,

m and their consciences wounded; hurt and scan

e others, and bring temporal judgments upon them

es.P

Chapter XVIII.

OF ASSURANCE OF GRACE AND SALVATION.

LTHOUGH hypocrites, and other unregenerate men, vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal umptions of being in the favour of God and estate of ation; a which hope of theirs shall perish;b yet such uly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love him in sinceendeavouring to walk in all good conscience before

may, in this life, be certainly assured that they are in

t meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of t, because they believed not them which had seen him after he

risen.

Psal. xxxii. 3, 4. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old; agh my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of sumPsal. li. 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness: that the bones h thou hast broken, may rejoice.

2 Sam. xii. 14. Howbeit, because, by this deed, thou hast given t occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child that is born unto thee shall surely die.

Psal. Ixxxix. 31, 32. If they break my statutes, and keep not my mandments; then will I visit their transgressions with the rod, their iniquity with stripes. 1 Cor. xi. 32. But when we are ed, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be conned with the world.

a Job viii. 13, 14. So are the paths of all that forget God, and hypocrite's hope shall perish; whose hope shall be cut off, and se trust shall be a spider's web. Micah iii. 11. The heads thereudge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the phets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us. it. xxix. 19. And it come to pass when he heareth the words of curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have ce, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart to add drunktess to thirst. John viii. 41. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then 1 they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one father, En God.

Mat. vii. 22, 23. Many shall say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, ve we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out vils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then

I profess unto them I never know you depart from me ve that.

the state of grace, and may rejoice in the hop of God; which hope shall never make them

II. This certainty is not a bare conjectural persuasion, grounded upon a fallible hope; lible assurance of faith, founded upon the d the promises of salvation,f the inward evide graces unto which these promises are made,g of the Spirit of adoption witnessing with o we are the children of God; which Spirit

c 1 John ii. 3. And hereby we do know that we k keep his commandments. 1 John iii. 14, 18, 19, 21 that we have passed from death unto life, because we ren: he that loveth not his brother, abideth in de children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, b in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the assure our hearts before him. Beloved, if our heart then have we confidence towards God. And he t commandments, dwelleth in him, and he in him: know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit that he 1 John v. 13. These things have I written unto you the name of the Son of God: that ye may know th nal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the

d Rom. v. 2, 5. By whom also we have access b grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of th And hope maketh not ashamed, because the lov abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is gi

II. e Heb. vi. 11, 19. And we desire that every one the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope unto hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure : which entereth into that within the vail.

f Heb. vi. 17, 18. Wherein God willing more abu unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his co it by an oath: that by two immutable things, in v possible for God to lie, we might have a strong consol fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us

g 2 Pet. i. 4, 5, 10, 11. Whereby are given unto us and precious promises; that by these you might be divine nature, having escaped the corruption that through lust. And besides this, giving diligence, a virtue; and to virtue, knowledge. Wherefore the 1 give diligence to make your calling and election su these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance tered unto you abundantly, into the everlasting king and Saviour Jesus Christ. 1 John ii. 3. And hereby we know him, if we keep his commandments. 1 Jo know that we have passed from death unto life, beca brethren: he that loveth not his brother abideth in d 12. For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our con simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisd grace of God, we have had our conversation in the w abundantly to you-wards.

mption.i

1. This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the ace of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, conflict with many difficulties, before he be partaker ;k yet being enabled by the Spirit to know the things ch are freely given him of God, he may, without extranary revelation, in the right use of ordinary means, atthereunto. And therefore it is the duty of every one ve all diligence to make his calling and election sure;m thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in Holy Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God, and in ngth and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience, the

m to fear: but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby ery, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our , that we are the children of God.

Eph. i. 13, 14. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the d of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also, after that elieved, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise; which me earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the pursed possession, unto the praise of his glory. Eph. iv. 30. And ve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the of redemption. 2 Cor. i. 21, 22. Now he which stablisheth us ■ you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God: who hath also ed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

I. k 1 John v. 13. These things have I written unto you that be3 on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have nal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. 1. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the De of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. Mark is.. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with s, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. (See Psal. lxxxviii. oughout. Psal. lxxvii. to the 12th verse.)

1 Cor. ii. 12. Now we have received, not the Spirit of the world, the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that freely given to us of God. 1 John iv. 13. Hereby know we, that dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. b. vi. 11, 12. And we desire that every one of you do show the ne diligence, to the full assurance of hope unto the end: that you not slothful, but followers of them who, through faith and patience, erit the promises. Eph. iii, 17 to 19. That Christ may dwell in ar hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in love, may able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, I depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passetı owledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. m 2 Pet. i. 10. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to ake your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye all never fall.

n Rom. v. 1, 2, 5. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace

proper fruits of this assurance in so far is it i men to looseness.

IV. True believers may have the assuranc vation divers ways shaken, diminished, and int by negligence in preserving of it, by falling i cial sin, which woundeth the conscience, and Spirit; by some sudden or vehement temptati withdrawing the light of his countenance, and

access by faith unto this grace wherein we stand, and of the glory of God. And hope maketh not ashan love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy given unto us. Rom. xiv. 17. For the kingdom of and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in Rom. xv. 13. Now the God of hope fill you with all believing, that ye may abound in hope, through th Holy Ghost. Eph. i. 3, 4. Blessed be the God an Lord, Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spir heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath c before the foundation of the world, that we should b out blame before him in love. Psal. iv. 6. 7. There b Who will show us any good? Lord, lift thou up countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in than in the time that their corn and their wine incre 32. I will run the way of thy commandments, wh large my heart.

o 1 John ii. 1, 2. My little children, these things that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an A Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the pr sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of Rom. vi. 1, 2. What shall we say then? shall we con grace may abound? God forbid: how shall we tha Ive any longer therein? Tit. ii. 11, 12, 14. For that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men; denying ungodliness, and worldly lusts, we should I eously, and godly in this present world. Who ga that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and puri peculiar people, zealous of good works. 2 Cor. vii. fore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness Rom. viii. 1, 12. There is, therefore, now no cond which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the Spirit. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to after the flesh. 1 John iii. 2, 3. Beloved, now are w and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but w he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall And every man that hath this hope in him, purifiet he is pure. Psal. cxxx. 4. But there is forgivene thou mayest be feared. 1 John i. 6, 7. If we say th ship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ,

1 rat, that love of Christ and me orenren, wat smce

of heart and conscience of duty, out of which, by the ation of the Spirit, this assurance may, in due time, evived, and by the which, in the mean time, they are Dorted from utter despair.r

. p. Cant. iv. 2, 3, 6. I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the 3 of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my my dove, my undefiled; for my head is filled with dew, and my 3 with the drops of the night. I have put off my coat, how shall t it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them? I openmy beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was : my soul failed, when he spake: I sought him, but I could not him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. Psal. li. 8, 12, Make me to hear joy and gladness: that the bones, which thou broken, may rejoice. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation: uphold me with thy free Spirit. Deliver me from blood-guilti3, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing id of thy righteousness. Eph. iv. 30, 31. And grieve not the

Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemp1. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evilaking, be put away from you, with all malice. Psal. lxxvii. 1 to I cried unto God with my voice: even unto God with my voice, 1 he gave ear unto me. In the day of my trouble I sought the rd; my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, 1 my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah. Thou holdest mine eyes king: I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I have considered the ys of old, the years of ancient times. I call to remembrance my ng in the night: I commune with mine own heart, and my spirit de diligent search. Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his omise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath in anger shut up his tender mercies ? Selah. And I said, This is y infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the ost High. Mat. xxvi. 69 to 72. Now Peter sat without in the paDe: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jeas of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not That thou sayest. And when he was gone out into the porch, anher maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow as also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, do not know the man. Psal. xxxi. 22. For I said in my haste, I am ut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice f my supplications, when I cried unto thee. (Psal. lxxxviii. throughut.) Isa. 1.10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no ight? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. q 1 John iii. 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, for nis seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin because he is born of God. Luke xxii. 32. But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail hot; and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. Job xiii.