The Spirit of Bondage and Adoption, Treatise 2 · Chapter 27
CHAP. XXVII. The Means to ſtrengthen theſe Evidences.
IN the ſecond place,
2 Strengthen your Evidences daily.
1 By ſtrengthning Ordinances.
1 The Word heard, read, meditated upon, (all theſe in their proper place and time are to be uſed with care. David alwayes keeps up a fainting Aſſurance with a word. My ſoul melteth for heavineſſe, ſtrengthen thou me according to thy word, Pſal. 119. 28. This is my comfort in my affliction, for thy Word hath quickned me. Pſal. 50. Ʋphold thou me according to thy Word, &c. Pſal. 116.
Promiſes are the food of Faith, Cordials of Hope, the crutches of Patience, the principal feathers in the wing of Prayer.
Threatnings caution us againſt thoſe courſes as will weaken Aſſurance, Precepts direct us in ſuch wayes as will continue and improve it; Examples are ſo many ruled caſes (as they ſay) in Law, which may adde light to a man, when there is need to ſearch records, as before ſaid.
The whole Word is the fewel that maintains the fire of Aſſurance and Meditation blowes up the coals.
2 Prayer. And this applies the Word: it is a ſouls perpetual plea againſt all litigious moleſtations. If Satan or a mans own heart at any time call his Evidences into queſtion, away flyes Prayer to God, and pleads Promiſes and Examples, holy Preſidents, and ſtops the mouth of Temptation this way. 'Tis that way of continual intercourſe with God, that brings a man dayly returnes of holy familiarities, which cannot but nouriſh a conſtant perſwaſion of his unchangeable Love; as mutual Letters, maintaine a good intelligence among friends.
3 Sacraments. As they are remembrancers of the death of Chriſt, and Ordinances appointed for the Sealing of the benefits thereof to the ſoul, by particular applicatory ſignes and tokens, muſt needs be means not only to give (as hath been ſhewne before) but alſo to confirm and continue it. And upon this account, 'tis no wonder if Chriſt in the Inſtitution of the Lords Supper require a frequent attendance upon that Ordinance. 1 Cor. 11. 25. As oft as ye drink it, implies frequent drinking it. All our faith is grounded upon the death and ſatisfaction of Chriſt; and the frequent reduction of thoſe grounds of faith to our conſideration muſt needs ſtrengthen it; habits of the mind are ſtrengthned by a frequent repetition of thoſe actions by which they were firſt begotten and produced. Now though gracious habits are not gotten in the ſtrength of natural or moral powers, as natural or moral habits are; yet they are produced, as I before have ſhewed (by a ſupernatural power) in a natural method and order. And therefore though no grounds apprehended by the underſtanding, can of themſelves beget faith, yet a divine power never produceth them, but by the repreſentation of ſome grounds. And therefore the repreſentation of the death of Chriſt, as it is held forth by God in all its benefits, to be laid hold on by me, being the ground of faith; the frequent repetition of that repreſentation, eſpecially by ſuch viſible ſignes, muſt needs feed it. And ſuppoſe it feed meerly a faith of Applicatory reliance and adherence, yet (as you have been alſo before taught) Acts of Reliance frequently exerciſed will grow into Acts of Aſſurance.
4 Conference with the people of God, eſpecially thoſe who have & maintain a conſtant communion, and familiar acquaintance with God; ſuch as walk in the light of his countenance, and the joy of the holy Ghoſt all the day long. A man that will keep a good conſtitution of body, will ſometimes converſe and diſcourſe with an aged healthy father, & know of him how he hath ordered himſelf to live to that age, and maintained a conſtant good temper of body ſo long. And it would be much for our advantage to converſe with ſuch perſons as are moſt commonly in the Sunſhine, to learn from them how they maintain ſuch a conſtant light upon their ſpirits, whereas others have it but as a flaſh of lightning, and it vaniſheth away again: how it comes to paſſe that God, that is to others but like a ſojourner, or a Traveller that tarryeth but for a night, becomes their conſtant Inmate.
Beſides, ſuch perſons mouthes are uſually full of the high praiſes of God, they ſpeak of Pſal. 149. 6the righteouſneſſe of God, and make their boaſts of God all the day long. They will tell Pſal. 44. 8 and 71. 24you what God hath done for their ſouls, Pſal. 66 16. and glad they will be that you will give them the hearing with any delight. Now it muſt needs feed the ſame gracious aſſurance in you, to find others record the ſame great things of God working for, and towards them, which you find in your ſelfe. As it increaſeth & confirmeth a mans knowledg to talk with knowing men concerning their experiences in that way of learning in which he himſelf is a Practitioner. A melancholy man is affected more deeply with the ſad ſtories of a melancholy companion: and no queſtion but there is a like ſympathy in the affections of joy and confidence, &c.
So it is in way of Duty. As iron ſharpneth iron, ſo doth the countenance of a man his friend, ſaith Solomon.
And no queſtion, God will bleſſe that means which he himſelfe hath beſtowed upon others, that they may adminiſter upon occaſion2 Cor. 1. 5.
2. Strengthning Exerciſes. Exerciſe of Acts of aſſurance ſtrengthens the Habits. Renew the Acts of that faith of evidence which thou haſt, every morning and evening (or oftner (if it may be, frequently, every hour) as God gives occaſion.)
Get renewed experiences of the love of God often, by truſting him often in particular caſes. David often doth ſo, for the conquering of ſuch or ſuch a corruption, for the reſiſting ſuch or ſuch a particular temptation, &c. Adventure your ſelves now and then upon the credit of particular Promiſes, which are ſo many Specimina, ſo many exemplifications of our intereſt in God. Anſwers of Prayers in particular caſes, are a great ſtrengthening to Aſſurance. Saving gifts and ſanctifying gifts, are in themſelves evidences of Gods love, much more when particularly asked.
Yet take need of tempting God: Which I do,
1 When I oblige him abſolutely, where he is bound but conditionally As in temporals and in ſpirituals, not abſolutely neceſſary in themſelves, or not ſo neceſſary as ſome other thing may be, which poſſibly we ask not.
2 When I put too much weight upon my deſires, as reſolving to make experiments of Gods love by them; and to conclude in caſe of ſuſpenſion or denyal, that it is an anſwer from God that he loves me not. God will not have them made trials of his love. A Father will not allow a child to ſay, Father, if you love me, give me this or that. But when a child ſubmiſſively begs and receives them, he will allow him to ſay, Now I know my Father loves me, by his giving ſuch and ſuch things.
3 When I tye God up to circumſtances of time, manner, meaſure. Let me ask the things believingly, according to the rule of the Word, as far as they are good for me; i. e. may not hinder ſome better deſigne of God, or a greater good to me; and if I receive, take comfort in my Anſwers from God, as thoſe that are ſo many pregnant examples of his care for me.
3 Strengthning Providences. Providence alone is no evidence that God loves me; but when he doth love a man before, and a man knowes it by more certain rules, this is a good confirmation to our faith, Pſalm 41. 11. ſuch a one David calls a token for good, Pſal. 86. 17. Some paſſages of providence have a ſtamp of ſome immediate interpoſition of divine grace and power for a mans good.