the premisses which hee doth by leaving out in thy ways out of the Scripture cited so in Assurance if Satan delude a mans reason into such an Assurance to whom assurance doth not belong there is some fault or other in the premisses whence the conclusion is deduced 3. There may also I conceive be a rational assurance whose conclusion is true as to the state of the person whom it assures and yet it may not be the speciall Testimony of the Spirit but meerly the Testimony of a mans own reason enlightened by ordinary illumination For as the Spirit when he testifies testifies with our spirits Rom 8. 16. So sometimes our spirits may testifie when the Spirit doth not As there may be in a man that is convinced of sin a true conviction by the common illumination of the Spirit which differs widely from that special and effectual conviction which ushers in saving conversion So in this case the child of God may be let alone to frame to himselfe a peace by arguing and reasoning his case from the Word of God and the Spirit may accompany this endeavour of his by common illumination wherein the conclusion may be true and truly inferred nay sometimes the Spirit may leave a man that is truly converted even in the businesse of illumination and suffer him to conclude his good estate irregularly though truly As I will give you this case for explication A man that hath prayed and waited long for Assurance and cannot obtain it growes weary and can wait upon Gods pleasure no longer nay I shall suppose that the man may be unwilling to be assured without the Spirits own Testimony ye he thinks it 's long a coming and therefore desires to hasten it In this case the Spirit of God may justly let him weary himself in a maze of his own reasonings for a time and permit him to perswade himselfe that he is in a good condition and afterwards because though this conclusion were true yet it was not gathered in a right way may suffer him to fall into such a sin or such darknesse as may make him see a need of farther evidence And in this case God may deal with a man as he did with Israel in the wildernesse God had promised them Canaan and they thought long ere they had it were loath to stay till Gods time and therefore whiles they think to hasten the time they are many of them destroyed at Hormah and all turned back into the wilderness Numb 14. for forty years CHAP. XXIII A Case how to know a false Scripture Assurance from a true THese things being premised I come directly to answer the main Question in both its parts Quest 1. How may a man know a false Assurance gathered by a mans own heart with the concurrence of Satan from that which comes from the Spirit of God An. 1 Regular Assurance from the testimony of the Spirit is an heart-purifying Assurance 1 John 3. 2 3. We know saith the Apostle that when he shall appear we shall be like him i. e. in glory for of that he speaks his glory shall reflect its image upon us as the Sun doth upon a glasse or the water for we shall see him as he is A blessed hope this But what kind of people are we to be on this side glory who have this assured hope of being so glorious hereafter It followes ver 3 He that hath this hope purifieth himself as he is pure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Metaphor taken from the legal purifications of the Jewes wherein as soon as legal uncleanness was contracted they washed their bodies and their garments and vessels that they might be sure nothing they had to do withal might defile them again he is ever washing himself from sin and watching against it and takes all possible care to keep himself unspotted of this present world James 1. 23. Hates the very garment spotted with the flesh Jude 23. alluding again to the Levitical Law in which the very cloaths of a Leper one that had an Issue a menstruous woman were unclean he doth not only avoid the sins themselves but the very garments of them not only all besmeared with the flesh but garments spotted by the flesh In heaven where enjoyment is greatest purity is so too The grace of God when it appears to us as a grace bringing salvation teacheth us to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in the present world Tit. 2. 12. It teacheth all men so Doctrinally in the publication of it no Doctrine in the world such an enemy to loosenesse as the Doctrine of the Gospel but it teacheth the Saints to do so powerfully and despositively it inclines and enables them to it 2 Regular Assurance in not only a heart-purifying but an heart sanctifying Assurance Holynesse in the nature of it is the Dedication of a mans self and all that he is to the honour glory and service of God alone So God is infinitely holy because he is in all things most entirely and inseparably addited to his own glory which because he is the most excellent Being he may not only lawfully do but he must naturally and necessarily do and therein consists the perfection of his nature as the perfection of every being consists in the end to which it is so Gods perfection lies in this that he is to himself seeing he hath no nobler end to which his affections and actions can be referred wherefore if God could deny himself so far as to prefer any thing else above himself for a moment he must needs sin and cease to be happy for that time because he would be so much removed from his end which is his happinesse And of the same nature is holinesse in a Saint an entire devoting of himself and all to God Now a Saint assured of Gods love must needs bee holy because knowing the infinite excellency of God in his own light he cannot but conclude him the most worthy of all love and service and so be taken up in contemplating and conversing with him and acting for him which is holinesse and so far as he at any time lets God fall low in his eye so far he chargeth himself with unholinesse This we find the Saints frequently promise upon such discoveries Psal 23. ult Psal 116. 11 12 13. Indeed this is that which as it comes from us and proceeds from the consideration of Gods goodnesse to us is called thankfulnesse as it respects his own excellencies it is called praising and glorifying him Whence also take this Note by the way The more thankful the more holy Thankfulnesse and holynesse are the same things understood in a different conception Now how large praises doth God get every where in the Scriptures from his people under the light of such Assurance How many such whole Psalmes did David pen under such Discoveries of Gods countenance But false Assurance begotten by the collusion of Satan with our
long and after a few minutes more be spent it may be this night this hour the foot of death may tread me into the earth I carry a Jewel in this earthly Cabinet that is more worth then all the world If Satan lay hands on it I am infinitely miserable to all eternity and whether if I dye this night the divels may not come to fetch away my soul I know not O if I could dye into another world once and have hopes to live again and recover my condition if it proved worse then my expectation I might adventure one of those lives upon an uncertainty but when as I must dye into eternity that my Sun must set and never rise again that what is said of a war is more true of death that in it non licet bis errare that though the tree that is cut down through the sent of water may grow again yet when a man dyes he cannot live again in this world Job 14 9 10. 14 but must measure out either wo or happinesse by the minutes of eternity O what is it worth to have the Spirit of God testifie that we are his children new born to the Inheritance of the Saints in light O how precious a mercy is it to have the zeal and earnest of that Spirit to assure it beyond Question 2. I am assured of this also that without the witnesse of the Spirit you cannot so fully have your hearts untyed from wordly encombrances It is true indeed that a soul that hears of the excellency of Christ and the glory of those things that are within the Vail may be convinced by the Spirit of God to adventure all that he hath for them but 't is still with fear lest he should miscarry in the losse of both As a Merchant that is fully assured that there is Merchandise in the Indies that is more precious then those English Commodities that he adventures for it may be drawn to put his whole estate in hazard that he may make a voyage thither but still there are misgiving and distracting cares attend this adventure O saith he I have put all I have into such a bottom indeed if it return safe I may be a hundredfold gainer but sea and Pirates may rob me of all my hopes and then I am lost both in my present estate and future expectations So a man to whom the Gospel is preached upon the presenting Christ as infinitely precious to the soul may be brought to deny himself and forsake all to follow Christ out of hopes to enjoy him but 't is with much fear True saith he if I get Christ I am an infinite gainer But if Satan cheat me or if Christ will not entertain me then I am of all men most miserable I have lost all my comforts my portion of this life and eternity too And therefore till the soul be sure of Christ it ever casts an eye backward as Lots wife on Sodom though Grace check those fears and keeps the soul on in its course yet still I say it meets with many temptations to think upon its adventure especially if Christ frown a while and to wish that it were to do again and many sad strâ—glings of spirit it hath with these temptations 'T is an hard thing for a poor soul to adventure all the world and have nothing in hand for it but only to expect its returnes hereafter What sayes the worldling A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush and that Cardinal Give me my part in Paris and take who will my part in Paradise And as some say now as well as in the Apostles time Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye 1 Cor. 15. 32 and after death we know not where we shall fare better But a man that gets the witnesse of the Spirit is like one that adventures for a present Commodity a Commodity in hand a thousand times beyond his price or hath the earnest of his bargain put into his hand is certainly assured of the faithful delivery of the whole at an appointed time He never looks back upon his bargain so as to be tempted to repent it but rather as rejoycing that for so little he hath gotten so much See how the Apostle triumphs in this Phil. 3. 7 8. and 2 Cor. 4. 17. and those Saints Heb. 11. 9 26 35 and 10. 34. 3 I am assured also that you cannot be assured of your state of Adoption but by the Spirit of God The Arguments from which carnal men draw their evidences for Gods love how weak how fallacious are they God lâ—ts me thrive saith one therefore he loves me Ah fool so doth the Grazier fat his beast for the day of slaughter My conscience never troubles me saith another O mad man 't were thy happinesse if it did No more doth the man in a Lethargy complain of pain and yet he is the nearer to death for it But I live under the Gospel and go to Church c. Thou shalt lye the deeper in hell for that if it prevail not with thee to conversion But I pay every one his due So did many millions that are now in hel Heathens and Pharisees But God is merciful and I hope will have mercy on me at the last Though he be so he hath damned many millions in hell already that had as much confidence in his mercy as thou But I am not such or such a sinner So said the Pharisee Luke 18. 11. and yet was unjustified The Angels sinned but once and that it is likely in thought and are in hel and many thousands are there that have sinned far lesse then thou But Christ hath dyed for all men and so I have a share in his bloud O desperate Delusion Doth not Scripture say He laid down his life for his sheep and are all his sheep are not the most of men goats and shall be set at his left hand Might not all the damned in hel have hoped for heaven upon that ground as well as thou And are they not disappointed But I have gifts more then ordinary I can pray and expound Scripture and convert and build up others And yet thou maist be like sounding brass or a tinkling Cymbal 1 Cor. 13. 1 2. Those that are converted they seek Assurance in unlikely wayes too till they receive the Spirit of Adoption One resolutely chears up his heart and as it were enforceth himselfe to take comfort and to be at peace in the assurance of his good condition without following God in Duties and Ordinances for it Another begins to idolize his Duties c. and now sure saith he my estate is good for I hear attentively pray affectionately shed tears over my sins abundantly c. Another reasons himself into this perswasion fetching from the Word such and such grounds which he perswades himself suites his condition and thence concludes all wel And you shall see hereafter how fallible these are 3
divel to be more busie then ordinary from a principle of envy to endeavour to supplant you This moved him to tempt Adam and Eve As a proud Favourite shall never want enemies who will endeavour to lift him out of the saddle 2 This makes us neglect our walking and whiles we build Castles in the air by our high conceits we fall into many an undiscerned Prov. 16. 18 ditch that is digged by the cunning Tempter for our souls 3 Lastly This so offends God that it provokes him to change his countenance towards the soul and endeavour the cure of the Disease by with-holding those dainties which feed the humour Nothing more provokes a Prince then to see a Favourite grow insolent upon the encouragement of his smiles So God Psalm 138. 6. He knows the proud afar off before he brought them into the Banquetting house and kissed them c. but now useth them slightly 3 Take heed of security You are upon an high pinacle and you bad need look to your standing You have a charge of precious Jewels about you and it becomes you to have an eye in every bush and by-lane you have many theeves lying in wait for it No head is more thoughtful no person sleeps less no mans braines work more then a great Favourites To such a man to be secure and free from jealousies and suspicions will quickly be ruining The sleepinesse of a souldier upon the Guard may rout an Army more then all the assaults of an Adversary if the Guard give timely notice of their approach If God speak peace to thy soul in the assurance of his love 't is a blessed thing to fear alwayes lest thou be robbed of it Holy Fear is the best Sentinel that thou canst imploy to secure thy Treasure 'T is an excellent thing to rejoice before the Lord with trembling Psal 2. 11. Hezekiah had a bitter time of it when he was at once sick in body and afflicted in mind too Isai 38. and when came this upon him See v. 17. Vpon my peace I had great bitternesse it surprized him when he was at peace and expected no such thing The example of David would seriously be thought upon by an heart that loves to keep acquaintance with God Psal 30. 6 7. He had been when he penn'd that Psalm under a grievous affliction and whether it were principally that or whether it grew to that it matters not much but it seems the hiding of Gods face was a main matter in his trouble But that I would have you observe is the occasion of this with-drawing on Gods part which was so sadly resented on his see ver 6. In my prosperity I said I shall never be moved Why so What security had David that made him so secure of his estate why the sense of Gods extraordinary favour Lord by thy favour thou hast made my mountaine to stand strong I built upon the favour of God and thought I had such a setled patent of it as nothing should ever bring my Title into question again But whiles David was secure God begins to alter his countenance Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled v 7. 2. Beware of carnal boasting of your spiritual enjoyments This ordinarily is the breath of spiritual pride I caution you against carnal boasting I know there is an holy thankful boasting of God which the Saints of God are allowed and called unto Psalm 34. 2. 1 Chron. 16. 10. Psalm 64. 10. 1 Cor. 1. 31. But this is a serious grave thing intended principally for the glorifying of God by procuring praise from serious Christians on our behalf or for the encouraging and drawing on of others to chuse and trust in God upon the inducement of our experiences and it is mainly and principally accompanyed with a lowly and humble esteem of our selves That which I here condemn and caution you against is a slight vain-glorious and uselesse boasting of spiritual experiences in any frothy vain company with a designe to advance a mans self or his party or draw Proselytes to his new wayes which is very frequent in the tongues of many vaine persons in these dayes Believe it if there were truth and reality in those experiences as they pretend they would be more soberâ— and self-denying and modestly sparing in speaking of them I am sure the Apostle Paul when he had been disciplined against spiritual pride in his revelations is so modest that he speaks of his own experiences in a third person I know a man in Christ that was taken into the third heaven c. 2 Cor. 12. 2. he doth not say it was I Paul but leaves us to gather it was himself by some intimations which he lets fall by the by A man that travels to London with a great Treasure will not boast and crack of it in every company where he comes lest he invites theeves to rob him of it Indeed when we consider who made us to differ from others and that he that made us differ can easily take away that difference again and shake us together into the same bag with others and that there is nothing more likely to provoke him to do so then such a foolish magnifying of our selves from the meere Liveries which his goodnesse gives us to wear it were enough to ingenuous spirits to allay all the vauntings and crackings which they may be tempted to 4 Take heed of presumptuous sins Sins of infirmity and ordinary incursion if they grow upon us by our want of watchfulness are enough to provoke God to withdraw his presence from us But if wee adventure upon sins of presumption and wilfulnesse 't is no wonder if he shoot our hearts full of poysoned Arrowes and break our bones on the rack of his heavy displeasure David adventured so once but he paid dear for it he lost the light of Gods countenance so that hee began to fear he should never recover it againe If the greatest Favourite that is abuse a Princes favour and presume upon it to bear him out in extravagant and irregular practices 't is the ready way when his Master comes to know it to bring him under his severest frownes And the reason is because people are apt to think that those who do such unjust things would not dare do them but that they have encouragement from the Power that countenances them and so the miscarriages of Instruments redound to the dishonour of the Prince that imployes them Thus if persons that pretend and bear the world in hand that they live high in the light of Gods countenance and are special Favourites in the Court of Heaven shall adventure upon such practices as the wicked and profane wretches of the world do if they shall lye and steal and commit Adultery and use all meanes of indirect courses to make them great and feather their nests in the world the dishonour of this reflects upon God the world will think that sure God loves such things as these well enough