I perish the denying and renouncing all trust in my selfe in my owne righteousnesse faith repentance my owne any thing but only Christ and God's mercy in him not the beleeving my personall election or that I shall be saved what ever my sinnes be and how unreformed soever For besides that this is in an unreformed sinner speaking of wilfull sins were the beleeving of a Lye because there is really no mercy or Salvation for such besides this I say there is no obligation or command in Scripture which can be thought to make it duty or necessary for any to beleeve himselfe a true poenitentiary even when he is so 'T is true we are commanded to prove our worke c. Gal. 6. 4. i. e. to ponder and ballance every action we take in hand whether it will beare the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tryall of the test or no and this we are incouraged by that which follows that we shall have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 boasting only in our selves But then first this precept of trying is not a precept of knowing or beleeving Secondly this trying his owne worke signifies the direct act of conscience the doing each action with a good conscience but belongs not to the reflexive act of Conscience upon the whole life past or if it doe requires not that every man should at every minute of his life beleeve or know infallibly that this state is good and shall be so to the end Thirdly the boasting there is set only in opposition to boasting over another as appeareth by that which followes v. 5. for every man shall beare his owne burthen i. e. another mans being worse then you will doe you no good to judging well of our selves by that deceitfull way of comparing our selves with those that are worse then wee and therfore fourthly 't is observable that it is not said by way of promise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shal have matter of boasting in himselfe for sure the best man living hath little of that but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only in himselfe all the boasting or comfort that he hath shall be in himselfe and in the uprightnesse of his owne conscience as that is opposed to comparing or comforting himselfe as the Pharisee with the Publican because others are worse then hee And so still the want of this assurance being the utmost inconvenience that this doctrine can possibly at the worst view of it bring upon him this will amount no higher then some present discomfort which will be recompenced abundantly by the gaines it brings with it of being disdeceived and brought timely and happily to repentance The short is let these sinnes which thou seest improved perhaps beyond thine expectation into wilfull sinnes be sincerely resolved and laboured against and all meanes used for the performing that resolution then if by any unsuperable weakenesse of thine thou failest in performing it or overcomming them perhaps I shall retract my doctrine in some part as it is appliable to thee or if I doe not be confident I have done thee no considerable injury though I should have deceived thee in some particular I am sure I am not guilty to my selfe of any designe to do so and therefore I hope my errour shall not be a culpable one because error amoris an errour of kindnesse or care or love in that I desired to make heaven as sure to thee as I could though not to make thee over sure of heaven Somewhat being thus set downe by way of character to know wilfull sinnes by we shall suppose that that will also be helpefull to the defining what sinnes of infirmity are For of that no scruple will be made to affirme that what ever sinne is not wilfull in any of the former descriptions of it must be resolved to be of infirmity there be no middle or third betwixt those two in the second covenant-account of sinnes By the rule therefore of contraries we shall best proceed 1. In generall to define a sinne of infirmity that which is not against strength or grace or that which though we labour and endevour sincerely against all sinne and use what meanes we are convinc't will tend to the overcoming of sinne we yet fall into either through humane frailty alone or through Satans cunning taking advantage of that our frailty As first when as at first we gave hints of resolution any invincible and so excusable ignorance of Gods will in some particulars betray me to some sinne for then my understanding or spirit is not of strength sufficient to advise me then the sinne is of weaknesse and therefore Rom. 14. they that are called the weake v. 1. are explained to be they that lacke knowledge v. 10. which all they that have are called the strong through that Chapter Or secondly when the suddainnesse of the assault gives not my spirit leasure to represent those perswasives and determents which it would doe if it were not so surprized and so for want of those representations on that side the present promises of the temptation doe preponderate and prevaile against all that is offered to the contrary for as a man that hath time to set himselfe upon his guard will be able to resist and vanquish that enemy which by surprisall takes and bindes conquers him with ease so is the will of a man in case of suddaine surprisal It hath no leisure to make use of those succours that reason could afford if it had time to muster them up And so being more weake at such times then at other the sinnes that at such time it yeelds to but would not at another are sinnes of Infirmity For 't is to be observed that the upper soule moves the will not as a naturall but rationall agent uses syllogismes and arguments to perswade hath not that despoticall power to have it at its becke or nod 't is not by a Goe and it goeth and come and it cometh as Aristotle's Philosophy seemes to set it that what the understanding prescribes to be done the will must doe but the course is of some more length The understanding must dispute and canvasse it against the carnall appetite answer the motives brought by that and then give more perswasive ones for the contrary and then perhaps the understanding is otherwise busy at that minute when the temptation comes and the popular carnall argument that it hath used hath prevailed and gotten consent before the understanding was aware of it either through present businesse and inability to attend more things at once or for want of an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suddennesse of mind to represent presently the arguments it hath on its side or to find out the Sophismes on t other Or however To dispute it throughly and cleare all difficulties and indeed if it be but to make this one Syllogisme the terrours of the Lord belongs to him that commits such a sinne as thou art now tempted to but that man is mad that
on them the crime of wilfulnesse and concluding without reall change the certaine damningnesse of them even under Christ I say particularly presumptuous sinnes when presuming that Gods mercy in Christ is either unlimited and may belong to any the most unreformed or that it is decreed absolutely to some persons without any respect to qualifications or demeanures to Saul the persecutor as well as Paul the Apostle the sinner runnes comfortably and alacriously on without any regret of conscience the doing so is certainely no sinne of infirmity because though some errour may be pretended for his so doing and that errour seeme apt to lend him excuse Yet first errours that are not simple errours but bring vitious life after them are not excusable because not invincible errours the rule of the agenda or duties of life being so cleare in the Scripture and in the heart that no man can be invincibly ignorant of that Rom. 10. 8 9. and Deut. 30. 14. The word that is now commanded is not hid or impossible or like fetching Christ from heaven or the grave a thing quite out of our power but it is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayst doe it And secondly it will be apparent that even those errours on which that presumption is built being simply considered are demonstrable to be errours suppositâ fide or to one that acknowledges the Scripture because there be so many places in the Scripture point-blanke against them particularly those of the conditionall promises every where scattered Neither circumcision c. but the new creature but faith consummate by love but keeping the Commandements of God Without holinesse no man shall see the Lord He that confesses and forsakes shall have mercy He that hath this hope purifies c. And having therefore these promises let us cleanse c. From what hath beene said it will be more then probable that all acts of fornication adultery c. which I shall suppose never to be actually committed without some space of deliberation or if they be then I meane those other wherein that deliberation inteposes are wilfull sinnes and so also all acts of drunkennesse unlesse when through ignorance of the strength of the liquor or the weakenesse of the braine the man suddainly fall into it by desiring to quench his thirst or doe somewhat which is lawfull wherein yet if after one or more trials he miscarry the second or a third time it will still be a wilfull sinne So also lying or speaking that which we know to be false to the defrauding and wronging of another or for any vainglorious designe So againe any sinne of oppression injustice c. or generally all those where there is any time of advice and deliberation For where ever that liberty is there is supposed an ability and readinesse in the upper soule of a Christian to present arguments for obedience to God stronger then any the devill or the world or flesh can offer for the contrary As for killing a man though the Law of the Land is wont to distinguish of wilfull and not wilfull murther yet to any man in his wits the stabbing his neighbour or using any other such meanes as may probably take away his life would seeme so strange that I cannot conceive but his spirit should be able to deterre him from it in that space which is required that any such weapon may be prepared For if it be said his rage doth gag or silence his spirit I shall answer that the raising of his rage to that pitch was not in a minute but grew upon him by degrees and then there was time and meanes to prevent that growth which he that did not make use of will hardly be able thereby to excuse or extenuate the subsequent sinne For swearing also I know not how in ordinary discourse or in any case extra causas juramenti legitimas where it is supposed perfectly lawfull it can be made a sinne of infirmity for in communication Christ's words are so plaine But I say unto you Sweare not at all and particularly Let your communication be yea yea c. for whatsoever is more is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the evill one that it would amaze any man to see that it should become an ornament or tolerable part of a Christians dialect And if it be in rage then I dare say that either that man hath formerly in some measure enured his tongue to swearing or not so strictly made conscience of an oath as Christ's precept obligeth him for he that never swore will not in impatience probably fall out into those formes of speech that he never used but alwaies vowed and resolved against but into some other which he hath been more used to or which he could heare in others with lesse horrour and detestation or which were a more naturall remedy for that passion And if you marke it that which rage doth is onely to blind the understanding and so to steale out any proper effects of rage as presuming of their impunity or not considering the contrary danger but not to hurry us to the commission of any or every other sinne indifferently and at a venture And why a rage should cast one upon using Gods name in oathes which before he had never phansied for any use but in his prayers any more then on many other unheard of sinnes I am so farre from conceiving any reason that I must conclude it impossible unlesse it proceed from the being used in some measure to that sinne or having a more favourable easy opinion of it And yet after all this that rage it selfe being so Vn-Christian a thing which we are so obliged to prevent and if in time it be not prevented will not alwaies passe for an infirmity in a Christian will be unable to patronize or excuse any such one oath which that puts into our mouthes but on the other side the observing that my rage hath made me sweare must in any reason give me so strict a watch over my selfe in time of provocation as never to let loose into a rage which proves so inconvenient and so complicated a sinne unto me as he that finds himselfe quarrelsome in his drinke hath the greatest obligation to temperance of any As for any other meanes that bring on swearing custome pride ostentation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filling up the discourse none of these will excuse it from a wilfull sinne especially considering the naturall intrinsecall untemptingnesse of that sinne that were it not for some accidentall or extrinsecall advantage evill example which if it had been a good one we could easily enough have rejected and not imitated or custome locall or personall or that other of the company we are used to scarce any man that heares swearing forbidden by Christ will discerne himselfe to have any carnall invitation to sweare no not in time of rage The same I thinke may be defined of all the grosse outward acts
fall into such dangerous snares and yet because after all this 't is possible that though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the good sense signifie actuall giving yet it may not in the ill actuall punishing because to thinke worthy and to reward still goe together in God in retribution of good but not so in evill his pardoning mercy oft interceding and againe because those words may well passe not for any law set to God but onely as a meanes to keep us from so falling when we stand by setting such a direfull character upon it shewing us how promiselesse and dangerous such our state is it will therefore be no temptation to anywho is in this sad estate to be hopelesse or give over labouring to get out again but rather a Summons or Proclamation of terrour straight to awaken him out of that estate to humiliation and prayers to God lest it be too late And in this the example of David will be encouragement to him who after a years sleepe or lethargy in those sins of adultery and murther c. which were such falls of a regenerate man and by God's ordinary meanes never retracted all that while was yet by God's grace and mission of a Prophet extraordinary recalled and reduced again though it cost him afterwards many flouds of teares penitentiall expressions to wash out those spots which he had thus contracted though even still he lies under the reproach of that sinne when he doth not of any other because that only was indulged in so long 1 King 15. 5. And the same may be said of Solomon also who after such heavie falls which beyond all the children of God are sadly recorded of him in Scripture was by God brought back to repentance God's mercy being beyond all promise I shall adde beyond all other example to him in this behalfe And therefore the close must be that if we have followed them in their sinnes we must be sure to imitate them also not only in the repentance and sincerity of that but in all the degrees and demonstrations of their repentance if we hope for the mercy which they met with To which I shall adde no more save onely this that the product of that which from these places hath beene concluded seemes to be very agreeable with that famous case set by Saint Augustine l. de persever of two men supposed to be converted together to live the life of converts in the same manner to fall together and so to continue some time and then one of them before death to recover and rise againe and the other to dye in his state of relapse where he makes this an argument and example of God's making a discrimination betwixt men supposing this last act of recovery in the one to be an act of spirituall extraordinary grace to him which was not given nor by any obligation due unto the other which is the most that from these two places thus paraphrased hath beene collected He that thinketh he standeth let him take heed lest he fall 1 Cor. 10. 12. If any man be overtaken in a fault you that are spirituall restore such a man considering thy selfe lest thou also be tempted Gal. 6. 1. Then saith the Devill I will returne to my house from whence I came out and comming he findeth it empty swept and garnished then goeth he and taketh with him seven other spirits worse then himselfe and they goe in and dwell there and the end of that man is worse then the beginning So shall it be to this evill generation Mat. 12. 42. Behold thou art made cleane goe sinne no more lest a worse thing happen unto thee Joh. 5. 14. OF A LATE OR A DEATH-BED REPENTANCE Brutus in Epist ad Pergamen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By HENRY HAMMOND D. D. LONDON Printed in the yeere 1646. OF A LATE OR A Death-bed Repentance CONCERNING a late or Death-bed repentance which I conceive much fitter for a sad secret consideration in the presence onely of God and the Scripture ones own soul then for a dispute or debate wherein either each party may be unwilling to yeeld or willing to retaine their owne prepossessions or else that person that hath long depended on the benefit of a late repentance may thinke it great rashnesse to resigne up that hold upon slight grounds and such will any seeme to be at a suddaine transient representation It must first be acknowledged that one of those two things is ordinarily understood by it either the perfecting our accounts with God at that time reinforcing all our former good resolutions and shutting up that busines of our soules which in time of health had beene sincerely begun but not perfected or else the Beginning of that worke of Repentance at that time For the first of these it is acknowledged that the Close of our lives whether it be old age or sicke bed is very proper and usefull to that purpose For the person that hath before that sincerely converted to God with unfained sorrow and confession of all former sinnes and firme resolution of amendment which is the least that true repentance can consist of may then when he sees himselfe drawing toward a period of a life mixt with infirmities and sinnes lay his full load on his owne shoulders and so with true sorrow and compunction come heavy laden to his Saviour lay downe that burthen before God by particular confession and beseech his pardon through the sufferings and satisfaction of Christ for every of these which pardon the true sincere penitent hath on those termes promise to receive from Heaven Nay he that had before made many good resolutions and yet through custome of the place through strength of naturall constitution and such like temptations hath hitherto not beene so faithfull to his resolutions as he ought may now at last upon God's visitation and by helpe of this discipline of Heaven radicate and settle such resolutions so deepe that they would be constant and persevering if he should againe recover and so this discipline may in that case be thought to have beene designed by God to this wholsome end and the working of such an effect will no doubt be acceptable in his sight But for the second the beginning I say the beginning the worke of repentance at that time I desire these particulars may seriously be laid to heart 1. In a generall view of it whether it be not reprochfull and contumelious thus to offer God the refuse and vilest of our age and parts like that offering to Ceres Phygaliensis in Pausanias none of the hony of their bees but only the wax or juicelesse part of their labour and of their wooll those fleeces which were not fit for use but full of the daglockes the coursest and foulest part of it That kinde of wooll if a late Critickes bold conjecture might be heeded was it in which the spunge of vinegar was put when 't was given Christ on the
out of Egypt to invade the Canaanites and promised them strength to overcome them and possesse the land but they refused to go up afterwards when he bid them not they would needes go up then they miscarried in the attempt the application is easie and terrible to the delayer or refuser and the parable of the foolish Virgins seemes to bring it home to our pupose they come knocking when the doore is shut and finde no admission Mat. 25. 11. And beside the deterrements that may thus be offered us on Gods part in ths businesse many other are ready at hand from consideration of our selves as 1. that though God doe continue to call yet we may be as likely to deferre still as before we were and to thinke that other one act of procrastination may be as safe as the many former have beene 2. That leisure will or strength may then be wanting and then farre more probably then before by how much a more chronicall habit doth harden the heart weaken and stop the eare and many the like and so still nothing is safe but present instant returning The Prophets speech is remarkeable to the confirmation and enforcing of this Esa 55. 6. Seeke the Lord while he may be found it seemes there is a period of that time and so a time when he may not be found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the storehouses are sealed up saith Epiphan call yee upon him while he is neare Let the wicked forsake and returne c. an actuall forsaking and returning sorrow for losse of heaven or apprehension of instant hell will not serve the turne and then comes the promise that God will have mercy c. and so Prov. 8. 17. Those that seeke me early shall finde me the promise is to the early seekers and to no others and so farre of the promises Then for any example in the word of God on which to ground this hope or make it prudent that a future death-bed repentance should be depended on I thinke there is but one that will be pretended that of the thiefe upon the Crosse concerning which it is observable 1. That it appeares not of him nor have we any reason to charge it on him that he ever procrastinated or purposely posted off his conversion till this so late a date and so he will not be matter of comfort to them that do 2. That as farre as we have any knowledge he seemes not ever to have heard of Christ at least to have beene called or instructed by him till he met him upon the Crosse and consequently he can be no precedent to any that hath lived an age or a great part of it under the preaching of the Gospell 3. That for the thiefe to be converted then and beleeve in Christ in that state of greatest humility upon the Crosse which so scandaliz'd the Jewes when by all other motives they were inclined to have beleeved on him was a most notable illustrious eminent act of faith and ought in any reason to be preferr'd before that which is ordinarily found among men 4. That it was accompanyed with as many effects of sincere conversion as that condition was capable of confession of Christ and devout prayer to him for his mercy or remembrance when he came to his Kingdome 5. That it was not extorted by the fear of death but proceeded from a sight and acknowledgement of the innocency and power of Christ even upon the Crosse and this was an argument to himselfe and others and was it seemes so acknowledged by Christ of the sincerity of his faith and conversion to God and that being supposed sincere will undoubtedly be accepted be it never so late 6. This was done by the thiefe in the midst of all temptations to the contrary the Crosse one great temptation and such as almost all the Disciples were shaken with and besides the other thiefe was his tempter to the contrary railing on Christ c. Luk. 23. 29 and also the chiefe Priests and Scribes and Elders mocked him and they that passed by reviled him wagging their heads Mat. 27. and so that new-convert-Thiefe was a singular person almost the only confessour in the company These particulars being observed will give us reason to acknowledge the difference great betwixt the example of the thiefe and any that make use of that example to deferre their repentance till the last and will consequently advertise us that though it succeeded very well to him it may succeed very ill to us For other examples it will I beleeve be very hard to produce any out of Scripture and for allegations out of humane story or observation it will not be pertinent to produce them because they bring not with them any evidence how they were accepted by God as that of the thiefe did This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise and yet to be sure to omit nothing that may to any seem pertinent we will suppose the conversion of Saint Paul to have somewhat in it something like that of the thiefe for he was strucken to the earth in the midst of his threatnings and slaughters against the Church and before he was recovered againe undoubtedly converted and after lived to be a most gracious Apostle To which example as farre as can concerne our case in hand I answer by proposing these three considerations 1. Whether supposing that Saul had died when he was thus stricken yea though it had been after the delivery of those words v. 6. he trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to do conceiving no more to be meant by them then was by Saint Peter's auditours when they said Men and brethren what shall we doe to which he there answers Repent c. whether I say any man would affirme that he had been saved and yet sure that trembling and saying amounted as farre as sorrow for sinne without actuall amendment or at least bring any evidence o◠Scripture to confirme any such affirmation If God's absolute decree that of Electing of his person be produced for such argument that will as much hold for the saving him though he has died in the midst of his blasphemies without any such trembling and then he might have been saved without ever having been converted which I have not yet heard to be asserted by any unlesse the Antinomian doctrine may amount so farre 2. Whether the case of Saint Paul be not quite distant from that of a Christian delaying and deferring repentance to the last For that is sinne against light and so a willfull deliberate crime and by that God is provoked to with-draw rather then invited to give more grace But Saint Paul affirmes of himselfe that he obtained mercy because he did it ignorantly in unbeliefe 1 Tim. 1. 13. and therefore though ignorant Christians zealous in their erroneous way may be allowed some of our charity upon this precedent of Saint Paul's conversion and it may be agreeable
of sinne or sinnes in the members because for the acting of them over and above the consent of the will some space is necessarily required wherein the spirit or upper soule if it be about us will be able and ready to interpose if it may be hearkned to which me thinkes is intimated by the Turkes in a custome of theirs who when they meane to give themselves liberty to be drunke use to make a great noise which they say is a warning to their soule to retire into some extreame part of the body that it may not be spectator or Censor of this their beastiality And if it be thus driven away gagg'd or not hearkened to then that is a sinne against strength a wilfull sinne Which perhaps was Saint James his observation when he said Sinne being perfected bringeth forth death For the conception of lust precedent signifies certainly the consent or conjunction of the will with the carnall appetite when in the wooing or canvasse for that consent of the upper soule on one side and of the lower soule or carnall part on tother the will which is thus courted by both yeelds to the second and so they joyne in mutuall embraces from whence saith the Apostle sinne is brought forth that very consent of the will to the sensuall faculty being formally sinne without or before the acting of it but this perhaps a sinne of iufirmity as the case may be for universim or alwaies it is not but very often wilfull and damning though it never come to act whereas if this sinne of infirmity while it was onely in the conception i. e. consent of the will come to birth i. e. actuall commission or perfection and fitnesse for birth which requires some space and time it may justly be said a sinne against strength so in the very Covenant of grace a fatall mortiferous sin And therefore though before we said that the same sinne in specie might be but an infirmity in one and yet a wilfull sinne in another yet this affirmation will need this caution to interpret it that the meaning of it be onely this that a sinne that is onely an infirmity in one may by some meanes of aggravation become wilfull in another but not è contra that that which upon some grounds or supposition of strength common to all men may be in universum defined a wilfull sinne can by any meanes be extenuated into an infirmity That which I now say I meane of any grosse outward act or habit of sinne because in these I conceive there is some mora or stay wherein the spirit may be advised with and then that being supposed in good health or regenerate state will not faile to suggest sufficient arguments against that sinne and so be a meanes to retract that sudden stolen consent before it come to act at least to habit Or if it be not it selfe without auxiliaries able to combat with the temptation yet it will out of the word of God be able to direct us to some aid which being called in will either improve us to a competent strength or help to disarme and weaken the temptation which we shall find by trying and making use of those meanes be they our prayers either for grace in time of need or as I said prayer as a meanes of divertisement or be they fasting vigilance c. or be it but a tempting to do our best for this is very ordinary to observe in our selves that when we put our selves to it and do our best we prove able to doe farre more then ever we dreamt we had been able And this is very remarkable whether you consider it as a truth in morality wherein it hath been observed that necessity or extreame danger enables men to doe miracles which when they are past they are amazed to see them done by them as Hierocles excellently shewes on that golden Pythagorean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as a truth of Scripture wherein there be many promises that God will aid when we fight cooperate when we work assist when we endeavour and not be wanting to them which are not first culpably wanting to themselves Having said thus much of wilfull sinnes for the disabusing of those who are over apt to flatter themselves that their sinnes are infirmities and no more and therefore sure of their pardon in Christ though continued in or not retracted by particular repentance I shall not thinke this discourse chargeable or accusable of any dangerous or hurtfull seuerity by being apt to drive men to despaire 1. Because it is knowne in Scripture and acknowledged by all and now confest by this paper that there is a tabula post naufragium a planke after shipwracke repentance as it implyes forsaking and change of mind and the working of that in every such sinner is the thing that all this while I intend and there is no way possible for the working it but this by representing the danger if it be not wrought which he that takes all his sinnes for infirmities will never be convinc'd of while he so thinks And 2. because the despaire that is dangerous is that which is contrary to the purifying hope to that hope that sets upon amendment by assuring that there is mercy to be had on such termes And as any other hope is but groundlesse confidence so any other despaire but that which makes us give over amending is in some respects a very usefull at least not very noxious despaire usefull if it set us on mending when without it we would not as in case of despaire or distrust onely of our present condition in respect of our present sins but not of the future because there is yet place for repentance or not noxious I meane not so farre as to damne or do any thing but deprive us of some comfortable assurance here the want of which if we want nothing else will never prejudice any mans salvation whatever they thinke that take this assurance to be Faith as in case of dying without all hope of Heaven when that no hope proceeds onely from an amazing sight of former sinnes which though we have sincerely forsaken yet none but God infallibly sees that we have and our selves out of an humble lowly conceit of all our owne actions our repentance particularly undervalued by us thinke and resolve we have not For sure if God see we have changed sincerely and so there be assurance respectu objecti in respect of the object t is an errour in us to thinke we have not from whence proceeds the non-assurance of the Subject and this errour if it be onely in the understanding and produce no evill life will sure damne none that should not otherwise be damned For whereas it may be objected that he may seeme to want that affiance in Christ for salvation which is a saving necessary grace I answer that that affiance that is so is the rolling my selfe on Christ for salvation and if I perish