د, the nature of a seal, and an earnest: a seal both obliges the insurer, and also manifests the assurance: an carnest doth so much also, and more; for it implies also something given in present possession.* God, working true grace by his Spirit, secures us of heaven, as he secured Israel of Canaan, by giving them Eshcol, some "clusters of Canaan's vineyards in the wilderness; which was a kind of livery and seisin, as when possession of an estate is given by a twig or rod. God's giving of his Spirit is called his giving of "the first-fruits," Thy anαρxy Toυ ПIVEUMaτos (Rom. viii. 23;) thereby indicating our assured full harvest, whereof this is an actual part. All those must needs be assured of glory, who have a possession of grace: and this seems to be the argument of the very text; namely, "If ye do these things, ye shall never fall.' Why? Because hereby "an entrance shall be administered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom." (2 Peter i. 11.) Possession is the best assurance; it is eleven points. Now, by the Spirit's indwelling in believers, they have a kind of pre-possession of glory. THE SECOND GENERAL PROPOSITION. IT IS A BELIEVER'S DUTY TO GIVE DILIGENCE TO MAKE HIS CALLING, ELECTION, AND II. It remains now only that I speak to the Second general proposition included in the text, That it is the duty of every believer to give all diligence to make his calling, election, and perseverance sure.―This proposition being of the nature of an inference drawn from the former proposition, and being also rather matter of practice than of controversy, I shall but briefly, and by way of APPLICATION, speak unto it. Yet here also the great Goliath of the Philistines stands in our way; for when Bellarmine is no more able to maintain the impossibility of attaining assurance, he then retreats to this second redoubt, and tells us, that "no man is bound to gain this assurance, although perchance he might possibly attain to it if he would labour after it." I must, with as few words as may be, drive him out of this hold, and we shall draw towards a conclusion. I shall therefore prove, "that it is a believer's duty to give diligence to make his calling, election, and perseverance sure," from a double necessity incumbent upon him. Diligence is necessary necessitate præcepti. (I.) It is a believer's duty, necessitate præcepti, from "the necessity of the command."-There can be no plainer or more express command than the words in the text; and a parallel place with the text is that of the author [of the epistle] to the Hebrews: "We desire," that is, In God's name we require, "that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end." (Heb. vi. 11.) might have used it as a strong argument for the possibility of attaining assurance, because God hath so strictly enjoined us to effect it; for, Nemo tenetur ad impossibile, that "no man is bound to impossibilities," is a true rule, taking it of natural impossibility. Now there is nothing more Brethren, I Appabwv est pars pretii persoluta.-BEZA in loc. "An earnest' is part of the price paid down."-Edit. Nemo tenetur ad habendam hanc certitudinem, etiamsi fortë possit habere.-BELLARMINUS De Justif. lib. viii. cap. 3. clear than that we are bound to endeavour after assurance, by virtue of God's precept; which is so full as that many other duties are therefore enjoined because they are necessary means for our attaining assurance. Thus we are commanded, 1. To "search the scriptures." (John v. 39.) 2. To "search and try our ways." (Lam. iii. 40.) 3. To search and "examine" our hearts. (2 Cor. xiii. 5.) The end of all this searching of the word as the rule, and of our hearts and lives as the things to be regulated by the word, is but that we might come to an assured knowledge of the agreement or disagreement that is between them. Many duties are enjoined believers, because it is supposed diligence hath been given, and assurance thereby attained. Such as these: a believer is commanded, 1. To come with boldness and humble confidence "to the throne of grace." (Heb. iv. 16.) 2. To "rejoice in the Lord always." (Phil. iv. 4.) 3. To give God glory by believing. 4. To tell others what great things God hath done for their souls. 5. To comfort one another, and strengthen the faith of one another. All which duties are commanded, because the attaining of assurance is first commanded; and that first command is supposed, by these other commands, to have been obeyed: for no man can come in the Spirit of adoption, and, with a filial confidence, cry, “ Abba, Father," who first knows not himself to be a son by the image he bears. (Gal. iv. 6.) No man can rejoice in the Lord as he ought to rejoice, till he knows his name to be "written in heaven," because the law of God is written in his heart. (Luke x. 20.) How can a captive triumph, or a man in chains dance? How can a Hebrew song be sung in Babylon, "in a strange land?" (Psalm cxxxvii. 4.) Again when it is required that we should live in perpetual adoration of divine goodness, and in admiration of free grace, and that we praise, and bless, and magnify the name of God, giving him glory by believing, this supposes that we do believe, and also that we know we do believe; for it is the joy of the Lord that gives us strength to do his will, and doth enlarge our hearts to speak good of his name. (Neh. viii. 10.) : Diligence is necessary necessitate medii. (II.) The second argument, proving it the duty of believers with diligence to endeavour after assurance, is, because this diligence is necessary necessitate medii, "as a necessary means."-Here I desire you to consider these two things: 1. That diligence is a necessary means for attaining assurance. 2. That assurance is a necessary means for the effecting some ends which we are bound to accomplish; but [which] are such as, without a certain knowledge of our interest in God,-they are not possibly attained. Diligence a means to gain assurance. 1. Diligence is a most proper and necessary means for attaining assurance.- "Faith of adherence," as one says, comes by hearing; but faith of assurance comes not without doing." In God's giving [of] first grace, we are truly passive; but before God causes all grace to be in us, and to abound, he makes us active and diligent. Both in the direct act of faith and also in the reflex act of it, it may be said, that acti agimus, we act being acted." Yet there is some difference between our living, and moving, and having our being in God: (Acts xvii. 28 :) for as the child owes the first principle of its life wholly to God and its parents, wherein it is wholly passive in itself, but, afterwards, the exercise of those principles depends upon God's enabling of the child to put forth those acts that properly flow from a vital principle; so first principles, or the habits of grace, are, as I have already shown, infused by God alone, but the acts and exercise of grace are from God's concurse [concurrence] with our faculties and powers. We are bidden to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling," notwithstanding it be most true that "God works in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure." (Phil. ii. 12, 13.) You see, a just acknowledgment of God's grace may be conjoined with a clear revelation of man's natural power before conversion, and of a believer's moral power after regeneration; and both of them enforcing and engaging unto the greatest diligence, even from their conjunction and concurrence. For these things are very harmonious in themselves; it is man's ignorance or peevishness that divides the things that God hath conjoined. Acknowledgment of free grace in its power, efficacy, and discriminative prerogative, when duly considered, doth most effectually put us upon diligence. Men can easily reconcile those two texts, where in one place it is said, "The hand of the diligent makes rich;" (Prov. x. 4;) in the other, "The blessing of God maketh rich." (Verse 22.) Men understand these things as they concur in natural things I think they might as well be understood as relating to spiritual riches, "riches of assurance ; diligence, with God's blessing, being a proper means for gaining assurance. (Col. ii. 2.) : Assurance a proper means helping us to attain more grace. 2. Assurance is a most proper means for the more speedy attaining many excellent ends, which without it are most difficultly accomplished. -And here I might enumerate many particulars; for indeed there is scarcely any one act of grace that can be, in any measure or degree, so well exercised by a person ignorant of his spiritual estate, as by him who knows that relation which he stands in to God; neither is any duty so well performed before assurance, as after that God hath sealed to a believer the pardon of his sin. But I must mention only some consequents of assurance, so many as may stop the mouth of that Rabshakeh, Bellarmine, whose last argument against assurance is this, that "it is not convenient that men attain to assurance ordinarily of the truth of grace in their hearts; " and his reason is, "Because it tends to carelessness and sloth." And Petrus a Soto saith, that "it is not only most humble, but most safe, to doubt of the grace and favour of God." For confutation hereof, I shall instance in three effects or consequents of true assurance, which are of great import, but are difficultly obtained by those that want assurance. Victory over sin. (1.) A more complete victory over the actings of remaining sin and corruption. This is much furthered by assurance. It is with believers • Non expedit ut homines certitudinem de gratiá propriá ordinariè habeant.— BELLARMINUS De Just. lib. iii. as it was with the Israelites: they bowed down under the oppression of Egypt so long as they despaired of deliverance; but when God had assured them of his love and favour, and had given them a promise of bringing them forth from bondage, a new spirit immediately came upon them, and they suddenly vindicated themselves from slavery; they cast off their oppressors' yoke, and went forth to liberty, not leaving one hoof behind them. (Exod. x. 26.) Thus despondent persons, who nourish their own fears, like Issachar, may "couch down between" these "two burdens: " (Gen. xlix. 14 :) (i.) Sight of guilt, and, (ii.) Sense of strong corruptions: but when gospel-grace appears, and a sight of the soul's interest in the strength and power of Christ is once manifest, presently the soul lifts up its head, and breaks this yoke off from its neck, and bids defiance to its old lusts, and goes forth "conquering, and to conquer." (Rev. vi. 2.) Our adversaries do indeed speak evil of the things they know not: (Jude 10:) and because they want this experience, that assurance doth most effectually purify the heart; (Acts xv. 9 ;) and are ignorant that he that hath the most assured hope, does most industriously design to "purify himself, as God is pure; (1 John iii. 3;) therefore they blaspheme this most sacred truth; they deny scripture; and, were it not for shame, would accuse Christ and his apostles, Peter and Paul, for libertines, as the Pharisees sometimes did. But was it not Christ's common method, first to say to afflicted souls, "Your sins are forgiven," (Mark ii. 5,) and then, "Take up thy bed, and walk?" (Verse 9.) And again did he not first say, "Thou art made whole," and then said, "Sin no more?" (John v. 14.) Christ's opinion (or rather, his certain knowledge) was this, that the sense of forgiveness was the most potent principle of love and obedience; Christ tells us, that Mary Magdalene therefore "loved much," because much was forgiven her. (Luke vii. 47.) If Paul understood any thing of gospel-principles, it was his doctrine, that the more clear "the grace of God doth appear," the more effectually it doth "teach to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and holily in this present world." (Titus ii. 11, 12.) : Our adversaries forget, that assurance is attainable by none but true believers now it is impossible that true believers should turn the grace of God into wantonness. We affirm, that this "new name," and the "white stone," (Rev. ii. 17,) is never given to any but those that are "partakers of the new nature," (2 Peter i. 4,) to such as are regenerate. God first principles the heart with holiness, and then smiles upon it; and for a holy person to know that he is so, can be no occasion to disobedience. I ask, Who is more obliged, or who feels the obligation to observance most cogently, the son who knows his near relation, and knows his father loves him, or the servant that hath great reason to doubt thereof? God's Spirit seals none but those it hath in measure sanctified; neither would God reveal his love, but that he knows the constraining power of it. Fear is a weak and impotent principle, in comparison of love. The apostle saith, "The law was weak; (Rom. viii. 3;) the terror of its curse weakened and enfeebled the hands of those that should have obeyed it; but the gospel-declaration of grace is mighty and prevailing, because it comes in the power of love. Terrors * may awaken; love enlivens. Terrors may "almost persuade;" love over-persuades. Felix may tremble, and remain unconverted; (Acts xxiv. 25;) Zacchaeus hears of certain salvation, and makes haste to come down, and receives Christ gladly. (Luke xix. 5, 6.) Legal terrors may move affections, and storm the passions; but they make no change upon the will; and therefore there is no saving or thorough work effected; as, when a party of soldiers only storm the out-works of a garrison, they are soon again repelled: but the gospel takes the heart, the main fort, upon friendly articles and voluntary surrender, and the soul becomes a most willing tributary and subject to its new Governor. Fear may force and offer violence, and commit a rape upon the heart, but can effect no contract or marriage-covenant; for that is wrought only by love, and that in its clearest evidences and manifestations. It is true, the Papists, who are great enemies to marriage, will here be ready to object, that "oftentimes affections cool after marriage, which were strong before; and so it may happen after a believer's knowledge of his interest in Christ." I answer, that the apostate church of Rome, to which the Spirit of God gives the title of "the great whore," and of "the mother of fornications and adulteries," (Rev. xvii. 1, 5,) both spiritual and civil, doth much delight to cast all the blemishes they can upon the state of marriage, civilly or spiritually considered; but more innocent persons do know, that interest did never lessen love, nor the knowledge of interest abate affection, but rather increase it. All persons find [that] that relation hath a strange influence upon men's minds to endear those objects that might otherwise be but little taking. Sure I am, that a believer's knowledge that his Beloved is his, and he is his Beloved's, (Canticles vi. 3,) is found by experience to lay the most strong and cogent obligation upon him to loyalty and faithfulness unto the Lord Jesus for as, to him that believes, Christ is precious; (1 Peter ii. 7 ;) so, to him that knows he believes, to him Christ is so much the more precious, even "the chiefest of ten thousand." (Canticles v. 10.) : Victory over temptations of the world. (2.) As assurance furthers our love to Christ, and so gives power over sin, so it gives strength to overcome the world, and all the temptations of it, of what kind soever; be they either, On the right hand. (i.) First. On the right hand; namely, the smiles, flatteries, allurements, and enticements of the world: assurance of an interest in God very much facilitates our conquest over all these. The foresight and prospect of heaven carry the soul so high in its contemplation of glory, as when it looks down upon worldly enjoyments, they appear small, little, and very inconsiderable. Moses, after God had assured him of his love, and had caused his glory to pass before him,-how did he scorn to be tempted with the bait of being reckoned and accounted the son of • Oderint dum metuant ["Men will hate whilst they fear"] cannot be divided. Amat ille non immeritò qui amatur sine merito. Amat sine fine qui cognoscit se amatum fuisse a principio.-BERNARDI Epist. cvii. "He loves not without cause, who is loved without merit. His love is without end, who knows that he was loved from the beginning." --EDIT, |