confciences wounded"; hurt and fcandalize others, and bring temporal judgments upon themselves". CHA P. XVIII. Of the Assurance of Grace and A Salvation. LTHOUGH hypocrites, and other unregenerate mer, may vainly deceive themfelves with falfe hopes and carnal prefumptions of being in the favour of God and estate of fal n Pfal. 32. 3, 4. When I kept filence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of fummer. Pfal. 51. 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness: that the bones which thou haft broken may rejoice. o 2 Sam. 12. 14. Howheit, becaufe by this deed thou haft given great occafion to the enemies of the Lord to blafpheme, the child alfo that is born unto thee, fhall furely die. p Pfal. 89. 31. If they break my ftatutes, and keep not my commandments: Ver. 32. Then will I vifit their tranfgreflion with the rod, and their iniquities with stripes. I Cor. 11. 32. But when we are judged, we are chaftened of the Lord, that we fhould not be condemned with the world vation"; which hope of theirs fhall perish": yet fuch as truly believe in the Lord Jefus, and love him in fincerity, endeavouring to walk in all good confcience before him, may in this life be certainly affured that they are in a state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God; which hope fhall never make them afhamedd. . II. This certainty is not a bare conjectu. ral and probable perfuafion, grounded upon a fallible hope; but an infallible affurance of faith, founded upon the divine truth of the pro 1. a Job 8. 14. Whofe hope fhall be cut off; and whofe truft fball be a fpider's web. Deut. 29. 19. 1 fhall have peace, though walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst. John 8. 41. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then faid they to him, We be not born of fornication, we have one Father even God. b Mat. 7. 22, 23. Many will fay to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophefied in thy name? and in thy name have caft out devils? and in thy name have done many wonderful works? And then will I profefs unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Job 8. 13. c 1 John 2. 3. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his command. ments. 1 John 5. 13. These I things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. I John 3. 14, 18, 19, 21, 24. d Rom. 5. 2, 5. By whom alfo we have access by faith into this grace wherein we ftand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.And hope maketh not afhamed, because the love of God is fhed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghoft, which is given unto mifes of falvation, the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promifes are made, the teftimony of the Spirit of adoption witneffing with our fpirits that we are the children of God: which Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are fealed to the day of redemption'. III. This infallible affurance doth not so belong to the effence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many f Heb. 6. 17, 18. Wherein God willing more abundantly to fhew unto the heirs of promise, the immutability of his counfel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things in which it was impoffible for God to lie, we might have a strong confolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope fet before us. g 2 Pet. 1. 4, 5, 10, 11. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promifes; that by thefe ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through luft.-And befides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election fure; for if ye do these things, ye fhall never fall. For fo an entrance fhall be miniftered unto you abundantly, into the everlaft ing kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Christ. I John 3. 14. We know that we have paffed from death unto life; because we love the brethren. 1 John 2. 3, and 2 Cor. 1. 12. h Rom. 8. 15, 16. For ye have not received the fpirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itfelf beareth witnefs with our fpirit that we are the children of God. i Eph. 1. 13, 14. In whom ye alfo trufted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gofpel of your falvation; in whom alfo after that ye believed, ye were fealed with that holy Spirit of promife, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemp tion of the purchafed poffeffion, unto the praise of his glory. 2 Cor. 1. 21, 22. Now he which ftablifheth us with you in Chrift, and hath a difficulties before he be partaker of it: Yet, being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation, in the right use of ordinary means, attain thereunto'. And therefore it is the duty of every one, to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure"; that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Ghoft, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulnefs in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits nointed us, is God; who hath also fealed us, and given the earnet of the Spirit in our hearts. III. k Ifa. 50. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his fervant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. 1 John 5. 13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. See Pfalm 88 through out, and Pfalm 77 to the 12th verse. 1 Cor. 2. 12. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 1 John 4. 13. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. Heb. 6. 11, 12. And we defire that every one of you do fhew the fame diligence, to the full affurance of hope unto the end. That ye be not flothful, but followers of them, who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Eph. 3. 17, 18, 19. m 2 Pet. I. 10. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election fure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. I 2 of this affurance": So far is it from inclining men to looseness®. IV. True believers may have the affurance of their falvation divers ways fhaken, diminished and intermitted; as, by negligence in preserving of it, by falling into fome fpecial fin, which woundeth the confcience, and grieveth the Spirit; by fome fudden or vehement temptation; by God's withdrawing the light of his countenance, and fuffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light: Yet are they we - n Rom. 5. 1, 2, 5. There- of hope fill you with all joy 3. 3. 4. o Rom. 6. 1, 2. What shall we fay then? fhall we continue in fin, that grace may abound? God forbid; how fhall we that are dead to fin, live any longer therein? Tit. 2. 11, 12, 14. For the graee of God that bringeth falvation hath appeared to all men;Teaching us, that denying ungodlinefs and worldly lufts, we fhould live foberly, righteoufly and godly in this prefent world. Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himfelf a peculiar people, zealous of good works. IV. p Cant. 5. 2, 3, 6. I fleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, faying, Open to me, my fifter, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. I have put off my coat, how fhall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I |