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A40683
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A sermon of assurance Foureteene yeares agoe preached in Cambridge, since in other places. Now by the importunity of friends exposed to publike view. By Thomas Fuller B.D. late lecturer in Lombard Street.
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Fuller, Thomas, 1608-1661.
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1647
(1647)
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Wing F2458; ESTC R215136
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16,800
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39
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many of them testifie the truth of that Minor Proposition namely the sincerity of their faith and repentance The third and last witnesse we will insist on is that comfort and contentment the Conscience of the party takâ—…s in doing good works and bringing forth the fruits of new obedience That though hee knowes his best good works are stained with corruptioâ—…s and many imperfections yet because they are the end of his vocation and the Justifiers of his Faith because thereby the Gosâ—…ell is graced wicked men amazed some of them converted the rest confounded weake Christians confirmed the poore relieved Devils râ—…pining at them Angels rejoycing for them God himselfe glorified by them I say because of these and other reasons he doth good deeds with hâ—…mility and cheerefulnesse and findeth a singular joy in his soule resulting from the doing thereof This joy is an excellent witnesse to depose the truth of his Faith and repentance and to confirme the Minor in the former Syllogisme See here though good works on just ground were excluded our Text yet in due time and their proper places wee have entertained them in our sermon If good workes offer to crowd into our justification let us be so bold as to shut the doore against them But if wee have any to come iâ—…to our sanctification thereby also to aveâ—…re and attest the truth of our Faith and Repentance let us say to them as Laban to Jacob why stand yee without come in yee blessed of the Lord And this joy conceived from the good workes men doe is the more pure the more private the more sincere the more secretly it is carried I shall ever commend the modesty of Elisabeth who aâ—…ter long barrennesse finding her self with child did not publish her happinesse to the veiw of the world but hid her self three â—…oneths If after too long sterility in goodnesse thou perceivest thy self at last by God's grace pregnant in pious workes vent not thy good successe in the Market-place doe not boast and bragge thereof in discourse to others but bee contented to enjoy the solid comfort thereof betwixt God and thy owne conscience Soâ—… much for the thâ—…ee witnesses to confirme the truth of the Minor All that I shall adde is this let us who are or should bee schollars take heed whom our parents or friends have bred at the Fountaines of Learning and Religion till our portions are almost shrunke into our Education Let us take heed least silly simple pâ—…ople who never read Aristotle's Organon never knew how to mould Argument in mood and figure make this Syllogisme true in their hearts by their supernaturall Logicke whilest we with all our wit and 〈◊〉 learning make at the best but a Soloecisme aâ—…d thereby put a dangerous fallacy upon our owne soules But heere wee must propound and answer some objections the resolution whereof may tend both to our instruction and comfort The first is this whether all the servants of God now living and in the state of grace are for the present assured of their Calling and Election So that if instantly arrested to pay their debt to nature they are as confident of their souls mounting up to heaven and happinesse as of their bodies falling downe to dust and corruption Wee divide the congregation of God's servants now surviving into rankes First * Mnasons old disciples seniour proâ—…essors of 〈◊〉 * Hannah's which have lived many yeares in the Temple serving God with â—…asting and Prayers night and day These by frequent acts have contracted a habit of Piety Gâ—…ace by custome is made another nature unto them especially towards the latter end of their liues partly because their soules do steale a Glymps Glance or Pisgah-sight of heaven through the Clefts and Chinkes of their Age or sicknesse-broken-bodies and partly because as all motion is swiftest the neerest it comes to the Center So they the neerer they draw by deaâ—…h to heaven God's Spirâ—…t and all goodnesse groweth more quick and active in them Of tâ—…ese wee say that it is often observed God deales so graciously with thâ—…m as to crowne their endeavors with an assurance of salvation To such I may adde those whom I may call young-old-Christians whose profession of Christ though short hath beene thick though young in yeares yet they have not onely done but suffered for Christ Religion hath cost them deare they have not only been summered but wintered in piety have not onely passed prosperity but have been acquainted with adversity therein Great travelors in Christianity which have cut the line and have passed the Torrid Zone of Persecution and which is more of a wounded conscience These also God may admit into the former forme and out of his undeserved mercy reward them with the Assurance of their salvation But all starres which shâ—…ne in heaven are not of the first greatnesse neither are all of David's worthies to bee equalled with the first three Other Christians there are who in God's due time may mate the former both in grace and glory Punies in piety Novices in Religion Of such I say not one of a hundred whatsoever they may erroneously pretend to the contrary are assured of their Calling and Eleâ—…tion If further it be demanded whether every Saint of God belonging to Election hath not at one time or other in his life or at his death this assurance conveyed into his soule I must confesse that heâ—…rein the streames of learned mens judgements runnâ—… not onely in different but contraâ—…y channells Some are of opinion that God is so gracious and magnifies his mercy so much in his proceedings towards his â—…ervants that the very meanest in the Family of Faith have some proportion of this assurance conferred upon them during their abode in this life Other Divines no 〈◊〉 inferiour to the former in number Learning Religion and Christian experience mainâ—…aine the opposite opinion that God sometimes is so pleased to try the patience and humble the hearts of some of his servants that a continuall feare is a constant covering of their eyes they goe heavily all the day long never daring for feare of presumption to owne and acknowledge any grace in their hearts alwai â—…jealous of their owne condition and sadly suspitious of themselves least all their 〈◊〉 prove hypocâ—…isie and their Piety be more in proâ—…ession then 〈◊〉 Those may be 〈◊〉 â—…nto children in their Mothers belly which have true life in them and yet themselves doe not know that they live For my owne part I conceive this controversie can onely bee decided betwixt God and a mans owne Conscience no third Person can be privie to the secret transactions betwixt them The last of these two Opinions so farre as one may conjecture hath most of charity and not the least of truth in it I am perswaded that many a pious soule dying in the fit of a tâ—…mptation hath instantly expected to sinke from his death-bed into hell-fire when the same by Gods goodnesse hath beene
sharpe And although now it be falne into a lame hand the unworthynesse of the Preacher in this place to manage it yet inforced with the assistance of Gods arme it may prove able to give the deadly blow to foure Egloâ—… sinnes tyrannizing in too many mens hearts 1. Supine negligence in matters of Salvation 2. Busie medling in other mens matters 3. Preposterous curiosity in unsearchable mysteries 4. Continuall wavering or Scepticalness concerning our Calling and Election Supine negligence is dispaâ—…ched in that word Give diligence This grace of Assurance is unattainablâ—… by ease and idlenesse Busie medling in other mens matters is destroyed in the Particlâ—…Your Eâ—…ch one ought principally to intend his owne assurance Prepostâ—…rous curiosity is stabâ—…ed with the order of the words Calling and Election not Election and Calling Men must fiâ—…t begin to assure their Calling and then 〈◊〉 argue and inferre the assurance of thâ—…ir Election Continuall wavering is wounded under the fifth ribbe in the conclusion of my Text Sure Wee will but touch at three first and land at the last as the chiefe subject of our ensuing Discourse This Grace of Assurance is not attainable with ease and idlenesse Christianity is a laborious Profession Observe Gods servants cleane through the Scripture resembled to men of painefull vocations To Racers who must stretch every sinew to get first to the Goale to Wrestlers a troublesome emploiment so that I am unresolved whether to recount it amongst Toiles or Exercises at the best it is but a toilesome Exercise To Souldiers who are in constant Service and dayly Duty alwaies on the Guard against their Enemies Besides we Ministers are compared to Shepherds a painefull and dangerous profession amongst the Jewes to Watchmen which continually wake for the good of oâ—…hers so that besides the difficulties of our Christian calling we are incumbred with others which attend our Ministeriall function Let none therefore conceit that Salvation with the Graces accompaning it whereof this Assurance we treat of is a Principall is to be compassed with facility without constant care and endeavour to obtaine it How easily was the man in the Gospell let downe to our Saviour in the house whilst foure men for him uncovering the roofe thereof let him downe with cords lying quietly on his couch Some may suppose that with as little hardship they may bee lifted up to heaven and that whilest they lazily lye snorting on their beds of security never mortifying their lusts never striving for grace never strugling against their corruptions they shall bee drawne up to happinesse or it let down to them merely by the cords of Gods mercy and Christs merits Such men without amendment will one day finde themselves dangerously deceived and that it is a laborious taske to gaine either the surenesse or assurance of salvation wherein according to the Apostles prescription wee must give diligence To make your Each Christian is principally to endeavour the Assurance of his owne Calling and Election Indeed it were to be wished that Parents besides themselves were assured of the true sanctity so by consequence of their Calling and Election of themselves multiplied the children God hath given them of the second part of their selves lying in their bosome their wives of tâ—…ue grace in their friends and family How comfortable were it if Ministers were ascertained of true grace and pietie in the breasts and bosomes of the people committed to their charge But the best way to passe a rationall verdict on the sincerity of sanctity in another is first to finde an experimentall Evidence thereof in ones own heart A Phylosopher complained that it was an exceeding hard thing to finde a wise man true said another for he must bee a wise man that seekes him and knowes when he hath found him and hence ariseth the difficulty because two wise men in effect must meet together the Seeker and the Finder It is a hard thing in like manner to bee assured of unfained faith and undissembled Devotion in another mans heart Because first that party must have a feeling of the operation of grace in his owne soule otherwise blinde men are incompetent Judges of colours before he can make his presumptions of holinesse in another from those sacred symptomes and fruits of piety which he findes in his owne Conscience Let it therefore be every mans maine worke first to make a scrutiny in his owne soule to make his own Calling and Election sure How contrary is this to the common practice of most in the world It is a tale of the wandring Jew but it is too much truth of too many wandring Christians whose home is alwaies to bee abroad Professours in spirituall Palmestry who will undertake to read the Life-line the line of eternall life in the hands of mens soules though for all their â—…kill they often mistake the hands of Esau for the hands of Jacob approving many hypocrites for their holinesse and condemning sincere soules for counterfeits and dissemblers Calling and Election men are not to lanch into the Depths of Predestination at the first dash but first soberly to begin with their Calling or Vocation Surely the very Angells which climbed up the ladder in Jacobs * dreame did first begin at the last and lowest Round First looke to finde thy justification and sanctification then thy adoption and vocation lastly thy election and predestination But alasse as the Hebrews read their letters backward so it is to be feared that too many preposterously invert the order of my Text and instead of Calling and Election read Election and Calling first grasping at those mysteries both in their practise and discourse which are above their reach as if their soules feared to be â—…unne a-ground if sailing in the shallows of Faith and good workes they never count themselves safe but when adventuring in those secrets wherein they can finde no bottome We are now come to the youngest part in the Text to which we intend a Benjamin's portion Bâ—…ing to discourse of the certainty of calling and election not in respect of Gods predestination it being from all Eternity sure in him * from the beginning of the world God knoweth all his workes but in reference to man's apprehension concerning the assurance thereof And now least our discourse like * Jordan in the first moneth should over-flow wee will raise these Bankes to bridle it and consider 1. That assurance of Calling and Election is feasible in this life-to be attain'd 2. What this assurâ—…nce is 3. How a Christian buckleth and applieth it to his soule 4. Wee will satisfie some doubts and difficulties in this behalfe 5. Wee will conclude with comfortatable uses to all sorts of Christians Of the first That assurance of ones Calling and Election may without any miraculous revelation be in this life acquired appeareth plaine in the Text because the Apostle in the simplicity of the Dove-like Spirit exhort's us to the attaining thereof Now surely it had been no better