Election indeed is first in order of divine acting, — God chooseth before we believe ; yet faith is first in our acting, — we must believe before we can know we be elected ; j^ea, by believing we know it. The husbandman knows it is spring by the sprouting of the grass, though he hath no astrology to know the position of the heavens ; thou niayest know thou art elect, as surely by a work of grace in thee, as if thou hadst stood by God's elbow when he writ thy name in the book of life. It had been presumption for David to have thought he should have been king, till Samuel anointed him ; but then none at all : when thou believest first, and closest with Christ, then is the Spiiit of God sent to anoint thee to the kingdom of heaven ; this is that holy oil which is poured upon none but heirs of glory ; and it is no prcsiunption to read what God's gracious purpose was towards thee of old, when he prints those his thoughts, and makes them legible in thy effectual calling ; here thou dost not go up to heaven, and pry into God's secrets, but heaven comes down to thee, and reveals them. Again, he will ask the Christian what was the time of his conversion ; art thou a Christian, will he say, and dost thou not know wlien thou conuuenccdst ? Now keep the plains, and content thyself with this, that thou seest the streams of grace, though the time of thy conversion be like 'the head of Nilus, not to be found. God oft comes betimes, before gross sins have defloured the soul, and steals into the creature's bosom without much noise. In such a case Satan doth but abuse thee, when he sends thee on his errand : you may know the sun is up, though you did not observe when it rose. Again, what will become of thee, saith Satan, if God should bring thee into such an aflBiction or trial, when thou must burn or turn, or when all thy outward estate shall be rent from thee, no meal in the barrel, or money in the purse ? darest thou have so good an opinion of thyself, as to think that thy faith will hold out in such an hour of temptation? If thou hast but half an eye. Christian, thou mayest see what Satan drives at; this is an ensnaring question ; by the fear of future troubles he labours to bring thee into a neglect of thy present duty, and indispose thee also for such a state, whenever it falls. If a man hath much business to do on the morrow, it is his wisdom to discharge his mind thereof, when composing to sleep, lest the thoughts thereof break his rest, and make him the more unfit in the morning. The less rest the soul hath in God and his promise concerning future events, the less strength it will find to bear them when the pinch comes. When, therefore, thou art molested with such fears, pacify thy heart with these three plain conclusions :
First, Every event is the product of God's providence ; not a sparrow, much less a saint, falls to the ground by poverty, sickness, persecution, &c., but the hand of God is in it.
Secondly, God hath put in a caution, ' he will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,' Heb. xiii. 5. He that enables thee in one condition will in another. God learns his servants their whole trade. Grace is an universal principle. At the first moment of thy spiritual life, sufi'ering grace was infused as well as praying grace.
Thirdly, God is wise to conceal the succours he intends in the .several changes of thy life, that so he may draw thy heart into an entire dependence on his faithful promise. Thus, to try the metal of Abraham's faith, he let him go on till his hand was stretched forth, and then he comes to his rescue. Christ sends his disciples to sea, but stays behind himself, on a design to tiy their faith, and shew his love. Comfort thyself, therefore, with this , though thou seest not thy God in the way, yet thou shalt find him in the end.
Secondly, Satan perplexes the tender consciences of doubting Christians with obscure scriptures, whose sense lies too deep for their weak and distempered judgments readily to find out, and with these he hampers poor souls exceedingly ; indeed, as melancholy men delight in melancholy walks, so doubting souls most frequent such places of Scripture in their musing thoughts, as increase their doubts ; how many have I known that have looked so long on those difficult places, Heb. vi. 7, and x. 26, which pass the understanding as a swift stream the eye, so that the sense is not perceived without great observation, till their heads have turned round, and they at last, not able to untie the difficulties, have fallen down into despairing thouglits and words of their own condition, crying out,
(55 THAT YE MAY BE ABLE TO STAND