Meetness for Heaven Promoted, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Meetneſs for Heaven, in clear evidences of Title to it.
2. THe next particular wherein a meetneſs for Heaven doth conſiſt is Aſſurance, or grounded evidence of our title to this Heavenly Inheritance; for no Man is ready to go out of this World, but he that hath ſolid grounds of his ſafe eſtate for another World; for doubts breed fears, and thoſe lears beget unwillingneſs to go hence: He dare not dye that knows not whither he muſt go, and he is not meet for death that hath not uſed Gods appointed means to obtain aſſurance, a thouſand to one a Soul at uncertainties hath been a ſlothful negligent Soul, for in an uſual way, diligence be gets aſſurance: For ſo ſaith the Apoſtle, Heb. 6.11. We deſire that every one of you would ſhew the ſame diligence to the full aſſurance of hope, to the end that ye be not ſlothful; ver. 12. So 2 Pet. 1.10. Give diligence to make your Calling and Election ſure: And what then? Why then, ver. 11. he adds, For ſo an entrance ſhall be miniſtred to you abundantly into the everlaſting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt. A Ship may make an hard ſhift to get ſneaking into the Harbor, with Anchors loſt, Cables rent, Sails torn, Maſts broken; theſe get ſafe in, but with much ado; but oh how gallantly, doth another ride in, to the credit of her Maſter, good example to others, comfort and ſatisfaction to all in the Ship, when ſhe comes in with Sails ſpread, Flags up, Trumpets ſounding, and well Victualled; ſurely theſe come in bravely. This is juſt the difference betwixt a lazy Profeſſor that wants aſſurance, and an active Chriſtian in his voyage to this bleſſed Haven. God requires this aſſurance; means are appointed for attaining it; ſerious Chriſtians have gained it, ſo mayeſt thou, and ſo muſt thou endeavour after it: You'll ſay, how is it got? By what means may a Chriſtian come to the aſſurance of his title to this Heavenly Inheritance, that he may be meet or fit to take poſſeſſion of it at death?
I Anſwer, in general it muſt be ſuppoſed that you have a title, which is your habitual meetneſs, or elſe how can you be aſſured of it? You that are unregenerate, you have a greater work to paſs through before you are capable of obtaining aſſurance: But ſuppoſing this, I anſwer.
1. An holy diligence in increaſing, exerciſing graces, and performance of duty. This I hinted before. Acts evidence habits: Improving grace is Gods way to clear up grace: Blowing up ſparks will beſt diſcover them: A flame is ſooner diſcerned then a ſpark in the embers: Chriſtians by ſtirring up the gift of God diſcover it: 2 Tim. 1.6. Motion is a good evidence of life: Activity for God, and tendency Heaven-ward will put you out of doubt: All duties tend to aſſurance, or ſpring from it: Striving, running, fighting, will be crowned with clear evidence: God loves to crown diligence: To him that hath (i. e. uſeth and improveth well what he hath) ſhall be given, and he ſhall have abundance; (i. e. more grace and the comfort of it) as the colliſion of Flint and Steel, begets light; ſo the acting of grace produceth this fruit, viz. Aſſurance: For the work of righteouſneſs is peace, and the effect of righteouſneſs quietneſs and aſſurance for ever. Iſa. 32.17. Now, now, the Soul is ready for glory, when he is in duty, above duty, with God in the lively actings of grace, which is a part of, and a prologue to glory. The Chriſtian is going from ſtrength to ſtrength, till he appear before God in Zion. Oh happy ſoul that is thus upon the wing!
2. Reflection upon Heart and Life, and comparing both with the word of God. This is Gods way to get aſſurance: Have I the conditions of Goſpel-promiſes, Faith and Repentance? Do thoſe graces within me anſwer the characters of ſuch in the Scriptures? Doth my Soul eccho to the experiences of Saints in the word of God? Can I follow the Rules and preſcriptions that my Lord hath laid down; To deny my ſelf, take up his Croſs and follow him? Have I the eſſential characters of a Chriſtian? I dare not believe Satan and my own treacherous heart; I will examine and prove my ſelf; 2 Cor. 13.5. I will not ſpare my ſelf in any thing; I will be impartial, and deal faithfully by diſquiſitive tryal now, as I would be found in the deciſive tryal at the laſt day: Its a matter of life and death: I will lay judgment to the line: I will go to the Law and to the Teſtimony: The word muſt judge me at the great day, it ſhall be my judge now: No matter what the World ſaith of me; nor muſt I be determined by the votes of the beſt Chriſtians, or Godly Miniſters: I muſt, and will, and do prove mine own work, and then I ſhall have rejoycing in my ſelf alone, and not in another, Gal. 6 4.
3. Appealing and approving the heart to God. Alas, the beſt Chriſtian is too apt to be partial in his own caſe, or blind at home; our Minds are as ill ſet as our Eyes, neither of them apt to look inwards; and when we do look, alas, we are apt to look through a falſe or flattering glaſs, or our Eye is vitiated with bad humours; and therefore muſt we with Job appeal to God, ch. 10.7. Thou knoweſt that I am not wicked: And ch. 23.10. He knoweth the way that I take: And though David had communed with his own heart, and his ſpirit had made diligent ſearch, Pſal. 77.6. yet he challengeth God to a further privy ſearch; Pſal. 26.2. Ezamine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins, and my heart. And again, Pſal. 139.23. Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts: Not as though God were ignorant of them till he ſearcht; but its ſpoken after the manner of Men: And that God might further acquaint David, with the ſecrets of his heart. Thus the ſincere Chriſtian faith, Lord, I ſet my ſelf before thee as a glaſs in the Sun; look upon me, look through me; thou knoweſt all things; ſee how my heart is affected towards thee; diſcover to me the inmoſt working of my Soul; if there be any ſecret guile in folding it ſelf in the lurking-places of my heart, bring it to light; if there be any flaw in my evidences, let me ſee it before it be too late: I am too apt, through ſelf-love to judge the beſt, but do thou declare my ſtate and my frame as it is: Thou that muſt be my judge ſhalt be my witneſs. My witneſs is in Heaven, and my record is on high; Job 16.19. Here's a Soul uſually comforted in his integrity, and ſuch an one is meet for Heaven.
4. Praying to God for the ſhinings and ſealings of his Spirit: For indeed let all theſe means be uſed, yet evidence will not come unleſs God be pleaſed to ſhine upon his own grace in the Soul: My Conſcience, ſaith Paul, bearing me witneſs in the Holy Ghoſt, Rom. 9.1. and Rom. 8.16. The Spirit it ſelf beareth witneſs with our Spirit that we are the Children of God. This indeed is the Sun-light aſſurance. This alone ſcatters all miſts, anſwers all objections, baniſheth all doubts and fears; and oh what an honour and ſatisfaction is it to a Child of God, that the Third Perſon of the Sacred Trinity ſhould come down and give in its infallibe Teſtimony at the Bar of a Believers Conſcience! This is like the Son of God coming down into our nature, and dying for us. Oh tranſcendent condeſcention! Oh unparallell'd priviledge of Gods Children! Yet this is purchaſed by Chriſt, and promiſed to Believers, not only to be a Witneſs, but a Seal. 2 Cor. 1.22. and 5.5. Eph. 1.13. This is often, yea ordinarily given after believing; and when it comes, it brings its own evidence along with it: So that the perplexed Child of God, after many fore conflicts, ſtruglings, ruggings, ſad thoughts of heart, comes at laſt to ſome conſiſtency, as to expel fears, cares, doubts, and now at laſt is brought to that, that he no more queſtions Gods love then his faithfulneſs; and this uſually comes in after ſome notable wreſtlings at the Throne of Grace in Prayer, according to that Joh. 16.24. Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name: (i. e. Very little comparatively, and as you ſhall do.) Ask and ye ſhall receive, that your joy may be full. God will have his Child to beg when he deſigns to give, to exerciſe our Obedience, and to honour his own Ordinance: Then he gives aſſurance, and the joy of his Salvation; and now the believing Soul is meet to be tranſlated into the joy of his Lord.
But you will ſay, is none meet for Heaven but ſuch as have aſſurance? Then what ſhall a poor doubting Soul ſay of it ſelf, that is dark, and much diſcouraged as many a good Soul is?
Anſw. 1. A title to this Inheritance is neceſſary, but knowledge of this title is not abſolutely neceſſary. Many have dyed ſafely, though under clouds. Our Lord himſelf, cryed dying, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? There was Relation, my God, yet in ſome ſenſe he was forſaken.
2. There's degrees of aſſurance; as he that ſaid, Lord I believe, help thou mine unbelief. Few enjoy a full plerophory, and thoſe that have it, yet have it not at all times. Mr. Pauls Bains ſaid dying, Suſtentation I have, but ſuavities ſpiritual I do not feel.
3. Its one thing what God doth in an arbitrary way of ſuſpending the comforts of his Spirit from the beſt of his Saints, (yea he with-held them from his own Son) and another thing, what may, and uſually is, the effect of Mans ſloth and negligence; which is too commonly our caſe; as Mr. Dod anſwered him that complained of want of aſſurance, why Man, aſſurance may be had, and what have you been doing all this while?
4. Yet this will hold good, that a clear evidence of our title is a great meetneſs and readineſs for Death: For though aſſurance be not neceſſary [ad eſſe] to the being of a Chriſtian; yet its neceſſary [ad bene eſſe] of a Chriſtian, i. e. to his well being, or comfortable paſſage through, or parting out of this World; for if we muſt draw near to God in a duty with full aſſurance of Faith, Heb. 10.22. much more at death.
Oh what a vaſt difference i… there betwixt a Soul carried … the wing of Faith, and flames o… Love, in an extaſie of Joy, and the poor doubting, heartleſs, diſconſolate Soul! The former is like ſome high Mountains, that are above Storms and Clouds, as they ſay Olympus is clear and beautiful? Oh the calmneſs and ſerenity of the well aſſured Chriſtian! He hath a double Heaven, well at preſent, better preſently; its but ſhooting this gulf, croſſing this Jordan, paſſing this ſtile, as Dr. Taylor ſaid, and I ſhall be in my Fathers houſe. Death it ſelf, as terrible as it is, in it ſelf and to others, is a ſtingleſs Serpent; my Friend and Fathers Servant ſent to fetch me home; Angels ſhall guard me; my Lord will bid me welcome; my Chriſtian Friends gone before will make Heaven ring with ſhouts of joy at my landing ſafe, and my Soul ſhall ever be with the … But alas, the poor doubting Soul, whoſe evidences are not clear, cryes out, Alas, dye I muſt, and dye I dare not; I dare not ſay God is my God, Chriſt my Saviour, the Spirit my ſanctifier, Promiſes the Charters that convey the Inheritance to others I cannot apply; whither I am going I know not; God carries ſtrangely to me; I remember God and am troubled; guilt ſtares me in the face; I am conſcious to my ſelf of thouſands of ſins; and though I have been long bungling about Faith and Repentance, yet I am not ſure they are ſincere and ſaving, and whether God will receive my ſad departing Soul: [Anxius vixi, dubius morior, as that great Man ſaid,] I have lived under fears, I dye under doubts, and God knows what will become of me, and I may thank my ſelf; alas, this is the fruit of my ſloth, ſecurity, my ſlipping into ſin backſlidings from God, intermittings of duty, careleſs and heartleſs performances; wo is me, what will become of me! Theſe are the aſtoniſhing thoughts of a poor doubtful dying Soul: And is this Man meet for Heaven? He may be right for the main, but he cannot make Death welcome.