a believe, be two diftin& Ads; yet this you must know & obferve, that the strength and clearness of a dire & A&, will necessarily infer a reflex A&. Those truths which I do clearly and evidently know, I also know that I know them. And that which I Atrongly believe, I know that I believe it;so the want of Afsurance comes from the imbecillity of Faich. And the Papifts that placeFaith only in a meer affent, may well deny Assurance;for they take away that clasping and closing power by which it should unite it self with its obje&t. 3. From the Nature of the Promises;for this is the drift of the Promises ( as 'cis Hebr. 6.18.) That the Heirs of Promise might bave strong Confolation : Now a Believer can have bue weak and unstable comfort without Affurance, What if all the Clufters of Canaan were laid on an heap? What if all the Cordials of the Gospel were ftraind into one Cup? were the soul any thing ihe better ifit muft only Tantalize, see them, and want them? What sweetness can a Chriftian draw from a Promise till he knows that it belongs unto him ? Will this enrich a man, to know that there are Pearls and Diamonds in the World? Will this fatisfic a fainting Israelite, to know that there is a Canaan, a Land chat flowes with milk and honey, although ( it may be ) he shall ne're come neer'i? Nay,is it not a greater ding and vexation for the soulio think, I know there are pure fountains and pleasant Areams, but yet I may die with thirA? there are spiritual dainties, and preci. ous delicacies, but I am not sure to have one taste of them; many a Promise looks with a pleasant and propitious eye, but 'tis not fixe upon my soul;so that take away a Chriftians intereft and propriery in a Promise, and what becomes of his Consolation? God has given his Word, his Oath,his Seal, his Earnest,and all to this very end, that a poor Christian may be affur'd of his falvation, that he might have Atrong and vigorous consolation; so that to deny him this, is to annihilate the Word of God, to frustrate the Oath of God,co evacuate the Seal of God, & as much as in them lies to make him lose his Earneft,and to leave the soul in an intri. cate and perplex't condition. 4. From the Nature of Chriftian hope: There's a vast difference between the Moralists hope, & that which is the Theological grace, & yet this is scarce took notice of; they require these three ingredients into the object of hope; that it muft be (1)bo 02 num, а num, (2.)futurum,(3.)incertum; but Chriftian hope is certain and infallible, it looks upon good as to come, and as certain to come; indeed 'cis nothing but aimu risaws, as Clem. Alexand, elegantly, blood running in the veins of Faith ; if Hope expire, Faith will presently bleed to death. That good which Faith fees, Hope waits for;Faith eyes it as present;but yet at a distance,and Hope carries for it till it come.Chriftian Hope is not hing but a waiting and ex. pe&ation of a certain good; you have a pregnant Text for this in Hebr. 6. 19. Which Hope we bave as an Anchor of the soul borb fure and te lfalt. Hope were but a poor Anchor if it should leave the soul to the courielie of a Wave, to the clemency of a Rock, to the dispoling of a Storm. Hope were but a weak Anchor, if it should let the soul be lost with uncertainties,if it should leave it in danger of shipwrack;l,but this Anchor is kopanhs 75 rý BeBaía, and it pierces within the vail, it will be sure to haue falt hold, ' will fix upon heaven itself, upon the sand um sanctorum. See another, Kone, 5. 2. Kavgapebase' inaid; Now thai's a poor glory to triumph in uncertainties,to triumph before the Vi&ory; little cause of joy and exaltation, tilt the soul be provided for Eternity. I can tell you the very poslibility of being damn'd, is enough to extinguish joy; so that will the soul come to be in a safe condition, safe for all Eternity; and till ic know it self to be in this safe condition, 'is so far from being joyful, as that it cannot tell how to be quiet. A probable hope will bear op and fupport the foul, a door of hope in the Valley of Achor ; but it will not quiet and satisfie che soul. The least dawning of hope in the initials of grace, does mightily cherish and encourage the soul O how pleasape are the eye lids of the Morning! how welcome is the diy-break after a dark & disconsolace Night!Nay, the very possibility of being laved, was that which firft drew us all co look after Heaven; the very Confideration, that there was Balm in Gilead : But the weary soul will ne're reft here; the Dove will ne're take this for an Ark: No,the beams of Gods love will shine out ftronger and brighter upon the soul, and ripen his hope ioto Assurance. Chriftian hope, when 'tis in its full vigour, is all one wich Assurance, 5. 5. Maris i Na Tulo Xúrn, but if hope could be frustrated, it chen might make alham’d;disappointment would cause a blach'; hope differed,will make the heart fick,and uncertain hope will scarce make the soul well; a Clariftiaus hope ܪ rance, is not like that of Pandora, which may flie out of the Box, and bid the soul farewell ; no, 'will ne're van fh, till it be swallowed up in fruition. The hope of the Hypocrite,'ris as the riphreonsness, like the morning.dew, but the hope of a Cristian 'uis like the morning light, the leaft beam of it shall commerce into a compleit Sun-fhine, "ris Aurora gavdii, and it shall line out brighter and brighter till perfeâ day. We shall further clear this truth, if you conlider ihe manner bow Chriftians are assured of their salvation, the third thing we propounded. 1. By the graces of God which are in them, those precious seeds of immortality, and the Prints of the Spirit, by which they are sealed to the day of Redemption. Grace is the Spirits ftamp by which it marks ihe soul for its own; the firft-fruits of the Spirit, the least grace,if true and fincere,is fufficient to salvation; and therefore the sense of the lealt grace is fufficient to Alu But home mall the soul know that it has these graces in truth and not in shadow and colour only? how hall it be certain that these Objeci. are not counterfeit and painted? There might be given many figns and chara&ers of true grace, that it muf low from a principle of fincerity, from a prin Sol. ciple of love,that it muft be conformable to the grace of Chrift: but all this will not facisfie, for the soul will still question, how shall I know that my graces are such? so then that which we muft ulimately resolve it into, is, that in Rom.8.16. For in the mouth of two or three Witneles every thing shall be established:Now we have here two Witnesses, omni exceptione majores, we have a double Testimony, a twin.Teftimony. The same Spirit beareth witness with our Spirits that we are the Sons of God; oupagtupai, he confirms what the other sayeszboih che wirnesses do fully agree,and make op one entrie testimony, the soul may say here, as Paul, Rom.9.1.1 speak the truth, 1 lie not, my Conscience bearing me witness by the Holy Ghost. The whole work of Adurance is summ'd up in this Pra&ical Syllogism, Whosoever believes shall be saved; but I believe, and so shall certainly be saved. The Affumption is put out of doubr. 1. Conscience comes in with a full reftimony: And if natural Conscience be a thousand Witnesses, then sure an enlightned and fan&ified Conscience, can be no less than ten thousand; 1 John a a Sol. 1. 1 John 3. 10. He that believes, bus a Witness in himself, a CertiGicate in his own breast, ti, ungtuslar á daUTO for as the sanje Apofle, John 3. 2. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then bave we confidence towards God. xapdia here is the same with Conscience; for the Hebrews have no other word for Conscience, but 3. So then, if our heart acquitus, mapinoiar igour, we have as much liberty as we can defire. It fears not now the edge of the Law,nor the fiery darıs of Satan: it doth not stagger with sen'e of its own weakness and unworthiness; but comes with confidence to the Throne of grace. Jer. 17. 9.50 350 3JY. Supplantativum Cor pre omnibus, Pdt. 1. so Arias Mint anys, 17 WORT, w inscrutabile, desperabile, lo Hierom and our Translation, desperately wicked; "tis properly insanabile.Some think Paul alludes to this place and does explain it in Rom. 2.5.xa ta' Ty Granná os xai ruolaren 1ox xapdiar. The Seventy read the words, 17 WIJN1, and translate it accordingly. 1. Now as for the mind of the place;l find Expositors of great name and worth, understanding it of the unregenerate heart, of the heart of man that is in the state of corrupt nature, of whom 'cis said, that all the imaginations of the thoughts of mans heart, are altogether evil continually. Sol.2. 2. The drift of the Text is to shew the deceitfulness of mens hearts in respe&t of others;for “tis brought in by way of Obje&ion. The Jews they are cunning and subiile, and can delude the Prophers, and so think co evade the Curse. No;but I the Lord search the hearts: I have a fair window,an open prospe & into the muft reserved Spirit; "ris as clear as Chrystal to my eye. 3. Yet 'tis true, that the moft fincere heart is very deceitful, the heiro of a David, of a man afrer Gods own heari, is full of windings and turnings, and many deviations, such secret paffages as himself koows not of. For who bath known the erro's of his wayes? No man yet had such a piercing infight into his own soul, as to be acquained with every motion ofit. None can so anatomize his own spirit, that it shall be guunot 777 Edgarsuinn, so as every vein and nerve, and muscle shall be obvious and apparent to his eye. But what does this hinder, but that the general frame and bent of the Spirit, the byafs and inclination of the soul may be clearly known? The soul knows which way its faculties stream with moft vehemency. Conscience cannot be bribéd, 'twill a Sol. 3. a a give in true judgement, especially an illighened Conscience. very life and spirits of preaching. And Ames tells us of a Obje&t. 2. If all thus by the Testimony of Conscience may know their own frame of Spirit, whether ihey be upright or no ; why then are not all crue Chriftians affui'd of their salvarion? what have they not their consciences and hearts about them? 1. Many are not sufficiently acquainted with their own spirits, Sol. 1. they do not keep so ftri& a watch over themselves, they are not verit in their own hearts,they don't try and search their wayes, they have riches and a treasure and do not know it. Sol.2. 2. It is in so great and weighty a matter: Eternity does so amaze and swallow up the thoughts, as that they are ready to tremble, where they are certain and secure; A man on the top of. 1 |