Ans. Not by liavinj]^ soniotinios good mo- tions stirred up in us by the Spirit, lie may work in us yet not dwell, but by the sanc- tifying ])ower of the Spirit in our heart ; tlie Spirit infuseth divinum imiohm, — a di- vine nature, — it stamps its own impress and effigies on the soxil, making llie complexion of it holy. The Spirit ennobles and raiseth the lieart above the world. When Nebu- chadnezzar had his understanding given him, he grazed no longer among the beasts, but returned to his throne, and minded the affairs of his kingdom : when the Spirit of God dwells in a man, it carries his heart above the visible orbs, it makes him ai/perna anhelare, — thirst after Christ and glory. If we can find this, then we have grace, and so have a right to assurance
Ans 2d. If you want assurance, wait for it. If the figures are graven on the dial, it is but waiting a while, and the sun shines ; when grace is engraven in the heart, it is but waiting a while and we shall liave the sunshine of assurance, " He that believeth shall not make haste," Isa. xxviii. IG. He will stay (jiod's leisure. Say not, God hath forsaken you, he will never lift up the light of his countenance ; but rather say as the church, Isa. viii. 17., '' I will wait uj)on the Lord, that hidetli his face from the house of Jacob." — 1. Hath God waited for your conversion and will not you wait for his consolation ! How long did he come a woo- ing to you by his Spirit ? He waited till his head was filled with dew : he cried, as Jer. xiii. 27., " Wilt thou not be made clean ? when shall it once be?" O! Cliristian, did God wait for thy love, and canst thou not wait for his ? — 2. Assurance is so sweet and pi-ecious, that it is worth waiting for ; the price of it is above rubies, it cannot be va- lued with the gold of Ophir. Assinance of God's love is a pledge of election, it is the angel's banquet: what other joy have they ! lus Micah said, Judg. xviii. 24., " What have I more ;" so, when God assures the soul of his eterTial purposes of love, what hath he more to give? Whom (io<\ kisseth he crowns. Assurance is the iint fruits of
paradise: one smile of God's face, one glance of liis eye, one crumb of the hidden manna is so sweet and delicious, that it deserves our waiting. — 3. God hatlj given a promise that we should not wait in vain, Isa. xlix. 23., " They shall not be ashamed that wait for me." Perhujis God reserves this cordi- al of assurance for a fainting time ; he keeps sometimes his best wine till hist. Assur- ance shall be reserved as an ingredient to sweeten the bitter cup of death.
Quest. 7. How may deserted souls he com- forted who ars cast down for want of assur- ance ? 7 hey have the day-star of y race risen in their souls ; but as Job complains, " 1 went mourning without the sun," Job xxx. 28. J'hey go mourning for want of the sun-ti<iht (f God s face ; their joy is eclipsed, they walk in dark- ness, and see no light, Isa. 1. 18. How shall we comfort such as lie bleeding in desertion, and are cast down for want of assurance '?
Ans. 1. Want of assurance shall not hin- der the success of the saint's prayers. Sin lived in, doth put a bar to our ])rayer ; but want of assurance doth not hinder jnayer ; we may go to God still in a humble, fidu- cial manner. A Christian ])erhaps may think, because he doth not see God s smil- ing face, therefore God will not hear him ; this is a mistake, Ps. xxxi. 22., " I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes, nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplicatit»n." If we pour out sighs to heaven, God hears every groan ; though he doth not shew us his face, he may lend us his ear.
A. 2. Faith may be strongest when .assu- rance is weakest ; the woman of Canaan had no assurance but a glorious faith : " O woman, great is thy faith !" Mat. xv. 28. ' Rachel was more fair, but Leah was more fruitful.' Assurance is more fair and h)ve- ly to look upon, but a Iruitl'ul faith God seeth it better for us, John xx. 28., '* Bles- sed are they that believe and feel not."
A. 3. When (iod is out of sight, yet he is not out of covenant, Ps. Ixxxix. 28., " My covenant shall stand fast." Though a wife doth not see her husband's face in many years, yet the marriage-relation holds, and he will come again to her after a long v«)y- age. God may he gone from the soul in desertion, but the covenant stands fast,
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[sa. liv. 10., " The covenant of my peace sliall not be removed." — Quer. Buttliispro- viise was vwde to the Jews, and doth not be- long to us, Yes, V. 17., " Tins is tlie heri- tage of tlie servants of the Lord." This is made to all the servants of God, those who are now living, as well as those who lived in the time of the Jews.
Quest. 8. JV/iat slioidd we do to get assu- rance ?