A. 3. Let your hearts be endeared in love to God. If God gives liis people cor- rection, they must love him ; much more when he gives them assurance, Ps. xxxi. 23., " O love the Lord, ye his saints." Hath God brought you to the borders of Canaan, — given you a bunch of graj)es, — crowned you with loving-kindness, — confirmed your pardon under the broad seal of heaven ? How can you be frozen at such a fire? How can vou choose but be turned into so- raphims burning in divine love ! Say as St. Austin, animam. ineom in oHio hnbnem, — ' I would hate my own soul,' if I did not find it loving Cod. Give Cod the cream and quintessence of your love, and shew your love bv boiuff willing to lose all for his sake.
A. 4. If you have assurance, improve it for God's glory, several ways: \. By en- couraging sucii as are yet unconverted; tell them how sweet this hidden maima is ; tell them what a good master you serA'e, what gales you have had: tell them God hath carried you to the hill of myrrh, to the mountains of spices, he hath given you not only a prospect of heaven, but an ear- nest. O persuade sinners, by all the love and mercy of God, that they would enrol their names in his family, and cast them- selves upon him for salvation ! Tell them, God hath met with you, and unlocked the soprets of free grace, and assured you of a land flowing with those infinite delights which eve hath not seen. Thus, bv telling others what God Imth done for your soul, vou mav make them in love Avith the ways
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of (uh\, and cause them to turn proseljtes to r(>ligion. — 2. Improve assurance, by com- iorting such as want it: Be as the good Samaritan, pour wine and oil into their wounds. You who have a.ssuraiice, are gotten, a-s it were to the haven, you are sure of your happiness : but do you not .see others who are struggling with the waves
of temptation ana desertion, and are ready to sink? O now Kym|)athize with them, and do what you can to couifort them when they are iu this deep ocean ! 2 Cor. i, 6., " Whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation." The C()mfortable ex})erienLO of one Christian, being communicated to another doth much revive and bear up his fainting heart: "Our comfort," sailh the apostle, " is for your consolation." — 3. Im- prove assurance by walking more heavenly. You should scorn these things below ; you who have an earnest of heaven, should not be too earnest for the earth : you have an- gels' food, and it becomes not you with the serpent to lick the dust. The wicked are all for corn, wine, and oil, but you have that which is better : God hath lifted up the light of his countenance ; will you han- ker after the world, when you have been feeding upon the grapes and pomegranates of the holy land? Do you now lust after the garlic and onions of Egypt ? When you are clothed with the sun, will you set the moon and stars above you ? O ! let them scramble for the world, who have nothinor else but husks to feed on, have you assu- rance of heaven, and is not that enough ? Will not a kingdom satisfy you ? Such iis are high in assurance, should be in the al- titudes, live above the world. — 4. Improve assurance by a cheerful walking. It is for condemned persons to go hanging down their heads : but hast thou thy absolution? Doth thy (iod smile on thee ? Cheer up, 2 Sam. xiii. 4., " Why art thou, being the king's son, lean ?" Art thou the king's son, — hath God assured thee of thy adoption, and art thou sad ? Assurance should be an anti(l<»te against all trouble. What though tlie world hate thee, yet thou art assured that thou art one of God's favourites. Wljat though there is but little oil iu the cruse, and thou art low in the world, yet thou art high in a.ssurance. O then n'joiee ! How musical is the bird, — how doth it chirp and sing, that knows not whore to pick up the next cruuib ! and shall they be sad and discontented, who have God's bond to as- sure them of their daily bread, and his love to assure them of heaven? But certainly those who have sissurance, cannot but be of 51 .sanguine complexion.
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OF PEACE.
A. 5. If you have an assurance of salva- tion, let this make you long after a glorified tstate. He who hath an earnest in his hand, desires the whole sum to he paid ; that soul who hath tasted how sweet the Lord is, should long for a fuller enjoyment of him in heaven. Ilath Ciirist put this ring of as- sui'ance on thy hand, and so espoused thee to himself; how shouldcst thou long for the marriage-supper of the Lamh ? Rev. xix. 9. O Christian, think with thyself, if a glimpse of heaven, a smile of God's face he so sweet, what will it be, to he ever sunning thyself in the light of God's counte- nance ! Certainly, you who have an assur- ance of vour title to heaven, cannot but de-
sire possession. Be content to live, but willing to die.