the evils that will follow if you will not follow these directions 2. Others from the good that will come if you will come to labour for this Assurance 1. As for the evils You will live 1. In continual doubts 2. In continual fears and sorrows 1. You will live in continual doubts and question even every thing as whether ye did not all that ever ye did in Hypocrisie whether your love be true your conversion true your godliness true and especially you will doubt of your Faith whether that be true saving Faith * Nam fidel is non est nisâ— qui suae salutis securitati innixus Diabolo morti confidenter insultet quomo do doceinur Rom. 8.38 Calv. Inst l. 3. c. 2. s 16. yea or no because so few have it and because so much temporary and hypocritical Faith is going where give me leave to dwell a little while because I hear most doubting Christians call their Faith mostly in question And because those two kinds of Faith carry men so far as they do and thereby raise such doubts As 1. The Temporary carry men so far as to make them hear the word even with jâ—y Luke 8.13 Oh! me-thought saith the Temporary I was even ravished when I heard such a Sermon 2. It maketh men to be not hearers only but doers also of many things both in their Families and apart even to admiration Mark 6.20 St. Basil knew such a Temporary at Jerusalem * Basil Epist mihi p. 515. who for a time lived so strictly as that he did even admire him for he had fasted so often as that he had brought himself to nothing almost but skin and bones and counted the greatest wealth as dung and watered his cheeks with rivers of tears and walked as he thought with God day and night in brief lived so solitarily and retiredly as if he had cared for no earthly creature and yet at last fell not only off but also in love with a strange woman having forsaken his own wife and I do not read in the same Basil of his recoverie at all and this and the like examples cannot but make any man who wants this Assurance to tremble and doubt So the hypocritical I mean the sturdie Hypocrites faith * Famous Mr. Hooker as Divines call it Good Lord how far it carrieth 1. It brings him to a great deal of sorrow being * Matt. 13.22 thorny ground and having his thorns in him that is pricking sorrows and troubles of mind The Temporary saith he is deceived for he came easily by his faith he was never much troubled before it or about it he believed by and by but mine cost me dear and the truth is such a Hypocrite commonly hath sorrow enough for the quantitie of it though not enough for the quality or uprightness because everie valley is not filled according to Luke 3.5 though he himself like a high Mountain was thrown cast down by a soul-piercing Sermon there being a hollow false heart left in him 2. It makes him even to trade with Christ and that much too like that * Mat. 19.16 17 18 19 20 21 22. young man who also was so sorrowful and had so much talk with Christ about his salvation and made as if he would do much by Christ's perswasion though not to the losing hand upon any terms but only so far and to so much as will suit with his estate and occasions 3. Nay it will carry him out even unto suffering for saith he the Temporarie cozeneth himself for he is * Mat. 13.21 offended yields and ‖ De quo Socrates l. 3. c. 1. Ezebolius-like complies by and by * Luk. 8.13 and is gone but I scorn to do so I will stand it out to the last though I die for it See 1 Cor. 13.3 how a man may give his bodie to be burnt and yet want Charitie and so consequently true saving faith which works by love Gal. 5.6 Beloved there is a Rule in Logick Those disjunct Propositions both parts whereof are true the whole must needs be true if either part be false then the Proposition must be false Now here both parts are true I may give my bodie to be burnt and yet want Charitie so a man may suffer and yet want faith Ergo. For there be many things in mans heart that he will rather die than yield as Pride Obstinacie self-wildness sturdiness and the like This this maketh men doubt so and doubt they will till by the use of means formerly prescribed they gain that Assurance which is here required and therefore get it O by all meanâ— get it my dearly beloved for how long will ye doubt so 2. You will live in continual fear and heaviness for you are whilst you want this Assurance in darkness and see no light Isa 50.10 the Hebrew is brightness which is more than light and seemeth to allude to the brightness of God's countenance which a child of God walking in darkness and wanting this Assurance cannot see Now when a man walketh in darkness you know what a sad fearful man he is because he can see no light every man that he meets he takes to be an enemie everie voice he hears he thinks to be the voice of Robbers everie step he makes he fears will make him fall so when men are not assured of their salvation and of God's favour how sad and fearful are they everie Scripture almost they meet with they take to be against them everie step of theirs to be a step into hell everie glimpse of comfort to be a delusion of the Devil and so they live the sorrowfullest the dismallest the disconsolatest life that poor creatures can live living in a continual fear of death of Devils and of hell fire which burns for ever It hath been my own case when I wanted this assurance I was afraid to be alone and afraid of Satan because of his buffetings and so will you be or are alreadie O my brethren the tongue of man is hardly able to express the sorrow the fear the perplexity that a poor doubting Christian is in whilst he wants this Assurance and cannot see the light of the Lord's countenance when he looks upon his Wife if he have any his Children his Goods wherein others take a world of comfort he saith what comfort can I take in them who cannot be assured at all as others are of the favour of God which is better than ten wives ten sons nay 10 thousand worlds when he looks upon his meat and drink he saith what good can all this good meat sweet drink do to me who have no assurance at all that ever I shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob and drink of that new sweetest wine which they drink of in the Kingdom of God When he looks upon his bodie he saith O how will this bodie of mine be able to dwell in that flaming fire and how O how will
see them I see them but what must I do to escape them Believ Looking beyond them with the eie of Faith upon the word of truth in general and applying the Word of Promise in special Soul But that is very large and therefore how can I see it all or appropriate it when I am suddenly assaulted Believ nor is it necessary that one do make use of all at once and therefore at this time chuse but one threatning and one promise for instance Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye thorow the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live and then imagine 3 several habitations a high a low a middle the high is the House of God called Heaven the low Hell the middle this world the two extreams are quite contrary one to the other but the middle is somewhat like to both for in it is light and darkness heat and cold sickness and health sadness and gladness hatred and love good and bad just and unjust Lords and servants rule and subjection death and life whereof one part doth emblematize Heaven the other Hell for in this world there is a mixture of good and bad but in Heaven are none bad but all good in Hell none good but all bad and of the men of the world some are elevated and lifted up on high into Heaven others are drawn and thrown down into Hell for like and like are to be joined good with good bad with bad just men with just Angels and transgressing men with Angels transgressing the servants of God with God the servants of Satan with Satan Think on this O my soul when thou seest Satans snares before thee and believe verily that as living in the world thou seest the image and similitude both of Heaven and Hell before thee even light and darkness life and death so they which live after the flesh fulfilling the lusts and doing the works of the flesh shall never inherit the Kingdom of God and that they which mortify and overcome them shall certainly be emparadised translated into that highest habitation and * 2 Cor. 5.1 house eternal in the Heavens where there is light without darkness health without sickness gladness without sadness love without hatred good and just inhabitants only and none bad satiety and fulness even of joy and pleasures without famine and life without death even life for evermore Doest thou believe this O my soul Soul I do believe it Believ Then consider whether thou oughtest not to avoid all the foresaid snares mortifying the flesh with all the lusts and affections therefore that thou maiest live and not die for ever Soul So I will by Gods help But you said that I must apply also the word of promise in special what do ye mean by that Believ Thou must assure thy self that thou in particular shalt live forever and be Angelized in case thou subdue and mortifie thy corrupt nature and resist Satans tyranny look up therefore O my Soul and possess thy self as it were of Heaven by faith and thou shalt easily overcome the earth Soul I do now understand you therefore I lift up my self as well as I am able and beholding as it were the place ordained and prepared for me I salute it as the Patriarchs saluted * Hebr. 11.13 the promises when by faith they saw them saying O Jerusalem Jerusalem whose * Revel 21.21 streets are of gold and gates of pearls how pleasant and how beautiful art thou Glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God for in thee there is nothing but light and joy and bliss and blessedness and sweetness and comfort and peace and life even life vital life beatifical life immortal life eternal without spot without dolor without Anxity without corruption change or perturbation O sweet O quiet O blessed life O life of lives O life angelical Oâ— thee also O new Heavenly Jerusalem there is no adversary to oppose no sin to Intice no fear but love no Night but only day no Sun but instead of it the Son of God himself the Son of righteousness blessed for ever And therefore farewel all earthly Pleasures Profits Honours For they be but as dung and dirt and shadows and dreams in comparison of that * Hebr. 10.34 induring substance that * 2 Corinth 4.17 Psal 16.11 et ernal weight of glory and those surpassing pleasures which are of the right hand of God for evermore The third Conference like the former The 3. Solilâ—quie BEliev. I perceive that now thou art quite chang'd O my Soul For whereas in formeâ— times thou hast been much disquieted now thou art very calm and quiet or rather secure Soul So I am Believ How comes this to pass Soul I have felt so much comfort lately as that upon it I did even joy too much and promised my self too much peace and tranquility which caused me to seek out for humane Consolations and Contentments at last as being too inordinately disirous to live comfortably still whereas I should rather have fitted my self for new * Quouiam transibit hora illa sequetur tentatiâ— Tho. a Kempis de imit Chrifli l. 2. c. 9. temptations this as now I see is the cause of my security Believ So it is and therefore rowze up thy self O my Soul and look about thee For neither Satan is asleep nor the flesh quite dead but both are coming on with renewed strength and therefore we must resist them by faith Soul How by faith Believ In this case of security I see no fitter weapon to be used by faith than the sight and serious consideration of hellish torments compared with Heavenly joyes that so being afraid of the one and inflamed with a desire of the other thou mayest resist Satan and avoid sin unto which now thou art more prone than thou hast been in times past for security brings Licenciousness and much imbecility Soul I like this well and therefore make choice of one apt Subject or other whereon I may now muse and meditate Believ Me thinks that fearful place in Matth. 24.51 against Hypocrites whose portion shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth will in this thy case be very seasonable Soul So it will be for one may well suspect himself to be but an Hypocrite when he is so secure as I am now being apt to yeild to any temptation Believ Mark then O my Soul the two Principal punishments of Hell here in extinguible heat and intollerable cold for of * Aug. de Tripl habit l. c. 2. heat comes weeping of cold gnashing of teeth whence result innumerous sorts of punishments to be endured in that siery lake even intollerable thirst the punishment of hunger the punishment of horror the punishment of fear the punishment of anguish add dolor without remedies bonds without any solution vengeance without end all which grievous Punishments do accompany the two foresaid principles
A Cluster of sweetest GRAPES FOR SAINTS Brought from the Heavenly Canaan OR The Saints Assurance gotten and to be had in this Life by the several means specified in this Tract upon 1 Pet. 1.9 And fifteen Soul-solacing Conferences with Christ touching Sins and the World's Conquest according to the high and noble Art of fighting the great fight of Faith 1 Tim. 6.12 Fitted for all such gracious Souls as do most heartily desire to see the death of their strong and mighty corruptions a thorow victory gotten over this vile and troublesome World By Christopher Jelinger M. A. LONDON Printed in the year 1664. Epigramma Authoris Auspicatorium ad JESVM CHRISTVM REGEM REGVM Dominum suum Clementissimum CHrist◠Decus Coeli Coelorum Gloria Christe Unica Progenies ex Deitate Patris Adveniat nobis Regnum quod nomine Coeli Scripturae dicunt adveniatque salus Monstretur nobis facies tua Maxime Regum Et tendat sursum quicquid ad ima ruit Adveniat quoque laeta Canan quae dulcia semper Tundit mella probis angelicisque viris Tempora decedant quibus heu FIDUCIA nobi◠Defuit veniant tempora grata Tuis Adveniat nova Lux veniant Saturnia Saec'la Quae exhilarent Sanctos Optime Christe tuos Accedatque piis FIDUCIA Magna salutis Et gustent Justi gaudia magna Poli Adveniat cunctis etiam sperantibus in te Fons vitae semper dulcibus Uber aquis Ambrosios libent Coelesti è Nectare Rores Qui Coelum sitiunt justitiamque Dei Adveniat porro Coelestis Musica Christe Et nos nunc recreent Jubila Grata Poli Quae nec Julaeae voces nec tibia possit Musica Cyrrhaeis assimilare Modis Et te collaudent spes O fidissima Mundi Omnia quae existunt Lux Polus arva fretum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the truly Vertuous Lady the Lady Margaret Courtney Grace Peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ MADAM I Cannot but be mindful of you also in the publishing of my several Treatises Your gracious carriage and good report which you have among good and gracious people and your exemplary forwardness to come to our Lectures when they were up and the great respect which I have and fervent love which I bear to your Noble Family since I came first acquainted with it hath in a manner constrained me so to do and by name to dedicate unto you these Soul-solacing Conferences with Christ which I have penn'd and upon the earnest request of others published for the good of all such gracious souls as do desire no better talk than such as is contained in one of these Books and doubtless is most pleasing to Christ Christ you know did soon draw near to those * Luk. 24.15 Emauntish Pilgrims who did but talk of him and therefore much more will not be far from us also if we shall not only talk so of him but also with him especially when he shall see that we do most heartily desire to see the death of our sins and to live above this vile and evil world as Conqueror of it and not conquered by it Oh! that doth his very heart good and therefore how Oh how should we confer and talk and commune with him about it even day and night that we may oppose it with all our might prospering and prevailing against it to our souls delight Madam Christ will be exceeding glad of our talk if we shall so talk with him as here we are taught of the conquest of this world that we may reign with him in the other world His heavenly Highness therefore gives us hearts to speak as we ought to speak that after we have spoken with him here we may be spoken unto by him hereafter to triumph with him for ever So prayeth Your most humble servant in Christ Christopher Jelinger To the Worshipful THOMAS REYNEL Esq And Justice of the Peace Grace and Mercy be multiplyed WORSHIPFVL MAay it please you to give me leave to dedicate and to present this little Tract of The Saints Assurance unto you as to a Person so enobled with Grace as that by God's Grace enabling you I hope you wil not only Patronize it but also promote my grand design in it which is to stir up all that shall read it to the gaining of the said Assurance thorow Gods assistance Worthy Sir you see what a Subject I am faln upon even a Subject which will subject our fears eject our doubts and deject all adverse powers which in the want of this Assurance are wont illaqueate our very intellects to captivate our wills and to subjugate all the powers of our souls Souls therefore will never do well till they be heavened with it for my part when I take a full circle of my self and a thorow view of my condition do find without it my very being to be a burden my life a * Sustaining the loss of the light of God's countenance loss my heart a hell for Oh the hellish horrors that a man shall feel in his heart when this Assurance is far from his heart But when it is in it O what a glad man is he Heaven being in his heart his heart in Heaven Oh Sir what a Heaven what a Paradise what a beatitude did circumscribe that holy * Father when St. Hierom as he writes of himself he was as it were in medio Angelorum choro in the very midst of the quire of Angels hearing them sing as he was in Eremo in a Wilderness and may not we be so too yes verily if we would but labour as we ought for this Assurance treading into the Vestigaes or footsteps of those blessed Hebrews who were so assured of their salvation and eternal bliss according to that memorable expression of the Apostle Heb. 10.34 Knowing mark knowing in your selvs that you have in Heaven a better and more enduring substance for then as they thereby were so we thereby shall come to the innumerable company of Angels c. Heb. 12.22 Confess I must that it is as hard a thing to acquire and to gain this Assurance as any thing I know in the world and you know Sir how the Church of Rome doth fulminate and thunder out her * Council Trid. sess 6. c. 9. 16. Anathema's against us for maintaining this Assurance to be had in this life but I am not discouraged from this treating on it by either for against the one I know that I am defensated and born up by God's never-failing Truth against the other by his power and therefore I say for all this let us O let us labour and labour hard because our work is so hard strive as for life to be perswaded in our hearts that without fail and doubt we shall enter into life Life here is sweet but that above is sweeter the Assurance of it the sweetest thing in all this world's circumference for when a man hath