contrarie Hence again we may know that we have claime to Christ and all that hee hath done for the Elect. For if I am not under the dominion of sinne I am under grace and the true subject of Christ even a member of his body But I plainly finde in me a rebellion against sinne within by loathing it as a body of death and a stinking carrion without by opposing it in all my actions and labouring to free my selfe not onely from subjection but from the encumbrance and molestation of it utterly to root it our as the spirituall Canaanite Certain am I therefore that Christ hath subdued sinne in me setled me in his kingdome and in his bodie Nothing can separate mee from him As it is very easie to see the soule in the body though invisible in the substance by the effects and workes of it so will it be no difficult matter to discerne the blessed Spirit dwelling in us by his many and manifest operations For as in the whole body of Christ so in every member the holy Ghost is ever working Looke as in the bodie the soule is never idle but ever in action even in swoones when we feele it not yet then it ceaseth not and though at such times wee have no sense of it yet others conversing with us evidently perceive it working for life so in the new man It is the same Spirit which worketh all in all so that when we feele it not our selves others easily see it Two maine actions of the Spirit comprehending the rest are mortification opposing resisting and working out the old man all sinfull matter in us or Vivification quickning repairing and strengthening the new man No sooner the Spirit enters but it discovers to us much ignorance and then stirres up to incline the eare unto wisedome and apply the heart to understanding the tongue to crie for knowledge and lift up the voyce for understanding When now the iâ—â—elligible part is somewhat cleared and light brought forth in this new Creation strait the dulnesse and deadnesse of the concupiscible part the will and affections is laid open Then the heart longues and the tongue calls out for quickeâ—iâ—g grace Take notice of this in the Saints Thus David begs for more light Open mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy Law Teach me O Lord the way of thy Sâ—atâ—tes Give mee understanding But now when by the grace of God in the exercise of the Word hee was growne wiser than his enemses and of more understanding than all his teachers then strait his eye was upon that sluggishnesse and deadnesse of spirit and how loud and frequent is he for quickning Quicken me according to thy Word quicken me according to thy judgement quicken me according to thy loving kindnesse how often repeated in that one Psalme Certaine is it that as wee can never in this life wholly shake off all sinfull infirmities so that blessed Spirit will never suffer us to rest in any Looke as in the earthly Canaan the Israelites untill the reigne of Salomon were never in full peace sometime vexed with Iabin of Canaan sometime with the Philistims but ever victorious Remarkable is it that ever their vexation was a sure signe of their enlargement and oppression by the enemy ushered in the destruction of the oppressor for when Israels soule was grieved with the Canaaâ—ites Gods soule was grieved for his Israel So in the state of grace till that true Salomon the Prince of peace shall fully reigne over all his and our enemies wee shall ever be in continuall strife with our sinfull corruptions first with one then with another and nothing should more fully assure us that God hath certainly purposed to cut off any sinfull affection in us then that discovering it to our eyes and giving us sense of the burden he gives us no rest that wee may give him no rest but seek importunately for helpe till we finde it subdued and destroyed in us Neither doth the blessed Spirit by his baptisme of fire onely mortifie and purge out the drosse of our sinfull nature but quickens us by that heat of life in vivification so that the soule enflamed with the thirst of grace and glory can make no stay in his race till it touch the marke with all diligence adding to faith vertue to vertue knowledge to knowledge temperance and when we are not destitute of any grace then putting us forward to grow in the grace which we have received Hence is it that even in the depth of tentation when our selves judging by sense suppose that all is lost standers by as they say see further then wee and can easily discerne this Spirit mightily working in us grieving under the load of sinne and unutterably groaning under this oppression judging our selves sighing for grace By this then may wee evidently disâ—rne the Spirit dwelling in us that we are ever in spirituall motion action and exercise sometime mortifying sometime quickning ever leading us forward to perfection See Rom. 8.11.13 14. so that we can never rest or sit downe in a contented estate till wee are fully compleat in happinesse and glory Lastly another signe whereby we may without all faile conclude that we are translated from death unto life is our love to the Brethren For certainely He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive the reward of a righteous man and hee that gives a cup of water to a Disciple in the name of a Disciple verilie hee in no wise shall lose his reward Nay this token of our love proves and makes good all the former namely that God is our Father the Lord Iesus our Saviour and we Temples of the holy Ghost For whosoever beleeveth that Iesus is the Christ is borne of God and every one that loveth him that begot loveth him also that is begotten of him And Behold let us love one another for love is of God and every one that loveth is borne of God and knoweth God Where the love of Gods children is set out by the Spirit as a sure token both of our love to God and our new birth by God Againe our Saviour appointeth it as the Badge of his Disciples By this shall all men how much more our selves know that you are my Disciples if you love one another Read also 1 Ioh. 3.23,24 This is his command that we should beleeve and love one another and he that keepeth this Commandement dwels in him and he in him And hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit he hath given us The two great commandements of the Gospell are Faith and love which when they are written in our hearts by the Spirit and he stirres us up to cleave unto our head by faith unto our fellow members by love it is manifest that we
mouth as the dissembler Ezek. 33. 31. when indeede his soule hates it at least some part of it but in thy heart He receives not the love of the truth 2 Thes. 2. 10. and therefore rejoyces not in the truth of God but in the lyes of Satan promising life without reformation but thou out of love to the Word even because it is a purifying word rejoycest in it especially that power of it whereby thy soule is washed and clensed from thine owne wickednesse The upright and dissembler both burne in zeale but thou findest thy heart angry and grieved not with some but al sins not with others only but most with thine owne whereby God is dishonored Lastly the hypocrite can thirst for Christ at sometimes when he is in the furnace as iron his heart for the present is softned but as soone as it is out of the fiery triall returnes to his hardnesse and indeed was onely troubled never changed But thou findest a deepe and unquenched thirst of Christ and his righteousnesse ever burning in thy soule so that even in the dayes of peace thy heart is ever sighing after him and esteemest him as the onely medicine for thy sicke spirit so the onely food when thon art healthy and strong In all of these may the faithfull soule easily perceive that hee hath outstript the hypocrite and left him farre behinde and is certainely entred into the true way of grace to glory CHAP. XXXII Removing that tentation which riseth from comparison with other Christians ANother ordinary tentation of Satan is when he worketh the humbled soule to compare the graces of some other with their owne and the meanes either common and equall to both or perhaps lesse to others who yet as he conceives outstrip him in grace and so to discourage and overthrow this worke of faith in him Oh sayes a dejected spirit I have had more time more seed more labour bestowed on mee farre more than such or such a Christian and yet how fruitfull are they But I how barren and bare in knowledge in faith in love c. how wonderfully have they outgrowne me But first let such a troubled heart observe that this depressing despising and condemning our selves in respect of unfruitfulnesse whereby we seeme to come short of others is an eminent grace of God unto which by promise he hath tyed all his other graces God gives grace to the â—umble And this is a certaine fruit of true humility Sâ—condly they are often deceived in their judgements For know this and remember it as a sure truth the more thou hast profited in grace and art enriched in this durable substance the more covetous will thy heart be of spirituall gifts When a worldling begins to taste the sweetnesse of earthly lucre oh how greedily doth hee thirst after it And though hee lay up treasure as dust gulp downe sinfull pleasure as water yet a dry dropâ—ie possesseth him The more he drinks the more he thirsts so is it with that soule which being weaned from this and in love with that world to come is fired with an holy and heavenly covetousnesse of spirituall riches The more he bags up of those evelasting treasures the more poore will he seeme to himselfe oh how good a signe is it when the riches of grace make thee poore in spirit when Christ speakes unto thee as somtime to the church of Smyrna I know thy tribulation and poverty but thou art rich For as it is a certaine signe that he who supposes he knowes beleeves loves much knowes nothing as hee ought to know that when we thinke we are increased in goods and want nothing then there is nothing which we want not Wee are wretched poore miserable blinde and naked so when the desires sayling to the heavenly Jerusalemâ— filled with the breath of that holy Spirit are carried so swiftly that they thinke the actions stand still and either move not or goe backeward certainly that heart which sends forth these desires is strong and fervent in the life of grace Thirdly if those whom thou thus preferrest before thy selfe were asked their opinion thou shouldst heare them heartily and earnestly professe and protest with sighes their many infirmities as farre preferring thee as thou them But withal and above all remember and apply to this purpose that common axiom That truth or substance is not capable oâ— more or lesse Suppose thy mis-conceit true that thou wert farre inferiour in grace to many who are farre younger in the life of grace than thou this hinders not but that thou hast the true life of Christ and his Spirit as well though not so full as they Neither in this life nor in the other the eldest are ever the strongest But as a childe or weake man troubled with much sicknesse hath as true and very life as hee that is strong and never tasted one sicke houre so the weake Christian held downe intentation hath as verily the life of God as they who have out-wrastled Satan and sinne and enjoy much liberty and enlargement of spirit Who doubts but that Paul after conversion though borne out of time excelled in grace many of the Apostles themselves yet were they not onely living but eminent members of Christ. Apply these things to thy soule and so cast out this wavering in spirit and those feares whiâ—h breed painfulnesse And then endevour to ground thy assurance and establish thy soule by some infallible and evident signes of thy election and â—alvation CHAP. XXXIII Containing some infallible signes of our Calling and Election MAny sure and evident markes hath the Lord Jesus Christ set upon his Sheep which as by the hand of his Spirit in the Scripture he hath graven so hath he by the same hand printed them upon us that considering our selves marked out by them we may come not onely to a probable hope but full assurance of faith that we are his chosen Flocke and Sheepe of his pasture who shall never perish never be plucked out of his and his Fathers hand Of very many I will insist onely upon some few First then read advisedly that Scripture 1 Ioh. 3. 1 2. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that wee should bee called the Sonnes of Godâ— And we know that when hee shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Hence in the first place it is evident that those whom the Father hath made children unto himselfe hee hath most dearely and everlastingly loved see also Ier. 31. 3. And againe that when wee know our filiation when wee are made Sonnes wee know also that when Christ shall appeare wee shall see him as hee is and bee glorified with him This then is cleare that when wee are children of God wee are eternally beloved by him and shal reigne with him in eternity But how shall wee know that we are made children Looke into the 9 verse of that chap.
eyes of an afflicted Spirit dimmed and deluded in the mists of Satan True it is that the Adversary and his Antichristian Popish Teachers wrest streine al their wits to perswade men that this assured knowledge of thir election and salvation by ordinary means is a dangerous nay so provdly peremptory are they without all warrant a damnable doctrine encouraging men to all presuÌ„ption fleshly liberty HeÌ„ce the CouÌ„cil of Trent fastens an anathema upon it no marvel For that subtill Serpent knowing well how much labour of love and even contention in all holy obedience what readinesse to serve and fervour in their service this certainty of Gods favour brought forth in all the Saints contrarily what uncheerefulnesse and heartlesnesse in all duty springeth from distrust and doubtfulnesse strives with all his might either utterly to roote out or much weaken this assurance of faith whereby they hold fast the profession of their hope without wavering So his false Apostles deceitfull workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ joyne issue with him as knowing this Doctrine would not only quench their Purgatory but which is worse wonderfully coole their kitchin In the Epilogue therefore and conclusion of this discourse I will very briefly as in such a subject I may lay downe and handle these three propositions First That the faithfull by ordinary revelations may attaine the certaine and infallible perswasion of their salvation by Christ. Secondly That it is a Christian duty to labour for it Thirdly That this assurance is the gift of God which every one of his children doe not presently receive nor so retaine but that the sense of it sometimes may faile them And lastly I will set downe some meanes whereby wee may secure our soules in this assurance of our happinesse which is the Sunne of al comfort First then that a faithfull Christian may by ordinary without extraordinarie revelations by visions Angels c. bee fully assured of the life of grace already in his possession and of glory certainly reserved for him will appeare first by divers cleare Testimonies of Gods word secondly by the examples of the Saints thirdly by evident reason CHAP. XXIIII Proofe of Scriptures testifying in the faithfull a possibilitie to assure their salvation by ordinarie meanes FOr the evidence of this truth consider that discourse of the Apostle 1 Cor. 2. 9,10,11,12 verses â— a place much wrested by Papists and grosly abused but as all the words of Wisedome Pro. 8. 9. plaine to him that will understand Thus you shal finde the Apostle affirme 1. That no eye hath seene eare heard or ever entered into the thought of man those things which God hath prepared for his chosen 2. God hath revealed even these things unto us by his Spirit for because no man can know the minde of man save the spirit of the man which is in him and those to whom hee unfolds himselfe in evident expressions much lesse can anie man know the things of God but the Spirit of God and they to whom that Spirit reveales theÌ„ therfore because our dull understandings cannot pierce into the secrets of God the Lord hath given us his Spirit to this very purpose that we might know the things which are given us of God Observe hence that God doth not only preordaine his children unto glory such as eye hath not seene c. but by a second gift of his Spirit manifesteth this his decree unto them which blessed Spirit openeth their eyes to discerne this grace bestowed not on otheâ—s onely but themselves To this testimony in the next place adjoyne that also in the Rom. 8. 15,16,17 which will both cleare and much confirme the former You have not received the spirit of bondage to feare againe but you have received th Spirit of adoption whereby wee cry Abba Father The Spirit himselfe beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God and if children then heires heires of God and joynt heires with Christ. Where marke a double grace and gift of God 1. That dignity and unspeakeable honor of being children and heires to himselfe and joynt heires with Christ which is conferred on all the faithfull not onely Apostle and others of eminent gifts and place in the Church but commonly on all those true Beleevers at Rome 2. That Spirit of bondage cauâ—ing feare is cast our and the Spirit of adoption even the Spirit of God is given themâ— but to what end even to witnes unto thâ—ir consciences that they are sonnes and heires of God and joynt heirs with Christâ— Now this is such a witnesse as neither can deceive or be deceived and this Testimony of the Apostle so cleare that even the great Cardinall the late Champion of Rome hath no shift for any defence which every childs eye will not easily pierce through Take a third from 2 Cor. 5. 1. Wee kâ—ow if this earthlie house of our Tabernacle were dissolved wee have a building of God not made with hands but eternall iâ— the heavens For in this wee groane earnestly desiring to bee cloothed upon with our house which is from heaven And in the 9 ver the Spirit gives us this reason For wee walke by faith not â—y sight where as the Apostle speaketh generally of the faithfull so also he mentioneth no conjecture no ghesse or flickering earthly hope but a plaine evident knowledge full of heavenly confidence even groaning in desire of dissolution that so they may bee cloathed upon And how commeth this knowledge by some extraordinary revelation no walking by faith not by sight and sense Lastly not to be as were very easie too copious in a matter often cleared see that testimony of another Apostle 1 Iohn .3 1 2. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that wee should be called the sonnes of God c. Therefore the world knoweth us not because it knew him not Beloved now are wee the sonnes of God and it doth not yet appeare what we shall be but wee know when hee shall appeare wee shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Carefully attend the Apostle Hee magnifies the wonderfull love of God and calleth us out with joy and admiration to take view of it especially in two effects 1. The glorious dignity to which he preferreth us namely To be his children 2. The manifestation of this our happy estate not indeed to the world which thinketh us the most abject of creatures but to our owne consciences so that we now perceive our selves to be children and though yet wee know not the parcels and particulars of that excellent estate untill wee come to enjoy it yet so much already we know not ghesse that when Christ appeareth wee shall appeare with him in glorie and be like unto him by that beatificall vision of God seeing him face to face Adde onely to this a further confirmation from the mouth of the same Spirit by the hand of the same Pen-man
1 Ioh. 4. 16. And wee have knowne and beleeved the love that God hath to us Knit it to the former and how strongly will it binde up our hearts in this point of faith Behold saith he and admire the fatherly love of God to us poore abjects in the world hee hath made us children despised indeed by worldly men but by himselfe so magnified that when Christ appeares wee shall also appeare with him in glorie and be eternally happy in beholding his face This love hee hath testified this Testimonie wee have knowne and attained this knowledge by faith To which very end I have wrote this whole Epistle That you may know you have eternall life See 1 Ioh. 5.13 CHAP. XXV Further confirmation from the examples of the Saints and testimonies of the Ancient LEt us looke now to the evidence which riseth from the examples of the Saints to the testimony of our predecessors the ancient Doctors in the Christian Church How transparently doth this confidence and assurance of faith shine forth in the practice of the faithful Upon what grounds could Abraham so readily forsake his own native Covntry his fathers house so cheerfully confesse himself a sojorner in the earthly Canaan so earnestly look for an heavenly habitations so obediently sacrifice his onely sonne in whom were shut up all the promises but from this assurance of faith What was it in Moses that caused him to refuse the adoption of Pharaoh but the knowledge of his adoption by God What made the reproach of Christ more glorious in his eyes than all the treasures of AEgypt but this respect to the recompence of the reward of which had hee not a full assurance hee could not so easily have left as we say a bird in the hand for two in the bush What was it that hardened his heart and steeled it against the rage of the King to cut through all impediments but this assurance of Gods favour But had these Saints in this point no extraordinary revelations What testifies the Spirit By faith they did all these things that faith which made them acknowledge not onely that God is but that he is a rewarder of all that diligently seeke him Read Heb. 11. Whence sprung all those confident speeches of Iob in the midst of a very hell in earthly misery He shall be saith that holy Patient hee shall be my salvation I know I shall bee justified Himselfe points out the fountaine whence he drew these strong comforts Though hee slay me yet will I trust in him Iob 13 15. 16.18 Whence also hee undauntedly averres I know not the Redeemer generally of the faithfull but that my Redeemer liveth and I shall see him I shall enjoy that beatificall sight of God for my selfe How boldly doth David professe Thou shalt guide me by thy Counsell and after receive me to glorie And againe Wherefore should I feare in the daies of evill when the wickednesse of my heeles compasse mee But these examples are verie frequent and every where meete us in the paths of holy Scripture Unto this practice of the Saints let us annex some authorities of the ancient Fathers in the Church who no doubt spoke from their knowledge and feeling Hilar. in Mat. c. 5. The Lord will have us hope for the kingdome of heaven without anie wavering of an inconstant will Otherwise there is no justification by faith if faith it selfe be doubtfull So Chrysostome in Rom. Hom. 9. We boast or glorie saith the Apostle That thou maist know what minde he must have who hath pledged his faith to God For hee must not onelie have a full perswasion of those things which he hath received but of those which are to come as if alreadie given him For a man glorieth of that which hee alreadie possesseth Because therefore our hope is as firme of future things as of present therefore saith he we rejoice or glorie of these as of the other But to omit many other verily that of Bernard who lived in the very darkenesse and almost midnight of Popery is not to be neglected Thus he writes in Annunc ser. 1. It is necessary for thee first to beleeve that thou canst have no pardon of sinne but by Gods indulgence c. Lastly that thou canst not dâ—serve by any workes the kingdome of heaven but that it also must be freely given But these are not sufficient they are but the beginnings and foundations of faith If therefore thou beleevest that thy sinnes cannot be forgiven but by him against whom they are committed thou dost well But to this adde yet further that thou beleeve this also namely that thy sinnes by him are forgiven This is the testimonie of the holy Spirit who witnesseth unto our hearts saying Thy sinnes are forgiven thee Thus the Apostle determineth that a man is justified by faith freely So thou must also have the testimonie of the same Spâ—rit that thou by the gift of God shalt attaine eternall life Thus farre Bernard Adde to these some reason for further confirmation and so we will finish this point It cannot bee denyed that true faith may ordinarily apprehend by infallible certainty any promise which God hath revealed For this is by all confessed to bee the very end of faith that wee might bee certainely perswaded without doubting of Gods promises But God hath promised to every true Beleever eternall life as cannot be denyed Ioh. 5.24 c. and hath many wayes confirmed his promise by oath seales earnest hence it must necessarily follow that the faithfull may bee infallibly assured of their salvation and glory But some here object Indeed if men could surely know that they had true faith then they might be surely perswaded but how should they come to this knowledge Certainly that we may attain this knowledge power of discerning our faith is not only apparent by that sentence of the Apostle exhorting the Corinthians to prove and examine their faith but by sense also and every mans experience when I beleeve an able man promising mee any kindnesie I know and even feele that I beleeve him So that weake beleever could even from sense say I beleeve helpe my unbeliefe But some object further The promise say they is only generall we have no particular promise Thou Peter or Iohn shalt be saved therefore no sufficient warrant to apply that generall promise to our selves in particular But this is both fond and false For as every man hath a particular command in the generall precept where God chargeth al men to beleeve obey feare there he chargeth every one singly Thou Peter Iohn shalt beleeve c. So hath everie singular person a speciall promiâ—e to himselfe beleeving in the generall where glory is promised unto every Beleever CHAP. XXVI That it is everie Christians dutie to labour for this assurance AS now it is sufficiently cleared that the faithfull by the ordinary revelation of the holy Ghost in the Word may grow up by
acquit him How can a man bee heartily thankefull to God for Christ and blesse him for such a gift when he is altogether in doubt whether he hath any portion in his meditation how can he poure out his soule in blessing the Lord Jesus for his love and fruits of it when he is uncertaine whether he shall be built upon or dasht against this rocke What strong consolation can arise from a wavering opinion or flickering hope whether the Lord hath appointed us unto glory with himselfe or torment with the divell Secondly that which God offereth us in his Word confirms by oath conveies by his seales and above all the rest unchangeably assureth by his Spirit as a very pledge and eaâ—nest unto this end that estate not onely is firme and irrevocable but ought with all laborious endevor and vehement contention be sought and made fast and sure upon us Now it is most apparent that by all these meanes the Lord offereth the assurance of salvation to the faithfull and offereth them to this very end that they might bee stablished in the assurance of his gracious purpose as even in earthly covenants wâ—itings oathes â—eales pawnes are given for no other purpose but to confirme the intent of the giver and the state of the receiver Be this then throughly setled in us that we ought to give all diligence to make our election and calling sure CHAP. XXVII That this assurance is the gift of God the feeling of it sometimes with-held sometimes with-drawne from the faithfull LAstly that this full perswasion of faith assuring our election and salvation is the gift of God cannot be denied and therefore shall not neede any copious or exact proofe For we all know and acknowledge that everie good and perfect gift is from above and commeth downe from the Father of lights with whom is no variablenesse nor shadow of turning Among which gifts even the Giver himselfe is the chiefe and the very summe of all the rest namely that blessed Spirit given by the Father Ioh. 14. 16. who testifieth to our spirits that we are Sonnes of God and Heires with the Lord Jesus Christ and who bringerh with him as wel that gift of faith 1 Cor. 12. 9. and the fulnesse of it as also that spiritual life and sense whereby wee see and feele the exâ—ellent things which are given us by God things which eye hath not seene eare hâ—th not heard nor ever entred into the heart of man Secondly as it is manifest that it is the gift of God so is it as apparent that it is not given at all times to all Beleevers For first when wee are new borne Babes wee finde our faith so farre from any full assurance that others discerne our life in our earnest longings after the Word and our fervent desires that wee could beleeve rather than our selves in feeling that wee doe beleeve For whereas it is impossible to come to any assurance of our salvation without a spirit of discerning whereby being able to try things that differ wee can examine and prove our faith in God and love to his Saints and so come to the knowledge of our dwelling in Christ and that wee are translated from death to life this spirit of discerning is not ordinarily given to Infants in understanding Looke as the Children of great Princes yet in their infancy much rejoyce in their costly Robes Coronets c. but have not yet discretion to gather thence their Noble parentage and dignity to which they are borne so Christian Babes though they see themselves richly adorned with those heavenly graces of God and doe not a little rejoyce in the preseut estate which they feele yet cannot in this their infancy by a reflected act of the judgement gather thence their sure title and claime to all those precious promises of God and their future glorie which depend on the former Secondly yet further when the children of God 〈…〉 up to sâ—me maâ—u 〈…〉 yeâ— iâ— pleaseth the Lord as for many reasons best knowne to his owne wisedome so certainly for his own glory in them and their glory in him to exercise them with many temptations and manifold trials so that being encumbred with much wrastling against unbeleefe and other corruptions they cannot for the present attaine this certainty But when the eye of faith is strengthned and these mists of tentation over-blowne the faithfull soule seeth cleerely the love of God in Christ by his holy Spirit leading him to salvation and evidently discernes his everlasting happinesse sealed up to his soule in the new Covenant And yet even then wee are subject to lose though not the favor of God yet the sense of his favour and consequently that comfortable perswasion of our eternal life For as some men by much neglect of seasonable refreshings decay in bodily strength and livelinesse of spirit and some other by great distemper fall into sicknesse and weaknesse so the strongest Christian who could say as David Though I walk through the shadow of death I will feare no euill for thou art with me Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow me all the daies of my life yet either by neglect or coldnes in the means Word Prayer c. or by some grievous sinne may finde that joy of his salvation utterly hidden and clouded as did also that holy Prophet Psal. 51.12 after he had committed that foule sinne upon Vriah and his wife CHAP. XXVIII What meanes must be used for obtaining this assurance SUrely the land of Canaan was the glory of al lands that garden of God which he had allotted and bequeathed to Abraham Isaac Iacob and their seed even to his owne deare children on earth As a father therfore intending some portion for his beloved childe will build plant furnish and adorne it with all commodious helps convenient pleasures for his good so the Lord cared for this land his eyes were continually upon it from the beginning of the yeere to the ending Hence as it flourished with Corne Balme Oyle c. so was it watered with showers and flowing Rivers of Milke Wine and Hony yet was this earthly but a darke shadow of that heavenly Canaan which land of eternall life the Lord legacâ—ed onely to his heires even the joynt-heires with Christ. How rich therefore is it in glory how ravishing in divine pleasures If the outward courts of heaven dazle the strongest eye with surpassing beautie and brightnesse Oh what is the inward retiring and Presence of that great King How unspeakeably how incomprehensibly bright and glorious No marvell then if the Children of God having tasted some fruits of this heavenly Countrey labour for full assurance in the conveyance of this purchased possession Now then in the next and last place let us consider by what meanes a Christian may attaine this security and finde his soule firmely instated and setled in it Verily as in the material so is it in this spiritual building hee