Part 32

1. That if the knowledge of other things which are of less importance, be attainable, then certainly it is possible for us to attain that which is of the greatest importance. This argument is founded on the goodness of God; if he has given us sufficient means to lead us into the knowledge of other things, which respect our comfort and happiness in this world; has he left us altogether destitute of those means whereby we may conclude, that it shall go well with us in a better? God has sometimes been pleased to favour his people with some intimations concerning the blessings of common providence, which they might expect for their encouragement, under the trials and difficulties which they were to meet with in the world; and our Saviour encourages his disciples to expect, that notwithstanding their present destitute circumstances, as to outward things; yet their _Father_, who _knows that they had need of them_, would supply their wants; and therefore they had no reason to be over-solicitous in _taking thought what they should eat and drink, and wherewithal they should be clothed_, Matt. vi. 31, 32. and if God, that he may encourage the faith of his people, gives them assurance that _no temptation shall befal them, but what is common to men_; or, that they shall not be pressed down, so as to sink and despair of help from him, under the burdens and difficulties that, in the course of his providence, he lays on them; I say, if God is pleased to give such intimations to his people, with respect to their condition in this world, that they may be assured that it shall go well with them, as to many things that concern their outward circumstances therein; may we not conclude from hence, that the assurance of those things that concern their everlasting salvation may be attained? or, if the promises that respect the one may be depended on so as to afford relief against all doubts and fears that may arise from our present circumstances in the world; may we not, with as good reason, suppose, that the promises which respect the other, to wit, the carrying on and perfecting the work of grace, afford equal matter of encouragement; and consequently, that the one is as much to be depended on, as the other; so that as the apostle says, they who have fled for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before them, may have strong consolation arising from thence, Heb. vi. 18.

_Objec._ It will be objected to this, that the promises that respect outward blessings are not always fulfilled, and therefore we cannot be assured concerning our future condition, as to outward circumstances in the world; though godliness, as the apostle says, hath the promise of the world that now is, as well as that which is to come. This appears from the uncommon instances of affliction, that the best men often meet with, which others are exempted from. Therefore the promises which respect the carrying on and completing the work of grace, will not afford that assurance of salvation which we suppose a believer may attain to, as founded thereon.

_Answ._ In answer to this it may be replied, that the promises of outward blessings are always fulfilled, either in kind or value. Sometimes the destitute state of believers, as to the good things of this life, is abundantly compensated with those spiritual blessings, which are, at present, bestowed on, or reserved for them hereafter; and therefore, if their condition in the world be attended with little else but affliction, they have no reason to say that they are disappointed; for while they are denied the lesser, they have the greater blessings instead thereof, so that their assurance of the accomplishment of the promises of outward blessings, must be understood with this limitation: but as to spiritual blessings, which God has promised to his people, there is no foundation for any distinction of their being made good in kind or in value; if the promise of eternal life be not made good according to the letter of it, it cannot be, in any sense, said to be accomplished: therefore, since God gives his people these promises as a foundation of hope, we may conclude from thence, that the assurance of believers, relating to their salvation, is as much to be depended on as the assurance they have, founded on the promises of God, concerning any blessings which may tend to support them in their present condition in the world.

2. That assurance of justification, sanctification and salvation, may be attained in this life, is farther evident from the obligations which persons are under to pray for these privileges, and to bless God for the experience which they have of the one, and the ground which they have to expect the other. That it is our duty to pray for them is no less certain than that we stand in need of them; this therefore being taken for granted, it may be inferred from hence, that there is some way by which we may know that our prayers are answered, the contrary to which would be a very discouraging consideration; neither could the experience hereof be alleged as a motive to the performance of the duty of prayer, as the Psalmist says, _O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come_, Psal. lxv. 2. Nor could any believer have the least reason to say as he does elsewhere, _Verily God hath heard me, he hath attended to the voice of my prayer_, Psal. lxvi. 19. And the apostle says, that _if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us_, 1 John v. 14, 15. and this is said in the following words, to be known by us, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him; therefore it follows, that we may know from the exercise of faith in prayer, for the forgiveness of sin, that our iniquities are forgiven; the same may be said concerning the subject-matter of our prayer for all other blessings that accompany salvation; and consequently it is possible for us to know whether God has granted us these blessings or no.

But if it be replied to this, that it is not absolutely necessary that an humble suppliant should have any intimations given him, that his petition shall be granted; or that it would be a very unbecoming thing for such an one to say, that he will not ask for a favour, if he be not sure before-hand that it will he bestowed.

To this it may be answered, That we are not only to pray for saving blessings, but to praise God for our experience thereof; as it is said, _Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me_, Psal. l. 23. and _praise is comely for the upright_, Psal. xxxiii. 1. Now this supposes that we know that God has bestowed the blessings we prayed for upon us. If the Psalmist calls upon his soul to _bless the Lord for forgiving_ him _all his iniquities_, Psal. ciii. 2, 3. we must suppose that there was some method by which he attained the assurance of the blessing which he praises God for; which leads us to consider,

3. That some have attained this privilege, therefore it is not impossible for others to attain it. That some have been assured of their salvation, is evident from the account we have thereof in several scriptures, Thus the apostle tells the church he writes to, _God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation_, 1 Thes. v. 7. and he says concerning himself, _I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him, against that day_, 2 Tim. i. 12.

_Objec._ To this it is objected, that though it is true, some persons of old, have experienced this privilege, yet it does not follow from hence that we have any ground to expect it; since they attained it by extraordinary revelation, in that age in which they were favoured with the spirit of inspiration, whereby they arrived to the knowledge of things future, even such as it was impossible for them otherwise to have known, at least, they could not without these extraordinary intimations, have arrived to any more than a probable conjecture concerning this matter; and this is not denied by those who oppose the doctrine of assurance: whereas, to pretend to more than this, is to suppose that we have it by extraordinary inspiration, which, at present, can be reckoned no other than enthusiasm.

_Answ._ To this it may be replied, That though God does not give the church, at present, the least ground to expect extraordinary intimations concerning their interest in spiritual and saving blessings, as he formerly did; yet we must not conclude that there is no method whereby they may attain the assurance hereof in a common and ordinary way, by the internal testimony of the Spirit; which, as will farther appear under a following head, differs very much from enthusiasm; since it is attended with, and founded on those evidences which God has given hereof in scripture, which they, in a way of self-examination, are enabled to apprehend in themselves. That this may appear, let it be considered,

(1.) That there never was any privilege conferred upon the church by extraordinary revelation, while that dispensation was continued therein, but the same, or some other which is equivalent thereunto, is still conferred in an ordinary way, provided it be absolutely necessary for the advancing the glory of God, and their edification and consolation in Christ. If this were not true, the church could hardly subsist, much less would the present dispensation of the covenant of grace excel the other which the church was under in former ages, as to those spiritual privileges which they have ground to expect. It is, I think, allowed by all, that the gospel-dispensation, not only in the beginning thereof, when extraordinary gifts were conferred, but in its continuance, now they are ceased, excels that which went before it, with respect to the spiritual privileges which are conferred therein. Now if God was pleased formerly to converse with men in an extraordinary way, and thereby give them an intimation of things relating to their salvation, but, at present, withholds not only the way and manner of revealing this to them, but the blessings conveyed thereby; then it will follow, that the church is in a worse state than it was before; or else it must be supposed that these privileges are not absolutely necessary to enable them to glorify God, which they do by offering praise to him, and to their attaining that peace and joy which they are given to expect in a way of believing; but if the church were destitute of this privilege, it would be in a very unhappy state, and retain nothing that could compensate the loss of those extraordinary gifts that are now ceased.

They who insist on this objection, and charge the doctrine of assurance as what savours of enthusiasm, are obliged, by their own method of reasoning, to apply the same objection to the doctrine of internal, special, efficacious grace, which we have, under a foregoing answer,[105] proved to be the work of the Spirit; and if these internal works are confined to the extraordinary dispensation of the Spirit, then the church is at present as much destitute of sanctification as it is of assurance. Therefore we must conclude, that one no more savours of enthusiasm than the other; or that we have ground to hope for assurance of salvation, though not in an extraordinary way, as much as the saints did in former ages.

(2.) Our Saviour has promised his people the Spirit to perform what is necessary for the carrying on the work of grace in all ages, even when extraordinary gifts should cease: accordingly he says, _The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you_, John xiv. 26. And elsewhere it is said, _Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things_, 1 John ii. 20. And to this privilege of assurance, it is said, _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 Cor. ii. 12. And there are many other promises of the Spirit, which though they had their accomplishment, as to what respects the conferring extraordinary gifts, in the first age of the church; yet they have a farther accomplishment in what the Spirit was to bestow on the church in the following ages thereof, though in an ordinary way. This seems very evident from scripture; inasmuch as the fruits of the Spirit are said to appear in the exercise of those graces which believers have in all ages, who never had extraordinary gifts: thus it is said, _The fruit of the Spirit, is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance_, Gal. v. 22, 23. Now if these graces be produced by the Spirit, as they are called his fruits, and the exercise thereof be not confined to any particular age of the church, then we must suppose that the Spirit’s energy extends itself to all ages.

Again, believers are said, to be _led by the Spirit_, Rom. viii. 14. and this is assigned as an evidence of their being _the sons of God_; and, on the other hand, it is said, _If any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his_, ver. 9. from whence we may conclude, that there was, in the apostles’ days, an effusion of the Spirit, common to all believers, besides that which was conferred in an extraordinary way, on those who were favoured with the gift of inspiration; otherwise, the having the Spirit would not have been considered as a privilege belonging only to believers, and being destitute of it, an argument of a person’s not belonging to Christ. As for the extraordinary dispensation of the Holy Ghost, it was not inseparably connected with salvation; for many had it who were Christians only in name, and had nothing more than a form of godliness; and on the other hand, many true believers brought forth those fruits which proceeded from the Spirit, in an ordinary way, who had not these extraordinary gifts conferred on them. Moreover the apostle speaks of believers _through the Spirit mortifying the deeds of the body_, Rom. viii. 13. Now if the work of mortification be incumbent on believers in all ages, then the influences of the Spirit, enabling hereunto, may be expected in all ages. Now to apply this to our present argument; the Spirit’s bearing witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God, which is the foundation of that assurance which we are pleading for, is, together with the other fruits and effects of the Spirit but now mentioned, a privilege which believers, as such, are given to desire and hope for, and stand in as much need of as those who had this or other privileges conferred on them in an extraordinary way, in the first age of the gospel-church.

And to all this we might add, that the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit at that time, were conferred on particular persons, and not on whole churches; but assurance is considered, by the apostle, as a privilege conferred on the church to which he writes, that is, the greatest part of them, from whence the denomination is taken; upon which account, the apostle speaking to the believing Corinthians, says, _We know that if our earthy house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens_, 2 Cor. v. 1. by which he does not only intend himself and other ministers, but the generality of believers, at that time, who are described as walking by faith: and there are many other things said concerning them in the foregoing and following verses; which makes it sufficiently evident, that the apostle intends more than himself and other ministers, when he speaks of their having assurance, since many had it who were not made partakers of extraordinary gifts. Therefore we must not conclude that the church has, at present, no ground to expect this privilege, so that they are liable to the charge of enthusiasm if they do. But that this objection may farther appear not to be sufficient to overthrow the argument we are maintaining, we may appeal to the experience of many believers in this present age, who pretend not to extraordinary revelation; and therefore let it be considered,

(3.) That many, in later ages, since extraordinary revelation has ceased, have attained this privilege, and consequently it is now attainable. To deny this would be to offend against the generation of God’s people, of whom many have given their testimony to this truth, who have declared what a comfortable sense they have had of their interest in Christ, and the sensible impressions they have enjoyed of his love shed abroad in their hearts, whereby they have had, as it were, a prelibation of the heavenly blessedness; and this has been attended with the most powerful influence of the Spirit of God enabling them to exercise those graces which have been agreeable to these comfortable experiences, whereby they have been carried through, and enabled to surmount the greatest difficulties which have attended them in this life. And many have been supported and comforted therewith, at the approach of death, in which respect the sting thereof has been taken away, and they have expressed themselves with a kind of triumph over it, in the apostle’s words, _O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?_ 1 Cor. xv. 55.

That some have been favoured with this invaluable privilege is undeniable; the account we have in the history of the lives and deaths of many, who have been burning and shining lights in their generation, puts it out of all doubt. And if this were not sufficient, we might appeal to the experience of many now living, since there is scarce any age or place in which the gospel comes with power, but we have some instances of the Spirit’s testimony to his own work, whereby it comes, with much assurance, a comfortable sense of God’s love, peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost, which is the first-fruits and earnest of eternal life. But since this will be particularly insisted on under a following answer[106], and farther proofs given hereof; we may, at present, take it for granted, that many have been assured of their being in a state of grace, who have not made the least pretension, to inspiration; and to charge them with enthusiasm, or a vain ungrounded delusion, is to cast a reflection on the best of men, as well as on one of the highest privileges which we can enjoy in this world.

I am sensible that it will be objected to this, that though some have indeed expressed such a degree of assurance, yet this will only afford conviction to those that have it, who are best judges of their own experience, and the evidence whereon it is founded; but this is not a sufficient proof to us, with respect to whom it is only matter of report: And it may be said, on the other hand, that it is possible they might be mistaken who have been so sure of their own salvation.

But to this it may be replied, that it is very unreasonable to suppose that all have been mistaken or deluded, who have declared that they have been favoured with this blessing; charity will hardly admit of such a supposition; and if there be no possibility of attaining this assurance, they must all have been deceived, who have concluded that they had it. Moreover, this privilege has been attained, not only by a few persons, and these the more credulous part of mankind, or by such who have not been able to assign any marks or evidences tending to support it; but many believers have experienced it, who, at the same time, have been far from discovering any weakness of judgment, or disposition to unwarrantable credulity; yea, they have enjoyed it at such a time when they have been most sensible of the deceitfulness of their own hearts, and could not but own that there was a peculiar hand of God herein; and the same persons, when destitute of the Spirit’s testimony, have acknowledged themselves to have used their utmost endeavours to attain it, but in vain.

As to the conviction which this will afford to us who are destitute hereof; that though we suppose it true to a demonstration, to those who have it, as being matter of sensation to them, it is only matter of report to us; which we are no farther bound to believe than we can depend on the credibility of their evidence, who have declared that they have experienced it. To this it may be replied, that if there be such a thing as certainty founded on report, which to deny, would be the greatest degree of scepticism; and if this has been transmitted to us, by a great number of those who cannot be charged with any thing that looks like a disposition to deceive either themselves or others; then we are bound to believe, from their own testimony, that there is such an assurance to be attained by those who pretend not to receive it by extraordinary inspiration from the Spirit of God. This leads us,

III. To consider the character of the persons to whom this privilege belongs. Accordingly they are described in this answer, as such who truly believe in Christ, and endeavour to walk in all good conscience before him: these only have ground to expect this privilege. It is an assurance of our having the truth of grace that we are considering; which supposes a person truly to believe in Christ; and accordingly it is distinguished from that unwarrantable presumption whereby many persuade themselves that they shall be saved, though they be not sanctified. It is not _the hope of the hypocrite_ we are speaking of, which, as it is said, shall _perish_, and be _cut off; whose trust shall be as the spider’s web_, which shall be swept away with the besom of destruction, and be like the _giving up of the ghost_, which shall end in everlasting despair, Job viii. 13, 14. and chap. xi. 20. but it is a well-grounded hope, such as is accompanied with, and supported by the life of faith; so that we are first enabled to act grace, and then to discern the truth thereof in our own souls, and accordingly reap the comfortable fruits and effects that attend this assurance; as the apostle prays in the behalf of the believing Romans, that _the God of hope would fill them with all joy and peace in believing_, Rom. xv. 13. So that an unbeliever has no right to this privilege, and, indeed, from the nature of the thing, it is preposterous for a person to be assured of that, which in itself has no reality, as the apostle says, _If a man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself_, Gal. vi. 3. And if faith be necessary to assurance, then it follows, as it is farther observed in this answer, that they who have attained this privilege, walk in all good conscience before God; whereby the sincerity of their faith is evinced: Thus the apostle says, _Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world_, 2 Cor. i. 12.