The Spirit of Bondage and Adoption, Treatise 2 · Chapter 21
CHAP. XXI. A Caſe, Whether this Priviledg be ſo certain, as it excludes all doubting?
HEre it will be needful to handle a Queſtion before Application; that is,
Queſt. Whether this Evidence be ſuch, as to admit no doubting?
To which I anſwer.
1) The Teſtimony of the Spirit is ſometimes full and plain to the point; ſometimes it is but partial, and ſpeakes ſomething towards it, but not throughly to ſatisfaction. A full Teſtimony is a ſatisfying teſtimony, and cannot at the ſame time admit of partial doubting, This is called full aſſurance. But Heb. 6. 4.a partial evidence may admit partial diffidence There is therefore a rejoycing with fear and trembling, Pſal. 2. 11. though the matter of it may bee ſufficient at another time to evidence; yet it will not do it then.
2) Full aſſurance, ariſing from an entire and home-teſtimony of the Spirit at one time, may admit ſuch meaſures of doubting and diffidence at another time, as may raiſe ſtrong prejudices againſt it ſelf, Sometimes a Saint is at the top of the ladder of Aſſurance, ready to put his foot on the threſhold of heaven it ſelf; and at other times under ſuch a ſad pang of doubting and diffidence, as brings him to the very brink of hel. See David, Pſa. 27. 1. & 4. 6. & 51. 8, 11. & 42. & 43. ult. & 13. 1. and Job, Job 19. 25. & 6. 4.
But this ariſeth not from defect in the evidence, but in the mans uſe of it. If I have never ſo good an evidence, and lay it out of the way, or blot it; the fault is not in my Evidence, if the Title be queſtionable again which it confirms. And the truth is, very few of Gods people enjoy an un-interrupted actual Aſſurance. Indeed 'tis ſuch a ſparkle of glory that a ſoul cannot bear it. And as a Teſtimony, though never ſo full to a Cauſe, ſo that in one Court it carries the judgment without farther ado, may be upon review in another Court called into queſtion again, and be perplexed ſo by a cunning Lawyer, that it may ſeem queſtionable again: So the evidence of the Spirit, that once gave full aſſurance in the conſcience, may by Satan be brought to the Court of ſenſe and reaſon, and made diſputable again. Yet as to habitual aſſurance, it is true, that it can never be quite extinguiſhed by doubting. It may be dipp'd, but not drown'd: It may be in a ſwoune, but not dye. A Saint may ſay to Satan when he tryumphs moſt over his aſſurance, as the Church, Mic. 7, 8 9. Rejoyce not over me, &c. when I am in darkneſs, &c. God hath promiſed it, Iſa. 57 15, 16, 17. Heavineſs may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning, Pſal 306.
And indeed, Aſſurance being Gods Seal and Earneſt, if this gift of God be not without repentance, neither is his Covenant for eternal life and glory irrevocable. If God recal his Earneſt, he recants his bargain; as the taking an earneſt back again among m…n makes the bargain void, and the pu…ling off a Seal cancels the Deed.
Yet let me not herein be miſtaken I would Caution.not be conceived to affirm, that a child of God always recover his Aſſurance again after loſs, in this life, in as full a meaſure as he once had it. A man may loſe his Aſſurance for his ill managing of it, and poſſibly ſuch may be the hainouſneſs of ſuch a miſcariage, as may provoke God to let him lye long under broken bones; and whenever by renewed repentance he recovers it, he may juſtly withdraw from him ſome meaſures of that boldneſs and confidence in his preſence, which he had before. Nay, I know not why a true child of God, may not after loſt Aſſurance (if loſt in ſuch a way of provocation on his part) go mourning all his dayes, and hardly ever be able to Iſai. 3…. 15.act it again directly and formally; yet the habit of it may be ſtil firm and unmoveable, and in it ſelf ſtil capable to be reduced into act, but that he is by reaſon of thoſe obſtructions which he hath laid in his own way incapable of reviving the Acts of it. Now that even in ſuch an one the habit of it remains ſtill, is evident from hence, that he ſtill produceth ſome viſible fruits of it, keeps up a conteſt, though but a weak and faint one, with doubting, and doth not quite lay down the weapons to deſpair; that though he apprehends his hopes exceeding ſmal, yet he wil not be bought out of them by all Satans offers, and even in this darkneſs many times chuſeth affliction for righteouſneſs ſake; as that holy Martyr, that under thoſe ſad deſertions was going to the ſtake, and re…olved to dye, though he had not received that actual aſſurance again, which made him cry out. He is come He is come. But Glover.all theſe acts are not the direct acts of Aſſurance, but indirect and vertual acts, ſuch as ſuffice to keep the life and ſoul of Religion together (as we uſe to expreſs our ſelves;) but ſuch as diſcover much of the vigour of a Saints ſpiritual conſtitution to be impaired.
Other Queſtions there are that might be pr…miſed here; but I ſhall find time to take them up in the Application.