No the beams of Gods love will shine out stronger and brighter upon the soul and ripen his hope into assurance Christian hope when 't is in its full vigour is all one with assurance Rom. 5.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but if hope could be frustrated it then might make ashamed disappointment would cause a blush hope differ'd will make the heart sick and uncertain hope will sâ—arce make the soul well a Christians hope is not like that of Pandora which may flie out of the box and bid the soul farewel no 't will ne're vanish till it be swallowed up in fruition The hope of the Hypocrite 't is as his righteousness like the morning-dew but the hope of a Christian 't is like the morning-light the least beam of it shall commence into a compleat Sun-shine 't is Aurora gaudii and it shall shine out brighter and brighter till perfect day We shall further clear this truth if you consider the manner how Christians are assured of their salvation the third thing you propounded 1 By the graces of God which are in them those precious seeds of mortality and the prints of the spirit by which they are sealed to the day of Redemption Grace is the spirits stamp by which it marks the soul for its own the first fruits of the spirit the least grace if true and sincere is sufficient to salvation and therefore the sense of the least grace is sufficient to assurance Object But how shall the soul know that it has these graces in truth and not in shadow and colour only how shall it be certain that these are not counterfeit and painted Sol. There might be given mny signs and characters of true grace that it must flow from a principle of sincerity from à principle of love that it must be comfortable to the grace of Christ but all this will not satisfie for the soul will still question how shall I know that my graces are such so then that which we must ultimately resolve it into is that in Rom. 8.16 For in the mouth of two or three witnesses every thing shall be established Now we have here two witnesses omni exceptione majores we have a double Testimony a twin-Testimony The same spirit beareth witness with our spirits that we are the Sons of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he confirms what the other sayes both the witnesses do fully agree and make up one entire testimony the soul may say here as Paul Rom. 9.1 I speak the truth I lie not my Conscience bearing me witnesse by the Holy Ghost The whole work of Assurance is summed up in this practical Syllogism Whosoever believes shall be saved but I bâ—lieve and so shall certainly be saved The Assumption is put out of doubt 1. Conscience comes in with a full testimony And if natural Conscience be a thousand witnesses then sure an enlightened and sanctified Conscience can be no lesse then ten thousand 1 John 3.10 He that believes has a witness in himself a Certificate in his own breast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for as the same Apostle 1 John 3.20 Beloved if our heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is the same with conscience for the Hebrews have no other word for Conscience but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So then if our heart acquit us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have as much liberty as we can desire It feares not now the edge of the Law nor the fiery darts of Satan it doth not stagger with sense of its own weakness and unworthiness but comes with confidence to the Throne of grace Obj. 1. Jer. 17.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Supplantativum Cor prae omnibus so Arias Montanus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inscrutabile desperabile so Hierome and our Translation desperately wicked 't is properly insanabile Some think Paul alludes to this place and does explain it in Rom. 2.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Seventy read the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and translate it accordingly Sol. 1. Now as for the minde of the place I finde Expositors of great name and worth understanding it of the unregenerate heart of the heart of man that is in the state of corrupt nature of whom 't is said that All the imaginations of the thoughts of mans heart are altogether evil continually Sol. 2. The drift of the text is to shew the deceitfulness of mens hearts in respect of others for 't is brought in by way of Objection The Jewes they are cunning and subtle and can delude the Prophets and so think to evade the Curse No but I the Lord search the hearts I have a fair window an open prospect into the most reserved spirit 't is as clear as Chrystal to my eye Sol. 3. Yet 't is true that the most sincere heart is very deceitful the heart of a David of a man after Gods own heart is full of windings and turnings and many deviations such secret passages as himself knowes not of For who hath known the error of his wayes No man yet had such a piercing insight into his own soul as to be acquainted with every motion of it None can so anatomize his own spirit that it shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so as every vein and nerve and muscle shall be obvious and apparent to his eye But what does this hinder but that the general frame and bent of the spirit the byas and inclination of the soul may be clearly known The soul knows which way its faculties stream with most vehemency Conscience cannot be brib'd 't wil give in the true judgement especially an inlightned conscience There 's none but if he search and examine his own soul in a strict and impartial manner may know whether he be sincere and cordial or no. There 's none but may know the general frame and temper of his spirit 1 Cor. 2.11 VVho knowes the things of a man but the spirit of a man that is in him The Testimony of conscience is certain and infallible Many a wicked man by this is assured that for the present he is in a miserable and damnable condition he knows certainly that as yet he is out of the Covenant and hence many times there are lightening flashes of terror flie in his face the very sparks of Hell compass him about Does not thy Conscience often tell thee O prophane wretch that as yet thou art a Child of wrath and galloping to damnation with a full Cariere why then may not the heart of a Christian tell him as certainly that he is a Child of God by adoption and an heir of promise nay speak O Christian where e're thou art and speak aloud that we may hear thee does not thy own soul tell thee that thou art in a sure and happy condition so sure as nothing shall be able to separate thee from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Why are Christians so often enjoyned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
to try their own spirits if that after all their diligence thet can't tell what to think of them All uses of examination were vain and frivolous which yet are the very life and spirits of preaching And Ames tells us of a donum discretionis which Christians have by which they can discern true grace from counterfeit There are certain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which they may distinguish them and judge of them in themselves though not in others certainly Object 2. If all thus by the testimony of conscience may know their own frame of spirit whether they be upright or no why then are not all true Christians assured of their salvation what have they not their consciences and hearts about them Sol. 1. Many are not sufficiently acquainted with their own spirits they do not keep so strict a watch over themselves they are not verst in their own hearts they don't try and search their wayes they have riches and a treasure and do not know of it Sol. 2. It is in so great and weighty a matter Eternity does so amaze and swallow up the thoughts as that they are ready to tremble where they are certain and secure A man on the top of a Tower knows that he is safe enough and yet when he looks down he is afraid of falling 3. Conscience sometimes gives a dark and cloudy testimony when 't is disquieted and charged with new guilt the soul can't so clearly read its evidences And then it begins to question its condition It may be it has dealt hypocritically in some one particular and now it begins to question all its sincerity We do not say then that Conscience does alwayes give a clear and full testimony but sometimes it does and that with absolute certainty 2. Now comes in the second witness and the great and supreme testimony of the spirit himself witnessing with our spirits that we are the Sons of God Rom. 8.16 we render it the same spirit but in the fountain is the spirit it self not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only the gifts and graces of the spirit but the spirit it self Object This testimony seems to be coincident with the other for a man can't tell his own sincerity 't is the spirit that must reveal a man to himself The soul can't see its own face unless the spirit unmask it the spirit is more present and conversant with the soul then the soul is with it self He does not only know our hearts but he is greater then our hearts and knowes all things Sol. We 'l easily grant that to the least motion in spirituals there is necessarily required the concurrence of the Holy Ghost but withall we say that there 's a mighty difference between working of the spirit and the testimony of the spirit There 's a powerful and efficacious work of the spirit when faith is wrought in the soul but yet there is not the testimony of the spirit for every believer has not presently the seal set to him so that though the testimony of our own spirit cannot be without the help and influence of the spirit yet 't is clearly distinct from the Testimony of the spirit for here the spirit does enable the soul to see its graces by a present light by the soules light But when it comes with a testimony then it brings a new light of its own and lends the soul some auxiliary beams for the more clear and full revealing of it so that you see according to that plain text in the Romans There are two distinct Testimonies the spirit witnessing with our spirits And St. John is the most expresse Beloved if our hearts condemn us not then have we confidence towards God Now the testimony of the spirit is 1. A clear testimony a full and satisfying light springs in upon the soul scatters all Clouds all doubts and questions 't is as evident as any demonstration 1 John 3.24 By this we know that he dwells in us by the spirit which he hath given us Christ when he went to heaven he left the Comforter not only to the Church in general but to every particular soul that beleeves to print his love upon the soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrysost If a creature though never so glittering should tell men so there might still be some hesitancy I but the spirit witnesses The secret and inward testimony of the spirit is as strong and efficacious nay more powerful then if 't were with an outward voice If an Angel from Heaven were sent on purpose to a Christian by Christ himself Go tell him that I love him that I shed my blood for him c. 't were not so certain 2. A sure testimony for 't is the witness of the spirit who can neither deceive nor be deceived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufficientissimum Testimonium as Cajetan 1. He can't deceive for he is truth it self 2. He can't be deceived for he is all Eye Omniscience it self And he does 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he dwells in the breast and bosom of God he is fully acquainted with the minde of God and he reveals it to the soul The Papists make the spirits testimony to bring but a conjectural certainty But the most renowned Perkins answers them 1. That 't is such a certainty as makes them cry Abba Father not only think so and speak so but with all courage confidence intention of spirit cry Abba Father 2. It is opposed to the spirit of bondage and therefore takes away doubtings and tremblings 3. The very end why the Holy Ghost comes to the soul is to make all sure and therefore is called a seal and an earnest Now he assures the soul 1. By a powerful Application of the promise for as faith does appropriate the promise on our part so the spirit applies it on Gods part As Satan that lying spirit casts in doubts and fears and tremblings and working upon the remainder of corruption plots against the peace and well being of the soul so this holy spirit by the comforting working upon that principle of grace which he himself hath planted in the heart of a Christian does study and contrive the welfare of a beleever And as the spirit of bondage does strongly apply wrath and the curse so this sweet spirit of Adoption applyes grace and mercy The spirit of bondage strikes terror into the soul by a mighty Application of wrath this curse flames against thee this threatning this curse flames against thee this threatning is shot off against thee these vials of wrath are prepared for thy soul So the spirit of adoption does set on strong and vigorous apprehensions of mercy this pearl of price 't is to enrich thee these Evangelical cordials are to revive thee this balm in Gilead is prepared for thy soul The spirit of Adoption speaks love and peace and pardon and that by particular Application of the promise to us As when the promise of Remission of
sins and life everlasting by Christ is generally propounded in the Ministery of the word the holy Ghost does particularly apply it to the heart of such a one and does seal up the promise to the soul That when faith sayes this promise is mine this belongs to me the spirit does strongly apply it this is thine indeed and this does belong to thee These are the secret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whisperings and breathings of the holy spirit the secret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which it converses with the soul The spirit of God has free and often entercourse with a beleeving spirit And this is far enough from any vain Enthusiasme any extraordinary Revelation 't is no imaginary thing but such as many a soul is acquainted with and has tasted of 2. By a bright irradiation beaming out upon the soul and clearing its evidences discovering its graces and shewing them to be true and genuine not only by giving the soul a spirit of discerning for that we referred to the former Testimony but the spirit brings in its own light and makes those graces which were visible before more eminently conspicuous The spirit of a man was the Candle of the Lord as the wise man speaks which gave a weaker and dimmer light but yet such as was enough to manifest the Object I but now there are glorious Sun-beams come rushing in upon the spirit the spirit shines in the soul with healing under his wings The graces of the spirit these flow like a pure and Christalline stream and the light of the spirit shines out upon them and gilds the water See a plain text for this 1 Cor. 2.12 We have received the spirit which is of God that we might know the things which are freely given us of God Light sets a glosse upon all the world and this spiritual light gives a lustre and oriency to graces it puts a beauty upon them such as the soul is much taken with We have received anâ— heavenly light that we may see heavenly things Now thou knowest thy faith to be lively and thy Repentance to be sound thy sorrow to be ingenuous and thy obedience sincere thy love to be unfained and thy fear to be filial for thâ— Spirit has set his Seal to all thy graces and haâ— acknowledged them for his own Object 1. O but many have thought they havâ— had the spirit when they had it not and the Devil that foul spirit can transform himself into an Angel of light Sol. But 1. One mans self-deceit does not prejudice anothers certainty What if one man flatter himself in a false light and please himself iâ—â— a meer shadow of assurance must all men need follow his example A man that 's in a dreaâ— thinks himself awake when he is not I but 〈◊〉 hope for all this a man that is awake may ceâ—tainly know that he is so Many a Travell 〈◊〉 has thought himself in the right way when 〈◊〉 has been out of it and yet this does not hindeâ— but that he that 's well acquainted with tâ—â— Road may know that he is in his way Whâ—â— if one man take Copper for Gold must all mâ—â— do so too One mans folly and vanity does not at all hinder anothers Assurance 2. The spirit comes with a convincing beam Light shews both it self and other things too the Sun by its glorious beams does paraphrase and comment upon its own glittering Essence and the spirit displayes himself to the soul and gives a full manifestation of his own presence The soul knowes the aspect of the spirit better then we do the face of a friend The light of a presumptuous wretch is like a blazing Comet and does but portend his ruine it carriâ—s a venomous and malignant influence in it and the light of an hypocrite is but a flash and coruscation very brief and transient A man may sooner take a glow-worm for the Sun then an experienced Christian can take a false delusion for the light of the spirit 3. There is a twin-light springing from the word and the spirit Try the spirits To the Law to the Testimony if they speak not according to the rule it is because there is no morning in them The Scripture was all endited by the spirit and the spirit cannot contradict himself You do but greeve the spirit whoer'e you are that pretend to any Revelation that agrees not with the Word Nay the spirit has reveal'd his whole minde in the word and will give no other Revelation any otherwise then we have spoken of And whoever he is that rebels against the light of the Word he shall never have the light of the Spirit Whilst thou dost not follow the directing light of the spirit thou shalt never have the quickening and cherishing beams of it And thus you have heard the double Testimony the Spirit witnessing with our Spirit and now you must know that 1. The Testimony of Gods Spirit is alwayes accompanied with the Testimony of our own spirit and so that word Rom. 8. is significant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is properly of one that does only confirm what the other sayes But then 2. A man may have the testimony of his own spirit that has not the witness of Gods spirit The Spirit as it breaths when it pleases so it shines when it pleases too Well then the question is whether the Christian who has but the single testimony of his own spirit may be assured of his salvation Mr. Perkins propounds the case and resolves it thus If the testimony of the Spirit be wantiâ—g then the other testimony the sanctification of heart will suffice to assâ—re us We know it sufficiently to be true and not painted fire if there be heat though there be no flame thus he And his meaning is as indeed the thing is that it is a true assurance thouâ—h not so bright an assurance I may see a thing certainly by the light of a Candle and yet I may see it more clearly by the light of the Sun And for my part I think that certainty does not consist in puncto but may admit of a latitude and receive magis and minus And the contrary principle does delude many There 's an absolute and infallible certainty in faith and by this I know the creation of the World well but besides this I know it by reason and by unquestionable demonstration and I think this adds to my certainty So here though one testimony be enough for Assurance yet a double testimony makes it more glorious Certainty admits of degrees and a man may be more certain of a thing that he is already certain of Take two Christians both may be assured of their salvation and yet one may have a clearer assurance then the other has One may have a double testimony and another but a single Nay the same soul may have at one time a double testimony and at another but a single The light of the spirit may and does often
withdraw it self and leave only the witness of our own spirit and yet then the soul has assurance But yet the soul should aim at the highest Plerophory at the top of assurance Then quench not the spirit lest you put out your own joy greeve not so sweet an inhabitant that comes to comfort you give him no cause to withdraw his light Quest But what if the soul have not the witness of Gods spirit nor of its own spirit neither What if it have no present light no certain evidence Answ There 's one way left yet have recourse to former Assurance Dost thou certainly know and remember that once thou hadst a sweet serenity of soul that an enlightened conscience upon good grounds did speak peace unto thee Didst thou never see the light of the spirit crowning thy soul with satisfying beams Art thou sure that once he did bear witness with thy spirit that thou wert the Child of God Why then be sure still that thou art in the same condition for there 's no total falling from grace Thy light it may be is put out for the present Conscience does not speak so friendly to thee as 't was wont And thou hast greeved the spirit and he has took it unkindly and has held off his light for a while But now canst thou remember the dayes of old when the Rock pour'd out Oil unto thee when thy branch was grâ—en and flourishing Canst thou certainly recall thy former Assurance Canst tell the time when the spirit did set his seal unto thee and confirmed all thine Evidences Well then lay down but perseverance for a ground and thou art still assured of thy salvation The spirits testimony is of an eternal truth And heaven and earth shall sooner passe away then one beam of this lighâ— shall vanish though now it be not apparent to thy eye When the soul for the present is cloudy and dark it may cherish it self with former assurance Now that a soul may have no sensible Assurance for the present and yet may remember former Assurance is clear in that holy man David Psal 51.12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit Davids joy was extinguisht and he would fain have it lighted again Three things imply'd in the word Restore 1. That for the present it was taken away 2. That once he had it 3. He remembers that he had it and therefore prayes Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free spirit that was the spring of Davids joy the testimony of the spirit witnessing with his spirit was that which did uphold and staffe up the soul Davids own spirit was now very unquiet and Gods spirit did withdraw himself and now the best refreshment that David has is from former Assurance 'T is true there is some sadness and bitterness in this consideration when a Christian shall think what he has lost O my soul was once a beautiful Temple full of fair windows and goodly prospects and glorious light I could take a prospect of Canaan when I pleased but now I dwell in the tents of Kedar nothing but blackness and darkness There is trouble and a sting in these thoughts but yet there is some honey and sweetness too Was I not once a friend of God and does he use to forsake his friends Did he not once speak peace to thee and does he use to recall his words Did not he shed his love in thy heart and is not his love immortal Did not his spirit seal up thy soul and is not the print of that seal indeleble speak did not he once shew thee thy name written with his own hand in the Book of life and does he use to blot out what he has written Dost not thou remember did not he smile upon thee in such and such an Ordinance and are his smiles deceitful O no! rest satisfied O Christian soul and quiet thy self in those rich expressions of his love which he has formerly bestowed upon thee O question not his goodness but prepare thy self for receiving of it The streams are dryed up but yet the Fountain is full thou hast had some tastes of it though now thou art dry and thirsty and thou shalt have in time fresh bubblings up of his grace towards thee in the interim take this for a cordial Those former drops which thou hast tasted of it will cherish thy soul to all eternity The least drop of grace shall never be exhausted the least spark of true joy shall never be exstinguisht all the floods that the Dragon can vomit out of his mouth shall never be able to quench it But then 4. Put the case thus that there be no Sun-light nor Starre-light nor reliques of former light neither the testimony of Gods spirit nor of our own spirits nor any recalling of former assurance what must the soul do now Now look to the dawning of the day to the first Crepusculum look now to the initials of grace to the preface of sanctification Thou canst not it may be shew any fair and lively pourtraicture I but hast thou the first draughts and rudiments of holiness Thou hast not any goodly delicious clusters of Canaan O but see if the tender grape do bud There are not any ripe fruits of the spirit but yet are there som blossomings of holiness thy graces don't flow out into so full fair a stream but canst thou see any bubblings up of goodness in thee Thou hast not yet the strength a well grown Christian well but is there the vagitus of an Infant Look now to the souls prizing of a Christ to the whimperings after the breast to the breathings and longings after its Beloved thoughts upon him desires for him endeavors after him there 's much comfort sweetness in these I and some kind of assurance For 1. Be sure that God that has begun this great work in thee will never give over till it be full and compleat he does not use to leave his work imperfect The least tendency to goodness is cherished by him The very first motion 't is of his own planting and it shall lack for no watering and he himself will give it an increase 2. The least seed of grace as 't is choice and precious so 't is very vigorous and operative it will never leave working till Christ be formed in thee Who hath despised the day of small things Thy spark may spread it self into a flame and thy tender bud may flourish and bring forth much fruit He that is richest in grace begâ—n with as little a stock He that is now a tall Cedar was once a tender plant Improve but present strength and God will send thee in fresh supplies Auxiliary forces and thou shalt walk â—rom strength to strength till thou appearest before God in glory Thy light shall shine out brighter and brighter till perfect day Donec stabiliatur dies according to the Syriac till thou
dying Bellarmine was fain to acknowledge that the nearest way to assurance was only to rest upon the free grace of God in Christ And they what cry down duties so much if they would mean no more then this that men must not trust in them nor make Christs of them nor Saviours of them as they use to express it wee 'l easily grant them this if they 'l be content with it 2. They take away that clasping and closing power of faith it self by which it should sweetly and strongly embrace its own object They would have the soul embrace cloudâ— and dwell in generals they resolve all the sweetness and preciousness of the Gospel either into this Universal Whosoever beleeves shall be saved or else which is all one into this conditional If thou beleevest thou shalt be saved Now this is so far from assurance as that the Devils themselves do thus believe and yet tremble The thirsty soul may know that there is a Fountain but it must not presume to know that ever it shall taste of it The wounded soul with them may take notice that there is balm in Gilead but it must only give a guesse that it shall be healed They won't allow the soul to break the shell of a promise so as to come to the kernel They silence faith when it would speak its own Idiom My Lord and my God O what miserable comforters are these How can they ever speak one word upon the wheels one seasonable word to a weary soul when as all they can reach to by their own acknowledgement is to leave the soul hovering betwixt heaven and hell And as they say in matter of reproof Generalia non pungunt so 't is as true in matter of comfort Generalia non mulcent Yet to see how abundantly unreasonable these men are for in the matter of their Church there they require a particular appropriating faith a monopolizing faith that the Church of Rome is the only true visible Church and this is no presumption with them Thus they can imbrace a dull errour and let go a prâ—cious truth But the true Church of Christ as 't is it self built upon a Rock so every member of the Church has the same security And the soul with a spouse-like affection does not only conjecture who is her well-beloved but is in his very arms and breaks out into that expression of love and union I am my well-beloveds and my well-beloved is mine But how strangely does their conjectural certainty take away the sweetness of such Relations Christians with them must only conjecture that they are the Sons of God the spouse must only guess at her beloved Husband the sheep must hope that this is the Shepherds voice O how do they emasculate and enervate Religion how do they dispirit it and cut the very sinews of the power of godliness But all you that would finde rest to your souls must know that you can never apply a Christ too much that you can never appropriate a Saviour enough that whole happiness is in union with him 3. They deny perseverance and so long may very well deny assurance And yet the Arminians have an art of reconciling assurance and non-perseverance They allow men a little brief assurance for one moment a breve fulgur a little coruscation of joy that onely shewes it self that it may vanish and disappear The summe of their meaning amounts to thus much For that moment that thou art in the state of grace thou mayest be sure on 't but thou canst not be sure that the next moment thou shalt be in the state of grace As if a Christian were only a Ball of fortune to be tost up and down at her pleasure And indeed they make grace as voluble and uncertain as ever the Heathen did fortune And if they would speak out grace with them is Res vitrea quae dum splendet frangitur And vasa gloriae with them are little better then vasa fictilia they can dash them in pieces like a Potters vessel And then make no more of it then Epictetus at the breaking of a Pitcher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is but a usual thing Hodie vidi fragilem frangi Vain men that think the grace of God as mutable and unconstant as they themselves are that can remove men from Heaven to Hell as often as they please that with a daring Pen can blot names out of the book of life and reverse the seal of Heaven when they list This must needs strike at the root of assurance and leave the soul in such sad doubts as these 'T is true I am now feeding upon the milk and honey of the Land of Canaan but I may return to the wilderness again to the bondage of Egypt again 'T is true I am now a Temple of the holy Ghost but how soon may I become a prison a dungeon the receptacle of every unclean spirit What though I be now a vessel of honour how soon may I become a vessel of wrath and though I be for the present in the loving hand of a Saviour yet I may be to morrow in the unmerciful paw of the Lion Pray tell us now has the soul any great security all this while are the friends of God no surer of his love then thus 'T is happy for Christians that 't is not in the power of these men no nor of all the powers of darknesse to put a period to their joy no not to put the least comma or interruption to it No they may as soon dethrone the Majesty of Heaven it self they may as soon pluck the Crown from his head and wrest the golden Scepter out of his hand nay they may as soon pluck out the Apple of his eye they may as soon annihilate a Deity as pull thee out of his hands as rob him of one of his Jewels Thou art kept by the mighty power of God through faith unto salvation We can't close up this better then with that heavenly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those triumphant expressions of the Apostle Paul For I am perswaded that neither life nor death nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor height nor depth c. 4. They never had any assurance themselves and so they would willingly deny it to others There is so much pride and envy in the spirits of men as that they are very loath that others should have more happiness or be more sensible of happiness then themselves They do here Calamum in Corde tingere they tell you what they finde in their own hearts nothing but conjectures and shiverings and tremblings nothing but slavish doubts and feares But the voice of assurance 't is a still voice the spirit speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That soul only hears it to which it speaks The sparklings of the White Stone are secret and undiscernable to a carnal eye No man knowes it but he that has it 'T is Manna 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the visible and
extraordinary spirit of discerning I know no ground for it nor any promise of it in the Scriptures You 'l say this takes much from the communion of Saints and from the sweetness of Christian society if we cannot tell who are true members of the mystical body fellow-brethren and fellow-heirs of the same promise 1. Though we cannot tell absolutely and infallibly yet we may know very probably we know there are such a peculiar people a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood and we know that such and such are the likeliest in the world to be of this number so as we have no reason to distrust them 2. We must commend much of this to Gods providence who very seldom suffers Hypocrites to go undetected he that is the great searcher of hearts will be sure to meet with them he hates a rotten heart and will be sure to make it odious 3. 'T is fitting that this and many other priviledges should be reserved for Heaven that so we may long after that the more There shall be a pure and unmixt communion the perfect beauty of holiness Nothing shall enter there that makes a lie nothing of Hypocrisie but glorious Angels and glorified Saints sunning themselves in the presence of God shall keep company together to all eternity 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christians are chiefly to look to their own Calling and Election They are indeed bound to promote the good of others and to look upon their lives with such Rules as Christianity allows but they must be sure to dwell at home and be acquainted with their own breasts to make their own Calling and Election sure for they cannot be sure of another mans condition so as they may be of their own And thus we have dispatcht those two particulars which lay more collateral in the words and were not directly intended in them We now come to the very mind and drift of the Text which branches it self into these four propositions that will fully explain the nature of Assurance though we keep within the bounds of the Text It streams into these four particulars Observ 1. A Christian may be assured of his salvation Observ 2. Assurance of salvation requires all diligence Observ 3. Assurance of salvation deserves all diligence Both imply'd in Give diligence Observ 4. The way to make our Election sure is first to make our Calling sure And now you may look upon the Text as on a pleasant Vine situated in a fruitful place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. in the horn of the Son of Oil or fatness as the Prophet speaks you may sit under the shadow of it and its fruit will be sweet unto you For you see how it has spread it self into spacious and goodly branches such as are all laden with fair and swelling clusters clusters of Canaan that are ripened with those heavenly Sun-beams that shine out upon them and richly filled with all spiritual sweetness And this fruit of the Vine will chear the heart of man to all eternity As for us we 'll be sure to prune off all such sproutings and luxuriancies of style as may any way steal from the sap and strength of so great a truth in hand as the Hebrews call those sproutings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. little Epicures alwayes feasting upon the sweetness of the Tree and putting the root to continual expences we 'll prune off all these And if there be any Clusters lie lurking under the leaves truth 's not so obvious to every eye we 'll if we can spy them out The Vintage will be long we shall gather but a cluster at a time and presse it in the Application A Christian may be assured of his Salvation for Saint Peter would never exhort them to give diligence for an impossibility for that which could not be obtained We 'l move in this order and shew Observ 1. What Assurance is 2. Arguments for Assurance 3. The manner how Christians are assured 4. The special times of Assurance 5. Make Application I. And here first what Assurance is 'T is a reflex act of soul by which a Christian clearly sees that he is for the present in the state of grace and so an heire apparent to glory or in the words of the Text by which he knows his Calling and Election 'T is a reflex act and so 1. Assurance is scituated in the souls most noble most closeted most private and most spiritual operation 1. Reflex acts are the most noble and most royal operations the most rational and judicious acts of a most intelligent spirit Reason is now in its exaltation it sits upon the Throne and exercises a Judge-like power all the faculties of the soul must appear before its Tribunal and give up a strict account 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Pythagoreans were wont to pose and catechize themselves your inferior sensitive Creatures can go poring on upon a present object and blunder on in a diract way but are far enough from any reflex acts although some talk of reflexiveness in sense too as to see that they see or the like but 't is but a fancy of their own Sensitive Creatures could never reach so high as a reflect act and indeed sensual men know not what belong unto it but the reasonable soul can retire into it self and take a view and survey of its own actings 2. It is the most secret and retired operation the soul withdrawes and bids the body farewel and even here becomes an anima separata it retires into its Closet and bolts it self up where none can peep in none can evesdrop it 3. The most refined and spiritual working of all this is most abstracted from matter The soul here does not commerce with outward drossy objects but looks upon it self fixes its eye upon its own face This is the most spiritual employment of the soul which does most strongly argue its immortality and shewes it to be a spark of Divinity How does the prime and fountain Being spend all Eternity but in looking upon his own transcendent and glorious Essence in viewing the bright Constellation of his Attributes and seeing some shadowy and languishing Representations of himself in the glasse of the Creatures 'T is one of the chief works of a Christian to reflect upon himself Vita est in se reflexio as the grave Moralist Seneca speaks The Prodigal came to himself when he came to reflex acts so i King 8.47 When they shall turn to their own hearts c. II. But yet this working of the soul is but weak and transient 't is fleeting and desultory it quickly vanishes which shews a great disorder and irregularity in the spirit that that which is the noblest and most proper operation that borders upon Divinity men are least ver'st in it How rare is it for men to reflect upon their own conditions to enter into an exact trial and examination of their own wayes Radius reflexus languet as the Opticks speak The beam begins
comest to a firm and well establisht assurance The least peeping out of light the least dawning of the day is pleasant and comfortable 5. If thou canst not spy out any grace in thy self borrow light of another Lay open thy soul to an Interpreter one of a thousand hâ— may explain thy condition and paraphrase upon thy soul better then thou thy self canst This Interpreter one of a thousand may more exactly analyse thy condition and shew the context and coherence of it 'T is the speech of Elihu Job 33.23 There meets him a Messenger an Interpreter one among a thousand to shew unto him his uprightness Hee 'l shew thee here 's grace and there 's grace here 's a true pearl and there 's a spark though in ashes and there 's an evidence A discerning and experienced Christian may shew thee cause of joy when thou canst finde none thy self 'T is no shame to borrow light especially spiritual light 6. One step further What if after all this there be not the least glimmering of light nothing of a spark nothing of a beam a total eclipse all Clouds and blackness and darkness and the very valley of the shadow of death yet even here will we fear none ill 1. When reflex acts are wanting be sure to multiply direct acts when there is no certainty of Evidence yet even then have a certainty of Adherence and Recumbency Now grasp a Promise take fast hold of that precious offer rolle thy self upon the free grace of a God in Christ lay all the stresse of thy salvation upon it with a gallant and heroical resolution If I perish I perish Thus Job Though he kill me yet will I trust in him Thus our Saviour My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And this must needs be a strong act of faith even then to rely upon God when he seems thine enemy to trust in an angry and displeased God and when he frowns on thee yet then to lean upon him Like men ready to be drowned be sure to take fast hold cast Anchor though in the dark 2. Study self-denyal and though thou long and breath after Assurance yet resign up thy self wholly to his will and be content to want assurance if he see it best for thee Take heed of murmuring in the wilderness in the saddest and most deserted condition Throw thy self at his feet with this resolution O my God I 'le bless thee for those eternal treasures of sweetness that are in thy self though I should never taste of them I 'le blesse thee for those smiles of thy face which thou bestowest upon others though thou wilt not cast one gracious look upon my soul I le blesse thee for those rich offers of grace thou makest unto me though I have not a heart to lay hold of them 3. Put thy soul into a waiting posture and stay till he please to display some of himself unto thee and make some of his goodness passâ— before thee One beam of his countenance onâ— gracious smile one propitious glance of his eye the least crumb of the hidden Manna 't is worth waiting for all thy life-time And when I speak of waiting I mean not that the soul should stand still and do nothing no this were against the Text Give diligence c. improve all present strength wait upon him in prayer beg one glimpse of him be earnest for a taste for a relish of the hidden Manna and wait upon him in his Ordinances here the spirit breaths here Manna's rained down here God shews his face here is the sealing place the spirit confirms the word and prints it upon thy soul Thus wait upon him in his own way I and wait upon him in his own time too don't think time tedious He that beleeves makes not haste which St. Paul renders He that beleeves is not ashamed as if to make haste and be ashamed were all one God will wonderfully prepare the soul that he means to fill with his love Assurance is too precious a thing to be powered into every spirit He won't put new wine into old bottles God is all this while making thee more capable of his love and though for the present thou hast no assurance yet thus trusting and waiting upon him thou art in a great tendency to it And put the worst that can be imagined that thou shouldst die under a Cloud yet thy condition were safe and thou shalt come then to a full assurance nay to a full possession of thine inheritance and thou shalt see the glorious Sun-shine of the face of God a beam of which thou didst so much long for here We come now to the fourth particular those special sealing times when Christians have their Assurance and Plerophory 1. Many times at their first conversion God does then seal up the work of grace in the soul When the spirit of bondage has past upon the soul and by a strong conviction has applyed particularly guilt and wrath unto it the fatal sentence is pronounc't and the soul is filled with the scorching pre-apprehensions of hell and damnation trembles at the very thoughâ— of eternity Now for the Gospel to bring theâ—â— welcom newes of a pardon and for the spirit oâ— adoption to apply grace and mercy unto thâ— soul for the prison-doors to be broken open and a poor captive set at liberty to have alâ— the Chains and fetters beaten off and to bâ— brought into a marvellous light to have all thâ— balm of Gilead powered into him Evangelicaâ— fruitions and cordials prepared for him and which is the very extraction and quintessence 〈◊〉 all the love of a Saviour shed into his heart What strong impressions of joy think you mâ— there be in such a soul What precious infâ—â—ons of spiritual sweetness What secret springings and elevations of spirit What triumphs what Jubilees what love-raptures I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine I must appeal to your breasts that have found this great and heavenly work wrought upon your soul 't is you only that have tasted the joy of the holy Ghost that is glorious and unspeakable And do you tell us had not ye then the first relish of the hidden Manna was not it very sweet and delicious hadst not thou then the first glimpse of the White Stone and was not it very bright and orient hadst not thou then the Spouses kisse and was not it precious and more worth then a world didst not thou then first hear the soft language and whisperings of the spirit and was not his voice lovely and pleasant I know your souls dance within you with the very recalling of so happy and golden a time and you pant and breath after more of this communion with a Saviour and truly he deserves an Anathema that does not prefer the very possibility of having of it before all the world Hosea 11. â—ct When Israel was a Child then I loved him I taught Ephraim also to go taking them by their arms
obvious Manna that was rained down by the tents of the Israelites but that that was reserved and laid up in Vrna aurea Spiritual tastes and relishes spiritual experiences they are wholly unexpressible they are altogether unimitable There are two things which the most refined and accomplisht Hypocrite cann't possibly reach unto 1. He cann't express the life and power of a Christian 2. He can't express the joy of a Christian As no man can paint the Being of a thing so no man can paint the sweetness of a thing Who ever could paint the sweetness of the Honey-combe the sweetness of a cluster of Canaan the fragrancy of the Rose of Sharon the sweet voice of a Lute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Painters eye steals a little beauty from the face and perhaps his hand makes restitution restoring it again in the picture and that 's all you can expect of him nay 't is well if he perform so much As for the expression of vitals or the representation of essentials 't is Vltra Penecillum so that he must let this alone for ever Beleeve it sincerity can't be painted The joy of the holy Ghost can't be painted 'T is easier painting of faces then of hearts Men in an unregenerate condition can't know what assurance is till their hearts be changed or unless they could read the hearts of Gods people Men will deny the most certain and unquestionable things if they themselves have no experience of them Upon this account many a fool has said in his heart There is no God because he had no communion with him he did not attend upon him Thus others deny that there is any such sweetness in the wayes of God because they were never acquainted with them In Musick what though there be never such variety of graces such inarticulate elegancies such soft and silken touches such quick stings and pleasant relishes such musical amplifications and flourishes such nimble transitions and delicious closes you 'l scarce convince a deaf man of all this till you can give him his hearing Or suppose a blind man should obstinately deny that there were a Sun truly I can't tell how you could well convince him unless you could give him an eye or else perswade him that he is defective in somewhat which others have To speak of assurance and the voice of the spirit to some is but to speak Riddles and Paradoxes Here I have told you much of light and beams and Glory I had as good told some of you of Clouds and shadows and darkness I have spoke much to you of the fruits and clusters of Canaan had I not as good have set before some of you briars and thorns would you not have had as much sweetness in them I never promised to shew you the Manna for I told you 't was hidden yet we have told you the things which we have seen and known and what we have tasted of the Word of Life and that which I doubt not but many of you can set your seals unto We come now to take off that vain and frivolous Cavil that assurance is a principle of Libertinisme that the Apples which the Spouse longs for in the Canticles will breed too much winde that hidden Manna will breed worms that those flaggons full of wine which the Spouse would so fain be comforted withall will fume up too much into the head O say they if men be once assured of their salvation they may then do what they list But 1. God won't put new wine into old bottles God never prints his love upon the heart till the heart be renewed and prepared with Evangelical meltings and the same Seal that prints his Image too A flinty heart won't take the seal of the Spirit The sparkling White Stone is never given till the heart of stone be taken away The new name is not given till the new creature be framed God will not distil one silver drop of such precious sweetness upon the soul till it be enclosed for his own Garden And though the outward Sun-shine with liberal and undistinguishing beams shines both upon the good and the bad upon the Rose and the Nettle yet the light of Gods countenance beams out only upon the Apples of his own eye the Sun-shine of his gracious presence glides only the vessels of Honour and puts a lustre upon none but his own Jewels And though the pourings forth of ordinary goodness fall upon a wilderness sometimes as well as on a Paradise yet these more choice and luscious influences of heaven slide only into the hearts of Gods peculiar ones Beleeve it thy soul must first become an Ark of the Covenant before thou shalt ever have a Pot of hidden Manna in it 'T is true that If God should thus display his goodness and seal up his love to the soul whilst it were still in an unregenerate condition whilst it did still hanker after its lusts and corruptions it would then indeed sport it self more securely in this Sun-shine of mercy and turn this grace of God into wantonness Thus men of sordid and ignoble spirits will trespass more upon a friend then upon an enemy an injury will keep them in better order then a courtesie Thus nettles will sting most violently when they are handled most gently Thus the wretched Indians adore the Devil because he is their enemy and neglect the Majesty of heaven because 't is so propitious When God shines out upon ungrateful dunghils they return him nothing but venomous and malignant evaporations We 'l easily acknowledge that if these men should have the White Stone they would trample upon it For you see how they deal with ordinary mercy which the bounty of heaven heaps upon their heads There are such Pleonasmes of love in God such runnings over of goodness as that much falls upon these God breaks the box of common mercies and fills the whole world with the savour of i◠But what tribute and Revenues of glory has he from them for all this Why they violate his Lawes and profane his name and fight against him with his own weapons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with his most precious mercies gifts and parts and all they have shall oppose him that gave them Of their Jewels they make a golden Calf Do you think now that God will trust these with his more special mercies with his viscera and tender mercies He tryed the Vessel with water and ' twon't hold that Do you think he will poure wine into it No God reveals his love to none but to his friends he sets his seal to none but to such whom he sets as a seal upon his heart and on his arm such as have an happy conformity to him and a full complyance with him such as have the same interests and the same glorious ends with himself such as delight in his Law and feed upon his precepts as upon an honey-combe Do you think he mayn't trust these with his minde such
THE WHITE STONE OR A Learned and Choice TREATISE OF ASSURANCE VERY Usefull for all but especially weak Believers By Nathanael Culverwel Master of Arts and lately Fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge 2 PET. ◠10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure LONDON Printed for John Rothwel at the Fountain and Bear in Cheapside 1654. THE WHITE STONE OR A Learned and Choice Treatise of Assurance very useful for all but especially weak Believers 2 PET. 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure ASsurance of salvation is a truth of great and precious consequence of sweet and comfortable influence into the whole life of a Christian A truth which has scarce had liberty to unmask and shew it self in former times and so has seldom or never been fully treated of A truth which could never be more welcome and seasonable then in times of danger and uncertainty when all other things are in a doubtful and wavering condition then to make our Calling and Election sure to set up a spiritual Militia and to put the soul in a posture of defence in such an heavenly preparation as it may be fit to meet with all conditions He shall not be afraid of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in God He is just like the Philosophers good man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 four-square that cast him where you will like a Dy he falls alwayes sure and square He 's built upon the same foundation that the whole Church of God is He 's built upon a Rock and though the waves dash and the windes rise though the storm encrease and the floods beat in yet the house stands the foundation 's sure 't is built upon a Rock and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it I 'le make him a pillar in the Temple of my God as Christ promises to the Church of Philadelphia even like one of those Pillars in Solomons Temple The name of the one was Jachin and of the other Booz nothing but stability and strength as the words imply Christian assurance fortifies the soul and prepares it against all conditions Now as for the drift of our Apostle in this Chapter 't was to perswade the Christian Churches of Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia Bithynia to whom he wrote that they would be fruitful and abundant in the graces of God that they would grow in grace and adde grace to grace so to increase in them all till they came to a full and perfect stature in Christ For he that lacks these saith the Apostle is blinde and cannot see a farre off he is pore-blind and cannot see so far as haven and heavenly things And then he is forgetful too of the very first principles and rudiments of Grace he forgets that he was purged from his former sins in the Laver of Regeneration in Baptisme when he first entered into Covenant with God Wherefore do ye rather give diligence to make your Calling c. You that have a spiritual eye and an enlightened soul and can discern the things of God and you that are mindful of the Covenant made with him do you brethren give c. for this if any thing will make you fruitful in the works of grace for by these you must maintain your assurance these are the fruits and evidences of your salvation the fruits of the spirit and the first fruits of eternal life Christians that make their Calling and Election sure will and must be fruitful in good works The Papists interpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this verse and Beza saies indeed that he found it in two ancient Copies but though it be left out in the letter yet we include it in the sense good reason to leave it out in the text because all the Greek Copies do two only excepted but yet we take it in in the interpretation and freely acknowledge that no Christian can be assured of his salvation who is not fruitful and abundant in good works as Fulke and Carthwright do very well satisfie the Rhemists Translation In the words you have 1. An usual compellation Brethren 2. An Apostolical exhortation and that to a double duty one subordinate to another The 1. and principal in intention to make your Calling Election sure The 2. which is a means to the former to give diligence And if you look upon the first again you shall finde in it 1. A propriety your Calling and Election 2. A method and order first your Calling and then your Election As for two of the particulars wee 'l but point at them because they are not so properly intended in the words For 1. The compellation is frequent and obvious in every Epistle and shews 1. An Apostolical Suada by which they were wont to winde and insinuate themselves with them for affection does strongly engage the judgement And all Rhetorick is little enough to win hearts and prevail upon some mens spirits 2. An Apostolical meekness Peter a Star of the first magnitude yet calls the lesser Sporades his brethren A glorious and eminent Christian a tall Cedar in Lebanon yet acknowledges the meanest and lowest Christians his brethren He learnt this of his Lord and Master who was not ashamed to call them brethren And shall the Disciple be above his Lord 'T were well if the Pope who will needs be Saint Peters successor would follow him in this And who art thou O prophane Ismael that scoffest at the Children of the Promise under this very name and notion of the brethren 2. And then as for the propriety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your Calling and Election 1. None can be assured of another mans salvation unless it be of such whom the Scripture tells us were in the state of Grace whose sincerity is made famous to all the world to whom the spirit hath set its broad seal and given them a publick testimony that they were within the Covenant for others we know in general that there are a select and peculiar company whom God has chosen out as his jewels but we cannot say certainly and infallibly of such a particular persons of any Individuum that he is a chosen vessel Of some 't is evident and apparent that for the present they are not in the state of grace we are sure that as yet they are not efficaciously called but we know not whether they be chosen for others we have great hopes and an high degree of probability that they are truly born again but yet we have no absolute certainty for Hypocrisies will go so far as that the best Criticks may be deceived And a man can never tell certainly another mans sincerity unless he could supply the place of conscience An Hypocrite may spin so fair a thred as that it may deceive his own eye he may admire the cobweb and not know himself to be the Spider how much more easie may he deceive a stander by And as for any
to be weary and is ready to faint it gives a weak and languishing Representation 't is true of intellectual beams too radius reflexus languet O how quickly are men weary of serious thoughts and considerations they look upon them as melancholy interruptions turbida intervalla You had need of good arguments to perswade men to entertain a serious thought outward objects these divert the minde and take it off from its greatest work As a man that sees his natural face in a glasse as St. James speaks goes his way and presently forgets what manner of man he was The soul scarce knowes its own visage it looks abroad and is a stranger to it self Many a mans soul has scarce look't upon it self all his life-time III. It consists in a reflex act 1 John 2.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so differs from faith it is one thing to believe and another thing to know that I believe Our Divines go somewhat too far Calvin Perkins c. when they put all justifying faith in a full perswasion Ames sayes 't is when they deal with the Papists who put it in a barre assent but me thinks they should rather be more wary there left they give the enemy too much advantage I rather think that being men eminently pious it was as they found it in their own souls but all are not so strong in Christ Assurance is the top and triumph of faith faith that 's our victory by which we overcome the world but assurance that 's our triumph by which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are more then Conquerors 'T is flos fidei the very lustre and eminency of faith Faith that 's the Root Assurance is the Top-branch the flourishing of faith faith with a glosse upon it Justifying faith that does not only dwell in the understanding in nudo assensu but requires an act of the will too which must embrace a promise indeed it calls for an act resulting from the whole soul which must receive Christ offered unto it but now assurance consists only in the minde and so there you have the difference between faith of Adherence and faith of Assurance The first is an act of the whole soul the latter is a work of the mind only it ariseth e sensu quodam spirituali whereby we know and perceive that we believe And when I say every believer may be assured of his salvation I don't say that every believer is assured of it No every one is to labor for it to give diligence as our Apostle speaks but every one has not yet obtained it Assurance is not of the Essence of a Christian A man may be a true Child of God and certainly saved though he have not Assuraâ—ce He can have little sweetness and comfort without it little joy and peace but yet he may be in a safe though in a sad condition 'T is required to the bene esse not to the esse of a Believer 1. For the promise is made to the direct act and not to the reflex Believe and thou shalt be saved that 's the voice of the Gospel Not know that thou dost believe Now there is many a weak Christian that has faith and yet does not know that he has it Faith like a grain of mustard-seed lies hid for a while but it has a vigorous and operative spirit and will work out in time and spread it self into goodly branches The least degree of faith if it be true brings salvation but it does not bring assurance 2. Many true Christians are in a state of desertion all their light is eclipsed their joy and comfort is put out Nay they look upon God as an enemy they are so far from being assured of their salvation as that they verily think themselves in a lost condition and yet all this while are in a true state of grace Their condition is cloudy and dark and very uncomfortable for the present but yet 't is safe they are true belâ—evers and yet far enough from assurance An excellent place in Isaiah for this Isa 50.10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord that walketh in darkness and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God some may truly fear God and yet walk in darknesse and have no light not the least glimpse of assurance no beam of Gods favourable countenance yet let him trust in the Lord and stay himself upon his God He may do this though he has no light he may multiply direct acts though he has no reflex acts And here he may lay all the stresse of his salvation lean upon the grace of God in Christ and with a sweet recumbancy rest himself upon his God And this consideration may strengthen many 〈◊〉 bruised Reed and revive many a drooping â—pirit who for the present do not know that â—hey beleeve their case may be good for all this â—hou mayst be a true beleever though thou art â—ut a weak beleever nay though thou think â—â—y self no beleever I do not speak this that â—â—y should rest in this condition no this were â—gainst the text All must give diligence to make â—â—eir Calling and Election sure And a Christiâ—â— can have little or no quiet till he attain to â—â—surance And thus you have seen the nature of assurance we shall in the next place prove that a Christian may be assured of his salvation 1. Ab esse ad posse Many Christian has been and is assured of his salvation Scarce any eminent Christian in the whole Book of God but has set his seal to this truth by his own particular experience This is so clear as the adversarieâ— themselves cannot deny but that many choicâ— ones have had a full and satisfying light springing in upon their soul and clearing their eternaâ— condition to them But they say 't is by way oâ— extraordinary Revelation a special Priviledgâ— vouchsafed to some few of Gods choicest Worthies by a rare indulgence But this is spokeâ— gratis and is contrary to the present experienâ—â— of many thousands of Christians 1 John 5 1â— The very drift of St. Johns Epistle is that Châ—â—stians might have assurance And besides thoâ— mediums by which Christians attain to assâ—rance are common to all All of theâ—â— have the spirit dwelling in them all haâ—â— the fruits of the spirit and a sweet teâ—â— mony of their own spirits though some haâ—â— it in a weak measure and cannot reach to a Pâ—â—rophory all come not to this full assuranâ—â— but yet these are the usual wayes by which 〈◊〉 attain to it which have nothing in them of â—â—traordinary Revelation they are via Regâ—â— and yet via trita too Adde to this the scope of the text St. Peter exhorts all to give diligence to make their Calling and Election sure which to what purpose were it if it came only by special and extraordinary Revelation which does not depend upon their diligence 2. Search into the nature of faith it self and
thou willingly part with thy sweetness and fruitfulness Thou that art a green Olive-Tree flourishing in the house of thy God wouldst thou be content to part with thy fatness and pleasantness Thou wert wont to stay and anchor thy soul upon thy God And wouldst thou now be left to the courtesie of a wave What Art thou in love with the tents of Kedar They are black indeed And dost thou think them comely too Art thou weary of the Sun-shine And wouldst thou cool thy self in the shade Dost thou begin to loath thy hidden Manna and wouldst thou return to the Garlick and Onions of Egypt Art thou cloyed with the clusters of Canaan and dost thou nauseate the Honey-comb O remember thou didst not so soon obtain assurance and wilt thou so soon lose it Thirdly give diligence to recover assurance if lost O when will the winter be past when will the rain be over and gone that the flowers may appear and the time of singing may come That the Vines of Canaan may flourish again that the tender Grapes may appear Awake O South-winde and with thy gentle breathings blow upon the Garden that the spices thereof may flow out Never leave till thou findest thy spouse again thou that art sick of love Tell him that thou longest for a cluster of Canaan That thou art even famished for want of hidden Manna Desire a new edition of his love with all the inlargements of affections Lay thine heart before him and desire new stamps and impressions tell him that though thou hast lost the print yet he has not lost the seal tell him that thou wilt now prize his love more then thou ever didst or could'st do before Give him no rest till he give thy soul rest and fill it with himself Surely thou wouldst not willingly set in a Cloud thou wouldst not go out of the world with thine Evidences blotted and blurred Surely thou wouldst not willingly be tost and dasht with waves in sight of the haven Hadst thou not rather go to thy grave in peace O desire him to shine out upon thee a little before thou goest hence and be no more seen 2. Now surely we need not tell you why assurance does thus repuire diligence For 1. You know the hearts deceitfulness how it loves to please it self in a shadow in a painted joy to flatter it self into an imaginary happiness Most men in the world are so confident of heaven as if they had been born heirs apparent to the Crown of glory as if this new name had been given them at their baptisme or as if they had been born with hidden Manna in their mouths They never knew what a question or a scruple was nay they wonder that others trouble themselves with them as for them they have a connate kind of Plerophory These fabri fortunae suae have a key to heaven of their own making and can go to it when they please These crown themselves with their own sparks and think them more glittering and precious then the White Stone As if they were Custodes sigilli they can seal themselves to the day of redemption when they please Thus do vain men cheat their own souls when as 't were their wiser way rather to commune with their own spirits to criticize upon their own hearts to see what a false print they are of what false glosses there be what variae lectiones what corruptions and degenerations from the Original whether there be any spiritual Idioms what are the genuine works of the spirit what are spurious and supposititious 2. Give diligence because thou hast a diligent enemy that would so fain quench thy joy and keep it from flaming into assurance He envied the grain of Mustard-seed when 't was first sown how then does it vex him to see it now spread into such goodly branches that the soul can build its nest there He envied thee the first blushes of the day the buddings of the Rosie morning that those fair and virgin eye-lids â—hould open and glance their light upon thee â—ow then is he scorcht with thy fuller Sun-â—hine How do his eyes water at thy noon-day â—rightness He that would have broke thee when thou wert a bruised Reed how would he â—riumph in thy fall now thou art a stately Ceâ—ar If he could he vvould have dispirited â—nd took up the vigour of that immortal seed â—y which thou wert born again He would fain â—ave spit his venom into that sincere milk â—hich fed thy infant-soul how then does he â—nvy thee those flagons of wine with which â—hou art now quickened and enflamed He â—ould fain have hindered the foundation of the â—econd Temple and now he would fain demoâ—â—sh the structure and down with it even to the â—round That son of the morning fell himself not only â—â—om a compleat assurance but from a possession â—f glory and that into the most extreme darkâ—ess that was imaginable into a total impossibiâ—â—ty of ever being happy and now he would veâ—y fain as much as he can involve others in â—he same condition But certainly it does adde â—uch of hell to him in that he perceives that the â—ons of God are now fixt in an immutable conâ—itioâ— whereas he was left in so voluble a state â—o that now all that he can possibly do is this to damp their joy for the present to raise Clouds and storms and tempests And in this that Prince of the air does his endeavor to the utmost And yet Christians may frustrate him here too and by a strong and clasping hand of faith may lay such fast hold of a God in Christ as that they may even make the Devil give over and to all his former may adde this new despair of ever eclipsing their glory and may send him away as weary as he would be if he should go about to interrupt the joy of a glorified Saint or of one of those Angels that still dwell in glory So that the more frequent his Alarms are the more should Christians stand upon their watch the more should they fortifie themselves and look to their spiritual Panoply they should flie to the name of the Lord which is a strong Tower 3. Give diligence because 't is in a matter oâ— so great consequence and to be dâ—ceived hâ—râ— will prove the most stinging aggravation of misery that can be The house that was built upon the sand great was the fall of it There is a counterfeit Plerophory a blazing kinde of assurance a bragging kinde of confidence you know the name of it 't is called Presumptionâ— that great devourer of souls that uses to slay itâ— ten thousands 'T is so far from being an Anchoâ— as that 't is but a swelling and impostumated wave which tosses up the soul a while that it may sink the deeper And can there be a greater Emphasis of misery then this Thou tookest it for granted that thou wert in the ready way to heaven and now thou art dropping into hell
irrecoverably Thou expected'st no lesse then a Crown of glory but canst finde nothing but chains of darkness and a gnawing worm How golden was thy dream of happiness didst thou not fancy the light and beams of heaven ripening the fruits of Canaan for thee did'st not â—hou think thy self upon the top of Mount Pisgah refresht with soft and delicate breathings â—aking a full prospect of the beautiful Land of â—romise Nay didst not thou think that some of the milk and honey of the Land flowed into â—hy mouth That thou wett plucking off green Apples from the Trees Nay that thou hadst the â—ery tastes and relishes of the Olives and Figs â—nd Pomegranates and Grapes in thy mouth â—ut behold thou wakest and art in a wilderâ—ess amongst Briars and Thorns amongst fiery â—erpents in a dry and thirsty Land where no â—weetness is Thou tookest that for the whisperâ—ng of the Spirit which was but the hissing of â—he Serpent Thou thought'st thy self in the veâ—â— Suburbs of the new Jerusalem in the Temple 〈◊〉 the sanctum sancterum when as thou wert all this while but in an Egypt in a Babylon in a prison in a Dangeon Thou didst exalt thy self like the Eagle and build thy nest in the Stars But with what indignation wert thou swept from thence How thou art fallen O Lucifer son of the mâ—rning 3. Consider what kinde of diligence is required And 1. Be diligent in self-reflexion A clean heart chews the Cud ruminates upon its own actions Give thy heart frequent visits and see whether it keeps that print which the sealing spirit stampt upon it read over thine evidences if there be the least blot wash it out Try thy graces by a Scripture Sun-beam Hast thou within a continual feast Why then dost not thou envite thy thoughts thither that they may be satisfied as with marrow and fatness Why dost noâ— thou compel them to come in Let them drink sweetness out of their own Fountain let them blesse the womb that bare them and the breastâ— that gave them suck Let them be afraid of entring into theiâ— hearts that have no quietness within unless likâ— the Leviathan they can sport themselves in a raging Sâ—a that foams out mire and dirt But thoâ— canst steep and bathe thy thoughts in a Calâ— and composed spirit Why dost not thou listeâ— to thine ovvn musick Why dost not thou glance upon thine ovvn beauty Assurance consists in a reflex act and by such vvorkings 't is maintained iisdem alitur quibus gignitur 2. Be diligent in Prayer Beleeve it assurance does not come vvith those vveak vvishes and velleities that are so frequent in the mouths of many O that we were sure of heaven of happiness O that our souls were well provided for O that we knew what should become of them to eternity Truly these are but gaping and yawning desires as if hidden Manna would drop into their mouths This great blessing requires a wrestling prayer The White Stone is given to none but a Conquerour The spirit won't set his seal to a faint and languishing velleity An Echo won't answer a whisperer a weak voice is not worth a rebound The truth is there is a great deal of Vicinity and friendship nay I think I might say Consanguinity between Assurance and Prayer Prayer should be Plerophoria quaedam explicata Assurance does mightily enliven and animate Prayer and Prayer does 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cherish and maintain Assurance Go then unto thy God and be importunate with him beg a smile a glance a beam of his face desire him to take all worldly things again unless he will sweeten them with his love Tell him thou canst no longer feed upon husks and desire him to give thee somewhat that 's fit for a soul to live on 3. Be diligent and frequent in communion with thy God Conversing with God puts a lustre and radiancy upon the soul descending to the Creature puts a Veil upon that former brightness sweet and familiar entercourse with thy God puts thee into the number of his friends and friendship brings assurance and confidence along with it Would God dost thou think admit thee into his most shining and beautiful presence would he thus display himself to thee and make known his most secret treasures of goodness and sweetness unto thy soul unless he loved thee would thy Saviour thus smile upon thee would he thus unbosom and unbowel himself to thee would he thus flourish in at the lattices unless he were thy spouse would he thus kisse thee with the kisses of his mouth would he tell thee so much of his minde unless his heart were with thee would he accept of thy prayers and thy performances thy spiritual sacrifices if he meant to destroy thee didst thou ever know him deal thus deceitfully with any would he give thy soul such frequent visits such gentle breathings would he so often whisper to thee that which the world must not hear if thou wert an enemy as well as they canst thou think thy self in darkness when the Sun looks upon thee Canst thou doubt of quenching thy thirst when the fountain bubbles out and flowes upon thee Canst thou doubt of liberty in the yeere of Jubilee What is the Dove in the Ark and yet can it finde no rest to the soal of her feet Canst thou question thy safety under the wings of Christ No whatever it was that put out thy joy it did first estrange and alienate thee from thy God And couldst thou but recover thy former neerness to him thou need'st not doubt of the same affectionate expressions from him Communion with God 't is that which gives an heavenly and eternal Plerophory 't is that which maintains the assurance of glorious Angels glorified Saints And that which takes away all hope from the damned is this that they are perpetually banisht irrecoverably excommunicated from the face of their God Depart from me I know you not there is more in that then in fire and brimstone But God has said unto thee Seek my face and let thy soul echo out its resolution Thy face Lord â—ill I seek for all certainty flowes from God from that fixt and unshaken Entity from that Original immutability that is in him And when God sets his seal unto thee he prints somewhat of this upon thee And therefore the more God gives of himself to thee the more Assurance he gives thee Go then to the place where his honour dwells go to the place where his glory shines You know that the Apostle Thomas when he was absent from the Apostles meeting he fell into a strange distrust of that which the others were very well assured of Go then to those Ordinances that drop golden Oil upon the soul and make its countenance to shine Hide thy self in those clefts of the Rock that God may make his goodness passe before thee God will there beam out upon thy soul he will warm it with his love and will then seal it to
truth which is made a fatal stumbling-block to some shall prove a solid foundation of joy and sweetness unto them The very possibility of Election should banish all such thoughts as these Who can tell but God may have been gracious unto thee and have fixt an eye of love upon thee Oh then breath after him pant and long for him desire him to expresse his minde to thee to communicate his love to thee Besides though thou dost not know Election will meer love do nothing Though thy God did not intend to glorifie thee yet thou shouldest intend to glorisie him Though he does not chuse thee for his Servant yet thou should'st chuse him for thy Lord. There is worth in him though there be none in thee Resolve that into what condition soever he throw thee though into Hell it self that there thou wilt love him and there thou wilt praise him and long for him that there thou wilt adore and honour him and wilt grieve only for this that thou canst honour him no more that thou wilt admire his goodness to others his justice to thee I and his goodness to thee too that layes lesse upon thee then thou deservest Such thoughts as these would make hell it self lightsom VI. As Election is secret and mysterious so Vocation may be easily known That Astrologer was deservedly laught at that was so intensely gazing upon the Stars so admiring their twinkling beauties as that unawares he tumbled into the water whereas before if he had but been pleased to look so low as the water he might have seen the Stars there represented in that Crystal glasse Such as will needs be prying into the Star that will ascend up into heaven and gaze upon Election they do but dazle their eyes and sometimes by this are overwhelmed in the depths of Satan whereas they might easily see the Stars in the water they might see Election in Sanctification in Regeneration Now Vocation does plainly and easily appear by that great and eminent alteration which it brings along with it It is a powerful Call 't is an audible and quickening voice the voice of the first Trumpet that awakens men out of the graves and makes them happy by having their part in the first Resurrection great and sudden alterations they are very discernable Now here is a most notorious and signal change made Old things are past away and all things are become new here is a change from death to life from darkness to light and what more discernable then this A living man may know that he is alive and that without any further proof or demonstration whatever the Scepticks old or new would perswade us to the contrary Will you not allow a man to be certain that he lives till a jury of life and death hath past upon him Could not the blind man in the Gospel think you perceive when his eyes were opened could he not easily tell that now he could see and discern variety of objects or must he only conjecture that he sees and guesse at a Sun-beam must he still at noon-day go groping in uncertainties And is there not an easie and sure difference between those thick veils and shadows of the night between those dark and Ethiopick looks and the virgin blushes of the morning those beautiful eye-lids of the day The smilings and flowerings out of light much more the advancement of light to its Zenith and Noon-day-glory And thy then cannot an Intellectuall eye discern as well that now it sees that now it looks upon God with an eye of love with an eye of faith with an eye of confidence and that now God looks upon him with an eye of tenderness and compassion with an eye of grace and favour with an eye of delight and approbation Who but an Anaxagoras will go about to perswade a man to disbelieve his eyes and if a corporal eye deserve such credit why may not a spiritual eye then expect as much Say not then in thine heart Who shall ascend into heaven to bring down Assurance from above who shall unclasp the Book of Life that is sealed and turn thee to thy name or who shall bring thee a Certificate that is written there Behold it is nigh thee even in thy heart The work of grace there the Law written on the tables of thine heart by the finger of the spirit is the exemplification and counterpane of that Decree the safest way the best way the only way to make sure of Election is first to make sure of thy Vocation Make your Calling and Election sure FINIS