Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A90350
|
The inseparable union between Christ and a believer, which death itself cannot sever, or, The bond that can never be broken opened in a sermon at the funeral of Mrs. Dorothy Freeborne, who was interred at Prittlewell in Essex on 24 of August, 1658 / by Thomas Peck ...
|
Peck, Thomas.
|
1671
(1671)
|
Wing P1039B; ESTC R29381
|
36,989
|
123
|
not because it is perfect for if assurance were perfect then also is our knowledge perfect and our â—aith and some other graces perfect â—nd if some why not all Perhaps â—n some their certainty may be so â—reat as to overcome all sensible â—oubtings all sensible stirrings of â—nbelief by reason of the sweet â—nd powerfull acts and effects of that certainty and yet it doth not overcome all unbelief or uncertainty so as to expell or nullifie them but a certain measure of them remains still thus you see in what sense it is called full assurance It is called also sometimes the full assurance of understanding 2 Col. 2. 2 Col. 2. Heb. 6. 11. Heb. 10. 22. Sometimes the full assurance of hope Heb. 6. 11. Sometimes the full assurance of faith Heb. 10. 22. T is not these graces but the fruit of them for knowledge Faith and Hope do all contribute their influence to the making up of this full assurance V. It is called the hid Manna the white stone with the new name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Rev. 2. 17. that no man knoweth but he that hath it Revel 2. 17. First all believers have it not for some are weak believers weak in faith smoaking Flax babes in Christ this is the fruit of a strong faith a weak believer is not fit for it now can he make a good use of it t is like a great Sail to a small Vessel Secondly t is the Crown after Conquest to him that overcometh I will give c. A man that hath fought and overcome shall have it not as soon as he begins to fight or at the second Combate but when he hath fought the battle and hath got the Victory hath got the day of his Corruptions and soundly mortified then is the time when God gives it And thirdly t is a secret sweet known only to him that hath it VI. Lastly t is called a perswasion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perswasio so in the Text I am perswaded and t is the perswasion of Faith hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith hath its name from perswading because thereby the heart is perswaded First God gives faith perswading the heart to believe and then faith reflecting upon its own acts and seeing it self believing doth perswade the heart of Gods Love and Union with Christ so consequently of its own salvation Having thus opened the nature of this assurance I come to the second thing the Confirmation of the point to shew you that this certainty this infallible perswasion or assurance may be attained to and that I prove thus 1. Because St. Paul and other Believers the Saints before us have been assured of this by ordinary Faith this is clear 2 Cor. 5. 1. To go no farther than this eighth to the Rom. 15. 16. v. and the words of 2 Cor. 5. 1. Rom. 8. 15 16. my Text I am perswaded a place for the proof of this point beyond all exception Indeed the Papists say this was a special revelation St. Paul had of his own salvation which is most injurious to the whole Text for though he saith I am perswaded as speaking of himself yet in the matter of perswasion he joyneth all the faithfull as that nothing can separate us v. 39. so v. 35. v. 39. speaking generally of all which is proved by many speeches v. 23. v. 35. before We grone for the redemption of our body did St. Paul only grone and who shall seperate us from the love of God was St. Paul only beloved And we are killed all the 36. day long and we are more than Conquerors including all the faithful Therefore 't is a poor shift of the Papists to say St. Paul had this Certain perswasion of Gods love to him in Christ by special revelation for such things as he had by revelation 2 Cor. 12. 4. They were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things not to be spoaken but this perswasion of his he uttereth and therefore it was none of those secrets which he had by special revelation They say again the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies only a Conjectural perswasion but this is contrary to themselves for they say he was certainly perswaded of Gods love by revelation again the word indeed sometimes signifies a perswasion of Charity touching other particular persons and then it is not so certain but when it is used of a mans self according to the word of God it is then a perswasion of faith and most certain and so it is here used by the Apostle 2. This assurance may be attained to because a Christian may be certain of the promises therefore of the undeniable Conclusion from them a Christian may be certain of both promises First he may be certain that whom God loves with a special and an everlasting love shall be saved That whoever is in Christ shall be saved for he is the Saviour of his body that whoever believes shall not perish but have everlasting life that whoever loves Christ in sincerity shall be glorified For eyes hath not seen what God hath prepared for them that love him this is the voyce of the Gospel therefore this we may be sure of Secondly as a Christian may know that whosoever is in Gods love is in Christ is a believer shall be saved so he may know that he loves God is in the love of God that he is in Christ is a believer and consequently be assured that he shall be saved That a Christian may know he is beloved of God is in Christ c. is evident from Scripture We know and believe saith St. John the love that God hath to us 1 Joh. 4. 16. Rom. 5. 5. 1 Joh. 4. 16. So Rom. 5. 5. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts he may know that he is in Christ and Christ in him we know that we dwell in him and he in us 1 John 1 Joh. 3. 24. 3. 24. That he doth believe Mark 9. 24. I believe 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know Mark 9. 24. 2 Tim. 1. 12. whom I have believed He may know that he loves Christ Jesus in sincerity Joh. 21. 15 16 17. Joh. 21. 15 16 17. If God hath given a man the good things that accompany salvation he may know it 1 Cor. 2. 12. and consequently be 1 Cor. 2. 12. assured of his salvation 3. The Commands of believing and repenting were in vain especially as the condition of the covenant if we could not know whether we performed them or not to these I might add many arguments more As that the Scriptures would never make such a wide difference between the godly and the wicked the Children of God and the Children of the Devil and set forth the happiness of the one and the misery of the other so largely and make this difference to run through all the veins of its doctrine if a man cannot know which of these two Estates he is
assurance of their salvation and alas what woâ—ul uncertainties are men content to be at here I hope well saith one I trust saith another God is merciful saith a third and I shall doe as well as others saith a fourth Surely he that is no better ensured in worldly matters then thus I hope and I trust is but a weak man and in a very poor case we think Alas that we should be so Politick for our bodies and so silly and simple for our Souls that men should seek so much to make that sure which they are sure to forgoe and seek after no assurance of their Eternal condition unless it be to make their damnation sure as many wicked men are as diligent about this as the children of God are to make their salvation sure doing quite contrary to these commands and councels in 2 Pet. 1. 5. 2 Phil. 12. Heb. 2 Pet. 1. 5. 2 Phil. 12. Heb. 3. 15. 3. 15. these men are as far from faith and grace as they are from the assurance of faith and grace as far from salvation it self as from the assurance of it salvation is far from the wicked for they seek not thy statutes 2. Branch of this use is to reprove those who because assurance may be had and many of Gods children have it think they have it too Yea they that have none at all pretend to it most of all carnall men and hypocrites who never rightly sought it nor are subjects rightly qualified for it being unhumbled unbroken impenitent unbelieving sensual not having the Spirit All graces and so assurance how their counterfeits Solomon speaks of some boasting of a false gift Pro. 14. 25. so many boast Pro. 14. 25. 2 Rom. 71. 23. of assurance and have it not 2 Rom. 17. 23. thou makest thy boast of God and art confident so many boast that God is their God Christ their Saviour and that God loves them with his special love but their confidence is groundless like that of Solomons foole Pro. 14. 16. and Pro. 14. 16. Rev. 3. 17. the Laodicean Angel Rev. 3. 17. and of these there are diverse sorts 1. Such as say they are perswaded God loves them and it shall goe well with them and take it for granted 't is so because their own hearts tell them so and can give no other reason of their hope and perswasion but this my mind gives me so c. But this perswasion is a delusion of Satan and thy own deceitful heart this perswasion comes not from the spirit of God for then it would be grounded upon the word of God but arising meerly from thine own spirit without the word it is a delusion and a presumption no true perswasion or assurance Prov. 28. 26. he that Pro. 28. 26. trusteth his own heart is a foole for that is deceitful above all things and is always a false Prophet speaking peace when no peace is and the false spirit works effectually in the hearts of such this false assurance Luk. 11. 21. Luk. 11. 21. 2. Such as say they are assured because they never doubted they have always believed God loves them and that they shall be saved they never doubted of going to Heaven when they dye they have ever taken it for an axiome never to be called in question or denyed that they shall be saved Friends this is a false assurance for take this for an infallible truth he that never doubted never believed and he that never believed never had a sound assurance of his salvation true faith is accompanied with doubts why art thou disquieted and cast down oh my Soul Psal 42. 5. and Psa 42. 5. O thou of little faith wherefore dost thou doubt Mat. 14. 31. Assurance is never Mat. 14. 31. so perfect as to exclude all doubting at all times St. Paul saith of himself who had this assurance without were doubtings within were fears 2 Cor. 7. 5. that is doubtings 2 Cor. 7. 5. and infidelity yea God who brings good out of evil and light out of darkness brings assurance out of doubtings and fears for first these doubtings and fears stir up a Christian to be diligent in the use of means whereby he may come to be assured Yea secondly these doubts and fears doe use to end in true peace and sound assurance as Davids did Psal 42. 5. and the last Psal 42. 5. and last Verse whereas they that never had them and are thereupon confident of their good Estates this false assurance of theirs will end in great fearâ— and desperate terrours Job 18. Job 14. 18. 14. His confidence saith Bildod shall be rooted out of his Tabernacle and shall bring him to the King of terrours If then thou thinkest thou art assured because thou never doubtest wondering at others full of doubts and fears in this respect then know thy perswasion is a false perswasion a false assurance no assurance of Gods people no assurance of faith which doth not exclude all doubting It is a bastard assurance it was born and bred with thee 't is a Counterfeit a very delusion of the Devil And I may apply to thee that saying of Eliphaz Job 15. 31. let not Job 15. 31. him that is deceived trust in vanity for vanity shall be his recompence Your assurance thus built is but vanity and it shall have no other recompence but frustration and disapointment 3. A third sort are perswaded God loves them and so consequently that they shall be saved because God blesseth them with common mercies and it goes well with them in this life they receive many testimonies of Gods love and favour towards them as health wealth prosperity and a good name like those the Prophet Micah mentions Micah 3. 11. Or as Ephraim Hos Micah 3. 11. Hos 12. 8. 12. 8. I am become rich I have found me out substance in all my labours they shall find no iniquity in me But this is a false perswasion or assurance which is grounded only upon the fruits of Gods common bounty not of his special love and mercy things that God gives to his very enemies crums that are often cast to dogs and no man can know love or hatred by these things here below 4. A fourth sort are perswaded well of themselves and of their everlasting Estates because their Neighbours yea Ministers and good people think well of them Thus the Church of Laodicea because well thought of by other Churches thought well of her self and Judas very like thought his condition good because the rest of the disciples did so But that assurance only is good that is built upon the word of God not the word of man they that rest upon every bodies good word can assure themselves of nothing but that heavy woe in Luk 6. 26. woe unto you Luk 6. 26. when all men speak well of you and therefore saith the Apostle Gal. 6. 4. Gal. 6. 4. let every man prove his own work