Sirs Is it madness to feast the Slave and starve the Wife and is it not greater madness to feast the Body and starve the Soul To make liberal provision for the Body and none for the Soul Do not they deserve double damnation that prefer their Bodies above their Souls Me thinks our Souls should be One of the cheifest mirrors to behold God in is a reasonable Soul which findes it self out saith one like to a Ship which is made little and narrow downwards but more wide and broad upwards Before all and above all look to your Souls watch your Souls make provision for your Souls When this is done all is done till this is done there is nothing done that will yeeld a man comfort in life joy in death and boldness before a Judgement Seat Callenuceus tells of a Nobleman of Naples that was wont prophanely to say He had two souls in Had I a purse suitable to my heart not a poor godly Souldier or Sailor in England who carries his life in one hand but should have one of these Books in the other c. his body one for God and another for whosoever would buy it Verily they will make but a bad bargain of it that to gain the World shall sell their Souls Dear Sirs I had much more to say but I am afraid that I have already kept you too long from sucking of the Honey Comb from drinking at the Fountain I have held you too long in the Porch and therefore I shall onely crave That you will bear with my plainness and over-look my weakness Remembring that other Addresses would savor more of flattery then of sincerity more of policy then of piety and would be both unlovely in me and displeasing to you Now the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ bless you and yours with all Spiritual blessings in Heavenly places and make you yet more and more Instrument al for his glory and this Nations good that your names may be for ever precious among his people that they may bear you still upon their hearts before the Lord which is and shall be the earnest and constant Prayer of him who is Right Honorable and worthy Sirs Yours in all Christian observance Thomas Brooks TO All Saints that hold to CHRIST the Head AND That walk according to the Lawes of the New Creature Grace Mercy and Peace be multiplyed from God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ Beloved in our dearest Lord YOu are those Worthies of whom this world is not worthy Heb. 11. 38. You are the Princes that prevail with God You are Gen. 32. 28 those exellent ones in whom Psal 16. 3. is all Christs delight You are his glory Isa 4. 5. You are his pickt cull'd prime Instruments which he will make use of to carâ—yon Rev. 17. 14. 19. 8. 14. Cant. 8. 6. Isa 49. 16. his best and greatest Work against â—is worst and greatest Enemies in these latter daies You are a Seale upon Christs heart you are engraven on the palms of his hand Your names are Exod. 28. 29. 2 Cor. 2. 3. 1 Joh. 2. 27. 1 Cor. 2. 10 12 15 16. You will not with Pythagoras his Scholars magnifie the ipse dixerit of the greatest Clerks neither will you beleeve with Anaxagoras that Snow is black nor yet wil you say as Antipater King of Macedonia did when one presented him with a book treating of happiness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have no leasure neither will you judge like those that like nothing but the Manerva's of their owne brains written upon his Breasts as the names of the Children of Israel were upon Aarons Breast-plate You are the Epistle of Christ You are the anointed of Christ You have the spirit of discerning You have the mind of Christ You have the greatest advantages and the choycest privileges to enable you to trie Truth to taste Truth to apply Truth to defend Truth to strengthen Truth to uphold Truth and to improve Truth and therefore to whom should I dedicate this following Discourse but to your selves you have the next place to Christ in my heart your good your gain your glory your edification your satisfaction your confirmation your consolation your salvation hath put me upon casting in my little little mite into your treasure Beloved You know that in the time of the Law God did as kindly accept of Goats haire and Badgers skins of Turtle Doves and young Pigeons they being the best things that some of his children had then to offer as he did accept of Gold Jewels Silk and Purple from otherâ— I hope you will shew out the same God-like disposition towards me in a kind accepting of what is offered in this Treatise to your wise and serious consideration I could wish it better for your sakes yet such aâ— it is I do in all love and humility presenâ— you with desiring the Lord to make it an internal and eternal advantage tâ— you I shall briefly acquaint you with the Reasons that have moved poor me unworthy I who am the least of all Saints who am not worthy to be reckoned among the Saints to present this following Discourse to publick view and they are thesâ— that follow First To answer the desires and gratifie the earnest and pious requests of several precious souls who long to have these things printed upon their hearts by the The Philosopher could say that desires are properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to what is necessary hand of the Spirit that are printed in this Book God speaks aloud through the serious and affectionate desires of the Saints and this hath made me willing to eccho to their desires If great mens desires are to be looked upon as commands why should good mens desires be looked upon with a squint eye Seneca a Heathen could say that ipse aspectus boni viri delectat The very looks of a good man delight one How much more then should the desires of a good man overcome one Secondly The good acceptance the fair quarter that my Labors of the like Them that are extant are sold by the same man that sels this at the first shop in Popes-head-Alley next to Cornhill nature have found among those that fear the Lord especially that Treatise called Precious Remedies against Satans devices hath incouraged me to present this to publick view not doubting but that the Lord will bless it to the good of many as I know he hath done the former Which that he may I shall not cease to pray that Rom. 15. 21. my weak service may be accepted of the Phil. 1. 9 10 11 Saints and that their love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all sence that they may approve things that are excellent that they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sense may be sincere and without offence til the day of Christ Being filled with the fruits of righteousnesse which are by Jesus Christ
hee will doe for you to all eternity and spend your dayes in whining and mourning if Psal 32. 1. Psal 33 11. The word noteth a faire and comely grace for which a thing is to bee liked and desired Ainsw you can Ps 32. 11. Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Psal 33. 1. Rejoyce in the Lord O ye Righteous for praise is comely for the upright Christians are not your mercies greater then your miseries yes is your greatest sufferings comparable to the least spark of grace or beam of glory revealed in you or to you No wil not one Aeterna erit exultatio quâ— bono lâ—tatur aeterâ—o Their joy lasts for ever whose object remaines for ever houres being in the bosome of Christ recompence you for all your trouble and travell Yes Why then doe you spend more time in sighing then in rejoycing and why doe you by your not rejoycing sad those precious hearts that God would not have sadded and glad those graceless hearts that God would not have gladded A beautifull face is at all times pleasing to the eye but then especially when there is joy manifested in the countenance joy in the face puts a new beauty and makes that which before was beautifull to be exceeding beautifull it puts a luster and glory upon beauty so does joy in the face heart and life of a Christian cast a generall splendor and glory upon him and the wayes of God wherein hee walkes The joy of the Lord is not Nehem. 8. 10. only the strength but also the beauty and glory of Christians Joy and rejoycing is a consequent and effect of assurance as many beleevers by experience finde and therefore Mrs. Kath. Brettergh under the power of assurance cryes out O the joyes the joyes the unconceiveable joyes my heart is filled with without all peradventure beleevers may attaine unto a well-grounded assurance of their everlasting happiness else it is impossible that they should rejoyce evermore so that by this argument as by the former it clearly appeares that beleevers may in this life be assured of their eternal wel being The tenth and last Argument to prove that beleevers may in this life attaine to a well-grounded assurance is this That God would never have made such a broad difference in the Scripture between the seed of the Gen. 3. 15. Ezeck 18. Mat. 25. Mat. 3. 12. 2 Cor. 6. 14. Woman and the seed of the Serpent between the righteous and the wicked between Saints and sinners between Sons and Slaves Sheepe and Goats between Lions and Lambs between Wheat and Chaffe Light and Darkness c. if it were impossible for men to know which of these two estates they are in therefore they may know whether they are in a state of life or in a state of death in a state of misery or in a state of felicity in Mat. 13. a state of wrath or in a state of love O it is much below the grace of God! it is repugnant to the wisdome of God to make such a wide difference Joh. 8. 44. between his owne Children and Satans if it were not possible for every Childe to know his owne Father and his interest in him Jer. 3. 19. And Jer. 3. 19. The Saints Motto is Tam pius nemo tam pater nemo no Father is like our Father Rom. 8. 15. I said thou shalt call me my Father and shalt not turne away from me Here God ingages himselfe that his people shall know him account him and acknowledge him for their Father Thou shalt call me my Father Isa 63. 16. Doubtlesse thou art my Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not thou O Lord art our Father and Redeemer thy name is from everlasting The weakest Saint can say Ioh. 14. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath no childe so young but can more or lesse call him Father Abba Father the Lord will not leave his Children comfortless or as Orphans and fatherless children as it is in the Greek though the salvation of beleevers doe not depend upon their knowledge of God to be their Father yet their consolation does Ier. 3. 4. We say he is a wise childe that knows his Father such wise ones beleevers are therefore the Lord wil not be only a Father to Israel but he wil make Israel know that he is his Father Jer. 3. 4. Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me my Father thou art the guide of my youth By these ten Arguments it doth evidently appear that beleevers may in this life attain unto a well-grounded Assurance of their everlasting happinesse and blessednesse I shall apply this a little and then close up this Chapter Use This precious truth thus proved looks sourely and wishly upon all those that affirme that beleevers cannot in this life attaine unto a certaine well-grounded Assurance of their everlasting happinesse and blessednesse As Papists and Arminians all know that know their writings and teachings that they are in Armes against this Christ-exalting and soule-cheering Doctrine of Assurance I know no such thing as Assurance of Heaven in this life saith Greevinchovius the Arminian Assurance is a Pearle that Sensum electionis ad gloriam in hac vita nullam agnosco Greevinchov they trample under feet it is a beame of Heaven that hath so much light brightnesse shining glory in it that their bleer eyes cannot behold it Assurance is glory in the bud it is the Suburbs of Paradise it is a cluster of the land of Promise it is a sparke of God it is the joy and crowne of a Christian the greater is their impiety and folly that deny assurance that cry downe assurance under any names or notions whatsoever They are rather tormenters then comforters that say poore souls may know that there is a crowne of Righteousnesse but they must not presume to know that they shall have the honour to weare that Crowne * Is the surety of the New Covenant growne so poor Heb. 7. 22. 2. Is the promise now come to be yea and nay 2 Cor. 1. 20. 3 Is the power of God growne so weak 1 Pet. 1. 5. 4 Is the decreeing will of God become mutable 2 Tim. 2. 19. 5 Is the free eternal and everlasting love of God become changeable Jer. 31. 3. Joh. 13. 1. that these things can be Ezek. 13. 22. and that makes God like King Xerxes who crowned his Steersman in the morning and beheaded him in the evening of the same day Arminians are not ashamed to say that God may crowne a man one hour and uncrowne him the next they blush not to say that a man may bee happy and miserable under love and under wrath an heire of heaven and a firebrand of hell a childe of light and a childe of darknesse and all in an houre O what miserable comforters are these what
upon thee Divine Wisdom sparkles much in this in giving milk to Babes that are more carnal then spiritual and meat i. e. Assurance to strong men that have more skill and will that have a greater ability and choicer faculty to prize and improve this Jewel Assurance then babes have The Hebrew word Chabodh signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both weight and glory and verily glory is such a weight that if the body were not upheld by that glorious power that raised Jesus Christ from the grave if it were not bore up by everlasting Arms it were impossible it Deut. 33. 27. should bear it Now assurance is the top of glory it is the glory of glory Psal 45. 13. then certainly they had need be very glorious within that shall be crowned with such a weight of glory as assurance is Well remember this It is mercy to want mercy till we are fit for mercy till we are able to bear the weight of mercy and make a divine improvement of mercy Thirdly You must distinguish between Answ 3 Every audience increaseth love thanks and trust Psa 116. 1 2 3. And those mercies are best improved which we receive after we have been long upon our knees delays and denials God may delay us when he does not deny us he may defer the giving in of a mercy and yet at last give the very mercy begged Barren Hannah prayes yeer after yeer for a mercy God delayes her long but at last gives her her desire and the Text sayes expresly that her countenance was no more sad 1 Sam. 1. 18. After many prayers and tears the Lord comes in and assures her that she should have the desire of her soul and now she mourns no more but sits down satisfied comforted and cheered After much praying waiting and weeping God usually comes with his hands and his heart full of mercy to his people He loves not to come Vacuis manibus empty handed to those that have sate long with wet eyes at Mercies door Christ tries the faith patience and constancy of the Canaanite woman he deferred Matth. 15. 21 to 29. and delayed her he reproached and repulsed her and yet at last is overcome by her as not being able any longer to withstand her importunate requests O woman great is thy faith Be Exclamat tanquam victus Brugensis He cryes out as conquered it unto thee even as thou wilt Christ puts her off at first but closes with her at last at first a good word a good look is too good for her but at last good words and good looks are too little for her Be it unto thee even as thou wilt At first Christ carries himself to her as a churlish stranger but at last as an amorous lover though at first he had not an ear to hear her yet at last he had a heart to grant her not onely her desires but even what else she would desire over and above what she had desired God heard Daniel at Dan. 9. 15. to 25. the beginning of his supplications and his bowels of loâ—â— was working strongly towards him but the Angel Gabriel doth not inform Daniel of this till afterwards Praying souls you say that you have prayed long for assurance and yet you have not obtained it Well pray still O pray and wait wait and pray the Vision is for Hab. 2. 3. an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lie though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry God hath never God will never fail the praying soul at the long run thou shalt be sure to obtain that assurance that will richly recompence thee for all thy praying waiting and weeping therefore hold up and hold on praying though God doth delay thee and my soul for thine thou shalt reap in due season such a harvest of Gal. 6. 9. joy and comfort as will sufficiently pay thee for all thy pains Shall the Husband-man wait patiently for the precious fruits of the Earth and wilt Jam. 5. 7. not thou wait patiently for assurance which is a Jewel more worth then Heaven and Earth Praying souls remember this It is but weakness to think that men shall reap as soon as they sow that they shall reap in the Evening when they have but sowed in the Morning Titus Vespasian never Suelonius dismist any Petitioner with a tear in his eye or with a heavy heart and shall we think that the God of compassions will always dismiss the Petitioners of Heaven with tears in their eyes Surely no. Ninthly Sometimes before the This truth many choice Christians have found by experience soul is deeply engaged in fore conflicts with Satan the Lord is graciously pleased to visit his people with his loving kindness and to give them some sweet assurance That though they are tempted yet they shall not be worsted though they are tried yet they shall be crowned though Satan doth roar as a Lyon upon the soul yet he shall not make a prey of the soul for the Lyon Revel 5. 5. John 10. 28. of the Tribe of Judah will hold it fast and none shall pluck it out of his hand God first fed Israel with Manna from Heaven and gave them water to Exâ—d 17. 8 c. drink out of the Rock before their fore fight with Amalek Before Paul 2 Cor. 12. 1. to 8. was buffetted by Satan he was caught up into the third Heaven where he had very glorious visions and revelations of the Lord even such as he was not able to utter Before Jesus Christ Matth. 3 ult was led into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan to question and doubt of his Son-ship he heard a voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am wel-pleased The Spirit of the Lord did first descend upon him as a Dove before Satan fell upon him as a Lyon God walks with his people some turns in paradise and gives them some tastes of his right-hand pleasures before Psal 16. ult Satan by his tempting shall do them a displeasure But I must hasten to a close of this Chapter and therefore Tenthly and lastly After some sharp conflicts with Satan God is graciously pleased to lift up the light of his countenance upon his people and to warm and cheer their hearts with the beams of his love Matth. 4. 11. Then the Non tanquam misericordes indigenti sed tanquam subjecti om ipotenti Aug. Hom. 8. Devil leaveth him and behold Angels came and ministred unto him When Christ had even spent himself in soiling and quelling in resisting and scattering Satans temptations then the Angels come and minister cordials and comforts unto him So after Paul had 2 Cor. 12. 7 â—â— 10. been buffetted by Satan he heard that sweet word from Heaven My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made
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
Lord. It is dangerous to be curious in prying into hidden matters and careless and negligent in observing known Laws say to him Satan thou hast been a lyer and a murderer John 8. from the beginning thou art a profest enemy to the Saints confidence and assurance to their consolation and salvation If thou hast any thing to say say it to my Christ he is my comfort and crown my joy and strength my redeemer and intercessor and he shall plead for me Ah Christians if you would but leave disputing and be much in believing and in obeying assurance would attend you and you should Lye down in peace and take Job 11. 13. to 20. your rest and none should make you afraid The third Impediment that keeps 3. Impediment poor souls from Assurance is the want of a thorow search and examination of their own souls and of what God hath done and is a doing in them Some there be that can read better in Conradus Motto was a notable rule Omnium mores tues imprimis observato observe all mens carriages but especially thy own other mens Books then in their own and some there be that are more critical and curious in observing and studying other mens tempers hearts words works and ways then their own This is a sad evil and causes many souls to sit down in darkness even days without number He that will not seriously and frequently observe the internal motions and actings of God in and upon his noble part his immortal soul may talk of assurance and complain of the want of assurance but it will be long before he shall obtain assurance O you staggering wavering souls you tossed and disquieted souls know for a certain that you will never come to experience the sweetness of assurance till your eyes be turned inward till you live more at home then abroad till you dig and search for the Mines that be in your own hearts till you come to discern between a work of Nature and a work of Grace till you come to put a difference between the precious and the vile between Gods work and Satans work When this is done you will finde the clouds to scatter and the Sun of Righteousness to shine upon you and the Day-star of assurance to rise in you Doubting trembling souls do not deceive your selves it is not a careless slight slender searching into your own hearts that will enable you to see the deep the secret the curious the mysterious work of God upon you If you do not seek as for silver and search for Prov. 2. 3 4 5. Christ and grace as for hid treasures you will not finde them Your richest So saith Pliny Seneca and others mettals lie lowest your choicest gems are in the bowels of the Earth and they that will have them must search diligently and dig deep or else they must go without them Doubting souls you must search and search again and dig and dig again you must work and sweat and sweat and work if ever you will finde those Spiritual Treasures those Pearls of price that are hid under the ashes of corruption that lie low in the very bowels of your souls Tell me O doubting souls hath that sweet word of the Apostle been ever made to stick in power upon you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pierce tâ—orow c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to prove and try as Gold-smiths trie their mettal by the fire and the touchstone God brings not a pair of scales to weigh our graces but a touchstone to try our graces if our gold be true though it be never so little it will pass currant with him He will not quench the smoaking flax c. 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith or Whether Faith be in you prove your selves c. The precept is here doubted to shew the necessity excellency and difficulty of the work to shew that it is not a superficial but a thorow serious substantial Examination that must inable a man to know whether he hath precious Faith or no whether he be Christs Spouse or the Devils strumpet All is not gold that glisters all is not Faith that men call Faith therefore he that would not prove a cheater to his own soul must take some pains to search and examine how all is within Climacus reports that the Ancients used to keep in a little Book a memorial of what they did in the day against their night reckoning But ah how few be there in these days that keeps a Diary of Gods mercies and their own infirmities of Spiritual Experiences and the inward operations of Heavenly Graces Seneca reports of a Heathen man that would every night ask himself these three Questions First What evil hast thou healed this day secondly What vice hast thou stood against this day thirdly In what part art thou bettered this day And shall not Christians take pains with their own hearts and search day and night to finde out what God hath done and is a doing there God hath his doing hand his working hand in every mans heart either he is a working there in ways of mercy or in ways of wrath either he is a building up or a plucking down either he is a making all glorious within or else he is a turning all into a Hell Well doubting souls remember this That the soundest joy the strongest consolations flow from a thorow examination of things within This is the way to know how it is with you for the present and how it is like to go with you for the future This is the way to put an end to all the wranglings of your hearts and to put you into a possession of Heaven on this side Heaven The fourth Impediment that keeps 4. Impediment many precious souls from Assurance is their mistakes about the work of grace Look as many Hypocrites do take a good nature for grace and those common gifts and graces that may be in a Saul a Jehu a Judas for a special distinguishing grace c. So the dear Saints of God are very apt to take grace for a good nature to take Pearls of price for stones of no value Mark 9. 24. to take special grace for common grace Many trembling souls are apt to call their Faith unbelief with the man in the Gospel and their Confidence presumption and their Zeal passion c. And by this means many are kept off from Assurance Now the way to remove this Impediment is wisely and seriously to distinguish between renewing grace and restraining grace betwixt common grace and special grace betwixt temporary grace and sanctifying grace Now the difference betwixt the one and the other I have shewed in Ten particulars in my * The same man sells that that sells this Treatise called Precious remedies against Satans devices from page 217. to page 230. And to that I refer thee for full and
sense and feeling of Divine favor Absolute promises Bilney was much comforted in a great conflict by that promise 1 Tim. 1. 15. And Vrsine by that in John 10. 29. Another by that in Isai 57. 15. Another by that in Isai 26. 3. Mr. Wheatley with that in Heb. 10. 37 c. are waters of life to many precious sons of Zion they are a heavenly fire at which they can sit down and warm themselves when they cannot blow their own spark into a flame and when all Candle-light Torch-light and Star-light fails them when all other comforts can yeeld a perplexed distressed soul no comfort yet then absolute promises will prove full Brests of Consolation to the distressed soul These things being premised see now what gift of God there is in thee that brings thee within the compass of the promise of Everlasting Happiness and Blessedness and to help you a little in this I shall put you in minde of these following particulars First Faith is a gift of God that brings the soul within the promise of Everlasting Blessedness as the Scripture doth every where evidence He Mark 16. 16. John 3. 15 16 c. that believes shall be saved he that believes shall not come into condemnation he shall not perish he shall have eternal life c. Now believing is nothing else but the accepting of Christ John 1. 12. vide for thy Lord and Saviour as he is offered to thee in the Gospel and this accepting is principally if not onely the act of thy will so that if thou art sincerely and cordially willing to have Christ upon his own terms upon Gospel terms that is to save thee and rule thee to redeem thee and to reign over thee then thou art a Believer thy sincere willingness to believe is thy Faith and this gift brings thee within the compass of the promise of Eternal Happiness and Blessedness Christian Reader in the following Discourse thou wilt finde the nature the properties and the excellencies of a found saving Faith clearly and largely laid open before thee and therefore I shall say no more to it in this place but refer thee to what follows Secondly Waiting patiently on God is a gift that brings thee within the promise of Everlasting Happiness and Blessedness And he that hath but a waiting frame of heart hath that that God will eternally own and crown Isa 30. 18. And therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you for the Lord is a God of judgement Blessed are all they that wait for him Verily it is no iniquity to pronounce them blessed that God pronounces blessed it is no piety but cruelty and inhumanity for any not to be as merciful to themselves as God is merciful to them not to have as sweet and precious thoughts of their present condition as God hath If God sayes the waiting soul is blessed who dares judge who dares say it is not blessed Let God be true and every man a lyer Isa 64. 4. For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear neither hath the eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him Prov. 8. 34. Blessed is the man that heareth me watching daily at my gates waiting at the posts of my doors Isai 49. 23. They shall not be ashamed that wait for me That is I will never fail the waiting soul I will never put him to blushing by frustrating his patient waiting on me The waiting soul shall bear the Bell and carry away the Crown at last Verily glorious love and power is as much seen in keeping up a poor soul in a patient waiting on God as it was in raising Christ from the Grave and as it is in bringing souls to glory Nothing can make the waiting soul miserable Hold out Faith and patience but a little and Revel 22. 11 12. he that shall come will come and bring his reward with him Thirdly Hungering and thirsting after Righteousness is a gift that brings the soul within the compass of the promise of Everlasting Happiness and Blessedness Matth. 5. 6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after Righteousness for they shall be filled or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it runs in the Greek Blessed are they that are hungring and thirsting Intimating that where ever this is the present disposition of mens souls they are blessed and may expect spiritual repletions Considerable to this purpose is that of Isai 44. 2 3 4 5. Thus saith the Lord that made thee and formed thee from the Womb which will help thee Fear not O Jacob my servant and thou Jesurun whom I have chosen For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty By Water is meant the Spirit say some others understand it of the Spiritual Waters of Grace That God will power out upon those that thirst and long after an abundance of Grace c. and flouds upon the dry ground I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed and my Blessing upon thy Off-spring And they shall spring up as among the grass as Willows by the Water-courses One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and sirname himself by the name of Israel Of the like consideration is that of Isa 35. 6 7. Then shall the lame man leap as a Hart and the tongue of the dumb sing for in the Wilderness shall waters break forth and streams in the desert And the parched ground shall become a Pool and the thirsty Land springs of Water In the habitation of Dragons where each lay shall be Gross with Reeds and Rushes To the like purpose is that in Psal 107. 9. For he satisfieth the longing soul and filleth the hungry soul with goodness But that none may mistake nor miscarry in this business that is of an eternal concernment to them I shall desire them to premise with me these following things for a better and fuller clearing of this particular truth that is under our present consideration First Premise this with me All real hungerings and thirstings after Righteousness are earnest and vehement thirstings and longings they are like Rachels longing for children and like Samsons longing for water Psal 42. 1 2. As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God Philosophers observe That of all Beasts the Hart is most thirsty by nature but most of all thirsty when she is hunted and pursued by Dogs Sayes David As the hunted Hart as the wounded Hart yea as the She-hart in whom the passions of thirst are strongest panteth after the water-brooks so doth my soul pant after thee O God A gracious soul panteth and fainteth
limit God to the way or manner of shewing mercy but leave both the time and the manner to him that is wise and faithful Sayes Hope Christ knows his The Lord shews much mercy in timing our mercies for us own time and his own time is best though he stayes long yet he will certainly come and he will not stay a moment beyond the time he hath prefixt and therefore sayes Hope be not weary O Soul but still wait patiently upon the Lord. 1 Thes 1. 3. Remembring without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope Hope is the Mother of Patience and the Nurse of Patience Hope breeds Patience and Hope feeds Patience If it were not for hope the Spes est mestorum Drusius heart would die and if it were not for hope patience would die Look as Faith gives life and strength to Hope so doth Hope give life and strength to Patience Therefore Patience is called Patience of Hope Hope maintains Patience as the Fuel maintains the Fire A sixth property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It is Soul-purifying Hope it puts a Christian upon purifying himself as Christ is pure 1 John 3. 3. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as Christ is pure Divine hope runs In quality though not in equality As is not a note of parility or equality but of resemblance and similitude As there is a similitude betwixt the face it self and the image of the face in the glass but no equality out into holiness he that hath the purest and strongest hopes of being saved is most studious and laborious to be sanctified The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is rendred purifieth is a Metaphor taken either from the Ceremonial purifications in time of the Law or else from Goldsmiths purifying Metals from their Dross and it notes thus much to us That those that have hopes to reign with Christ in glory that have set their hearts upon that pure and blissful State that Paradise that holy and spiritual State of Bliss that is made up of singleness and purity they will purifie both their insides and their outsides both body and soul that they may answer to that excellent Copy that Christ hath set before them knowing that none shall enjoy Everlasting Glory but those that labor after perfect purity Now Hope purifies the heart and life thus by keeping the purest objects as God Christ the Word and the Soul together and by making How lively Hope makes the Soul in Religious services I have shewed in the third property the Soul serious and conscientious in the use of all Soul-purifying Ordinances and by being a fire in the Soul to burn up all those corruptions and principles of darkness that are contrary to that purity and glory that Hope hath in her eye and by working the Soul to lean upon Christ to live in Christ and to draw purifying vertue from Christ who is the Spring and Fountain of all Purity and Sanctity And thus Hope purifies those that expect to be like to Christ in Glory The seventh and last property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation that comprehends Salvation is this It is permanent and lasting it Prov. 10. 28. Austins hope made him long to die that he might see that head that was once crowned with thorns will never leave the Soul till it hath lodged it in the bosome of Christ Prov. 14. 32. The righteous hath hope in his death The righteous mans hope will bed and board with him it will lie down with him and rise up with him it will to the Grave to Heaven with him his Motto is Cum expiro spero My hope lasts beyond life The Hope made the Ancients to call the days of their death Natalia not dying but birth days Jews ancient custom was by the way as they went with their Corps to pluck up every one the Grass as who should say They were not sorry as men without hope for their Brother was but so cropt off and should spring up again in the morning of the Resurrection And the Jews to this very day stick not to call their Golgotha's Batte Catim the houses or places of the living That Hope that accompanies Salvation is a long-lived hope it is a living hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Heb. 3. 6. 6. 11. 1 Pet. 1. 13. Psal 131. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Living Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope or a living hope A hope that will not die a hope that will not leave a man in life nor death Psal 71. 14. But I will hope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 continually and will yet praise thee more In prosperity and adversity in wealth and sickness in life and death I will hope it is neither the smiles nor the frowns of the world that shall bury a Christians hope A Christians hope will live in all weathers and it will make a Christian bear up bravely in all storms and under all changes and more No trials no troubles no afflictions no oppositions shall keep down my hope says David I am peremptorily resolved in the face of all dangers difficulties and deaths to keep up my hopes come what will come on it I will rather let my life go then my hope go I will hope continually A hopeless condition is a very sad condition it is the worst condition in the world it makes a mans life a very Hell If hope deferred maketh the heart sick as the Wiseman speaks Prov. 13. 12. then the loss of hope will make the soul languish it will make it chuse strangling rather then life it will make a mans life a continual death A Soul without hope is like a ship without anchors Lord where will that soul stay that stayes not upon thee by hope A man were better part with any thing then his hope When Alexander went upon a hopeful expedition he gave away his Gold and when he was asked what he kept for himself he answered Spem majorum meliorum The hope of greater and better things A Believers hope I have read of a Rhodian who being cast into a dungeon full of Adders and Snakes for some horrid crimes by him committed Some perswaded him to rid himself out of that misery by a violent way but he answered No For saith he as long as I have breath in my nostrils I will ever hope for my deliverance is not like that of Pandora which may flie out of the Box and bid the Soul an everlasting farewel No it is like the morning light the least beam of it shall commence into a compleat Sun-shine It is Aurora Gaudii and it shall shine forth brighter and brighter till it hath fully possessed the Believer of his Christ and Crown This will be the Hypocrites hell and horror
The Lord hath in much mercy and love propounded in his Word the wayes and meanes whereby Beleevers may obtain a wel-grounded assurance of their everlasting happiness and blessedness and therefore it may be obtained take three Scriptures to evidence this The first is in that 2 Pet. 1. chap. 5-13 if you 2 Pet. 1. ch 5. 13. turne to the words you shal finde that the Lord does not only presse them to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure but he shewes them plainly the way and meanes whereby this may be done namely by adding to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge c. The second Scripture is 1 Cor. 11. 28 that in the 1 Cor. 11. 28. But let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of that bread and drinke of that cup. By examination the Soule comes to see what right it hath to Christ and all the precious things of his House and beleevingly to eate so of that Bread of Life of that heavenly Manna as that it may live for ever The third Scripture is that 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine 2 Cor. 13. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Goldsmith does the gold in the fire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. unapproved or counterfeit not reprobates as it is translated vide Grâ—tius your selves whether yee be in the faith prove your selves know yee not your owne selves how that Christ is in you except yee be reprobates or unapproved or rejected by a serious examination of a mans owne estate he may know whether he hath faith or not whether he be Christs Spouse or the Devils strumpet whether there bee a worke of grace upon his heart or not and certainly it cannot stand with the glorious wisdome unspotted righteousness and transcendent holiness of God to put men upon the use of such Eâ—od 15. 11. and such meanes in order to the obtaining of such an end if that end could not be obtained by the use of the meanes prescribed Man that hath but a sparke of that wisdome righteousnesse Job 38. 5. 5. 18. 21. 33. verses compared and holinesse that is in God wil not put any upon the use of such oâ— such meanes for the obtaining of health wealth or the like unlesse there be a proper tendency in the use of those means prescribed to reach such Abstracts do better expresse God then concretes and adjectives ends and will God who is wisdome righteousnesse and holiness in the abstract Surely no God is one infinite perfection in himselfe which is eminently and virtually all perfections of the creatures and therefore it is impossible that God should act below the creature which he should do if he should put the creature upon the use of those meanes that would not reach the ends for which the means were used Thus you cleerly see by this seventh Argument that beleevers may in this life attain to a Well-grounded Assurance of their everlasting happiness and blessedness Eightly It was the principal end of Christs institution of the Sacrament of the Supper that he might assure them of his love and that hee might seale up to them the forgivenesse Matth. 26 27 28. of their sinnes the acceptation of their persons and the salvation of their soules The nature of a Seale is to make things sure and firme among Dan. 6 8. Mat. 27. 66. men So the Supper of the Lord is Christs Broad-seal it is Christs Privy-seale whereby he seals and assures his people that they are happy here that they shall be more happy hereafter that they are everlastingly beloved of God that his heart is set upon them that their names are written in the 2 Tim. 4. 8. Book of life That there is laid up for them a crowne of righteousnesse and that nothing shall be able to separate them from him who is their light their life their Col 3. 11. crowne their all in all In this Sacrament Christ comes forth and shews his love his heart his bowels his blood that his children may no longer say Doth the Lord Jesus love us doth he delight in us c but that they may say with the Spouse I am my beloveds Caâ— 7. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and his desire is towards me Many precious Christians there are that have laine long under feares His desirous affection is towards me as the wiveâ— is towards her dearest husband So the Hebrew word signifies and doubts sighing and mourning and that have run from Minister to Minister and from one duty to another c. and yet could never be perswaded of the love of Christ to their poor soules but still their fears and doubts have followed them till they have waited upon the Lord in this glorious Ordinance by which the Lord hath assured them of the remission of their sins and the salvation of their soules In this Ordinance God hath given Rev 2. 17. them mannah to eat and a white stone and new name which no man knoweth but he that receiveth it Tell me you precious beleeving souls whether you have not found God in this Ordinance often whispering of you in the ear saying Sons and daughters be of Mat. 9. 2. good cheer your sinnes are forgiven you I know you have Those Scriptures that do expresly require Saints to be abundant and constant in rejoycing and in praising of God to have alwayes harps in their Nulla verior miseria quâ—m falsa laetitia there is no â—â—uer misery then false joyâ— hands and Hallelujahs in their mouths doe clearly evidence that beleevers may attaine to a well-grounded Assurance in this life How can they rejoyce and glory in God that doe not know whether hee will bee an everlasting friend or an everlasting enemy to them whether hee will alwayes breath out love or wrath upon them how can they Psal 13 7. 2. but hang their harps on the Willows that do not know but that they may live in a strange land yea in a land of darknesse all their dayes How can they be cheerful or thankful that doe not know but that they may at last heare that heart-breaking that conscience-wounding that soul-slaying word Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting Matth. 25. 4. It would even be an endlesse businesse to cite every Scripture wherein this duty is injoyned It is a duty that is much pressed in both Testaments as little practised by all whimpering Christians fire prepared for the devil and his Angels Now there is no duty in the whole Book of God that is more frequently and abundantly prest upon beleevers then this of joy and rejoycing of praise and thanksgiving as all know that know any thing of the Scripture 1 Thess 5. 16. Rejoyce evermore God would not have his children alwayes a putting finger in the eye Ah Christians remember what Christ hath done for you and what he is still a doing for you in heaven and what
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
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
it the greatest mercy in the world to be still a mourning over sin sayes the Penitent soul The Penitent soul never ceases repenting till he ceases living He goes to Heaven with the joyful tears of Repentance in his eyes He knows that his whole life is but a day of sowing tears that he may at last reap everlasting joyes That Repentance that accompanies Salvatition is a final forsaking of sin It is a bidding sin an everlasting adieu it is a taking an eternal farwel of sin a never turning to folly more What have I to do any more with Idols says Ephraim Hos 14. 8. I have tasted of the bitterness that is in sin I have tasted of the sweetness of divine mercy in pardoning of sin therefore away sin I will never have to do with you more you have robbed Christ of his service and me of my comfort and crown Away away sin you shall never be courted nor countenanced by me more That man that onely puts off his sins in the day of adversity as he doth his garments at night when he goes to bed with an intent to put them on again in the morning of prosperity never yet truly repented He is a dog that returns to the vomit again he is a swine that returns to the wallowing in the mire such a dog was Judas such a swine was Demas It is an extraordinary vanity in some men to lay aside their sins before solemn duties but with a purpose to return to them again as the Serpent layeth aside his poyson when he goeth to drink and when he hath drunk he returns to it again as they fable it It is sad when men say to their lusts as Abraham said to his servants Abide you here and I will go and worship and return again to you Gen. 22. 5. Verily such souls are far off from that Repentance that accompanies Salvation for that makes a final and everlasting separation between sin and the soul it makes such a divorce between sin and the soul and puts them so far a sunder that all the world can never bring them to meet as two lovers together The Penitent Soul looks upon sin and deals with sin not as a friend but as an enemy it deals with sin as Amnon dealt with Tamar 2 Sam. 13. 15. And Amnon hated her exceedingly so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater then the love wherewith he had loved her And Amnon said unto her Arise be gone Just thus doth the Penitent Soul carry it self towards sin And thus you see what Repentance that is that accompanies Salvation The fourth thing I am to shew is What Obedience that is that doth accompany Salvation That Obedience doth accompany Salvation I have formerly proved Now what this Obedience is that doth accompany or comprehend Salvation I shall shew you in these following particulars First That Obedience that accompanies Salvation is cordial and hearty the heart the inward man doth answer and eccho to the Word and Will of God The Believer knows That no Obedience but hearty Obedience is acceptable to Christ he knows Isa 29. 13. Matth. 15. 7 8 9. The heart is Camâ—ra omnipotentis regis i. e. The presence chamber of the King of Heaven and that upon which his eye his hand his heart is most set that nothing takes Christs heart but what comes from the heart Christ was hearty in his obedience for me sayes the Believer and shall not I be hearty in my obedience to him Christ will lay his hand of love his hand of acceptance upon no obedience but what flows from the heart Rom. 6. 9. Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you So in Rom. 7. ult So then with the minde I myself serve the Law of God My heart sayes Paul is in my obedience So in Rom. 1. 9. God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son Many serve God with their bodies but I serve him with my spirit many serve him with the outward man but I serve him with my inward man God hath written his Law in Ezek. 36. 26 27. Believers hearts and therefore they cannot but obey it from the heart I delight to do thy will O my God how so why thy Law is within my heart or in the midst of my bowels as the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath it The heart within ecchoes and answers to the Commandments without as a Book written answers to his minde that writes it as face answers to face as the impression on the wax answers to the character engraven on the seal The Scribes and Pharisees were much in the outward obedience of the Law but their hearts were not in their obedience and therefore all they did signified nothing in the account of Christ who is onely taken with outward actions as they flow from the heart and affections their souls were not in their services and therefore all their services were lost services They were very glorious in Matth. 23. their outward profession but their hearts were as filthy Sepulchres their out-sides shined as the Sun but their in-sides were as black as Hell They were like the Egyptians Temples beautiful without but filthy within Well remember this No action no service goes for current in Heaven but that which is sealed up with integrity of heart God will not be put off with the shell when we give the Devil the Kernel Secondly That Obedience that accompanies Salvation is universal as well as cordial the soul falls in with every part and point of Gods will so far as he knows it without prejudice or partiality without tilting the ballance on one side or another A soul Non eligit mandata He doth not pick and chuse He obeyes all in respect of his sincere purpose desire and endeavor and this God accepts in Christ for perfect and compleat Obedience c. sincerely obedient will not pick and chuse what commands to obey and what to reject as Hypocrites do he hath an eye to see an ear to hear and a heart to obey the first Table as well as the second and the second as well as the first he doth not adhere to the first and neglect the second as Hypocrites do neither doth he adhere to the second and contemn the first as prophane men do he obeys not out of humor but out of duty he obeys not out of choice but out of conscience Psal 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandments Look as Faith never singles out his object but layes hold on every object God holds forth for it to close with Faith doth not chuse this truth and reject that it doth not close with one and reject another Faith doth not say I will trust God in this case but not in that I will trust him for this mercy but not for that mercy I will trust him in this way but not in
bosom that are not directed to his glory The end must alwayes be as noble as the means or else a Christian acts below himself yea below his very Reason Ah Christians it is not a flood of words nor high strains of wit nor vehemency of affections in Prayer but holy and gracious ends that will render Prayer acceptable and honorable to God comfortable and profitable to your selves and others yea the directing of one Prayer to divine glory doth more torture and torment Satan then all the Prayers in the world that are directed to ends below divine glory It is not simply Prayer but the souls aiming at divine glory in Prayer that addes to Christs Crown and Satans Hell And thus I have shewed you all the Requisits of Prayer even of such Prayer as accompanies Salvation I shall now proceed to some other particulars for the further and fuller opening of this truth Secondly That Prayer that accompanies It was a sweet saying of one O Lord I never come to thee but by thee I never go from thee without thee Salvation betters the whole Man by it Faith is increased Hope strengthned the Spirit exhilarated the Heart pacified the Conscience purified Temptations vanquished Corruptions weakned the Affections inflamed the Will more renewed and the whole Man more advantaged Prayer is a Spiritual Chair wherein the soul siteth down at the feet of the Lord to receive the influences of his Grace Prayer is the Regal Gate by which the Lord entereth into the heart comforting quieting strengthning quickning and raising of it The Scripture affords us a cloud of witnesses to prove this truth but I appeal to praying Saints Ah tell me tell me praying Souls have not you do not you finde it so I know you have and do and that is it that makes Prayer a pleasure a paradise unto you Thirdly You may judge what Prayer that is that accompanies Salvation by considering the difference that is betwixt the Prayers of the godly and the wicked Now the difference between the Prayers of the one and the other I shall shew you in the following particulars First Gracious Souls do trade and deal with God in Prayer onely upon the account and credit of Christ They It is a notable saving Luther hath upon the 130 Psalm Often and willingly saith he do I inculcate this that you should shut your eyes and your ears and say You know no God out of Christ none but he that was in the lap of Mary and sucked her Brests He means none out of him beg mercy to pardon them and grace â—o purge them and balm to heal them and divine favor to comfort them and power to support them and wisdom to counsel them and goodness to satisfie them but all upon the account of Christs Blood of Christs Righteousness of Christs Satisfaction and of Christs Intercession at the right hand of the Father Revel 4. 10 11. They seek the Father in the Son they present their sutes always in Christs Name for so is the will of Christ John 14. 13 14. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my Name that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son If ye shall ask any thing in my Name I will do it John 15. 16. Whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my Name he will give it you Chap. 16. 23. Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Greek is pregnant and may be read not onely whatsoever but also how many things soever ye shall ask or beg of the Father in my Name he will give them to you There is no admission into Heaven except we bring Christ in our arms Ephes 2. 18. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As no access so no acceptance without Christ Eph. 1. 6. Wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved the Father The Greek word signifies A leading by the hand it is an allusion to the custom of Princes to whom there is no passage unless we be brought in by one of their Favorites Plutarch reports That it was wont to be the way of some of the Heathens the Molossians when they would seek the favor of their Prince they took up the Kings Son in their Arms and so went and kneeled before the King Ah Christians Christ is near and dear unto the Father the Father hath determined to give out all his loves and favors through his Son if you bring As Jacob said See not my face except you bring Benjamin with you So sayes God See not my face except you bring Jesus with you Gen. 42. 20 to 34. And as David said to Abner 2 Sam. 3. 13. Christ in the arms of your Faith you gain the Fathers heart and in gaining his heart you gain all The Fathers Mercies melt his Bowels roul his Heart turns his Compassions are kindled upon the sight of his Sons Merits and Mediation As Joseph said to his Brethren Ye shall not see my face unless you bring your Brother Benjamin So sayes God you shall not see my face unless you bring the Lord Jesus with you Now gracious Souls in all their Prayers they present Jesus Christ before the Father and upon his account they desire those things that make for their external internal and eternal good Ah but vain men treat and trade with God in Prayer upon the account of their own worth righteousness worthiness and services Isa 58. 2 3. Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways as a Nation that did Righteousness and forsook not the Ordinance of their God They ask of me the Ordinances of Justice they take delight in approaching to me Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest not Wherefore have we afflicted our souls and thou takest no knowledge Here you see they stand upon their own practises and services and expostulate the case with God in an angry manner because God did not answer their hypocritical performances So the proud Pharisee stands in Prayer upon his own worthiness and righteousness Luk. 18. 11 12. The Pharisee stood and prayed This Pharisee was like the Egyptian Temple painted without and spotted within varnish without and vermin within thus with himself God I thank thee that I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publican I fast twice in the week I give tithes of all that I possess So did those Hypocrites in the sixth Chapter and in the three and twentieth Chapter of Matthew stand very much upon their outward services and performances though they were but shining sins but filthy rags Secondly Souls truly gracious pray more to get off their sins then they do to get off their chains Though Bonds did attend Paul in every place as Acts 20. 23. himself speaks yet he never cries out O wretched man that I am who shall
c. is taken by a Metonimy for the things hoped for viz. All that glory and felicity that blessedness and happiness that is laid up for us in Heaven So in Heb. 6. 18. Who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Hope here is put for the object of Hope viz. Heaven and Happiness Hope layes such fast hold as the Greek word here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies upon Heaven and Happiness that none shall ever be able to take those precious things out of Hopes hand So Hope is put for the glorious things hoped for Ephes 1. 18. And thus you see those precious and glorious objects about which that Hope that accompanies Salvation is exercised Thirdly That Hope that accompanies Salvation that comprehends Salvation that borders upon Salvation is grounded upon the firmest foundations to wit the Promises of God as hath Psal 40. 4. Prov. 10. 28. been fully shewed before and it is built upon the Free-grace of God 1 Pet. 1. 13. It is built upon the infinite and glorious power of God Rom. 4. 21. It is built upon the truth and faithfulness of God 2 Tim. 2. 13. These precious and glorious Foundations do bear up the hopes of the Saints as the three Pillars bore up the hangings in the Tabernacle A Believers hope is founded upon the Love of Christ the Blood of Christ the Righteousness of Christ the Satisfaction of Christ and the Intercession of Christ c. But the hopes of Hypocrites and wicked men are always built upon weak slender and sandy foundations sometimes they build their hopes upon their outward profession upon their Lamps though Matth. 25. 3. they are empty Lamps and sometimes upon their duties and services as Isai 58 1 2 3. Matth. 6. Every false principle in Religion is a Reed of Egypt that will certainly deceive souls at last therefore take heed of leaning upon any of those Reeds the Jews Scribes and Pharisees did and sometimes upon their outward priviledges crying out The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord and sometimes they build their hopes upon others good opinion of them and sometimes upon flashes of joy and sometimes upon enlargements in duties and sometimes upon the heat and vigor of their spirits in Religious services c. And all these are but sandy foundations and they that build their hope upon them will certainly fall and great will be their fall The hopes of the Saints are built upon the surest and the strongest foundations It was a good saying of one of the Ancients I Bernard Sâ—rm 3. de fragm Sept. Miser consider saith he three things in which all my hope consisteth to wit 1. Gods love in my Adoption 2. The truth of his Promise And 3. his power of performance Therefore let my foolish cogitation murmur as long as it list saying Who art thou or what is that glory or by what merits dost thou hope to attain it For I can answer with sure confidence I know 2 Tim. 1. 12. on whom I have believed And I am certain First That in his love he adopted me Secondly That he is true in his promise And thirdly That he is able to perform it This is the threefold cord which is not easily broken Fourthly That Hope that accompanies Salvation that borders upon Salvation that comprehends Salvation that brings Salvation may be known from all false hopes by the excellent properties of it and they are these that follow The first property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It Matth 6. 20 21. Phil 3. 20 Col 3. 1. Mark wicked mens hopes never raise them as high as Heaven under all their hopes they are as very enemies and as great strangers to God Christ and Heaven as ever elevates and raises the heart to live above where its treasure is This Hope is from above and it makes the heart to live above it is a spark of glory and it leads the heart to live in glory Divine hope carries a man to Heaven for life to quicken him and for wisdom to direct him and for power to uphold him and for righteousness to justifie him and for holiness to sanctifie him and for mercy to forgive him and for assurance to rejoyce him and for happiness to crown him Divine hope takes in the pleasures of Heaven before hand it lives in the joyful expectation of them it fancies to it self as I may say the pleasures and joyes of eternity and lives in a sweet anticipation of what it possesseth by Faith Hopes richest treasures and choicest friends and chiefest delights and sweetest contents are in the Country above and therefore Hope loves best to live there most A second property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It will strengthen the Soul against all afflictions oppositions and temptations Dan. 3. 57. Psal 4. 6 7. Heb. 10 34. 11. 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18. 1 Thes 5. 8. But let us who are of the day be sober putting on the brest-plate of faith and love and for an helmet the hope of salvation Look as the Helmet defends and secures the head so doth Hope defend and secure the heart Hope is a Helmet that keeps off all darts that Satan or the world casts at the Soul The hopes of heavenly riches made It was a wicked and hopeless Cardinal that said He would not leave his part in Paris for a part in Paradise those worthies in that eleventh of the Hebrews to despise the riches of this world The hopes they had of a heavenly Countrey made them willing to leave their own Countrey and to live in the very Land of Promise as in a strange Countrey The hopes they had of possessing at last a house not made with hands but eternal in the Heavens made them willingly and cheerfully to live in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the Earth The hopes they had of a glorious Resurrection made them couragiously to withstand the strongest temptations c. A Saints hope will out-live Rom. 5. 2 3 4 5. Some are verily perswaded that the want of this Divine hope hath been the reason that many among the Heathen have laid violent hands upon themselves See Plutarch in Caesar and Catoes lives Heb. 11. 10 14 16 25 32 compared all fears and cares all tryals and troubles all afflictions and temptations Saints have much in hope though little in hand they have much in reversion though but little in possession they have much in the promise though but little in the purse A Saint can truly say Spero meliora my hopes are better then my possessions Hope can see Heaven through the thickest clouds Hope can see light through darkness life through death smiles through frowns and glory through misery Hope holds life and soul together it holds Christ and the Soul together it holds the Soul and the Promises together it holds the Soul and Heaven together
secrets and Ephes 3. 5. Col. 1. 26. mysteries that have been hid from all ages and to be swallowed up in the full enjoyment of thy Blessed Self Thirdly A wel-grounded Assurance is usually strongly assaulted by Satan The Devil marcheth well armed and in good array saith Luther on all sides Satan is such a grand enemy to the Joy and Peace to the Salvation and Consolation of the Saints that he cannot but make use of all his devices and stratagems to amaze and amuse to disturb and disquiet the peace and rest of their Souls No sooner had Jesus Christ heard that lovely voice from Heaven This is my Matth. 3. ult 4. 1 2 c. beloved Son in whom I am wel-pleased but he is desperately assaulted by Satan in the Wilderness No sooner was Paul 2 Cor. 12. dropped out of Heaven after he had seen such visions of glory that was unutterable but he was presently assaulted and buffetted by Satan Stand up stand up assured Christians and tell me whether you have not found the Isa 25. 4. blast of the terrible one to be as a storm against the wall Since the Lord I verily think that they have very much cause to question the truth of their assurance who know not what it is to have their assurance assaulted strongly by Sâ—tan said unto you be of good chear your sins are forgiven you Have not you found Satan to play the part both of the Lyon and the Woolf of the Serpent and the Fox and all to weaken your Assurance and to work you to question the truth of your Assurance and to cast water upon your Assurance and to take off the freshness and sweetness the beauty and glory of your Assurance I know you have His malice envy and enmity is such against Satan is that old Serpent as John speaks Revel 12. 9. He is as old as the World and is grown very cunning by experience he being a spirit of above five thousand years standing Gods honor and glory and your comfort and felicity that he cannot but be very studious and industrious to make use of all traps snares methods and wayes whereby he may shake the pillars of your Faith and weaken and overthrow your Assurance Pirates you know do most fiercely assault those ships and vessels that are most richly laden so doth Satan those precious souls that have attained to the riches of full Assurance Assurance makes a Paradise in Believers Souls and this makes Satan to roar and rage Assurance fits a man to do God the greatest service and Satan the greatest dis-service and this makes him mad against the Soul Assurance makes a Saint to be too hard for Satan at all weapons yea to Rom. 8. 32. ult lead that Sun of the Morning captive to spoil him of all his hurting power to bind him in chains and to triumph over him and this makes his Hell a great deal hotter and therefore never Luther cryes out I am set upon by all the world without and within by the devil and all his Angels wonder at Satans assaulting your Assurance but expect it and look for it The Jaylor is quiet when his prisoner is in Bolts but if he be escaped then he pursues him with hugh and cry so long as the Soul is in bolts and bondage under Satan Satan is quiet and is not so apt to molest and vex it but when once a Soul is made free and John 8. 36. assured of his freedom by Christ then sayes Satan as once Pharaoh did I Exod. 15. 9. will arise I will pursue I will overtake I will divide the spoil my lust shall be satisfied upon them I will draw my sword my hand shall destroy them The experience of all assured Saints doth abundantly confirm this Israel going into Egypt had no enemies no opposition but travelling into Canaan they were never free Fourthly A wel-grounded Assurance makes a man as bold as a Lyon it makes him valiant and gallant for Prov. 28. 1. Tanto plâ—â— gloriae referemus quoniam eo plures superabimus The number of opposers makes the Christians conquest the more illustrious say Saints under the power of Assurance c. Christ and his cause in the face of all dangers and deaths After the Holy Ghost was faln upon the Apostles and had assured them of their internal and eternal Happiness O how bold how undanted how resolute were they in the face of all oppositions afflictions and persecutions as you may see from the second of the Acts of the Apostles to the end of the Acts. So Assurance had this operation upon Davids heart Psal 23. 4 6. compared Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life Well David but how doth this Assurance of yours operate Why saith he Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil So Moses having an Assurance of the recompence of reward he fears not the wrath of the King for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Was constant he endured as seeing him who is invisible Heb. 11. 26 27. So in Heb. 10. 34. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Knowing that you have in your selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a better being in Heaven and an abiding one ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance O that Knowledge that Assurance that they had in their own hearts of enjoying in Heaven a better and a more enduring substance made them bear cheerfully and gallantly the spoiling of their worldly goods Though the Archers the World the Flesh and the Devil do shoot sore at a Soul under Assurance yet his Bowe will still abide in strength Assurance will make a man to break a Bowe of Steel to trample down strength and to triumph over all oppositions and afflictions Colonus the Dutch Martyr called to the Judge that had sentenced him to death and desired him to lay his hand upon his heart and asked him whose heart did most beat his or the Judges Assurance will make a man do this and much more for Christ and his Cause Fifthly A wel-grounded Assurance of a mans own eternal Happiness and Blessedness will make him very studious and laborious to make others happy Psal 66. 16. Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul I will acquaint you with the soul-blessings with the soul-favors that God hath crowned me with I was darkness but he hath Eph. 5. 8. 1 Cor. 1. 30. made me light I was unrighteousness but he hath made me righteous I was Col. 2. 10. Isa 1. 6. Ephes 5. 26 27. Cant. 4. 7. deformed but he hath made me compleat I was full of sores and spots and blemishes but he hath washed me and made me all fair without spot or wrinkle I have found the want of Assurance I now
would seriously consider as you tender the peace and settlement the satisfaction consolation and salvation of your own souls First The Spirit of Christ doth not witnesse by any outward voice as God Matth 3. ult Luk. 1. 30 31 32 33 34. did from Heaven of Christ nor by an Angell as to the Virgin Mary but by an inward secret glorious and unspeakable way he bids Beleevers be of good chear their sins are forgiven Matth. 9. 2. them as Christ said to the palsie man in the Gospel And this truth is to be solemnly minded against those poor deceived and deluded souls in Quakers and Raâ—ters these daies that would make the world beleeve that they have had such and such glorious things made known by an outward audible voyce from Heaven It is much to be feared that they never found the inward the sweet the secret the powerful testimony and report of the Spirit of Christ that boast and brag and rest so much upon an outward testimony In 1 King 19. you read of a great strong wind that rent the Vers 11. Mountains and brake in peeces the Rocks but the Lord was not in the wind and after the wind there was an earthquake but the Lord was not in the earthquake And after the earthquake a fire but the Vers 12. Lord was not in the fire And after the fire Vers 13. there was a still small voyce and the Lord spake to Elijah in that still small voice Ah Christians the Spirit of the Lord makes not a noise but he comes in a still small voice as I may say and makes a soft and secret report to the soul that it is beloved that it is pardoned and that it shall be for ever glorified Secondly The testimony and witnesse of the Spirit of Christ is onely gained enjoyed in holy and heavenly waies as you may clearly see by comparing Acts 10. 4. Dan. 9. 20. 21 22. Isa 64. 5. Act. 10. 44 c. the Scriptures in the margent together The Spirit of the Lord is a holy spirit he cannot he wil not make any report of the love of the Father to the soule out of a way of holinesse Verily all those glorious reports that many boast they have met with in sinfull waies in wretched and ungodly waies are from the hissing of the old Serpent and not from the whisperings of the Yet this age hath many such Monsters Spirit of Grace I think it is little less then blasphemy for any to affirm that the blessed Spirit of Christ doth make reports of the love and favour of God to persons walking in waies of wickednesse and basenesse Thirdly The testimony and witness of the Spirit of Christ is a clear a â—ul a satisfying testimony and witnesse the soul sits down under the home reports John 14 17. 1 John 3. 24. of the Spirit saith Lord it is enough the soul being full sits down and sweetly sings it out My beloved is mine and Cant. 2. 16. 7. 10. I am his I am my wel-beloveds and his desire is towards me The Lord is my portion Psal 16. 5. Psal 73. 25. and the lot of mine inheritance I have none in Heaven but thee neither is there any on earth that I desire in comparison of 2 Tim. 4 8. thee Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness Make haste my beloved Cant. 8. ult c. Such power majesty and glory attends the glorious testimony of the Spirit of Christ as scatters all clouds as resolves all doubts as answers all objections as silences the wrangling soul c. If the testimony of the Spirit of Christ were not a ful satisfying testimony it could never fill the soule with such joy as is unspeakable and full of glory and with such peace as passes understanding if the testimony were not satisfactory the soul would still be under fears and doubts the heart would still be a wrangling and quarrelling I may perish and I may be undone I may have the door of Mercy shut against me c. If you bring news to a condemned person that the King hath pardoned him and that he will receive him to favor and confer such and such dignity upon him yet this doth not quiet him nor satisfie him till he knows it is the Kings act till he is satisfied in that he cannot say it is enough he cannot be chearfull hee cannot be delightful c. But when hee is satisfied that it is the Kings act that the King hath certainly done this and that for him then he is satisfied and then sighing and mourning flies away and then he rejoyces with joy unspeakable So it is with a beleeving Soul under the testimony and witness of the Spirit of Christ Fourthly Though the Spirit be a witnessing Spirit yet he doth not alwaies witness to beleevers their adoption their interest in Christ c. There is a mighty difference between the working of the Spirit and the witness of the Spirit There are often times many glorious and efficacious works of the Spirit as Faith Love Repontance Isa 50. 10. Holinesse c. where there is not the witness of the Spirit David at that very time had the Spirit and Psa 50. 10 11 12 many sweet workings of the Spirit in him and upon him when he had by sin lost the witness and testimony of the Spirit Though the Spirit of the Lord be a witnessing and a sealing Spirit yet he doth not alwaies witness Job 23. 8 9. 1 Joh. 5. 13. Psa 88. Psa 77. Mich. 7. 8 9. Isa 8. 17. and seal up the love and favor of the Father to beleevers souls as you may see by the Scriptures in the Margent and as the experience of many precious Christians can abundantly evidence All beleevers do not see alike need of this testimony they doe not all alike prize this testimony they do not all alike observe it and improve it and therefore it is no wonder if the Spirit be a witnessing Spirit to some and not to others You do but gratifie Satan and wrong your owne soules when you argue that certainly you have not the Spirit because he is not a witnessing and a sealing Spirit to your soules Though it be the office of the Spirit to witness yet it is not his office alwayes to witness to beleevers their happiness and blessedness The Spirit may act one way in one room of the A man may be a doing in one Room when he is not in another So is the Spirit in the heart of a Saint soul when he doth not act in another sometimes the Spirit works upon the Understanding sometimes upon the Will sometimes upon the Affections sometimes upon Faith sometimes upon Fear sometimes upon Love sometimes upon Humility c. Our hearts are the Spirits Harps If a man should alwaies touch one string in an Instrument he should never play various tunes he
are among the precious Sons and Daughters of Zion that have lost this Pearl of price and after waiting weeping and wrestling have found it again therefore be not discouraged O sighing losing Souls In the loss of emporals it is a great support to mens spirits that their loss may be made up and why should it not be so in spirituals also The fourth Support to keep their Support 4 hearts from sinking and breaking that have lost that sweet Assurance that once they had is seriously to consider that your loss is no greater nor no sadder then what the noblest and the choicest Saints have sustained as you may see by comparing the Scriptures Psal 30. 6 7. 51. 12. Job 23. 8 9. Isa 8. 17. in the Margent together Those that were once the Worthies of this world and are now triumphing in that other World among the Princes of glory have lost that sweet Assurance and sense of Divine love and favor that once they enjoyed therefore let not your spirits faint and fail In temporal Acts 16. trials it is a comfort and a support to have companions with us and why should it not much more be so in spirituals The fifth Support to bear up their Support 5 spirits that have lost that sweet Assurance that once they had is for them to remember and seriously minde that though they have lost Assurance yet they have not lost the blessed breathings and sweet influences of the Spirit Cant. 3. 5. Micah 7. 7 8 9. compared Isa 8. 17. Isa 50. 10. upon them witness their love to Christ their longing after Christ their fear of offending Christ their care to please Christ their high esteem of Christ and their mourning for the dishonors that by themselves or others are done to Christ c. A man may enjoy the warmth heat and influence of the Sun when he hath lost the sight of the Sun David had lost his Assurance he had lost the sight of the Sun and yet he enjoyed the warmth and influences of it upon his heart as is evident in the One and fiftieth Psalm Though thy Sun O Christian be set in a cloud yet it will rise again and in the interim thou hast and dost enjoy the warmth and influences of the Sun therefore sorrow not mourn not as one without hope Those warm influences that the Sun of Righteousness hath now upon thy heart are infallible evidences that he will shine Psal 42. 5 7 8 11. forth and smile upon thee as in the days of old therefore let thy Bowe still abide in strength The sixth Support to keep their Support 6 hearts from fainting and sinking that have lost that sweet Assurance that once they had is seriously to consider that it will be but as a day but as a short day before the loss of thy Assurance shall be made up with a more clear full perfect and compleat enjoyment of God ere long O mourning Soul thy Sun shall rise and never set thy joy and comfort shall be always Isa 57. 18 19 20. fresh and green God shall comfort thee on every side it shall be night with thee no more thou shalt be always in the bosom of God Psal 71. 20 21. Thou which hast shewed me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me again and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the Earth Thou shalt increase my greatness and comfort me on every side The day is at hand O perplexed Soul when thou shalt have smiles without frowns light without darkness day without night wine without water sweet without bitter and joy without sorrow The year of Jubile is at hand thou Levit 25. Psal 126. 5. Isa 35. 2. now sowest in tears thou shalt shortly reap in joy yea Everlasting joy shall be upon thy head and sorrow and sighing shall flee away therefore faint not The third Question is this viz. Quest 3 What means must Souls use to recover Assurance when it is lost I shall give a few short Answers to this Question and so draw to a cloze First If thou wouldst recover Assurance Austin saith Humanum est peccare diabolicum perseverare Angelicum resurgere It is a humane thing to fall into sin a devilish to persevere therein and an Angelical or supernatural to rise from it then thou must labor diligently to finde out that sin that Achan that hath robbed thee of thy Wedg of Gold of thy Assurance surely it is not for infirmities but enormities that God hath put out thy candle and caused thy Sun to set at Noon surely thou hast been feeding I say not tasting of forbidden fruit that God hath stript thee of thy robes and taken the crown from off thy head and turned thee out of Paradise But this is not all Therefore in the second place weep Reve. 2. 4 5. When ancient Rome was Heathenish if the Malefactor brought to be whipped sell upon his knees at his feet whom he had offended it was held as a sin if he suffered him to be whipt much mourn much over the Achan over those wickednesses that have turned thy day into night thy rejoycing into sighing c. David doth thus in that One and fiftieth Psalm and God takes him up from his knees and restores to him the joy of his Salvation Though God be displeased with your sins yet he is wel-pleased with your tears The promise is that he will revive the spirit of the contrite Isa 51. 15. It is said of Adam that he turned his face towards the Garden of Eden and from his heart lamented his fall Ah losing Souls turn your faces towards Heaven and from your hearts lament your fall lament your loss nothing puts God to it like penitent tears No sooner doth Ephraim weep over his sins Jere 31. 18 19 20. It is an excellent expression of Basil It grieves it irks it is tediâ— is to our most munificient great glorious King If we ask any thing little of him he would have us ask great things of him but the bowels of God are stirring towards him and God cannot hold but he must proclaim to the world that mourning Ephraim bemoaning Ephraim is his dear son his pleasant childe and that he will surely have mercy on him or as the Hebrew hath it Rahhem arahhamenu I will having mercy have mercy on him or I will abundantly have mercy on him When our hearts are set to weep over our sins God will so act in ways of love towards us that it shall not be long night with our Souls God will never suffer them to be drowned in sorrow that are set upon drowning their sins in penitential tears The Jews have a saying That since the destruction of Jerusalem the door of Prayers hath been shut but the door of tears was Psal 39. 12. Job 16. 20. Mark 9. 24 25 c. never shut saith one God hath by promise engaged himself That those that sow in tears shall reap
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
and so it makes a Christian to stand and triumph over all afflictions oppositions and temptations A third property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It makes the Soul lively and active Psal 119. 166. Lord I have hoped for thy salvation and done thy commandments Hope puts the Soul upon doing upon obeying 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant or much mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Much. hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead It is called a lively hope A mans duties and services usually are as his hopes are if his hopes are weak and low so will his services be but if his hopes are spiritual noble and high so will his motions and actions be Divine hope makes Saints as far excel all other men in their actings as the Angels do excel them Some say hope and fasting are the two wings of Prayer fasting is but as the wing of a bird but hope is as the wing of an Angel bearing our prayers to the throne of Grace because it brings life and comfort into the Soul and it is called a lively hope in opposition to the withering and dying hopes of Hypocrites and wicked men and it is called a lively hope because it flows from lively causes viz. The Spirit of Christ and the Souls union and communion with Christ but mainly it is called a lively hope because it puts the Soul upon lively endeavors Hope will make a man pray as for life hear as for life and mourn as for life and obey as for life and work and walk as for life Hope will not say this work is too hard and that work is too hot this work is too high and the other work is too low Hope will make a man put his hand to every work Hope makes a man more motion then notion it makes a man better at doing then at saying c. Hope gives life and strength to all religious duties and services 1 Cor. 9. 10. He that plougheth should plough in hope and he that thresheth in hope shall be partaker of his hope Hope will put a Christian upon ploughing and threshing that is upon the hardest and difficultest services for God and his glory If fleshly Fleshly hopes put the Romans upon doing very strange and wonderful exploits as you may see in Plutarch and other Historians hopes of gaining the honors riches and favors of this world made Absolom Ahitophel Jehu Haman and many Heathens full of life and activity full of motion and action Verily holy and heavenly hopes will make men much more lively and active by how much heavenly hopes are more excellent then earthly A man full of hope will be full of action a lively hope and a diligently hand are inseparable companions Hope will make a man do though he dies for doing A fourth property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It will make a man sit Noah like quiet and still in the midst of all storms and tempests in the midst of all combustions concussions and mutations when others are at their wits end then hope will house the Soul and lodge it safe and quiet in the bosom of God Job 11. 18. And thou shalt be secure because there is hope yea thou shalt dig about thee and thou shalt take thy rest in safety The Hebrew word that is here rendred rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To rest as men rest in their beds or as the body rests in the grave is from a root that signifies to rest and sleep quietly as in ones bed Hope will bring the Soul to bed safely and sweetly in the darkest night in the longest storm and in the greatest tempest Heb. 6. 19. Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the veil Hope is that Anchor of the Soul that keeps it quiet and still in all storms and tempests it keeps the soul from dashing Chrysostome saith that hope is not onely the Anchor but the Ship to that good Anchor upon the Rocks and from being swallowed up in the Sands Hope is an Anchor that is fastned above not below in Heaven not in Earth within the veil not without therefore the ship the Soul of a Believer must needs be safe and secure That ship will never be split upon the Rocks Hypoerites in stormy times are like ships without Anchors â—ost up and down with every wave and in danger of being split upon every Rock Job 27. 9 10. whose Anchor is in Heaven Hope enters within the veil and takes fast Anchor-hold on God himself and therefore blow high blow low rain or shine the soul of a Saint is safe Divine hope settles the heart he that cannot look for more then he hath can never be settled nor satisfied our best and greatest estate lies in invisibles our perfect and compleat estate here lies not in re but in spe it lies not in what we have in possession but in what we have in expectation in reversion A fift property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It will work the Soul to a quiet and patient Patience is nothing else but Hope spun out If you would lengthen Patience be sure to strenthen Hope waiting upon God for mercy though God should delay the giving in of mercy Rom. 8. 25. But if we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it Psal 130. 5 6. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope My soul waiteth for the Lord more then they that watch for the morning I say more then they that watch for the morning Hope will make a man wait yea wait long for a mercy as it did Abraham Rom. 4. 18 19 20 21. Though the vision stay yet hope will Hab. 2. 1 2 3. Heb. 10. 36 37. Hopes Motto is Quod defertur non aufertur For bearâ—nce is no acquittance wait for it yet a little little while sayes hope and he that shall come will come and will not tarry The longer I wait for a mercy the greater better and sweeter at last the mercy will prove sayes Hope It is not mercy if it be not worth a waiting for sayes Hope and if it be mercy thou canst not wait too long for it sayes Hope The men of Bethulia resolved to wait upon God but five dayes longer but Deliverance stayed seven dayes and yet came at last So sayes Hope Pittacus one of the seven Sages used to say A wise man must recover that by patience which force cannot command though Deliverance stay though this and that mercy stayes as it were in the birth yet it will come at last therefore wait Hope is not hasty in prefixing the time when God shall shew mercy neither will it
see the worth of Assurance I have long sought Assurance and now I finde the sweetness of Assurance Ah it is such a Pearl of price it is such a Beam of God it is such a spark of glory that makes my Soul a rich amends for all its waiting weeping and wrastling So when it pleased Gal. 1. 15 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In me God to call Paul by his grace and to reveal Christ in him and to him Ah how doth he labor as for life to bring others to an acquaintance with Christ and to an acceptance of Christ and to an Assurance of Everlasting Happiness and Blessedness by Christ After Paul had been in Paradise he makes it his 2 Cor. 12. all to bring others to Paradise So the Spouse in the Canticles having assurance Cant. 5. 10 ult 6. 1 c. of her interest in Christ how doth she labor by all holy and heavenly Rhetorick and Logick by all the strains of love and sweetness to draw the daughters of Jerusalem to a sight of Christ and to an assurance of the love of Christ When a Beam of Divine light and love had shined upon Andrew John 1. 40 41 42. he labors to draw his Brother Simon to the Fountain of all light and love and when Philip had but a cast of Vers 43 44 45 46 47. Christs countenance his pulse beats and his heart calls upon Nathaniel to come and share with him in that loving kindness that was better then life The constant cry of Souls under the power of Assurance is Come taste and Psal 34. 8. see how good the Lord is Ah sinners sinners his wayes are wayes of pleasantness Prov. 3. 17. 1 John 5. 3. and all his paths are peace his commands are not grievous but joyous his yoke Matth. 11. 30. is easie and his burden is light not onely for keeping but also in keeping of Psal 19. 11. his commands there is great reward Assurance will strongly put men upon winning of others by counsel by example by prayer and by communicating their Spiritual Experiences to them Assurance will furnish a man with will skill and experience to confute all those false reports that vain men frequently cast upon the Lord and his ways It will make a man proclaim to the world That one Psal 84. 10. day in the Lords courts is better then a thousand years elswhere That there are more glorious joyes more pure comforts more abiding peace more royal contents more celestial delights in one dayes walking with God in one hours communion with God c. then is to be found in all things below God And by these and such like wayes Souls under the power of a wel-grounded Assurance do endeavor to make others happy with themselves A Soul under Assurance is unwilling to go to Heaven without company he is often a crying out Father bless this Soul too and crown that Soul too Let us to Heaven together let us be made happy together Sixthly A wel-grounded Assurance of Gods love and of a mans Everlasting Happiness and Blessedness will exceedingly arm and strengthen him against all wickedness and baseness No man loaths sin and himself for sin Ezek. 16 60 61 62 63. as such a man no man wars and watches against sin more then such a man no man sighs and mourns Rom. 7. 22 ult bleeds and complains under the sense of sinful motions and sinful operations Luke 7. 44. ult more then such a man Every stirring of sin makes a man that is under the power of Assurance to cry out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Psal 85. 8. I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints And let them not turn again to folly or as the Hebrew will bear And they shall not return to folly Gods speaking peace to his people fences and fortifies them against folly and vanity The Assurance that Joseph had of his Masters love armed him against the lascivious assaults of his lustful Mistress and will not Divine love that is stronger then death do this Cant 8. 6 7. and more Assurance makes a man say to his sins as he to his Idols get you hence for What have I any Hosea 14. 8. compared with the 2 3 4 5 6. versâ—â— more to do with Idols So sayes the assured Soul away pride away passion away worldly mindedness away uncleanness away uncharitableness c. For what have I any more to do with you Assurance makes the Soul speak to sin as David speaks to sinners Psal 119. 115. Depart from me ye workers of iniquity for I will keep the Commandments of my God So sayes the assured Soul depart from me O my lusts for I have tasted of the love of God and I have given up my self wholly and oneâ—y to God and I cannot but keep the Commandments of my God The Jewish Rabbins report that the same night that Israel departed out of Egypt towards Canaan all the Idols and idolatrous Temples in Egypt by Lightning and Earthquakes were broken down So when Christ and Assurance comes to be set up in the Soul all the Idols of Satan and a mans own heart are cast down and cast out as an abomination Sound Assurance puts a man upon purifying himself even as Christ is 1 John 3. 2 3. pure The assured Christian knows That it is dangerous to sin against light that it is more dangerous to sin against love that it is most dangerons to sin against love revealed and manifested God may well say to such a Christian Is this thy kindness to thy friend To sin under Assurance is to sin against the Bowels of Mercy it is to sin against the choicest Remedy it is to sin against the highest Hopes of Glory and this will certainly provoke God to be angry 1 Kings 11. 9. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord was angry with Solomon because Vaiithannaph in Pihil to shew that the Lord was greatly angry with Solomon the Root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies properly to snuff with anger It notes such anger as appeareth in the paleness of the face and snuffing of the nose his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel that had appeared to him twice To sin under Assurance is to sin in Paradise it is to sin under the flaming sword it is to sin in the Suburbs of Heaven it is to run the hazard of losing that favor that is better then life of that joy that is unspeakable and full of glory and of that peace that passes understanding To sin under Assurance is to cast reproach upon Christ to grieve the Spirit to wound Conscience to weaken your Graces to blur your Evidences to usher in Calamities to imbitter your Mercies and to provoke the Tempter to triumph over your Saviour Verily that Assurance is but
presumption that works men to play with sin to be bold with sin to make light of sin to walk on in wayes of sin Such Assurance will never bring a man to Heaven it will never keep him from dropping into Hell yea it will double his damnation and make him the most miserable among all damned miserable forlorn spirits Ah Lord from This made Auselm say That he had rather be thrust into Hell without sin then go into Heaven with sin such an assurance deliver my Soul and give me more and more of that Divine Assurance that makes sin to be more hateful then Hell and that makes the Soul to be more careful to avoid the one then it is fearful of falling into the other Seventhly A wel-grounded Assurance is alwayes attended with three fair Handmaids or with three sweet Companions The first is Love O! the Assurance 1. Handmaid of Divine Favor doth mightily inflame a mans love to Christ Mary Magdalen Luke 7. loved much Christs love to her drew out her love very much to Christ Assurance makes the Soul sing it out with that sweet Singer of Israel I will dearly love thee O Lord my Psal 18. 1. strength Lovers know not how to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To love intimately and dearly as a tender mother loves the fruit of her womb keep silence lovers of Christ are full of gracious expressions Magnes amor is est amor Love is the attractive Loadstone of love It is impossible for a Soul not to love Christ that knows he is beloved of Christ Christs love constrains the Soul to love not by forcible but loving necessity Praxiteles exquisitly drew Love taking the pattern from that Passion which he felt in his own heart A Believer cannot finde the heart of Christ to be beating towards him but his heart will strongly beat towards Christ Divine love is like a rod of myrtle which as Pliny reports makes the Traveller that carries it in his hand that he shall never be faint or weary of walking or loving Love alone over-powereth all power Love is the Diadem none but the Queen must wear it Love is the Wedding Garment none but the Spouse can fit it Love is a Loadstone to draw as well as a fire to warm he that doth not love Christ was never assured of the love of Christ The second Handmaid or Companion 2. Handmaid that attends a wel-grounded Assurance is Humility David under Assurance Psal 22. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Hebrew word Tolagnah that is here rendred Worm signifies a very little worm which a man can hardly see or perceive cryes out I am a worm and no man Abraham under Assurance cryes out that he is but dust and ashes Jacob under Assurance crves out that he was less then the least of all mercies Job under Assurance abhors himself in dust and ashes Moses had the honor and the happiness to speak with God face to face he was very much in Gods books in Gods favor and yet a more humble Soul the earth did never bear The great Apostle Paul under all the revelations and glorious manifestations of God to him counts himself less then the least of all Saints Ephe. 3. 8. That is Presumption that is a delusion of the Devil and no sound Assurance that puffs and swels the Souls of men that makes men prize themselves above the market above the value that God hath put upon them The third Handmaid or Companion 3. Handmaid that attends Assurance is holy Joy Ah this Assurance causes the strong waters of Consolation to overflow the Soule Assurance raises the strongest joyes in the Soul Luk. 1. 46 47. And Mary said My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour When a man comes to be assured that God is his Savior presently his Spirit rejoyces in God this truth is held forth by three Parables in that of Luk. 15. So in that of 1 Pet. 1. 8 9. Whom having not seen ye love in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to dance and leap for joy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glorified already they have heavens happinesse before hand whom though now ye see him not yet bebeleeving ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your souls O the Joy the Joy the inexpressible Joy that attends a wel-grounded Assurance Assurance raises a Paradise of delight in the soul In quibus operamur in ill is gaudemus saith Tertull. In what things or persons we act in those things we rejoyce a Christian under the power of Assurance works all his works in Christ in him therefore and in him alone he rejoyceth Eightly and lastly A wel-grounded Assurance sometimes springs from the Testimony and Witnesse of the Spirit of God The Spirit sometimes witnesses to a Beleevers spirit that he is born of God that he is beloved of God that he hath union and communion with God that he shal reign for ever with God Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That same spirit The Spirits work is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to witnesse together with our Spirit that is to confirme and ratifie what ou◠spirits have asserted concerning our Adoption c. spirit that we are the children of God The Spirit it self witnesseth not onely the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit but the Spirit it self witnesseth together with our own spirit that we are the children of God Sometimes the Saints have two Witnesses joyning their testimonies together to confirm and establish them in these blessed and glorious Truths that they are the Sons of God and Heirs of Glory And this is their honor as well as their comfort that the blessed Spirit should bear witness at the bar of their Consciences that they are the Sons of God 1 Cor. God sometimes assures his people of heaven aforehand 2. 12. Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God That is that we may know our Election Vocation Justification Sanctification and Glorification A man may receive many things that are freely given of God and yet not know them till the Spirit comes and makes them known to the soul Quest But you may say to me how shall wee know the whispering of the holy Spirit from the hissing of the old Serpent how shall we know the report the witnesse and testimony of the Spirit of Christ from that report witnesle and testimony that the old Serpent deludes and deceives many by in these daies wherein he mostly appears in his Angelicall Robes I Answer you may know the whispering Answ of the Spirit from the hissing of the old Serpent c. by these following things which I desire that you