Effectual Calling and Election 2, Sermon 9
2 PET. 1.10.
Wherefore the rather, Brethren, Give all diligence to make your Calling and Election ſure.
THE point of Doctrine I am yet upon in the proſecution of theſe words, is this: That Chriſtians ought to put forth a great deale of diligence to make this ſure to their ſoules, that they are effectually called by Jeſus Chriſt to grace and glory. In the handling of which I have gone over many particulars, and reſolved ſeveral caſes of conſcience: I have yet two caſes more to reſolve, and then ſhall winde up all in a general uſe. Therefore
Fourthly, When, or at what time doth God fill the ſoules of his people moſt with this aſſurance of their effectual calling? And then
Fifthly, Wherein lies the difference between that aſſurance a godly man hath of his effectuall calling, and thoſe preſumptuous perſwaſions that wicked men have, that they are called effectually, when they are not.
Firſt, when, or at what time doth God give to his people moſt and ſtrongeſt aſſurance of their effectual calling? And here in anſwer to this, I ſhall comprize all I have to ſay under four heads; that in four caſes or times God doth uſually give to his people moſt ſtrong aſſurance.
Firſt, After the Lord hath greatly humbled the hearts of his people, and broken them for ſinne, then doth he uſually give in moſt aſſurance of a mans effectual calling, and of the happineſſe of his future condition. When you can ſay as David did, Pſal. 38.3. There is no reſt in my bones, by reaſon of my ſinne. When you can ſay as the Pſalmiſt doth. Pſal. 51.8. Let the bones which thou haſt broken, rejoyce. Then is the time for God to make you break forth with joy, when he hath broken your hearts with ſorrow. God had broken Davids heart under the ſenſe of that uncleanneſſe he had committed: O ſaith David, Thou haſt broken my heart, now let my broken ſpirit rejoyce; and God gave him comfort, and did reſtore the joy of his ſalvation to him. You have a phraſe, Pſal. 34.18. The Lord it nigh to them that are of a broken heart, to ſave them that are of a contrite ſpirit. The Lord is nigh to them. Nigh, what to do? not onelyonly to give them deliverance from outward troubles, but from inward ſorrows; to give them inward joy, and inward comforts, that the bones which he hath broken might rejoyce. The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken ſpirit, to give them comfort. Luke 4.18. It's ſaid there, that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Chriſt, what to do? It was to binde up the broken in heart, and to comfort thoſe that mourn. So Eſa. 61.1.2, 3. To thoſe that mourn, he ſhould preach comfort, and binde up the broken-hearted. When the Lord hath broken you under ſinne, and humbled you under the ſight of your evils, then is the time when God will break in upon you with greateſt joy. Mat. 11.28. Come unto me all you that are weary, and heavy laden, and I will give you reſt; Reſt there, hath not onelyonly reference to our reſt in heaven, that we ſhall reſt there from ſinne, and reſt there from ſorrow, and reſt there from temptation, but I will give you reſt; it hath reference alſo to a promiſe in this life, that if you are heavy laden, that you count your iniquities a burden too heavy for you to bear, Chriſt hath promiſed you peace, inward peace in your own conſciences, in the aſſurance of your everlaſting eſtate, in aſſurance that you are called to a ſtate of grace, and ſhall come to a ſtate of glory. You know when the ground is plowed, the clods are broken, and the breaking of the clods makes way for the deeper rooting of the corn, and that it may ſpring up with greater increaſe. It is ſo when ye plow up, in the Prophets Language, Jer. 4. the fallow ground of your hearts; when you break the clods of your hearts by humiliation, this makes way for the corn and grain, that precious grain of aſſurance to ſpring and grow up to a fuller meaſure; ſo that you are out of Gods way then to have ſtrong aſſurance, that never have been humbled in the ſight of ſinne. I ſay, it's Gods ordinary way. I do not deny but God may bring you to heaven, though you have no legal workings and horrors upon you; yet God will never give you ſuch ſtrong aſſurance, and ſuch raviſhing comforts, as he gives them that are moſt broken in ſpirit. Look through the whole verge of Scripture, and you ſhall finde that thoſe that were moſt broken in heart, they were moſt ſtrong in comfort. That houſe that h…th the deepeſt foundation, is likely to be the moſt beautiful Fabrick and building; whereas your tents and leſſer cottages, a little rooting in the earth will ſerve their turn: It is likely God may make thee as a little cottage, though not deeply rooted; but thou wilt never be reared up a beautiful building, to become an amiable Chriſtian in point of comfort and aſſurance, if God have not bottomed thee low in humiliation. It's a true rule in grace, They that ſow in tears, ſhall reap in joy. The deeper you are in ſorrow, the higher you ſhall be lifted up in joy.
Secondly, after the people of God have been toſſed and tumbled, and turmoiled with the violent aſſaults and temptations of the devil, then is Gods time of filling his people with greateſt joy and moſt comfort. You know at the Mill, at the Floodgate, when the ſtream goes ſtrongeſt, then the Mill goes faſteſt. Beloved, God lets the ſtream of temptation grow ſtrong againſt thee, but to make thy Mill to go, to make thee grinde thy luſts to powder, and to make thee grinde thy ſinnes as corn under the Millſtone. God doth but make the flood to be ſtrong at the gate, to make thy comforts to be more ſtrong, and thy graces to be more firm. When God lets in a flood of temptation, and toſſeth thee upon thoſe waves and billows, then is the time for God to give thee in ſtrongeſt comforts. Eſa 54.10, 11, 12, 13, 14. O thou afflicted, toſſed with Tempeſt, and not comforted. Mark their eſtate. Now what will God do with a ſoul thus toſſed with a Temptation? Read the verſe before, My Covenant of peace ſhall not depart from the…, O thou afflicted. God doth here ſpeak moſt peace, and tenders moſt freely his Covenant in this condition, when they were moſt toſſed and tumbled. And verſe 13. Thy children ſhall be all taught of God, and great ſhall be their peace. And verſe 14. In righteouſneſſe thou ſhall be eſtabliſhed, and thou ſhalt not fear. Here you ſee how God as it were boulſters and beares up a dejected heart; O thou toſſed with a Tempeſt, Behold, I have made a Covenant of peace with thee, and Behold, thy children ſhall have peace, and Behold, thou ſhalt not fear. See how God keeps up the hearts of his people in this condition; when you are moſt toſſed and tumbled with the tempeſt of temptation, then doth God ordinarily ſpeak to you moſt inward peace and ſtrongeſt aſſurance. As you know it is with an Oake, the more they are ſhaken by tempeſtuous windes, the firmer and faſter are they rooted in the bowels of the earth: It is ſo with Chriſtians; they are compared in Scripture to an Oak, whoſe fruit and ſap is in them: Now a Chriſtian, the more he is ſhaken by a tempeſtuous temptation, the Lord makes him by that to be the more firm, and to be the more faſtened and ſetled in ſtrong comforts and aſſurance.
Thirdly, when God hath any extraordinary work for his people, either to do or ſuffer, this is a time when he fills his people with moſt aſſurance. Should God put his people upon outward ſufferings, and give them inward fears, they were not in a capacity to undergo the condition with joy or patience: and therefore when he calls his people to ſome extraordinary meaſure of ſuffering, this is the time when God will fill them with more then ordinary comforts I have read in the book of Martyrs of Mr Robert Glover, a famous man in his generation, who during the time of his impriſonment, was much troubled in minde for want of his aſſurance, yet the ſtory tells us, when he was brought to the ſtake to be burnt, aſſoon as ever he ſaw the fire, he broke out in the hearing of the people, and ſaid, He is come, he is come; I am now as full of joy as my heart can hold. All the while he was in priſon, he was blubbring and much troubled, till God brought him to an eminent ſuffering, to ſuffer death for him, and then he was full of comfort. I have read alſo of one Adolphus Clarebachius, who was a man ſubject to Melancholy, and lay under many doubts and fears, yet aſſoon as ever he was brought to the ſtake, he openly declared to the people, I have been naturally of a ſad Temper, but now I profeſſe before you all, I think there is not a merrier heart in all the world then mine is. Thus they being to go through extraordinary ſufferings, God gave them extraordinary aſſurance. Beloved, this is Gods time, when he will give you moſt aſſurance, when he calls you to moſt ſufferings. When you are to go through an Ocean of ſufferings and afflictions, the Lord will make you ſwim in a Sea of inward peace and ſpiritual joyes.
Fourthly, God gives his people moſt ſtrong aſſurance, when they walk moſt cloſely in communion with their God. Great peace ſhall they have, ſaith David, that love thy law; they ſhall have peace, and great peace, while they walk in love to God and his wayes. Keep in communion with your God, and that's the time for God to give you in greateſt comfort; If ye laſh out from God and break his law, he will break your hearts. When the ſhepheard hath a Lamb, or a Sheep, that ſtraggles from the fold, it ſhall meet with a Crook, happily with the bite of a dog. It may be God may catch you with his hook, happily you ſhall be bitten with a Temptation, and bitten with deſertion, if you ſtraggle from his fold; but the more you keep in communion with God, the more likely you are to keep in your comforts; walking with God is the very fewel that kindles the fire of comfort in a Chriſtians breſt, that keeps comfort alive. The more you flag in your communion, the more ſhall you flag in your aſſurance, and the more ſhall your comforts die. Communion with your God, it hath two particulars in it. Firſt, in keeping you free from ſinne, Job 11.14, 15. Secondly, in keeping in the exerciſe of grace, Eſa. 32.17. Now, the more you keep out ſinne, the more you keep in comforts; the more you increaſe in grace, the more you increaſe in comforts. Grace and comfort, they one promote another; Grace promotes comfort, and comfort heightens you in the increaſe of grace: Therefore Paul in his ſalutations puts them both together, 1 Cor. 1.3. And thus having finiſhed this Query, there is onelyonly one more, which (God willing) I ſhall diſpatch at this time; And that is
Fifthly, Wherein appeares the difference between that man that hath aſſurance of his effectual calling upon good ground, and between thoſe men that onelyonly have preſumptuous perſwaſions of their effectual calling, when they are not? Beloved, this queſtion is worthy the diſcuſſion; and to reſolve it, I ſhall lay down 9 or 10 differences; As
Firſt, That man that hath ſound and true aſſurance of his effectual calling, he is very careful to take heed of ſinne, that ſo he might not eclipſe his comforts, or loſe his aſſurance. He is careful (I ſay) to free his heart from ſin as much as may be, as conſidering, that though he cannot ſinne away his ſoule, he may ſinne away his comforts; though he cannot ſinne away his ſalvation, he may ſinne away his conſolation. A man that hath this aſſurance, he knowes the worth of aſſurance, and he knowes how ſoon it is loſt, and how hardly it is gained; and that makes him very tender of ſin, 2 Cor. 7.1. Having theſe Promiſes, let us cleanſe our ſelves. When a godly man knowes that God is his God, (For that's the Promiſe ſpoken of in the verſe before) knowing that he belongs to God, and the Promiſes belong to him; he knowing this, it makes him cleanſe himſelfe from all filthineſſe, both of fleſh and ſpirit; that he keep no ſinne in the ſpirit, nor no ſin in the body. A man that hath aſſurance, it makes him very tender of every ſinne: But now, a man that hath preſumptuous perſwaſions of his own goodneſſe, his perſwaſions will make him more bold, and more venturo…s to run into ſin, he will make no bones o… ſinne: and he cares not for falling into one ſinne to day, and another ſin to morrow, and to commit wi…kedneſſe day after day; he is bold and venturous upon every ſin. Jer. 3.4.5. Thou haſt cried to me, My Father, my Fath…r, thou art the guide of my youth; with thou reſerve anger for ever, and ſhall there be no end of thy indignation? Yet what ſaith God? Yet thou didſt evill as much as thou couldſt. As if he ſhould ſay, You cry, My Father; you perſwade your ſelves God is your Father, and yet you will ſpeak and do evil as much as you can: Here God brands them for a preſumptuous people. To perſwade your ſelves that God is your Father, and yet to do wickedneſſe as much as you can, and to be drunk as often as you can, and ſwear as oft as you can; alas you deceive your own hearts in this: for God cannot be your Father in this ſenſe. And Beloved, I beſeech you in my going over theſe heads, that you would lay them to your own hearts, and ſee if you may be diſtinguiſhed from thoſe preſumptuous perſwaſions, that goe over the world.
Secondly, a man that hath reall aſſurance of his effectual calling, that man meets with more aſſaults and Temptations from the devil to annoy him in his peace, then other men do that have only a counterfeit aſſurance. As you know thoſe ſhops that have the beſt wares, and richeſt Treaſures, Gold-ſmiths ſhops, they are moſt expoſed to Robbery; when men will not meddle with a petty ſtall. Thoſe ſhips that are moſt richly laden, they are in moſt danger to meet with Pirats at ſea, when your ſmaller barks laden with goods of leſſer value ſcape-free: It is ſo with Chriſtians. Thoſe Chriſtians, that are moſt richly laden with the Treaſure of aſſurance, that have in their hearts this precious jewel, they are in moſt danger of the devils Temptations, to be as a Pirat or Robber, by force to ſet upon them, to annoy them. It is thoſe that have moſt aſſurance, that the devil doth envy moſt, that he will never let them alone, but hunts them as a Partridge over the Mountaines by dejections, and by ſuggeſtions, and by variety of Temptations, Satans fierieſt darts; and by diſtruſt, and by injected ſcruples, and by cavils of carnal reaſonings, and by conſulting with fleſh and blood, and for want of comfortable feelings; the devil will be ſtill putting them on, to ſee if he can damp their comforts, and make them caſt away their confidence, which hath a great recompence of reward. Hence it is the Apoſtle preſſeth that Chriſtians ſhould not caſt away their confidence, (a Metaphor ſome think drawn from a ſhip at Sea; Heb. 10.35.Merchants, when they are at Sea, when their ſhip by a ſtorm and tempeſt is toſt upon the billows, and likely to ſuffer ſhipwrack, being heavy laden, they will caſt away their wares, to ſave their lives. Now ſome, in Alluſion to this, think that the devil ſo toſſeth a poor ſoul in point of comfort, as a ſhip is toſſed upon the Sea by the winde. Now if you are toſſed upon the Sea of Temptation, and upon the waves of Trouble and Aſſaults, do not caſt away your wares, do not throw away your comforts,) which implies, that godly men are often ſet upon, and often aſſaulted; that though the devil cannot bring you to hell, he would fain have you to have a hell in your conſciences while you live; he doth not only envy your happineſſe, but comforts alſo: Whereas on the contrary, men that harbour perſwaſions they are called, when they are not; the devil Iulls them aſleep, he lets them alone, and never troubles them. Luke 11.21. When the strong man poſſeſſeth the houſe, the goods are at peace: That is, when the devil of hell hath whole poſſeſſion of the ſoul of a man, he is no whit tempted, his thoughts are at quiet. When the devil ſees a man build upon a ſandy and corrupt foundation, he will never ſhake that by a Temtation leſt you ſhould by ſhaking be a wakened to look after a better and more induring ſubſtance. When the devil ſees you Iull'd aſleep in a golden dream of preſumption, he will never awaken you by Temptation, but I…ts you ſleep on, becauſe he knowes that ſleep will be a ſleep to death. As a man lying aſleep on a ſteep rock, dreams merrily of Crowns and Kingdoms, but ſuddenly ſtarting for joy, breake his neck, and tumbles into the bottom of the Sea; ſo is it with a man that harbours ungrounded perſwaſions of his good eſtate. That which a carnal man makes his evidence, that he is in a good condition, is an undoubted demonſtration he is in a bad. You ſhall have a wicked man, when he hears a godly man to be troubled in minde and wounded in ſpirit, he will tell you, he thanks God, he was never troubled ſince he was born, the devil never diſturbed him, and he hath had a ſtrong faith ever ſince he can remember. Alas, Beloved, this is a ſad ſigne; thou makeſt this a ſign of thy comfort, whereas indeed it is a demonſtration of thy want of a ſound aſſurance; for were thy aſſurance good, the Devil would never let thee alone, but would ſtill be labouring to make thee caſt away thy confidence; but being bad, he would have thee nouriſh it ſtill. We ſay, thoſe Oxen that are fed in greeneſt paſtures, they are neareſt the ſlaughter; when the poor lean Oxe that hath the yoke and whip every day, and is at daily labour, is long liv'd, and in a better condition. Thoſe men that the devill lets alone, and never tempts, that are as fatted oxen, never come under the whip and yoke, and never are troubled; it is an argument, they are near the ſlaughter, and under a great deal of danger of their ſouls: but thoſe that are under the yoke, that are often tempted, and the pricks of Sathan lie upon them; this is an Argument, their comforts are right, and their evidence good, becauſe ſo aſſaulted and oppoſed by the devil.
Thirdly, true aſſurance is more or leſſe in a mans ſpirit, by how much more or leſſe that man keeps in communion with God. If a man doth rem…t in his converſe with God, and grow careleſſe and formal, and a ſtranger to God, he ſhall grow a ſtranger to himſelfe in the end, and to his comforts alſo: but if a man keep cloſe to God, and keep cloſe to duties, can retire and recollect himſelf to converſe with God in a more ſolemn and ſerious manner, is preparedly and fruitfully exerciſed in Ordinances, can poure out his ſoul into Gods boſome; that man is in the way to have his comforts raiſed up. Whereas now for men that have falſe comforts and perſwaſions, whether they are much or little with God, all is one to them, their comforts are at the ſame ſtand ſtill. Come to a man that hath falſe comforts, and at all times he is alike peremptory, he is in the ſame perſwaſion he was 3.4.7. yeares ago. Ask him any week in the yeer, any day in the week, any hour in the day, and he will tell you, he hath the ſame comforts, and the ſame evidences ſtill: he had a ſtrong faith in God, and he hath it ſtill; he had ſtrong hopes to be ſaved, and ſo he hath ſtill; he is ſtill peremptory in his comforts, though he never ſo much alter in communion with his God: this is an argument thy perſwaſions are ſalſe, becauſe a Chriſtians communion and converſe with God doth feed his comforts. Now as the body, by how the much more or leſſe it is fed, by ſo much the more it is weakened or ſtrengthened: ſo it is with your comforts; ſo much as they are cheriſhed by your walking with God, ſo much they grow weak or ſtrong. Now let a wicked man grow never ſo vile, and never ſo ſinful, it interrupts not his peace; he hath hopes and aſſurance ſtill, and he will truſt in God ſtill, though he ſin ever; this is an argument, his comforts are unſound. You have a lively picture of this, Mic. 3.11. The heads of the people judge forreward, the Prieſts teach for hire, and the Prophets divine for mony: and yet they will lean upon the Lord; and ſay, Is not the Lord among us? That is, though they have theſe ſins among them, and did walk thus and thus; yet they would hope in God to be ſaved for all this. Why, Beloved, thou wilt find God to fail thee; though he never faild an aſſured Chriſtian, yet he will fail that man that leanes upon him, when he belongs not to him. When thou doſt intermit walking with God, and doſt lanch forth into a gulph and ſea of luſts, and yet canſt ſtill ſay, thou art the ſame in thy comforts, and the ſame in thy perſwaſions; it is an argument all thy comforts are but falſe, and thy evidence unſound.
Fourthly, Reall aſſurance of your eſtate, it doth bear up the ſoul under the greateſt outward ſorrow and ſufferings that it can meet with in this world, Heb. 10.34. They ſuffered joyfully the ſpoiling of their goods, knowing in themſelves that they had in heaven a better and more induring ſubſtance. What made them ſo to rejoyce to ſee their houſes plundered before them, their eſtates taken from them, but this, they knew in their own ſelves, and had aſſurance in their own hearts that Chriſt was theirs, and heaven was theirs? and this made them ſuffer joyfully the ſpoiling of their goods. So Pſal. 119.50. This is my comfort in affliction, that thy word doth quicken me; That is, this beares up my heart, when I am afflicted, that I have a Word to build upon, that I have aſſurance, I have intereſt in a Promiſe to build upon; this quickens and bears me up under my ſorrowes. So Pſal. 119.81. My ſpirit had fainted within me, onelyonly that I hoped in thy Word. That is, I had hope and confidence built upon thy Word, and that kept me from feares, and fainting, and diſcouragement under my affliction. The ſenſe of the pardon of their ſin ſhall take away the ſenſe of any outward ſuffering.So Eſa. 33.24. The inhabitant ſhall not ſay, I am ſick; the people that dwell therein, ſhall be forgiven their iniquity. Beloved, Aſſurance will lift up and bear up the heart under all ſorrows. Aſſurance in a Chriſtian is like oile. Now poure oile into a ſea or ocean of water, and the oile will never be kept under, but ſtill be uppermoſt; ſo this oile of comfort, and this oile of aſſurance, it will bear thee up on the top, though thou ſhouldſt be caſt into a flood of troubles, and an ocean of ſorrowes. I have read in Latimers witings a notable ſaying of his to Ridley that famous Marty. Sometime, ſaith he, when I live in a ſetled and ſtedfaſt aſſurance about the ſtate of my ſoul, me thinks then I am as bold as a Lion, I can laugh at all trouble, no affliction daunts me; but when I am eclipſed in my comforts, I am of ſo fearfu a ſpirit, that I could run into a very mouſehole. Beloved, it is ſo with godly men, when they want aſſurance of their eſtate, and the ſoundneſſe of their call, every affliction daunts, and every trouble ſtartles them. O but when they can live in a ſetled aſſurance of their intereſt in Chriſt, and calling by him; they are as bold as Lions, and they are born up with comfort, under all the ſorrowes and ſufferings they meet withall. But now men that have falſe perſwaſions, their perſwaſions can never bear up the heart under a trouble, and at a loſſe, and at a pinch; becauſe it is not a ſaving and inward comfort, it can never create inward peace. The comforts of wicked men when they come to ſuffer, they are like cloth that is ill woven. Cloth that is well made, let a man be in a ſhowre of rain, it will never ſhrink; but ill woven cloth, let it be but in a ſhowre, it ſhrinkes preſently: It is ſo with mens comforts; Bring comforts well wrought into a ſhowre of trouble, and that man will not ſhrink under his trouble; but bring an ill wrought and unſound aſſurance, and that will ſhrink and fail, and pull in, and will not bear up the heart under the ſorrowes and ſufferings he may meet withall. Preſuming Pindleton, that boaſted his fat fleſh ſhould fry in the fire before he would forſake his Religion; when he came to the trial, flagged preſently.
Fifthly, Sound aſſurance, whereever it is, it makes the heart more humble towards God and man, and more vile in its own eyes. Gal. 2.20. There you have this Character: I live, ſaith Paul, by the faith of the Sonne of God; and Chriſt hath loved me, and given himſelfe for me. Here is his aſſurance: what then? Doth this lift up Paul? NO, it makes him marvel; I live, yet not I, but Chriſt liveth in me; Paul recollects himſelf, I live, no; it is not I that live, but Chriſt that liveth in me. See how Paul was beaten off from a ſupercilious pride and exaltation of ſpirit in himſelfe. It is not I that live. The thoughts of his comforts made him recollect himſelfe, and ſeeme vile in his own eyes: Whereas (alas) falſe perſwaſions puffe up the ſoule with pride, and make a man ſupercilious, and high conceited, crying out as Jehu did, Jonadab, is thy heart like mine? Come ſee my zeal for the Lord; they make him proud like Jehu in his falſe perſwaſions.
Sixthly, Sound comforts, and real aſſurance do engage the ſoul to walk before God in a courſe of holineſſe, Pſal. 26.3. Thy loving kindneſſe is before mine eyes; that is, I am aſſured, as if I ſaw the thing with mine eye, that Gods loving kindneſſe is towards me. What then? and I will walk in thy truth. I will walk before thee with a holy and ſincere heart; and I will not haunt with vain perſons, verſe 4. And I will waſh my hands in innocency, verſe 6, &c. ſo that you ſee David would walk in a courſe of holineſſe, becauſe he had an evidence, and aſſurance of Gods love to him So 1 John 3.3. He that hath this hope in him, purifieth himſelf, even as Chriſt is pure; that is, that man that doth nouriſh hopes and perſwaſions of heaven, his hopes will make him a Chriſtian endevouring to purifie his own heart, and to be holy as Chriſt is holy. This is the nature of true aſſurance. But now for falſe aſſurance, the man that hath it, doth not look after holineſſe at all; he thinks himſelfe well enough, that he hath attained that which every wiſe man ſhould reſt in, Si dixeris ſufficit peruſti. Aug. de verb. Apoſt. Serm. 18.without medling any further; nay, he is ſo far from laying bonds upon himſelfe to walk in a courſe of holineſſe, that he will rather take incouragement from thence to walk in a way of looſeneſſe and profaneneſſe: Becauſe grace abounds, he will abound in ſin; this is the ill uſe that falſe comfort makes of Gods grace. And therefore, Beloved, look over your hearts. Do the comforts you pretend to have, and the aſſurance you pretend to enjoy, make you more to purſue holineſſe? that you can ſay as David did, I ſee thy loving kindneſſe is before me, and therefore I will love thy wayes, and hate ſinfulneſſe; or can you ſay, you have comforts, therefore you will run into ſin, and wallow in wickednes? this is an argument thy comforts are not true.
Seventhly, True aſſurance, it is got and kept with a great deal of diligence and induſtry. Your beſt things are hardeſt to get, and hardeſt to keep. Stones are to be had in every place; but gold, you muſt dig deep, and take paines to dive into the bowels of the earth, before you can get that. Weeds grow eaſily, but your fine garden-flowers, they muſt be often watered, and carefully looked unto, or elſe they will not grow: Beloved, this weed of falſe perſwaſion and aſſurance, it is a weed that will grow under every hedge, and thrive in every Garden without looking after; whereas alas, the flower of true comforts and ſaving aſſurance, it is hard to make it grow; and when it is growne, it is hard to keep it from withering and blaſting. Aſſurance it coſts a man the waiting many a year, the ſhedding many a teare, the making of many a prayer, before he can get or keep it; whereas alas, falſe aſſurance it is eaſily gotten, and eaſily kept. A man may get preſumption without any paines at all; the devil will egge you on both to get and keep it: Therefore you that eaſily get your comforts without prayers, and keep your comforts without paines, you may be ſure your comforts are but falſe.
Eighthly, True aſſurance it is got by the Word, and grounded upon the Word. It is got by the Word, Eſa. 57.19. I create the fruit of the lips, peace, peace, to them that are nigh, and to them that are afarre of. The fruit of the Lips, that is, the fruit of the Miniſters preaching; the Word which falls from the Lips of a godly Miniſter: God hath ordained and created that to be the way to work and create peace, peace; that is a ſound peace in the hearts of his people. And it is not onelyonly got, but it is bottomed upon the Word alſo. It is the Word and ſomewhat in the Word, that beares up the hearts of the people of God, Pſal, 119.49. Good is the Word of the Lord, wherein thou haſt cauſed thy ſervant to hope. So verſe 50, 51. It is the Word of God that bottomes the comforts of the people of God; whereas look now upon wicked men, and they neither got their comfors by the Word, nor do they ground them upon the Word; but firſt, they have had ſtrong hopes in God ever ſince they could remember; and ſecondly, they keep and ground them either upon their good meaning, that they mean well towards God, or elſe thirdly, they ground them upon this, that they are not ſo bad as other men are. A poor weak ground. The Phariſee could ſay ſo; I am no extortioner, no drunkard, no adulterer, and the like: yet never came to heaven for all this. Or …ſe fourthly, they ground their comforts on this, becauſe they receive from God abundance of outward …. And this you finde was their ground of preſumption, Hoſ. 12.8. Ephraim ſaid, I am become rich, and I have found me out ſubſtance; in all my labour they ſhall finde no iniquity in me, that is, ſinne. Ephraim would ſay, I am become rich, and have got me an eſtate, and now I am an honeſt man, and they ſhall finde no ſinne in me: yet this was a meer preſumption, becauſe God tells us, Eccleſ. 9.1. No man knowes either love or hatred by the things that are before him. And ſometimes, ſaith Solomon, God gives men riches to their hurt; And therefore this can be no evidence of a grounded aſſurance.
Ninethly, That man that hath a good aſſurance, he is willing to be tried either by God or man, touching the truth of his aſſurance. This you finde, Pſal. 26.2, 3. Try me, O Lord, examine me, prove me, and try my reines, and my heart, for thy loving kindeneſſe is before me. As if he ſhould ſay. Lord, I make a profeſſion, that I have thy loving kindneſſe in mine eye, that I am aſſured thou loveſt me; Lord, I put my ſoul upon the Trial: Do thou try me, if my heart be not right in my aſſurance. And not by God onelyonly, but they are willing to be tried by man alſo. And therefore you have that phraſe of the Apoſtle, 1 Pet. 3.15. that when men ask you an account of the hope that is in you, you ſhould be ready to give anſwer; that is, when men ask you what hopes you have of heaven, and upon what ground do you hope to be ſaved? the Apoſtle ſaith, you ſhould be ready to give anſwer of that hope that is in you. And who were they that ſhould do ſo? they were thoſe that had a good conſcience, thoſe men that had conſciences free from ſin, and had evidence in their own conſciences, that they belonged to God, they were ready, whoever asked them, to give a reaſon why they hoped for heaven. Whereas a man that hath falſe perſwaſions of heaven and of his effectual calling, that man cannot endure to be tried either by God or man. He is like the man that hath ſtolne goods in his houſe. A man that is an honeſt man, let the Conſtable come, let ſearch be made, it never troubles him, becauſe they are his own goods that be hath bought by his own mony: but the Thief, when the Conſtable comes, and ſearch is made, every Trunk that is opened, his heart trembles: It is ſo with an unſound-hearted man; a man that hath falſe aſſurance, he is afraid to be ſearched in point of his aſſurance, leſt there ſhould be a flaw found in it. Come to a man that hath falſe perſwaſions, (as to your Formaliſts, and thoſe that are preſumptuous to wretches) come to theſe men, and put this queſtion unto them, Upon what ground do you hope for ſalvation.? What evidence can you give of your effectual calling? How can you make out upon Scripture-grounds, that you ſhall go to heaven? Such queſtions as theſe will puzzle an unſound heart, that he cannot give you any reaſonable anſwer at all. And herein the difference is palpable between a grounded aſſurance and theſe falſe perſwaſions that wicked men have.
Tenthly, True aſſurance, whereever it is, it makes a man ſo to value the comforts of the Spirit of God, that he doth undervalue all other comforts in the world in compariſon of them, Pſal. 4.6. Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me; what then? and this ſhall more glad my heart, then when my corn and wine and oile increaſeth. Beloved, aſſurance, it doth ſo tranſport and raiſe up the heart, that it makes all things in the world, all comforts here below to be nothing in compariſon of that. The favour of Princes is nothing to that man that hath the favour of God; Life, and all the comforts of life, are nothing to that man that hath comfort in reference to his eternal life; Pſal. 63.3. Thy loving kindneſſe, O Lord, is better then life. David did not value his life, nor all the comforts of it, ſo as he valued the loving kindneſſe of his God. But now, a man that hath falſe perſwaſions, theſe do not ſo tranſport his ſpirit, and take up the whole man, and fill the ſoul with joy unſpeakable and full of glory; theſe do no whit abate his comforts in the world. A man you know that hath taſted hony, other things are of an unpleaſant taſte to him that are eaten after: Beloved, aſſurance it is like hony; nothing ſo ſweet to godly palate, as that is Now when a godly perſon taſtes of the hony of aſſurance, all other outward comforts, they are but as gall and wormwood, things unpleaſant to his taſte and palate. And thus you ſee I have laid down ten particulars to you. I would intreat you to diſtinguiſh in your own hearts, whether you are the people that have a true aſſurance, or onelyonly falſe perſwaſions of your effectual calling. And let me tell you, the reaſon why I ſpeak of this, is, becauſe the moſt of men in the world do miſſe of heaven by falſe perſwaſions. Where deſperation damnes one ſoul, preſumption damns a thouſand. I might ſay of this, as it was ſung in the Triumphant ſong of David and Saul, Saul hath ſlain his thouſands, but David his ten thouſands: So I might ſay, deſperation hath ſlain a thouſand, but preſumption ten thouſand. Thouſands and ten thouſands are ſlain and undone for ever, by harbouring preſumptuous and groundleſſe perſwaſions of their effectual calling, when they are not.