with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins And as they are pardoned freely so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The gracious gift of God Charisma signifies a gift flowing from the free-grace and favor of God John 10. 28. they shall be saved freely Rom. 6. ult For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thus you see O despairing souls that all is of free-grace from the lowest to the highest round in Jacobs Ladder all is of Grace Christ is a Donative the Covenant of grace is a Donative Pardon of sin is a Donative Heaven and Salvation is a Donative Why then O despairing souls should you sit down sighing under such black sad and dismal apprehensions of God and your own state and condition Verily seeing all happiness and blessedness comes in a way of free-grace and not in a way of doing not in a way of works you should arise Revel 21. 6. 22. 18. O despairing souls and cast off all despairing thoughts and drink of the waters of life freely What though thy heart be dead and hard and sad what though thy sins be many and thy fears great yet behold here is glorious grace rich grace wonderous grace matchless and incomparable riches of free-grace spread before thee O let this fire warm thee let these waters refresh thee let these Cordials strengthen thee that it may be day and no longer night with thee that thy mourning may be turned into rejoycing and that thy beautiful garments Isa 52. 1. may be put on that so the rest of thy days may be days of gladness and sweetness and free-grace may be an everlasting shade shelter and rest unto thee Again tell me O despairing souls do you understand and most seriously and frequently ponder upon those particular Scriptures that do most clearly sweetly and fully discover the mercies of God the bowels of God the grace and favor of God to poor sinners as that Psal 86. 5. For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee Gods mercies are above all his works and above all ours too his mercy is without measures and rules All the acts and attributes of God sit at the feet of mercy the weapons of Gods artillery are turned The Rainbow is signum gratiae foederis into the Rainbow a Bow indeed but without an Arrow bent but without a string The Rainbow is an emblem of mercy it is a sign of grace and favor and an assurance that God will remember his Covenant it is fresh and green to note to us that Gods mercy and grace to poot sinners is always fresh and green Again tell me O despairing souls have you seriously pondered upon Nehe. 9. 16 17. But they and our Fathers dealt proudly and hardned their necks and hearkned not to thy Commandments And refused to obey neither were mindful of the wonders that thou didst among them but hardned their necks and in their rebellion appointed a Captain to return to their bondage but thou art a God ready to pardon gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and forsookest them not Thou art a God says he ready to pardon or rather as it is in the Original and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou a God of pardons There is a very great emphasis in this Hebraism a God of pardons it shews us that mercy is essential unto God and that he is incomparable in forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Here Nehemiah sets Micah 7. 18. him forth as one made up all of pardoning grace and mercy as a circle begins every where but ends no where so do the mercies of God When Alexander did sit down before a City he did use to set up a light to give those within notice that if they came forth to him whilest that light lasted they might have quarter if otherwise no mercy was to be expected O but Luke 13. 7. Jere. 3 1. to 15. such is the mercy and patience of God to sinners that he sets up light after light and waits year after year upon them When they have done their worst against him yet then he comes with his heart full of love and his hands full of pardons and makes a proclamation of Grace that if now at last they will accept of mercy they shall have it Why then O despairing soul dost thou make thy life a hell by having such low and mean thoughts of Gods mercy and by measuring of the mercies and bowels of God by the narrow scantling of thy weak and dark understanding Again tell me O despairing souls have you seriously pondered upon those words in Isai 55. 7 8 9. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veish Aven The man of iniquity i. e. One that makes a trade of sin man or rather as it is in the Original the man of iniquity his thoughts And let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon or as it is in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He will multiply to pardon or he will increase his pardons as the sinner increases his sins He will multiply to pardon For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord. For as the Heavens are higher then the Earth so are my ways higher then your ways and my thoughts then your thoughts Turn O despairing souls to these Scriptures Numb 14. 19 20. Exod. 34. 6 7. Micah 7. 18 19. Isai 30. 18 19. Psalm 78. 34 to 40. 103. 8. to 13. Jere. 3. 1. to 12. Luke 15. 20. to 24. 1 Tim. 1. 13. to 17. and tell me whether you have seriously and frequently pondered upon them O how can you look so much grace and mercy so much love and favor and such tender bowels of compassion in the face as appears in these Scriptures and yet rack and tear your precious souls with despairing thoughts O there is so much grace and goodness so much love and favor so much mercy and glory sparkling and shining thorow these Scriptures as may allay the strongest fears and scatter the thickest darkness and chear up the saddest spirits c. Again tell me O despairing souls do you not do infinite wrong to the 1 Pet. 1. 19. precious blood of the Lord Jesus Three things are called precious in the Scripture the blood of Christ is called precious blood and faith is called precious 2 Pet. 1. 1 4. faith and the promises are called precious promises Now what a reproach is it to this precious blood that speaks better things then the blood of Abel Heb. 12. 24. for you to faint and sink under the power of delpair what doth this speak out O doth it not proclaim to all
how sweet was the Jonah 2 2. light to Jonah that had been in the belly of hell so is Assurance to those that through slavish fears and unbeliefe have made their beds in hell as the Psalmist speaks Gold that is Psal 139. 8. far fetched and dearly bought is Socrates prized the Kings countenance above his coyn his good looks above his gold so do Saints prize Assurance above all worldly enjoyments most highly esteemed so that Assurance that costs the soule most paines and patience most waiting and weeping most striving and wrestling is most highly valued and most wisely improved As by the want of temporals God teaches his people the better to prize them and improve them when they enjoy them so by the want of spirituals God teaches his people the better to prize them and improve them when they enjoy them Numb 14. 33. 34. Exod. 11. Ezra 1. Ah how sweet was Canaan to those that had been long in a wildernesse How precious was the gold and ear-rings to Israel that had been long in Egypt and the gifts and Jewels to the Jewes that had been long in Babylon so is Assurance to those precious souls The longer I stay for the Empire said the Emperors son the greater it will be So the longer a Saint stayes for Assurance the greater at last it will be that have been long without it but at last come to enjoy it After the Trojans had been wandring a long time in the Mediterranean Sea as soon as they espied land they cryed out with exulting joy Italy Italy so when poore soules shall come to enjoy Assurance who have been long tossed up and downe in a sea of sorrow and trouble how will they with joy cry out Assurance Assurance Assurance The sixth reason why God denies Assurance to his dearest ones at Humility is Conservatrix virtutum saith Onâ—â— least for a time is that they bee kept humble and low in their owne eyes as the enjoyment of mercy glads us so the want of mercy humbles us Davids heart was never more low then when he had a Crowne onely in hope but not in hand No sooner was the Crowne set upon his head but his blood rises with his outward good and in the pride of his heart he sayes I shall never be removed Hezekiah was Psal 30. 6. 2 Chron. 32. The whole Chapter is worthy of reading a holy man yet hee swels big under mercy No sooner doth God lift up his house higher then others but hee lifts up his heart in pride higher then others When God had made him As I get good by my sins so I get hurt by my graces said Mr. Fox they being accidental occasions of pride to him high in honours riches victories I and in spiritual experiences then his heart flyes high and he forgets God and forgets himselfe and forgets that all his mercies were from free mercy that all his mercies were but borrowed mercies Surely it is better to want any mercy then an humble heart it is better to have no mercy then want an humble heart A little Augustine saith that the first second and third vertue of a Christian is humility little mercy with an humble heart is far better then the greatest mercies with a proud heart I had rather have Pauls coat with his humble heart then Hezekiahs lifted up heart with his rich Treasures and royal Robes Well Christians remember this God hath two strings to his bow if your hearts will not lye humble and low under the sense of sinne and misery he will God hath two hands a hand open and a hand shut and he makes use of both to keep souls humble make them lye low under the want of some desired mercy The want of Assurance tends to bow and humble the soul as the enjoyment of Assurance doth to raise and rejoyce the soule and therefore doe not wonder why precious soules are so long without assurance why Christs Charet Assurance Judg. 5 28. is so long a coming The seventh and last reason why God denies Assurance for a time even to his dearest ones is that they may live cleerly and fully upon Jesus Christ that Jesus Christ may be seen Col. 3. 11. Omne bonum in summo bono All good is in the chiefest good Christ is all things to a Christian he is bread to feed them a fountaine to refresh them a Physitian to heal them a rock to shelter them a light to guide them and a crown to crown them to bee all in all It is naturall to the soule to rest upon every thing below Christ to rest upon creatures to rest upon graces to rest upon duties to rest upon divine manifestations to rest upon celestial consolations to rest upon gracious evidences and to rest upon sweet Assurances Now the Lord to cure his people of this weaknesse and to bring them to live wholly and solely upon Jesus Christ denies comfort and denies assurance c. and for a time leaves his children of light to walk in darknesse Christians this you are alwayes to remember that though the enjoyment of assurance makes most for your consolation yet the living purely upon Christ in the want of assurance makes most for his Heb 11. 27. Isa 60. 19. Mic. 7. 3. 9. Iohn 20. 28 29 exaltation No Christian to him that in the want of visibles can live upon an invisible God that in thicke darknesse can live upon God as an everlasting light Hee is happy that beleeves upon seeing upon feeling but thrice happy are those soules that beleeve when they doe not see that love when they doe not know that they are beloved and that in the Christ is omniâ— super omnia want of all comfort and assurance can live upon Christ as their onely all He that hath learned this holy art cannot bee miserable hee that is ignorant of this art cannot bee happy The second Proposition is this That the Scripture hath many sweet significant words to expresse that well-grounded Assurance by which beleevers may attaine to in this life sometimes it is called a perswasion Rom. 8. 38. I am perswaded that neither 1 There is a natural perswasion namral principles may perswade a man that there is a God and that this God is a great God a beauteous God c. but this will not make a man happy 2 There is a moral perswasion 3 There is a traditional perswasion death nor life c. shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is â—n Christ Jesus our Lord. It is rendred a perspicuous and peculiar manifestation of Christ to the soul John 14. 21 22 23 24. It is often rendred to know as in that 1 John 3. chap. 2. 14. 19. 24. verses and chap. 5. 13. 19 c. but the word that the Scripture doth most fully expresse this by is plerophoria full assurance that is when the soule by the Spirit and word
of baseness and wickedness yet upon his resolution to return his Father meets him and instead of killing him he kisses him instead of kicking him Vers 22 23. he embraces him instead of shutting the door upon him he makes sumptuous provisions for him And how then dost thou dare to say O despairing soul that God will never cast an eye of love upon thee nor bestow a crumb of mercy on thee The Apostle tells you of some monstrous miscreants that were unrighteous fornicators idolaters 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. adulterers effeminate abusers of themselves with mankinde theeves covetous drunkards revilers extortioners and yet these monsters of mankinde thorow the instant goodness and free-grace of God are washed from the filth and guilt of their sins and justified by the Righteousness of Christ and sanctified by the Spirit of Christ and decked and adorned with the precious Graces of Christ Therefore O despairing souls are you good at burning that you have no mercy on your selves but to argue to your own undoing do not say O despairing soul that thou shalt die in thy sins and lie down at last in everlasting sorrow Did it make for the honor and glory of his free grace to pardon them and will it be a reproach to his free-grace to pardon thee Could God be just in justifying such ungodly ones and shall he be unjust in justifying of thee Did not their unworthiness and unfitness for mercy turn the stream of mercy from them No. Why then O despairing soul shouldst thou fear that thy unworthiness and unfitness for mercy will so stop and turn the stream of mercy as that thou must perish eternally for want of one drop of special Grace and Mercy Again tell me O despairing soul Is not the Grace of God free-grace is Sub laudibus naturae latent inimici gratiae Aug. The Patrons of mans freewil are enemies to Gods free-grace not mans salvation of free-grace By grace ye are saved Ephes 2. 8. Every link of this golden chain is Grace It is free-grace that chose us Rom. 11. 5. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of Grace It is free-grace that chuses some to be Jewels from all eternity that chuses some to life when others are left in darkness The Lord Jesus Christ is a gift of free-grace Christ is the greatest the sweetest the choicest the cheifest gift that ever God gave and yet this gift is given by a hand of love God so loved the John 3 16. Isa 9. 6. world that he gave his onely begotten Son c. Here is a sic without a sicut God Johâ— 4 10. But God O thou despâ—iâ—ing soul is Pater misâ—rationum he is al 's bâ—wels he will not stand upon giving his most lovely Son to most unlovely souls so loved the world so freely so vehemently so fully so admirably so unconceivably That he gave his onely Son His Son not his servant his begotten Son not his adopted son yea his onely begotten Son I have read of one that had four sons and in a Famine being sore opprest with hunger the Parents resolved to sell one for relief but then they considered with themselves which of the four they should sell they said The eldest was the first of their strength therefore loth they were to sell him the second was the very picture of the Father and therefore loth they were to part with him the third was like the Mother and therefore they were not willing to part with him the fourth and the yongest was the childe of their old age their Benjamin the dearly beloved of them both and therefore they were resolved not to part with any of them and so would rather suffer themselves to perish then to part with any of their children O but Gods heart is so strongly set upon sinners Heb. 1. 1 2 3. Matth. 3. ulâ— that he freely gives Jesus Christ who is his first-born who is his very picture who is his beloved Benjamin who is his cheifest joy who is his greatest delight as Solomon speaks Then I was Prov. 8. 30. by him as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his delights that is his greatest delight rejoycing always before him or sporting greatly before him as little ones do before their parents Why then O despairing soul dost thou sit down sighing and walk up and down mourning and sadly concluding that there is no mercy for thee Hold up thy head O despairing Christ is called the gift of God and the free gift of God five times together in Rom. 5. 15 16 17 18. soul Jesus Christ himself is a gift of free-grace the consideration of his free boundless bottomless and endless love may afford thee much matter of admiration and consolation but none of despairation And as Jesus Christ is a gift of free-grace or a free-grace gift so the precious Covenant of Grace is a gift of grace Gen. 17. 2. I will make my Covenant betwixt me and thee but in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is I will give thee my Covenant Here you see that the Covenant of Grace is a free gift of grace God gave the Covenant of the Priest-hood unto Phineas as a gift so God gives the Num 25. 12 Covenant of Grace as a gift of favor and grace to all that he takes into Covenant with himself from first to last all is from free-grace God loves Hosea 14 4. freely I will heal their back sliding I will love them freely c. So Moses The Lord saith he set his love upon you Deut 7. 7 8. to take you into Covenant with him not because you were more in number then other people but because he loved you and chose your Fathers The onely ground God will have all blessings and happiness to flow from free-grace 1. That the worst of sinners may have strong grounds for hope and comfort of Gods love is his love the ground of Gods love is onely and wholly in himself There is neither portion nor proportion in us to draw his love there is no love nor loveliness in us that should cause a beam of his love to shine upon us there is that enmity that filthiness that treacherousness 2. For the praise of his own glory 3. That vain man may not boast 4. That our mercies and blessings may be sure to us unfaithfulness to be found in every mans bosom as might justly put God upon glorifying himself in their eternal ruine and to write their names in his black Book in characters of blood and wrath And as God loves freely so God justifies us freely Rom. 3. 24. Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ And as poor sinners are justified freely so they are pardoned freely Acts 5. 31. Him hath God exalted speaking of Christ
2. What Faith that is that accompanies Salvation 3. What Repentance that is that accompanies Salvation 4. What Obedience that is that accompanies Salvation 5. What Love that is that accompanies Salvation 6. What Prayer that is that accompanies Salvation 7. What Perseverance that is that accompanies 8. What Hope that is that accompanies Salvation 9. The difference between true Assurance and that which is counterfeit 10. The wide difference there is between the witness of the Spirit and the hissing of the old Serpent Gentlemen and Friends you have Say with that famous Painter Zeuxâ—s Aeternitati pingo I paint for eternity I provide for eternity Eternity is that unum perpetuum bodie that one perpetual day your lives in your hands there is but a short step between you and eternity I would fain have you all happy for ever to that purpose I humbly beseech you spare so much time from your many great and weighty occasions as to read this Treatise that in all humility I lay at your feet and follow this counsel that in all love and faithfulness I shall now give unto you For my design in all is your happiness here and your blessednesse hereafter First Get and keep Communion Communion with God will make a man as couragious and bold as a Lion yea as a young Lyon that is in his hot blood and fearless of any creature Prov. 28. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now the proverb is Tutiores Câ—rvi duce Leone quam Leones duce Cervo it is more likely that Harts will get victory with a â—yon to their leader then Lyons with a leading Hart Joshua Captain of the Lords battles must be of a Lyon like courage and what wil make them so but communion with God It was the saying of the old Earl of Essex That he was never afraid to fight but when he was conscious of some sin with which he had provoked God and left communion with God with God your strength to stand and your strength to withstand all assaults is from your Communion with God Communion with God is that that will make you stand fast and triumph over all enemies difficulties dangers and deaths While Sampson kept his Communion with God no enemy could stand before him he goes on conquering and to conquer he laies heapes upon heaps but when he was fallen in his Communion with God he fals presently easily and sadly before his enemies So long as David kept up his Communion with God no enemies could stand before him but when he was fallen in his Communion with God he flies before the son of his bowels Job keeps up his Communion with God conquers Satan upon the Dunghil Adam loses his Communion with God and fals before Satan in Paradise Communion is the result of Union Communion is a reciprocall exchange between Christ and a gracious Soule Communion is Jacobs Ladder where you have Christ sweetly descending down into the Soul and the soule by divine influences sweetly ascending up to Christ Communion with God is a Sheild upon Land and an Anchor at Sea it is a sword to defend you and a staff to support you it is balm to heale you and a cordiall to strengthen you high Communion with Christ wil yeeld you two heavens a heaven upon earth and a heaven after death He injoyes nothing that wants Communion with God he wants nothing that injoys communion with God therefore above all gettings get Communion with Christ and above all keepings keep Communion with Christ all other losses are not comparable to the losse of Communion with Christ he that hath lost his Communion hath lost his Comfort his strength his all and it will not be long before the Philistims take him and put out his eyes and bind him with fetters of brass and make him grind in a prison as they did Sampson Judg. 16. 20 21. Secondly Make a speedy and a thorow Bonus servatius facit bonum bonifacium improvement of all opportunities of grace and mercy sleep not in Harvest time trifle not away your Market hours your golden seasons you have much work to do in a short time you have Petrach telleth of one who being invited to dinner the next day answered Ego à multis aâ—nis crastinum non habui I have not had a morrow for this many years a God to honor a Christ to rest on a Race to run a Crown to win a Hell to escape a Heaven to obtaine you have weak Graces to strengthen and strong Corruptions to weaken you have many Temptations to withstand and Afflictions to bear you have many Mercies to improve and many Services to perform c. Therefore take hold on all opportunities and advantages whereby you may be strengthened and bettered in your noble Heb. 3-7 8 A man faith Luther lives forty years before he knows himself a fool and by that time he sees his folly his life is ended c. part Take heed of crying cras cras tomorrow tomorrow when God saith to day if you will hear my voyce harden not your hearts Manna must be gathered in the morning and the orient pearle is generated of the morning dew It is a very sad thing for a man to begin to die before he begins to live He that neglects a golden opportunity doth but create to himself a great deal of misery as Saul and many others have found by sad experience He that would to the purpose do a good action must not neglect his season The men of Issachar were 1 Chron. 12. 32 famous in Davids account for wisdom because they acted seasonably and opportunely God will repute and write that man a wise man who knows and observes his seasons of doing Such there have been who by giving a glasse of water opportunely have obtained a Kingdom as you may see in the story of Thaumastus and King Agrippa Bernard Time saith one were a good commodity It was the commendations of blessed Hooper that he was spare of diet sparer of words and sparest of time in hell and the traffick of it most gainful where for one day a man would give ten thousand worlds if he had them One passing thorow the streets of Rome and seeing many of the women playing and delighting themselves with Monkies and Baboons and such like things asked whether they had no children to play and delight themselves with So when men triffle away their precious time and golden opportunities playing and toying with this vanity and that we may ask whether these men have no God no Christ no Scripture no Promises no Blessed Experiences no hopes of Heavens glories to delight and entertain themselves with Certainly we should not reckon any time into the account of our lives but that which we carefully pass and well spend seeing the Heathen could say Diu fuit non diu vixit He was long Dâ—mascen he did not live long I have read of one Blessed Bradford the Martyr
they were shut out and to the Israelites to know that there was a Brazen-serpent set up whereby others were cured when they died with the stinging of the Fiery serpents So how can it comfort mee to know that there is peace in Christ and pardon in Christ and righteousnesse in Christ and riches in Christ and happinesse in Christ c. for others but not for me Ah this knowledge Psal 15. Ps 24. Ps 119. Ps 1 2 3 will rather be a hell to torment me then a ground of joy and comfort to me But now God hath in the Scripture discovered who they are that shal be eternally happy and how they may reach to an assurance of their felicity and glory which made One to say That he would not take all the world Luther for one leafe of the Bible The Bible is a Christians Magna Charta his chiefe evidence for heaven Men highly prize and carefully keep their Charters Priviledges Conveyances and Assurances of their Lands And shall not the Saints much more highly prize and carefully keep in the closet of their hearts the precious word of God which is to them instead of all assurances for their maintenance Psal 119 11. 12. verses compared deliverance protection confirmation consolation and eternall salvation Thirdly Other beleevers have in an ordinary way attained to a sweet assurance of their everlasting happinesse and blessednesse Wee know saith the Apostle in the name of the 2 Cor. 5. 1 2. Saints that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved wee have a building of God â—n house not made with hands eternal in the heavens for in this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from Nec Christus nee Câ—lum patitur hyperbolem Neither Christ nor heaven hyperbolized heaven Their assurance sets them in triumph upon the Throne We have a house a house above a house in heaven a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens Wee have a house a heavenly house a house made by the greatest wisdom and the highest Love a house that for honour pleasures riches safety stability glory and perpetuity transcends all the royal Pallaces in the world It is a house not made with hands but eternal in the heavens So the Church Can. 2. 16. in that Solomons Song 2. 16. My beloved is mine and I am his I know sayes the Spouse that Jesus Christ is mine I can with the greatest confidence Eph. 1. 22 23. 1 Cor. 1. 30. c. 6. 26. Ps 110. 3. Joh. 10. 29. Joh. 5. 16. Ezek. 16 8. Hos 2. 19 20 and boldnesse affirme it hee is my head my husband my Lord my Redeemer my Justifier my Saviour And I am his I am as sure that I am his as I am sure that I live I am his by purchase and I am his by conquest I am his by donation and I am his by election I am his by covenant and I am his by marriage I am wholly his I am peculiarly his I am universally his I am eternally his This I well know and the knowledge thereof is my joy in life and my strength and crown in death So the Church in that Isa Jsa 63. 16 vide Calvin Psal 73. 25 26. Psal 19. 94. Job 19. 25. Ioh. 20. 28. 63. 16. Doubtlesse thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not Thou O Lord art our Father and our Redeemer thy name is from everlasting David could say The Lord is my portion for ever And at another time he could sweetly sing it out I am thine save me Job could looke through the darkest cloud and see that his Redeemer lives Thomas cryes out My Lord and my God And Paul trumpets it out That nothing Rom. 8. 38. 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. should separate him from the love of Christ and that he had fought a good fight and finished his course and that there was Quicquid fieâ—i potuit potest that which hath been done may be done laid up for him a crowne of Righteousnesse By what hath been said it clearly appears that other beleevers have obtained assurance in an ordinary way and therefore beleevers now may attain to a sweet assurance of their everlasting happinesse and blessednesse Certainly God is as loving and his bowels of compassion are as strong towards Heb. 13. 8. Rev. 1. 8. 11. Plato a heathen saith that God is one and the same and always like himself Beleevers now as ever they were to Beleevers of old and it makes as much for the honour of God the lifting up of Christ the stopping of the mouthes of the wicked and the rejoycing of the hearts of the righteous for God to give assurance now as it did for God to give it then Fourthly God hath by promise engaged himselfe to assure his people of their happinesse and blessednesse The Psal 84. 11. Antiochus promised often but seldome gave but God gives as much and as often as he promiseth he hath a kings heart as wel as a kings purse Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walke uprightly If hee will with-hold no good thing then certainly he will not alwayes withhold assurance which is the great good thing the only thing the chiefest thing the peculiar thing that beleevers seek after So in that thirty fourth of Ezek. 30 31. Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them and that they even the house of Israel are my people saith the Lord God And yee my flock the flock of my pasture are men and I am your God saith the Lord God So in that John 14. 21. 23. He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my Nil Deo diffiâ—ilo there is nothing hard for God Tully an heathen frequently called God optimum maximum the best and greatest 2 Cor. 1. 20. Plato called God the Horn of plenty and the Ocean of beauty withouâ— the least spot of injustice Isa 64 4. 1 Cor. 2. 9. Psal 21. 3. Isa 65. 24. selfe to him If any man love me saith Christ he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him Now hath the Lord spoken it and shall it not come to passe Men say and unsay they eate their words as soon as they have spoken them but will God do so Surely no Hee is faithful that hath promised All the Promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen that is they are stable and firme and shall really be made good The Promises are a precious Book every leaf drops Myrrhe and Mercie Therefore set down and suck at these brests warme thy self at this fire God hath been always as good as his word yea hee hath
is so fully perswaded of its eternal happinesse and blessednesse that it s carried like 4 There is a divine perswasion that flows from divine principles and causes Noahs Arke above al waves doubts and fears and Noah-like fits still and quiet and can with the Apostle Paul triumph over sinne hell wrath death and devill This is sometimes called Col. 2. 2. Heb. 6 11. 18 19 cha 10. 22. full assurance of understanding sometimes it is called full assurance of hope and sometimes it is called full assurance of faith because these are the choice and pleasant springs from whence assurance flows Now though this full assurance is earnestly desired and highly This full Assurance is the maximum quod sic the highest pinacle of Assurance prized and the want of it much lamented the injoyment of it much endevoured after by al Saints yet t is only obtained by a few Assurance is a mercy too good for most mens hearts it is a Crowne too weighty for most mens heads Assurance is optimum maximum the best and greatest mercy and therefore God will onely give it to his best and dearest friends Augustus in his solemne feasts gave trifles to some but gold to others honours and riches c. are trifles that God gives to the worst of men Rev. 3. 18. But Assurance is that tryed gold that God onely gives to tried friends Among those few that have a share or Most Saints I beleeve can give aloud testimony to this truth I shall rejoyce when their experiences shall confute â—r portion in the special love and favour of God there are but a very few that have an assurance of his love It is one mercy for God to love the soule and another mercy for God to assure the soule of his love God writes many a mans name in the Book of life and yet will not let him know it till his houre of death as the experience of many precious soules doth cleerly evidence Assurance is a flower of Paradise that God sticks but Rom. 8. 16 17. in a few mens bosomes It is one thing to be an heire of heaven and another thing for a man to know or see himselfe an heire of heaven The childe in the arms may be heire to a Crown a Kingdome and yet not understand it so many a Saint may bee heire to a Crowne a Kingdome of glory and yet not know it As the babes that passes the pangs of the first birth do not presently cry Father Father so the new borne Babes in Christ that have 1 Pet. 2. 2. past the pangs of the second birth doe not presently cry Abba Father they doe not presently cry out Heaven Heaven is ours Glory Glory is ours The third Proposition is this That The third Proposition a man may have true grace that hath not Assurance of the love and favour The blinde man in the Gospel called his faith unbeleef of God or of the remission of his sins and salvation of his soule A man may be truly holy and yet not have assurance that he shall be eternally happy A man may be Gods and yet he not know it his estate may be good and yet he not see it he may Mat. 15. 22. 29. be in a safe condition when he is not in a comfortable condition All may be well with him in the Court of glory when hee would give a thousand worlds that all were but well in the court of conscience The Canaanite woman shewed much love wisdome zeale humility and faith yea such strength of faith as makes Christ admire her and yeeld to her grace her and gratifie her and yet shee had no assurance that wee read of So Paul speaking of the beleeving Eph 1. 13. They that honour God by sealing to his truth those God will honour by sealing them with his Spirit Ephesians saith In whom ye also trusted after that yee heard the word of truth the Gospel of your salvation in whom also after that yee beleeved yee were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise First They heard the word and then secondly they beleeved and then thirdly they were sealed that is fully assured of a heavenly inheritance of a Saints have eternal life 1 In praetio 2 In promisso 3 In primitiis purchased possession So 1 John 5. 13. These things have I written unto you that beleeve on the name of the Sonne of God that yee may know that yee have eternal life and that yee may beleeve on the name of the Son of God So in that Isa 50. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voyce of his servant that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay himselfe upon his God So in that Mich. 7. 8. 9. verses Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy when I fall I shall arise when I sit in darknesse the Lord shall be a light unto me I will bear the indignation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill he plead my cause and Zagnaph Signifies vehement anger with a sad and lowring countenance Dan. 1. 10. vide Merâ— execute judgement for me he will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his Righteousnesse Asaph was a very holy man a man eminent in grace and yet without assurance as may bee seen at large in that 77. Ps Heman doubtlesse was a very precious soule and yet from his youth up hee was even distracted with terrours Psalm 88. There are thousand Christians that are in a state of grace and shall bee Isa 8. 17. Chap. 49. 14 15 16. Ch. 54 6 7 8 9 10 11. saved that want assurance and the proper effects of it as high joy pure comfort glorious peace and vehement longings after the coming of Christ Assurance is requisite to the well-being of a Christian but not to the being it is requisite to the consolation of a Christian but not to the salvation of a Christian it is requisite to the well-being of Grace but not to the meer being of Grace Though a man cannot be saved without faith yet he may bee saved without assurance God hath in many places of the Scripture declared that without faith God never said except you be assured I will pardon you I will never pardon you except you are assured I will save you I will never save you this is language God never spoke and why then should men speak it there is no salvation but God hath not in any one place of Scripture declared that without assurance there is no salvation A man must first bee saved before he can be assured of his salvation for he cannot be assured of that which is not and a man must have saving grace before he can bee saved for hee cannot be saved by that which hee hath not Againe a man must be ingrafted into Christ before
descend upon him like a Dove and he shall hear a voice from heaven saying This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well-pleased that so he may be strong in resisting and glorious in triumphing over all the assaults and temptations of Satan So many times at first conversion the Lord makes out sweet manifestations of his love to the soule that so the soule may stand fast and not give ground and in the sense of divine love may so manage the shield of faith as to quench all the fiery darts of the Devil The Lord knows that when hee sets upon the delivering of a poor soule from the Kingdome of darknesse and translating it into the Kingdome of his dear Sonne that Satan will roar and Col. 1. 13. rage rend and tear as he did him in Pharaoh in his furious and violent pursuing after Israel when he saw that God would bring them from under his power was a type of Satan Mark 9. 25 26. When Jesus saw that the people came ranning together hee rebuked the foule spirit saying unto him Thou dumb and deaf spirit I charge thee to come out of him and the spirit cryed and rent him sore and came out of him and he was as one dead in so much that many said He is dead No sooner did Jesus Christ look with an eye of love pity and compassion upon the Boy but the Devil in his rage and wrath The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to tear and rent as the dog doth falls a renting and tearing of him as mad dogs do those things they fasten upon This poor childe had never so sore a fit as now he was nearest the cure when rich Mercy and Glorious power is nearest the soul then Satan most storms and rages against the soul The more the Bowels of Christ do work towards a sinner the more furious will Satan assault that sinner Therefore Divine Wisdom and Goodness does the more eminently shine in giving the poor soul some sight of Canaan and some Bunches and Clusters of that Land upon its first coming out of the Wilderness of Sin and Sorrow But that no soul may mistake this last Proposition give me leave to premise these two Cautions First That God does manifest his Caut. 1. love onely to some at their first conversion not to all Though he dearly loves every penitent soul yet he does not manifest his love at first conversion to every penitent soul God is a free Agent to work where he will and when he will and to reveal his love how he will and when he will and to whom he will It is one thing for A man may enjoy the warmth and heat of the Sun when he cannot see the Sun so a man may have grace when he cannot see that he hath grace God to work a work of Grace upon the soul and another thing for God to shew the soul that work God oftentimes works Grace in a silent and secret way and takes sometimes five sometimes ten sometimes fifteen sometimes twenty years yea sometimes more before he will make a clear and satisfying report of his own work upon the soul Though our Graces be our best Jewels yet they are sometimes at first conversion so weak and imperfect that we are not able to see their lustre The being of Grace makes our estates safe and sure the seeing of Grace makes our lives sweet and comfortable The second Caution is this A man Caut. 2. I have conversed with several precious souls that have found this true by experience and upon this very ground have questioned all and strongly doubted whether they have not taken Satans delusions for divine manifestations may at first conversion have such a clear glorious manifestation of Gods love to him and of his interest in God and his right to glory that he may not have the like all his days after The fatted Calf is not every day slain the Robe of Kings is not every day put on every day must not be a Feastival day a Marriage day the wife is not every day in the bosom the childe is not every day in the arms the friend is not every day at the table nor the soul every day under the manifestations of Divine Love Jacob did not every day see the Angels ascending and descending Steven did not every day see the Heavens open and Christ standing on the right hand of God Paul was not every day caught up to Heaven nor John was not every day rapt up in the Spirit No Saint can every day cry out I have my Christ I have my Comfort I have my Assurance as the Persian King cryed out in his dream I have Themistocles I have Themistocles Job had his Job 30. 31. Harp turned into mourning and his Organ into the voice of them that weep The best of Saints are sometimes put to hang their Harps upon the Willows and Psal 137. 2. cry out Hath God forgotten to be gracious Psal 77. 7 8. 9. and will he be favorable no more The second special season or time wherein the Lord is pleased to give to his children a sweet assurance of his 2 Cor. 5. 14. favor and love and that is when he intends to put them upon some high and hard some difficult and dangerous service O then he gives them some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divine love hath a compulsive faculty it is very powerful to put the soul upon acting in the highest and hardest services for Christ sweet taste of Heaven before hand Now he smiles now he kisses now he embraces the soul now he takes a Saint by the hand now he causes his goodness and glory to pass before the soul now he opens his bosom to the soul now the soul shall be of his Court and Councel now the Clouds shall be scattered now it shall be no longer night with the soul now the soul shall sit no longer mourning in the valley of darkness now Christ will carry the soul up into the Mount and there reveal his glory to it that it may act high and brave noble and glorious in the face of difficulties and discouragements Christ did intend to Matth. 17. 1 2 3 4 5 6. put Peter James and John upon hard and difficult service and therefore brings them up into an high mountain and there gives them a vision of his Beauty and Glory there they see him transfigured metamorphosed or transformed there they see his face shining as the Sun and his Rayment glistering In the Mount he shews them such beams of his Deity such sparkling glory as did even amuse them and amaze them transport them and astonish them and all this Grace and Glory this Goodness and Sweetness Christ shews them to hearten and encourage them to own him and his truth to stand by him and truth to make him and his truth known to the world though hatred bonds and contempt did attend them in so doing
perfect in weakness which filled his heart with joy and gladness The hidden Manna the New name and the Revel 2. 17. White stone is given to the conqueror to him that hath fought with principalities Ephes 6. 12. and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places and is come off with his garments dipt in blood After the Roman Generals had gotten victory over their enemies the Senate did use not one way but many ways to express their loves to them So after our Faith hath gotten victory over Satan God usually takes the soul in his arms and courts it and shews much kindness to it Now the soul shall be carried in triumph now the Chariot of state attends the soul now White Revel 3. 5. 7. 9. rayment is put upon the soul now Palms are put into the Conquerors hands now the Garland is set upon the Conquerors head and now a Royal feast is provided where God will set the Conqueror at the upper end of the Table and speak kindly and carry it sweetly towards him as one much affected and taken with his victory over the Prince of darkness Conflicts with Satan are usually the As many have found by experience sharpest and the hottest they spend and waste most the vital and noble spirits of the Saints and therefore the Lord after such conflicts doth ordinarily give his people his choicest and his strongest Cordials And thus by Divine assistance we have shewed you the special times and seasons wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to give his people some tastes of his love some sweet assurance that they are his favorites that all is well and shall be for ever well between him and them and that though many things may trouble them yet nothing shall separate them from their God their Christ their Crown CHAP. III. Containing the several Hinderances and Impediments that keep poor souls from Assurance with the Means and Helps to remove those Impediments and Hinderances NOw the first impediment 1. Impediment and hinderance to Assurance that we shall instance in is Despairing thoughts of mercy O these imprison the Soul and make it always dark night with the Soul these shut the windows of the Soul that no light can come in to cheer it Despairing There is a threefold Despair 1. Worldly 2. Moral 3. Spiritual And this last is the worst and greatest thoughts make a man fight against God with his own weapons they make a man cast all the Cordials of the Spirit against the wall as things of no value they make a man suck poyson out of the sweetest promises they make a man eminent in nothing unless it be in having hard thoughts of God and in arguing against his own Soul and happiness and in turning his greatest advantages into disadvantages his greatest helps into his greatest hinderances Despairing It makes a man call good evil and evil good light darkness and darkness light sweet bitter and bitter sweet a Saviour a destroyer a Redeemer a revenger c. thoughts of mercy make a man a beast yea below the beast that perisheth Pliny speaks of the Scorpion that there is not one minute wherein it doth not put forth the sting as being unwilling to lose any opportunity of doing mischief Such Scorpions are despairing souls they are still a putting out their sting a rangling with God or Christ or the Scripture or the Saints or Ordinances or their own Souls A despairing soul is Magor Missabib a terror to himself it cannot rest but like Noahs Ark is always tost here and there it is troubled on every side it is full of fears and fightings A despairing soul is a burden to others but the greatest burden to it self it is still a vexing terrifying tormenting condemning and perplexing it self Despair makes every sweet A despairing soul is like the spider that draws poyson out of the sweetest flowers bitter and every bitter exceeding bitter it puts Gall and Wormwood into the sweetest Wine and it puts a sting a cross into every cross Now whilest the soul is under these despairing thoughts of mercy how is it possible that it should attain to a well-grounded assurance therefore for the helping of the soul out of this despairing condition give me leave a little to expostulate with despairing souls Tell me O despairing souls is not despair an exceeding vile and contemptible sin is it not a dishonor to God a reproach to Christ and a murderer of souls is it not a belying of God a denying of Christ and a crowning of Satan it doth without doubt proclaim the Devil a Conqueror and lifts him up above Christ himself Despair is an evil that flows Despair is Satans master-piece it carries men he adlong to hell it makes a man twice told a childe of hell it is a Viper that hath stinged many a man to death from the greatest evil in the world it flows from unbelief from ignorance and mis-apprehensions of God and his Grace and from mistakes of Scripture and from Satan who being for ever cast out of paradise labors with all his art and might to work poor souls to despair of ever entring into paradise O despairing souls let the greatness of this sin effectually awaken you and provoke you to labor as for life to come out of this condition which is as sinful as it is doleful and as much to be hated as to be lamented Again tell me O despairing souls Acts 2. Plus peccavit Judas desperando quà m prodendo Christum saith one hath not despairing Judas perished when as the murderers of Christ believing on him were saved Did not Judas sin more hainously by despairing then by betraying of Christ Despairing Spira is damned when repentting Manasseh is saved O despairing souls the arms of mercy are open to receive a Manasseh a Monster a Devil incarnate he caused that Gospel Prophet Isaiah to be sawed in the midst with a Saw as some Rabbins say he turned aside from the Lord to commit 2 Chro 33. 1 to 15. Idolatry and caused his sons to pass thorow the fire and dealt with familiar spirits and made the streets of Jerusalem to overflow with innocent blood The soul of Mary Magdalen Mark 6. 9. was full of Devils and yet Christ casts them out and made her heart his house his presence Chamber why dost thou then say there is no hope for thee O despairing soul Paul was full Acts 1. 1 2. 26. 11. of rage and malice against Christ his people and ways and he was full of blasphemy and impiety and yet behold Paul is a chosen Vessel Paul is 1 Tim. 1. 13 15 16. caught up into the third Heaven and he is filled with the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost Why shouldst thou then say there is for thee no help O despairing soul Though the Prodigal Luke 15. 13 14. had run from his Father and spent and wasted all his estate in ways
those things which thou shalt suffer behold the Devil shal cast some of you into prison that ye may be tryed and yee shall have tribulation ten dayes be thou A crown without cares fears coâ—rivals envy end God turns the crown of thorns into a crown of glory Pericula non respicit Martyr coronas respicit Basil faithful unto the death and I will give thee a crown of life Chap. 3. 5. He that overcommeth the same shall be cloathed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the booke of life but I will confesse his name before my Father and before his Angels To him that overcommeth will I grant to sit with me in my Throne as I also overcome and am set down with my Father in his Throne Thus you see these seven choyce things that accompanies salvation But for your further and fuller edification satisfaction confirmation and consolation it will be very necessary that I shew you 1. What Knowledge that is that accompanies Salvation that borders that touches upon salvation 2. What Faith that is that accompanies salvation 3. What Repentance that is that accompanies salvation 4. What Obedience that is that accompanies salvaâ—ion 5. What Love that is that accompanâ—es salvation 6. What Prayer that is that accompanies salvation 7. What Perseverance that is that accompanies salvation I hope when I have fully opened these precious things to you that you will be able to sit down much satisfied and cheated in a holy confidence and blessed assurance of your everlasting wel-being I shall begin with the first and shew you what that Knowledge is that accompanies salvation that comprehends salvation that touches upon salvation and that I shall open in these following particulars First That Knowledge that accompanies salvation is a working Knowledge Knowledge that swims in the head only and sinks not down into tâ—e heart doth no more good then rain int h mâ—ddle reâ—ion or then the Unâ—corns horn iâ— the Unicorns head an operative Knowledge 2 Cor. 11. 6. God who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ Divine light reaches the heart as well as the head The beames of Divine light shining in upon the soule thorow the glorious face of Christ are very working they warm the heart they affect the heart they new mould the heart Divine knowledge masters the heart it guides the heart it governs the heart it sustains the heart it relieves the heart Rom. 6. 6. We know that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth 1 John 3 6. Whosoever sinneth viz. Customarily habitually delightfully hath not seen him neither known him we should not serve sin Divine knowledge puts a man upon crucifying of sin it keeps a man from being a servant a slave to sin which no other knowledge can do Under all other knowledge men remain servants to their lusts and are taken prisoners by Satan at his will No knowledge lifts a man up above his lusts but that which accompanies salvation The wisest Philosophers and the greatest As Socrates and others Doctors under all their sublime notions and rare speculations have been kept in bondage by their lusts That knowledge that accompanies salvation is operative knowledge 1 John 2. 3 4. And hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his Commandments He that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a lier and the He is a lier in a double respect 1. In that he saith he hath that knowledge which he hath not 2. In that he denies that in his works which he affirms in his words truth is not in him By keeping his Commandments they did know that they did know him that is they were assured that they did know him To know that we know is to be assured that we know So in Jam. 3. 17. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisie Verse 13. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge amongst you Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom Divine knowledge fills a man full of spiritual activity it will make a man work as if he would be saved by his works and yet it will make a man believe that he is saved onely upon the Ephes 2. 8. account of Free-grace That knowledge that is not operative and working will onely serve to light souls to Hell and to double damn all that Matth. 23. 14. have it Secondly That Knowledge that accompanies Salvation is transforming knowledge it is metamorphosing knowledge it is knowledge that transforms that metamorphosies the soul 2 Cor. 3. 18. But we with open face beholding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the glory of the Lord as in a glass are changed into the same image from glory to glory Divine light beating on the heart warms it and betters it it transforms and changes it it moulds and fashions it into the very likeness of Christ The Naturalists observe That the Pearl by the often beating of the Sun beams upon it becomes radiant so the often beating and shining of the Sun of Righteousness with his divine beams upon the Saints causes them to glister and shine in Holiness Righteousness Heavenly-mindedness Humbleness c. Divine light casts a general beauty and glory upon the soul it transforms a man more and more into the glorious Image of Christ Look as the Childe receiveth from A Father stands obliged not onely in point of honor buâ— also by the Law of nature to receive his childe that bears his image so doth Christ to receive those that by divine light have his image stamped upon them his Parents Member for Member Limb for Limb or as the Paper from the Press receiveth Letter for Letter the Wax from the Seal Print for Print or as the Face in the Glass answers to the face of the man or as Indenture answers to Indenture so the beams of Divine Light and Knowledge shining into the soul stamps the lively Image of Christ upon the soul and makes it put on the Lord Jesus and resemble him to the life Notional knowledge may make a man excellent at praising the glorious and worthy acts and vertues of Christ but that transforming knowledge that accompanies salvation will work a man divinely to imitate the glorious acts and vertues of Christ 1 Pet. 2. 9. But ye are a chosen Generation a royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar People that ye should shew forth the praises of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vertues of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light When God causes his Divine light his marvellous light to shine in upon the soul then a
in joy Psal 126. 5. The tears of the Saints have such a kinde of omnipotency in them that God himself cannot withstand them 2 Kings 20. 5. I have seen thy tears behold I will heal thee on the third day thou shalt go up unto the House of the Lord. Thirdly If you would recover Assurance then sit not down discouraged but be up and doing Remember what a Pearl of price thou hast Revel 2. 4 5. As a man that hath been recovered formerly out of such or such a disease if he be relapsed he will to the same means again he will apply the same remedies again This did once do me good I will try it again lost and repent and do thy first works fall close to the good old work of Believing Meditating Examining Praying Hearing Mourning c. Begin the world again and set afresh upon those very ways by which at first thou didst get Assurance fall upon family Duties apply thy self to publick Ordinances be much in close◠Services stir up every gift that is in thee stir up every grace that is in thee stir up all the life that is in thee and never leave blowing till thou hast blowed thy little spark into a flame never leave turning thy penny till thou hast turned thy penny into a pound never leave improving thy mite till thy mite be turned into a million God will be found in the use of means and he will restore our lost mercies in the use of means Psal 22. 26. But this is not all Therefore in the fourth place wait patiently upon the Lord David did so and at length the Lord brought him Psal 40. 1 2 3. out of a horrible pit or out of a pit of noise and confusion and set his feet upon a rock and established his goings and put a new Song of praise into his mouth God never hath nor never will faile the waiting Soul though God loves to try the patience of his Children yet he doth not love to tire out the patience of his Children Isa 57. 16 18 19 therefore he will not contend for ever neither will he be alwaies wroth lest the spirits of his people should faile Assurance is a Jewel worth waiting for it is a Pearl that God gives to none but such as have waited long at mercies door It is a Crown that every one must win by patient waiting before he can wear God doth not think the greatest Mercies too good for waiting Souls though he knows the least Mercy is too good for impatient Soules The Breasts of the Promises lie fair and open to waiting Soules Isa 30. 18. 64. 4. 49. 23. The waiting soule shall have any thing of God but the froward and impatient soule gets nothing of God but frowns and blowes and wounds and broken bones Sad souls should do well to make that text their bosome companion Joh. 14. 18. I will not leave 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you comfortless or Orphans I will come to you And that Text Heb. 10. 36 37. For ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye might receive the Promise for yet a little little while as it is in the Greek and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Fifthly and lastly If you would recover Assurance then take heed of refusing Comforts when God brings them to your door take heed of throwing Gospel-Cordialls against the wall This was Asaphs sin My Psal 77. 2. Ambrose saith If I would offer thee gold to day thou wouldest not say I will come tomorrow And wilt thou lightly and slightly put God off when he offers peace and comfort to thy soul c. soule refused to be comforted God comes and offers love to the soul and the soule refuses it God comes and spreads the Promises of Consolation before the Soul and the Soul refuses to look upon them God comes and makes tenders of the riches of grace and the soule refuses to accept of them Sometimes the hand the man that brings the Cordiall is not liked and therefore men refuse it Well remember this when gold is offered men care not how great or how base he is that offers it neither should we care by whom the Cordials and consolations of the Gospel are offered to us whether they are offered by the hand of Isaiah a Prophet of the blood royall as some think or by Amos from amongst the Heardsmen of Tekoa If the Sweet-meats of Heaven are set before thee it is thy wisdom and thy duty to taste of them and to feed upon them without stumbling at the hand that presents them Now for a cloze I shall make a few short uses of what hath been said and so conclude First You that have Assurance be Use 1 thankful for it it is a Jewel more worth then Heaven therefore be thankful Assurance is a mercy nobly descended it is from above Man is Jam. 1. 17. Plato was very thankful that God made him a man and not a woman a Grecian and not a Barbarian a Scholar to Socrates and not to any other Philosopher O what cause then have you to be thankful for Assurance not born with it in his heart as he is with a tongue in his mouth Assurance is a peculiar mercy it is a flower of Paradise that God sticks onely in his childrens bosoms Assurance is a mercy sweetning mercy it is a mercy that puts the Garland upon all our mercies Assurance makes every bitter sweet and every sweet more sweet he enjoyes little that wants it he wants nothing that enjoyes it therefore be you thankful that have and do finde the sweetness of it If Philip rejoyced that Alexander was born in the dayes of Aristotle How much more cause have you to rejoyce upon whose heads the Lord hath put the Crown of Assurance a crown of more worth and weight then all Princes crowns in the world Secondly If God hath given you Use 2 Psal 37. 1 7 8. Prov. 23. 17. Assurance then do not envy the outward felicity and happiness of the men of the world Ah lass what are Mountains of Dust to Mountains of Gold what are the Stones of the Street to Rocks of Pearl what are Crowns of Thorns to Crowns of Gold c. No more are all the treasures honors pleasures and favors of this world to Assurance The envious man hath so many tortures as the envied Socrates wished that envious men had more eyes and more ears then others that they might be more tormented then others by beholding others happiness hath praisers it is the Justice of Envy to kill and torment the envious The men of the world are real objects of pitty but not of envy who envies the Prisoner at the Bar who envies the Malefactor that is going to Execution who envies the dead man that is going to his grave God hath done more for thee by giving thee Assurance then if he had given thee