Constantino would have all differences and disputes in the Nicene Council endBd by the Bible.'^ 0 doubting souls, look cheerfully to this, that all differences and controversies that arise in your hearts be ended by the word. There is danger in looking beside the Scripture, or beyond the Scripture, or short of the Scripture, or upon sense and feeling, so much as upon the Scripture ; therefore let the word be always the man of thy counsel : no way to assurance and joy, to settlement and establishment, like this. If you are resolved to make sense and feeling the judge of your conditions, you must resolve to live in fears, and lie down in tears.
' Inclinauit Deus Scripturas ad infantium et lactantium capacitatem, saith one. God hath bowed down the Scriptures to the capacity even of babes and sucklings. Id agit tola scriptura, et credimus Deum esse misericordem. — Luther. * See ' Lives' of the Emperor, and all accounts of the Council of Nice. — G.
Rom. VIII. 32-34.] heaven on eaeth. 387
(7.) Tlie seventh impediment to assurance is, Men's remissness, carelessness, laziness, and overliness^ in religious services, and in the exercise of their gra^es."^ Ah, how active and lively are men in pursuing after the world ! but how lifeless and unactive in the ways of grace and holiness ! Ah, doubting Christians ! remember this, that the promise of assurance and comfort is made over, not to lazy but laborious Christians; not to idle but to active Christians ; not to negligent but to diligent Christians :' John xiv. 21-23, ' He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me ; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.^ Now ' Judas saith unto him (not Iscariot), liord ! how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world 1 Jesus an- swered and said unto him, If any man love me, he will keep my words : and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.' So 2 Peter i. 10, 11, ' Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure : for if you do these things, ye shall never fall : for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.*
A lazy Christian shall always want four things, viz., comfort, content, confidence, and assurance. God hath made a separation between joy and idleness, between assurance and laziness ; and therefore it is im- possible for thee to bring these together that God hath put so far asunder. Assurance and joy are choice donatives that Christ gives only to laborious Christians. The lazy Christian hath his mouth full of com- plaints, when the active Christian hath his heart full of comforts. God would have the hearts of his children to be hot in religious services. ' Be fervent' (or seething hot, as it is in the original) ' in spirit, serving the Lord,'* Rom. xii. 11.
That service that hath not heavenly heat, that hath not divine fire in it, is no service, it is lost service. A lazy spirit is always a losing spirit. Oh ! remember, lazy Christians, that God is a pure act, therefore he loves activeness in religious services. Remember the angels, those princes of glory, are full of life and activity, and they always behold the Father's face in glory. Mat. xviii. 10. Remember, he that will find rich minerals must dig deep, he that will be rich must sweat for it, he that will taste the kernel must crack the shell, he that will have the marrow must break the bone, he that will wear the garland must run the race, he that wiU ride in triumph must get the victory ; so he that will get assurance must be active and lively in duty, Prov. ii. 4-6. It is only fervent prayer that is effectual prayer, it is only the working prayer that works wonders in heaven, and that brings down wonderful assur- ance into the heart.^ Cold prayers shall never have any warm answers ; God will suit his returns to our requests ; lifeless services shall have
' Overly, i.e. slightly, superficially. — Q.
* The active Christian goes to heaven, alacri animo ac plena fiducia. ' Labor omnia vincit.
* Non amat qui non zelat — Augustine, ff-rouiairart is a significant word ; it signifies all manner of earnestness, seriousness, and continuance in doing. Also it signifies a speedy and swift putting of things in execution.
^ Z'ioyrts signifies seething hot.
^ James v. 16. in^you/iUn, the working prayer.
388 HEAVEN ON EARTH. [ROM. VIII. 32-34.
lifeless answers ; when men are dull, God will be dumb. Elias prayed earnestly, or as it is in the Greek, ' He prayed in prayer,' and God answered him." Many there be that pray, but they do not pray in prayer, they are not lively and earnest with God in prayer ; and there- fore justice shuts out their prayers. When one desired to know what kind of man Basil was, there was, saith the history, presented to him in a dream, a pillar of fire with this motto, Talis est Basilns, Basil is such a one, all on a-light fire for God. Ah ! lazy, doubting Christians, were you all on a-light fire, in hearing, in praying, &c. ; it would not be long before the windows of heaven would be open, before God would rain down manna, before he would drop down assurance into your bosoms.^
My advice to you, lazy Christians, is this, cease complaining of the want of assurance, and be no more formal, slight, and superficial in religious services, but stir up yourselves, and put out all 3'our might and strength in holy actions, and you shall experimentally find that it will not be long before you shall have such good news from heaven, as will fill you with joy unspeakable, and full of glory.^
(8.) The eighth impediment to assurance is. Men's living in the neglect of some ordinance, or in the omission of some religiovs duties* They seek Christ in some of his ways, but not in all ; they wait upon him in this and that ordinance, but not in every ordinance. Are there not many doubting souls that wait upon God, in hearing the word of life, and yet neglect, and make light of waiting upon Christ, in breaking the bread of life ? Are there not many that are very careful daily to per- form family duties, and yet are very rarely found in closet services ? Some there be that are all ear, all for hearing ; and others there be that are all tongue, all for speaking and praying ; and others there be that are all eye, all for believing, all for searching, all for inquiring into this and that ; and others there be that are all hand, all for receiving the Lord's supper, &c. And seriously, when I consider these things, I cease wondering that so many want assurance, and do rather wonder that any obtain assurance, considering how few there be that are conscientious and ingenuous in waiting upon God in every way and service wherein he is pleased to manifest his grace and favour to poor souls.