword of his Justicee, shall hew in pieces before our eyes. We told you at the last occasion, that we spake upon these word; there were six things we intended to speak from them, of the first three we have spoken.
That which we intended to speak to at this time, is, that there is much soul advantage and spiritual gain, that doth redound to the Christian, by the distinct perswasion of his interest in Christ; this we gathered from Paul's doubling the command of searching and trying themselves, as if he had said, it is a businesse that will be so much for your advantage, that it is incumbent for you to search and try diligently: And for further clearing of the point, I shall only give these three places, Rev 2.17. I will give unto them a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, that no man knoweth, but he that hath received it: By the new name, and the white stone, is understood assurance, and the intimation of it to the soul: This indeed is such a mercy, that I defy any to make language of it, no man knoweth it, much lesse can he expresse it, but he that is the professor of it, and that place, Isa. 62.2, 3. I will give unto them a new name, which the mouth of the Lord will name: O what a name must that be which the mouth of the Lord will name: I think, what he giveth, must be one of the noblest names that ever was given, all the stiles and titles under heaven cannot equal it. And, thirdly, we see David in the 18. Psal. found much sweetnesse and advantage in this, when nine times he hath that word, my: My strength, my rock, my fortresse and my deliverer, my strength and my buckler, the horn of my salvation, and my high tower, O David, what needeth all these Mys, David would answer us; O! he is so sweet in himself, but O! much sweeter to me, when I put to that possessive note, My.
Now to speak more particularly to these advantages of assurance, The fi…st is, That a person that is assured of his interest in Christ, he is much in desiring communion with Christ: Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, (there is his assurance) where thou feedest, and where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon, there is desire of communion, and Song 7.10, 11. My beloved is mine, and his desire is towards me, there is her assurance, and immediately followeth, Come my beloved, let us go forth into the fields, let us lodge in the villages, there her desire of communion, Song 2.16, 17. My beloved is mine, and I am his, and what followeth upon that, He feedeth among the lillies, untill the day break, and the shadows flie away, Turn my beloved, and be as a roe, or a wilde hart upon the mountains of Bether, that is in short, let me have sweet correspondency and fellowship with thee, till the day of Eternity shall come: I think the desires of an assured Christian, they are like the grave, the cry continually, Give, give, and they never say, it is enough: What is the reason, ye seek so little after fellowship with Christ, it is even this, ye are not perswaded of your interest in him; believe it, if once ye had attained to this blest length, as to cry out, Christ is mine, it would be a hell upon earth for you to live at such a distance with him as ye do for the most part: O but assurance maketh absence from Christ an unsupportable burden, Psal. 22.1. My God, my God, there is assurance, and immediately followeth his complaint, Why hidest thou thy self from me, Song 3.1, 2, 3. that word, Him whom my soul loveth, made her to weep so much under absence from Christ, and Ioh. 20.13. when the Angels ask the question at Mary, Women why weepest thou? I think she thought it a needlesse question, and she tells the cause of it, They have taken away my Lord: I think her heart was at her mouth when shee pronounced these two words, My Lord, she spake them with a great deal of emphasis and force, could ye resent absence with Christ so little, if ye were assured he were yours. I confesse, it is no wonder when persons losse that which is not their own, that they weep not much for the losse of it; but O! to losse that which is our own, it maketh it a crosse and a burden to us.
Secondly, It maketh the soul to have a high and matchless esteem of precious Christ, Song 5.10. My beloved is white and ruddy, the chief among ten thousand: O saith the Spouse, I never saw his like, and I shall never see his like again; there is much in that My; interest maketh her look upon Christ with another eye nor she would have done, strangers look upon him but as a tree planted on the sand, 1 Pet. 2.7. To you that believe Christ is precious, not to every one: And Song 2.2. I sate down under his shaddow with great delight, the reason is, interest in the words going before, As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons; yea, assurance will make every thing in Christ exceeding pleasant to the soul: as is clear, Song 5.16. My beloved is altogether lovely, or, hee is all desires. I tell you what assurance will do, it will make Christs person pleasant and precious to the soul, it will make Christs Natures pleasant to the soul, it will make Christs Offices pleasant to the soul, it will make Christs Promises pleasant to the soul, it will make Threatnings pleasant to the soul, it will make the smell of Christs Garments pleasant to the soul, and it will make the kisses of His Mouth pleasant to the soul: O saith the assured Christian, there is nothing of Christ but it is most pleasant, and is all desires; His Threatnings are pleasant, they are the wounds of a friend, and His kisses are pleasant, they are better then wine, His Name it is pleasant, it is as precious ointment powred, forth, His smellings are most delightsome, whose countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars: O to imbrace a married Christ, how pleasant is it to the soul; What makeeth you to have so low thoughts of Christ? even this, the want of assurance that Hee is your H…sband.
Thirdly, Assurance will make the Christian patiently to submit to every crosse and sad dispensation he meeteth wi…h: this is clear, Heb. 10.34. They took with joy the spoiling of their goods, and what made them do so, They hoped for a better inheritance, and a more induring substance: I tell you, assurance, it will answer all crosses with this, Christ is mine; when they are afflicted, assurance will lift up its face, and cry out, Christ is mine, and when they are reproached, they will comfort themselves with this, Christ is mine, I can put on the Lord Iesus.
Fourthly, Assurance will keep you from apostacy and defection from Christ, 2 Pet. 1.10. Make your calling and election sure, and if ye do this (saith he) ye shall never fall, Heb. 3.11.12. It is there set down as a fruit of the evil heart of misbelief, it maketh us depart from the living God, but on the contrary, assurance knitteth the soul to Christ by a threefold cord, which is not easily broken. Believe it, the assured Christian can cry out with much confidence of faith, My mountain standeth strong, I shall never be moved; the assured Christian can cry out with much chearfulnesse: In God will I praise his word, in God have I put my trust, I will not be afraid what flesh can do unto me; yea, he can sweetly sing in the very mouth of danger, The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid, Psal. 27.1.
Fifthly, Assurance keepeth all the graces of the spirit green and flourishing, it is as a refreshing dew upon our branches, which maketh every grace sweetly to blossome in its season. 1. It stirreth up the exercise of love: O how vigorous are the actings of love, when a Christian can cry out, My beloved is mine, and I am his, Song 1.13. My beloved, there is her assurance, He is a bundle of myrrhe, and shall lye all night between my breasts, that is, as long as time shall last, I shall never have Christ out of my my heart, there is love, 1 Ioh. 4.19. We loved him, because he loved us first; our hearts are naturally cold, but love kindleth love, the sense of his love to us, putteth our hearts into a heavenly flame towards him again. 2. Assurance keepeth up the exercise of prayer, it is the assured Christian that can p…ay best, and to best advantage, and in these three things especially, is prayer helped by assurance. First, It helpeth in the point of boldnesse: O but the assured Christian can go boldly to the Throne of Grace, Crying Abba father, and my Lord and my God. Secondly, It helpe…h our diligence in prayer, Psal. 63 1. O my God, there is assurance, early will I seek thee, there is his diligence as the fruit thereof. Thirdly, It helpeth the fervency of prayer, as in that same place, my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee, there is his fervency as another fruit of his assurance. 3. Assurance keeepeth in exercise and life, the grace of mortification: …s is clear by comparing, 2 Cor. 4. vers. last, with 2 Cor. 5.1. We look not after the things that are seen: O Paul, what aileth you, may ye not take a look of the world, O saith Paul, and would ye know the ground of it, Wee know if this house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a house not made with hands, eternally in the heavens: my house and my treasure is in heaven, I must have my heart there, and my eyes also: Would yee know what would stay your pursuit after the world, study to have the assurance of your interest in Christ continually with you. And 4. It keepeth in exercise the grace of humility; there is nothing will keep a Christian so humble as assurance, Gal. 2.20. I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in mee, Eph. 3.8. there hee is all in exalting grace, and debasing himself: It is the misbeliever and discouraged person that dwelleth nearest pride; Believe it, misbelief is big with childe of pride and apostacy, these are the two children which that fruitfull mother will bring forth. And, 5. It will help the grace of Repentance: Would yee know what would make the Christian to repent, it is even this, to take Christ in our arms and call him ours, Zech. 12.10. They shall look unto him, that is, their faith, and and they shall mourn as one mourneth for his only Son: I think it is known by experience, the soul never weeps more tenderly under the conviction of sin, then whe… he hath Christ in his arms, and can see, Hee is mine: O how sweetly doth they then complain, there is not a sight of Christ as their own, when they have offended, but it breaketh all their heart in pieces, and it is as a sword piercing into the bones, when they cry out, O what a fool was I to offend such a precious One, in whom I had so much interest; Was it not sense of interest that made Mary wash the feet of Christ with her tears. Lastly, It will keep in exercise the grace of Joy, 1 Pet. 1.8. It is faith which maketh one to rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Would yee know why your graces are withered? would ye know why all the pleasant plants of God within your soul are decayed? It is this, ye live without sight of your interest in Christ, believe it, (if so I may speak) assurance will be a watering to your graces every morning, and … fresh them every hour, it being as a …hannel through which divine influence is conveighed to the increase of grace, and especially of joy.
The sixth advantage that cometh in to the Christian by assurance of his interest in Christ, is, That it maketh death exceeding pleasant and comfortable to the soul; what maketh death the king of terrours, and what maketh it so unto us? Is it not this, wee go to heaven under a cloud: the assured Christian can take death in his arms, and cry out, welcome, O friend: the assured Christian, when he seeth the chariots his father sends for him, doth with old Iacob rejoyce, and Psal 23. When I walk through the valley of the shaddow of death, I will fear no evil: What brought you that length, David? I tell you why, saith he, for God is with me, ver. 4. I think I need not feas any thing, when I have God in my company: It is the assured Christian that can cry out, Why should I fear death, should I not laugh at destruction: I think indeed, the assured Christian needeth no… fear death, because death to him is the death of all his lusts, the funerall of all his sorrows: and is not the day of death his coronation day, his marriage day, the day of his triumph, and of his entering into rest, and why then should he fear it.
The seventh advantage is, That a Christian being in the state of assurance, can put the highest account upon the smallest mercy that hee meets with from God: the assured Christian looketh upon every mercy as a wonder; it is the assured Christian that cryeth out, I am lesse then the least of all thy mercies: there is not a mercy he meets with, were it but a drop of cold water, but if hee can read this on it, that it came from my Husband, and from my Father, it will be better to him then the sweetest wine.
Lastly, Assurance doth exceedingly help us to chearfulnesse in obedience: O that is a remarkable connexion that Paul hath, Act. 27.23. The Lord whose I am, and whom I serve: That passage also, 2 Cor. 5.14. is very observable, The love of Christ constrained us, &c. Why art thou so painfull a Minister Paul? Why? Knowest thou no man after the flesh, are not led by carnal interests, nor affections, art so busie and diligent as all the world counteth thee mad? Why? (saith hee) love will not let me rest if I would be lazie or carnal, or fold my hands to sleep: the love of Christ doth alwayes sound that in my ears, that I was dead, and he hath died for me, that henceforth I should not live unto my self, but to Him who died for me: Now to him who is the first and the last, who was dead, and is alive for evermore, Wee give praise.
FINIS.
End of the text · Andrew Gray, Great Precious Promises (1669)