* ,1 Peter i. 8. So my young Lord Harrington [Funeral Sermon by Stock, 1614. — G.], and Nazianzen, and Vincentius, and Faninus an Italian martyr, with many more that might be named. [Vincentius, Clarke, as before, pp. 34, 86 ; Faninus, ibid. — G.]
346 HEAVEN ON EAKTH, [ROM. VIII. 32-34.
overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." White stones were in great use among the Romans.
(1 .) In white stones they used to write the names of such as were victorious and conquerors ; so in that text, ' To him that overcometh, will I give a white stone.'
(2.) They used to acquit the innocent in courts of justice, by giving them a white stone ; and so here the white stone points out absolution and remission.*
(3.) They used to give a white stone to those that were chosen to any places of honour ; so the white stone of assurance is an evidence of our election, of our being chosen to a kingdom that shakes not, to riches that corrupt not, and to a crown of glory that fades not. And thus much for this sixth proposition, viz., that the certainty and infallibility of a Christian's assurance cannot be made known to any but his own heart, Heb. xii. 28 ; Mat. vi. 20 ; 1 Pet. i. 4.
The seventh proposition is this, That there are some special seasons and times, ivherein the Lord is graciously pleased to give to his children a sweet assurance of his favour and love, and tliey are these that follow.
I. First, Sometimes, I say not always, at first conversion, the Lord is pleased to raake out sweet manifestations of his love to the penitent soul. When the soul hath been long under guilt and wrath, when the soul hath been long under the frowns and displeasure of God, and hath long seen the gates of heaven barred against him, and the mouth of hell open to receive him ; when the soul hath said, Surely there is no hope, there is no help, surely I shall lose God, Christ and heaven for ever, then God comes in and speaks peace to the soul, then he says, ' I will blot out thy iniquities for my name's sake, and will remember thy sins no more,' Isa. xliii. 25. Hark, soul, hark, says Christ, ' My thoughts are not as your thoughts, nor my ways as your ways,' Isa. Iv. 8, 9. My thoughts towards you are thoughts of peace and thoughts of love. Hark, soul ! here is mercy to pardon thee, and here is grace to adorn thee ; here is righteousnessto justify thee ; here is eye-salve to enlighten thee, and gold to enrich thee, and raiment to clothe thee, and balm to heal thee, and bread to nourish thee, and wine upon the lees to cheer thee, and happiness to crown thee, and myself to satisfy thee. Ah, souls ! have not some of you found it so ? surely you have.^
God deals sometimes with rebellious sinners, as princes do with those that are in arms, that are in open rebellion against them. You know princes will put such hard to it : they shall fare hard, and lie hard ; chains, and racks, and what not, shall attend them ; and yet after the sentence is passed upon them, and they are upon the last step of the ladder of life, ready to be turned off, and all hope of escape is gone, then the prince's pardon is put into their hand.* So the Lord brings many poor souls to the last steps of the ladder, to a hopeless condition, and then he puts their pardon into their bosoms ; then he says, ' Be of good cheer, I have
* Vide Beza, BuUinger, Pererius, and Brightman, on the words.
2 And they gave black stones to note their condemnation.
3 I Cor, i. 30 ; Rev. iii. 18 ; Isa. xxv. 6.
* This hath been a practice among all princes, whether they have been Christians or heathens.
Rom. VIII. 32-34-.] heaven on earth. 347
received you into favour, I have set my love upon you, I am reconciled to you, and will never be separated from you.'
You know how God dealt with Paul : after he had awakened and con- vinced him, after he had unhorsed him and overthrown him, after he had amazed and astonished him, then he shews himself graciously and favourably to him, then he takes him up into the third heaven, and makes such manifestations of his love and favour, of his beauty and glory, of his mercy and majesty, as he is not able to utter.*
So upon the prodigal's return, the fatted calf is killed, and the best robe is put upon his back, and the ring is put on his hand, and shoes on his feet, Luke xv. 22, 23.
Some understand by the robe, the royalty of Adam, others, the righteousness of Christ ; and by the ring, some understand the pledges of God's love, rings being given as pledges of love ; some the seal of God's Spirit, men using to seal with their rings.^
Among the Romans, the ring was an ensign of virtue, honour, and nobility, whereby they that wore them were distinguished from the common people. I think the main thing intended by all these pas- sages, is to shew us, that God sometimes upon the sinner's first conver- sion and returning to him, is graciously pleased to give him some choice and signal manifestations of his love and favour, of his good-will and pleasure, and that upon these following grounds :
(1.) The first ground. That they may not be swallowed up of sor- row, nor give up the ghost under the pangs and throes of the new birth. Ah ! did not the Lord let in some beams of love upon the soul, when it is Magor-missabib, a terror to itself ; when the heart is a hell of horror, the conscience an Aceldama, a field of black blood ; when the soul is neither quiet at home nor abroad, neither at bed nor board, neither in company nor out of company, neither in the use of ordinances nor in the neglect of ordinances ; how would the soul faint, sink, and despair for ever !^ But now when it is thus night with the soul, the Lord sweetly comes in and tells the soul, that all is well, that he hath found a ransom for the soul, that the books are crossed, that all debts ai"e discharged, and that his favour and love upon the soul is fixed. Job xxxiii. 24. And so God by his sweet and still voice, speaking thus to the soul, quiets and satisfies it, and keeps it from sinking and despairing.
(2.) 2'he second ground. God gives in assurance sometimes at first conversion, t/iat he may the more raise and inflame their love and affections to him. Ah ! how does a pardon given in when a man is ready to be turned off, draw out his love, and raise his affections to that prince that shews bowels of mercy, when he is upon the brink of misery !* So when a poor sinner is upon the last step of the ladder, upon the very brink of hell and misery, now for God to come in and speak peace and pardon to the soul, ah ! how does it inflame the soul, and works the soul to a holy admiration of God, and to a spiritual delighting in God !
' Acts ix. 3, Vide Bezam, et Grotium, et Calvin.