The Spirit of Bondage and Adoption, Treatise 2 · Chapter 30
CHAP. XXX. An Exhortation to improve Aſſurance received, by (1) living upon, (2) pleading our Evidences.
II. LAbour to improve and make uſe of Exhortat. 2.Aſſurance had, to the utmoſt. You need not forbear this duty, becauſe your Title is but weak and diſputable. This makes a man many times careleſſe of beſtowing coſt upon a piece of Land, becauſe there is a flaw in his Evidences. But here you need not with-hold your hand for that, becauſe yours are as ſure as heaven and earth can make them.
Queſt. But you will ask me how? I anſwer,
Anſw. (1) Live on it at all times. A Chriſtian hath a threefold life here by faith, The Juſt lives by faith.
1 A life of Juſtification; and this life he lives by faith in an applicatory relying Act, in its adhering, depending act, John 5: 40. Rom 1. 17.
2 A life of Sanctification. And this we live by the ſame Act of faith radically & originally; Becauſe it is that grace which on our part makes application of Chriſt to the ſoul, and the ſoul to Chriſt, and ſo the Inſtrument of union. Now from this union and engrafting into Chriſt for Juſtification, Chriſt becomes to us a root of Sanctification, John 15. 5.
But we live a life of Sanctification, quoad actus exercitos, in the fruits and ſtreams of actual holineſſe; not only from that act of Applicatory reliance, but alſo, (becauſe theſe fruits are moral acts, and ſo muſt be brought forth in a moral way, by Motives and Encouragements, and in their moſt noble actings they are alwayes ſo) from the Faith of Aſſurance or Evidence (as was before ſhewn.) So Gal. 2. 20.
3 A life of Conſolation. John 14. 1. And this life we live by improving a Faith of Aſſurance only. Faith of Relyance (as I have ſhewne) may give ſupport, but it cannot give comfort. But faith of Aſſurance gives comfort in the ſaddeſt caſes, 2 Tim. 1. 12.
Improve your Aſſurance then to a life of Sanctification and conſolation.
1 Improve it to a life of Sanctification. Believe up your graces when they are low, believe down your corruptions when they are high. Believe into your Judgments light in darkneſſes and doubts; into your Wills, ſtrength and reſolution in temptations and aſſaults. Every grace that is purchaſed by Chriſt, promiſed by the Father, wrought by the Spirit you may challenge. You may, if you want any materials for the ſpiritual Edification of your ſouls, have recourſe to your Evidences, and they warrant you to take it upon the Lords ſoil where-ever you can find it. Go to the Lord boldly, and ſay, Lord, I am troubled with barrenneſſe, and deadneſſe, but I find in my Evidence a Promiſe that my ſoul ſhall be as a watered garden, Iſai. 58. 11. that the deſart ſhall bloſſom as a roſe, &c. Iſai. 35. 1. I find a great deal of weakneſſe, faintneſſe and wearineſſe upon my ſoul in holy Duties. But I find upon my Deeds, that the yoak of Chriſt ſhall be eaſie, Mat. 11. 30. That they that wait upon the Lord ſhall renew their ſtrength, that they ſhall mount up with Eagles wings, they ſhall run and not be weary, they ſhall walk and not be faint, Iſai. 40. ult. That the way of the Lord ſhall be ſtrength to the upright, Prov. 10. 29. I am fickle and fleeting in my reſolutions. But my Copy ſaith, Be ſtrong, and God ſhall ſtrengthen your heart, Pſal. 31. 24. That God will ſtrengthen me with the right hand of his righteouſneſſe, Iſai. 41. 10. That hee will write his Law in my heart, and his Statutes in my inward parts, that I ſhall not depart from him, Jer. 31. 32, 33. and 32. 40. I am very ſubject to powerful and domineering luſts and corruptions; but I find in my writings, that my old man is crucified with Chriſt, that the body of ſin may be deſtroyed, That ſin ſhall not have dominion over me, Rom 6. 6, 14. That God will ſubdue mine iniquities, Micah 7. 19. I want particular graces, I cannot believe; But my Evidence runs by way of Promiſe, The juſt ſhall live by his faith, Hab. 2. 4. That thy people ſhall ſay, My God we know thee, Hoſ. 8. 2. I want Repentance, but Lord it is written, Thy Saints ſhall look and mourne, Zech. 12. 10. Patience, but I find, that thou art my God, and thou art the God of patience, Rom. 15. 5. 1 Cor. 10. 13. I am under Affliction, and I deſire it may be ſanctified. And 'tis written, That all the fruit of Affliction ſhall be to take away ſin, Iſai 27. 9. That it ſhall make me partaker of thy holineſſe, Heb. 12. 10, 11. Say; Lord, I find thoſe in my Deeds, ſealed in the Sacrament, and I know they are growing on the ſoile of thy love, and Christs merit, Lord, give them me.
2. Improve it to a life of Conſolation. There is no condition, but thou haſt peculiar comforts to live upon.
For Spirituals, Iſai▪ 40. 1.
Againſt ſins, Iſai. 1. 18. Mic. 7. 19. Hoſ. 14. 4.
Againſt ſufferings ſpiritual, Iſaiah 50. 10.
Againſt Temptations, 1 Corinth. 10. 13,
In Temporals, as far as they are good, Pſal. 84. 11.
Againſt poverty, Pſal. 34 9, 10.
Againſt ſickneſſe, Pſal. 91. 3, 4, 5, 6. and 41. 3.
Againſt reproaches, Math. 5. 11, 12.
Againſt perſecutions, Math. 5. 11, 12.
And abundance more of all ſorts you may find in that excellent Treatiſe of Mr. Leigh, concerning the Promiſes.
There be ſome ſpecial comforts which are depending upon the doctrine of the Aſſurance of the Saints by the Teſtimony of the Spirit, and you have ſeveral of them in the following part of this 8 of the Romans.
1 That however low your condition be for the preſent, and how ſad ſoever Gods diſpenſations of providence may ſeem toward you, yet you are ſure of a glorious and happy condition hereafter. This you have ver. 17. And therefore that the preſent ſufferings which you undergo are no way worthy to be laid in the ballance to abate the leaſt dram of your joy, ver. 18. for you are heirs, not younger children, or ſervants, to be put off with gifts (as Abraham did the reſt of his children beſides Iſaak) but heirs to the eſtate; and what is that eſtate? Heirs of God, of all that God hath, and is; and you partake of the ſame inheritance with Chriſt himſelf, co-heirs with Chriſt.
2 That in the greateſt dejections, deadneſs and decayes upon your ſpirits, you are ſure you ſhall have aſſiſtance enough to keep the intercourſe between God and your ſouls alive, verſe 26, 27. It may be (Soul) thou art in a ſtrange stupidity of ſpirit, that thou knoweſt not what to deſire; the Spirit ſhal teach thee what to pray for. But (though foreign, bears, or lifts againſt, as a partaker of the ſame burthen.thou know what would do thee good) thou canst not ask it; the Spirit ſhall help thy infirmities. But it may be thou canſt not ſpeak a word when thou goeſt to ſeek God, yet the Spirit ſhall help thee to groan. But will God underſtand thoſe groans? Yes, for he that ſearcheth the heart, knowes the mind of the Spirit.
3 That you ſhall receive benefit to your ſelves from the ſaddeſt of Providences, ver. 28. All things ſhall work together for good. All things; Ordinances, Providences, Proſperity. Adverſity, ſinnes; foreign, work together. They are at work, it is their buſſneſſe. All the buſineſſe of the Creatures (being ſervants to God) is for the good of his children, and they work together for their good. Things never ſo different in their natures and operations conſpire for their good, as ſeveral contrary ingredients in the ſame Medicine, …ee Ver. 31correcting each other, and one doing what the other cannot.
4 That you ſhall want nothing, that you had not better want then have, ver. 32. He ſpared not his Son. Had he exerciſed that ſeverity on an Angel, it had been much. But he ſpared not his Son; not a Son by Adoption, but a Son by Nature, foreign; But delivered him up for us all. Delivered? to whom? to Herod, and Pilate, and Judas, and Satan: to what? to the curſe and wrath of God, to the death of the Croſſe; for us, in our ſtead. And how ſhall he not with us give us all things; foreign How ſhall he not gratifie us with a free grant of all our deſires? A Saint aſſured of Gods love, hath all the treaſures of heaven and earth at command. He is aſſured, if God or creatures can ſupply him, he ſhall never want any good thing. Pſal. 23. 1. Pſal. 84 11.
5. That whatever your own miſgiving heart tells you, or Satan maliciouſly ſuggeſts, you can never (by all the power of earth or Hell) be deprived of any of theſe priviledges; nor loſe them by your own ſinful miſcariages. Sinnes cannot deprive you. For this would deſtroy the ſatisfaction of Chriſt, either Chriſt ſuffered for all the ſinnes of Gods elect, or for ſome only; if for ſome only, then none can be ſaved of all Gods elect, ſeeing he cannot ſatisfie for that himſelfe which Chriſt hath not ſatisfied for. If for all, then none of them can be condemned. Sin may trouble them, ſadden their Spirits (as it ought) hide Gods face, but it cannot condemn them. The Apoſtle challenges ſin and Divel, and all in that caſe. v. 34. And all creatures in the following verſe.
2. Plead it at all times.
1. Before God. In all thoſe things which you come to God for, you muſt plead Title. If you come to God for any good thing, you muſt plead ſome engagement upon him, and the ground of your plea muſt be either a general, or a ſpecial promiſe. 'Tis true, general promiſes are a good plea, when a man hath no other. But God loves (and 'tis much for the comfort of Saints) that we urge him upon ſpecial bonds; Therefore the Saints are bid to ſay Father, and our Father.
2 Against Satan and his ſuggeſtions.
1 Sinful. 'Tis a good Argument againſt temptations to ſin. How ſhal I, that have had ſuch tokens and taſtes of Gods ſpecial love, do this great wickedneſs, and ſin against ſuch a God? Gen. 39. 9. And if God makes it an aggravation of ſin, as he doth, 1 King. 11. 9 why may not we make it an Argument againſt ſin?
2 Troubleſome. When Satan moleſts the ſoul with fears and doubts of thy condition, have recourſe to thy Evidences. Tell him, thou wilt plead againſt him before God as a common Barretor, for moleſting thee in ſo clear a Title.
3 Againſt the unbelief upon thy own heart: This David keeps up withal; Pſal. 73. 26. I confeſſe (ſaith he) I am at an utter loſſe both without and within, yet God is the ſtrength of my heart, and my portion for ever. Pſalm 42. ult. and 43. he checks his heart in ſadneſſe upon this account, Why art thou caſt down, &c. Trust ſtill in God, who is the light of my countenance and my God.