2. The noble and excellent eflfects it pro- duceth : 1. Assurance will make us love God, and praise him : (1.) Love him. Love is the soul of religion, — the fat of the sa- crifice,— and who can love God so, as he who Iiatli assurance? The sun reflecting its beams on a burning-glass, makes the glass burn that which is near to it : so as- surance (which is the reflection of God's love upon the soul) makes it burn in love to God. St. Paul was assured of Christ's love to him. Gal. ii. 20,, " Who loved me :" and how was his heart fired with love ? he valued and admired nothing but Christ, Phil. iii. 8. As Christ was fastened to the cross, so he was fastened to Paul's heart. (2.) Praise him. Praise is the quit-rent we pay. to the crown of heaven. Who but he who hath assurance of his justification, can bless God, and give him the glory of what he hath done for him ! Can a man in a swoon or apoplexy, praise God that he is alive? Can a Christian, staggering with fears about his spiritual condition, praise (jlod that he is elected and justified ? No : " The living, the living, he shall praise thee," Isa. xxxviii. 19. Such as are enlivened with assurance, they are the fittest persons to sound forth God's j)raise.
Effect 2- Assurance would drop sweetness into all our creature-enjoyments ; it would be as sugar to wine, an earnest of more ; it gives a blessing with the venison ; as guilt embitters our comforts, it is like drinking out of a wormwood cup, so assurance would indulcerate and sweeten all healtli, and the assurances of God's love are sweet riclies, and with the assurance of a kingdom are delectable, nay, a dinner of green herbs, with the assurance of God's love, is princely fare.
Effect 3. Assurance would make us ac- tive and lively in God's service ; it would excite prayer, quicken obedience. As di-
ligence begets assurance, so asRuranci' be- gets diligence. Assurance will not (as the Papists say) breed security in the soul, but industry; doul)ting does discourage us in God's service, but the assurance of his fa- vour breeds joy, " For the joy of the Lord is your strength," Neh. viii. 10. Assurance makes us m()unt up to heaven, ;is eagles, in lioly duties; it is like the Spirit in Eze- kiel's wheels, that moved them, and lifted them up. Faith would make us walk, but assurance would make us run : we should never think we could do enough for God. Assurance would be as wings to the bird, — as weights to the clock, to set all the wheels of obedience a-running.
Effect 4. Assurance would be a golden shield to beat back temptation : assurance triumphs over temptation. There are two sorts of temptations Satan useth : 1. He tempts to draw us to sin ; now the being assured of our justification would make this temptation vanish. ' What, Satan? shall I sin jigainst him who hath loved me, and washed me in his blood! Shall I return to folly after God lialli spoken peace? Shall I weaken my assurance, wound my conscience, grieve my Comforter ? Avoid, Satan, tempt no more !' 2. Satan would make us question our interest in God ; he tells us we are hy{M)crites, and God doth not love us. Now there is no such shield against this tenijjtation as assurance. What, Satan ? Have I a real work of grace in my heart, and the seal of the Spirit to wit- ness it, and dost thou tell me God doth not love me? Now I know thou art an impostor, who goest about to disprove what I sensibly feel. If faith resists the devil, assurance wt)uld put him to flight.
Effect 5. Assurance would make us con- tented though we have but a little in the world; he who hath enough is content; he wh<) hath sun-light is content though he want torch-lijxht. A man that hath as- surance, hath enough, in nno solvatorc oinnes fforciit grinmcB ad suhifem. He hath the riches of Christ's merit, — a pledge of his love, — an earnest of his glory; he is filled with the fulness of God, — here is enough, and having enough he is content, Ps. xvi. 5., " The Lord is the j)ortion of my in- heritance;" " the lines are fallen to me in
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OF ASSURANCE.