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
you will see that it does much tend to assurance and has some vicinity with it There 's a double act of faith as the most acute Ames observes 1. The actus primus by which I believe in Christ for the remission of my sins and justifying of my person which is properly justifying faith 2. Actus ex fide emanans by which I believe that my sins are remitted which does necessarily presuppose the former act for thou hast no more reason to believe that thy sins are remitted which does necessarily presuppose the former act for thou hast no more reason to believe that thy sins are remitted then any other till thou hast first received Christ for the Remission of thy sins And this is contained in the Article of the Creed I believe the remission of sins not only in general for this the Devils believe and yet tremble but the Christian peculiarizes it and drawes sweetness out of it I believe the forgiveness of my sins And of this latter 't is meant that fidelis certus esse potest certitudine fidei de Remissione peccatorum Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sweet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and holy security of spirit for Assurance is nothing but apex fidei the highest degree of faith And 't is the speech of Aquinas Quicunque habet scientiam vel fidem certus est se habere nam de ratione fidei est ut home sit certus dei his quorum habet fidem Faith does of its own accord raise and advance it self to Assurance and that by reason of the applying and appropriating vertue which is in it 'T is faiths Idiom my Lord and my God by a sweet Monopoly it engrosses all to its self and yet leaves enough for others Now a man that strongly grasps a Jewel in his hand knowes that he has it The hand of faith layes hold on Christ and knowes that it receives him so the want of Assurance in a beleever does meerly flow from the weakness of faith for though it be true that to beleeve and to know that I beleeve be two distinct acts yet this you must know and observe that the strength and clearness of a direct act will necessarily infer a reflex act Those truths which I do clearly and evidently know I also know that I know them And that which I strongly beleeve I know that I beleeve it So the want of assurance comes from the imbecility of Faith And the Papists that place faith only in a meer assent may well deny assurance for they take away that clasping and closing power by which it should unite its self with its object 3. From the nature of the promises for this is the drift of the promises as 't is Heb. 6.18 that the heirs of promise might have strong consolation Now a believer can have but weak and unstable comfort without Assurance What if all the clusters of Canaan were laid on an heap What if all the Cordials of the Gospel were strained into one cup were the soul any thing the better if it must only tantalize see them and want them What sweetness can a Christian draw from a promise till he knowes that it belongs unto him Will this inrich a man to know that there are Pearls and Diamonds in the world Will this satisfie a fainting Israelite to know that there is a Canaan a land that flowes with milk and honey although it may be he shall ne're come neer 't Nay is it not a greater sting and vexation for the soul to think I know there are pure fountains and pleasant streams but yet I may die with thirst ther are spiritual dainties and precious delicacies but I am not sure to have one taste of them many a promise looks with a pleasant and propitious eye but 't is not fixt upon my soul so that take away a Christians interest and propriety in a promise and what becomes of his consolation God hath given his word his oath his seal his earnest and all to this very end that a poor Christian may be assured of his salvation that he might have a strong and vigorous consolation so that to deny him this is to annihilate the word of God to frustrate the oath of God to evacuate the seal of God and as much as in them lies to make him lose his earnest and to leave the soul in an intricate and perplext condition 4. From the nature of Christian hope there 's a vast difference between the Moralists hope and that which is the Theological grace and yet this is scarce took notice of they require these three ingredients into the object of hope that it must be 1. bonum 2. futurum 3. incertum but Christian hope is certain and infallible it looks upon good as to come and as certain to come indeed 't is nothing but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Clem. Alexand. elegantly blood running in the veins of Faith if hopes expire Faith will presently bleed to death That good which Faith sees Hope waits for Faith eyes it as present but yet at a distance and hope tarries for it till it come Christian hope is nothing but a waiting and expectation of a certain good you have a pregnant text for this in Heb. 6.19 Which hope we have as an Anchor of the soul both sure and steadfast Hope were but a poor Anchor if it should leave the soul to the courtesie of a wave to the clemency of a Rock to the disposing of a storm Hope were but a weak Anchor if it should let the soul be lost with uncertainties if it should leave it in danger of shipwrack I but this Anchor is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it pierces within the vail it will be sure to have fast hold 't will fix upon heaven it self upon the sanctum sanctorum See another Rom. 5.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now that 's a poor glory to triumph in uncertainties to tryumph before the victory little cause of joy and exaltation till the soul be provided for eternity I can tell you the very possibility of being damned is enough to extinguish joy so that till the soul come to be in a safe condition safe for all eternity and till it know it self to be in this safe condition 't is so far from being joyful as that it cannot tell how to be quiet A probable hope will bear up and support the soul a door of hope in the valley of Achor but it will not quiet and satisfie the soul The least dawning of hope in the initials of grace does mightily cherish and encourage the soul O how pleasant are the eye-lids of the morning how welcom is the day-break after a dark and disconsolate night Nay the very possibility of being saved was that which first drew us all to look after heaven the very consideration that there was Balme in Gilead But the weary soul will ne're rest here the Dove will ne're take this for an Ark
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
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