Well ! doubting souls, remember this, God will give assurance in one ordinance, when he will deny it in another, that you may seek his face in all. God loves as well that you should wait on him as that you should wrestle with him. He that will not give God the honour of attending him in every duty, in every ordinance, may long enough complain of the want of assurance, before God will give him the white stone and the new name, that none knows but he that hath it, Rev. ii. 17. Many of the precious sons of Zion have found God giving assurance in one
' irffonv^^, T^affnv^aro, he prayed in prayer.
' Most men have more heat in their hrains than in their hearts and services ; and therefore it is that they walk in darkness, that they want assurance.
3 God shot Anastasius the emperor to death with a thunderbolt for his lukewarmness, eaith the historian. [Evagrius, iii. 29, tcq. ; Cedremis, pp. 354-365. — G.]
* Omission of diet breeds diseases, and makes the life uncomfortable, yea, sometimes a burden to a man. So the omission of holy duties and services breeds many fears, doubts, and questions in the soul, about its own sincerity, about its interest in Christ, about its finding audience and acceptance with God ; and so makes the life of a Chri8> tiau very uncomfortable, yea, a burden to him.
Rom. VIII. 32-34.] heaven on earth. 389
ordinance, others have found him giving assurance in another ordinance. God speaks peace to some in such and such services, and comfort to others in such and such duties. Therefore, as you would have assur- ance, 0 doubting souls, seek the Lord in every way and service, where- in he ia pleased to make known his glory and goodness. In hearing, Christ opens his box of ointments to some, and in praying and breaking of bread, he lets his sweet myrrh fall upon the hearts of others. Some have seen the glory of the Lord in the sanctuary, that have been clouded in their closets ; others have heard a sweet still voice in their closets, that have sat long trembling in the sanctuary. Remember, doubting souls, Moab and Ammon were banished the sanctuary to the tenth generation, for a mere omission, because they met not God's Israel in the wilderness with bread and water, Deut. xxiii. 3, 4.^ And I verily believe, that God doth banish, as I may say, many from his favourable presence, as Absalom did David, for their sinful omissions, for their non- attendance upon him in all his ways. Therefore, if ever you would have assurance, seek the Lord, not only while he may be found, but also in every gracious dispensation where he may be found. ' Then shall the joy of the Lord be your strength,' and his ' glory shall rest upon you.' ' The days of your mourning shall be ended,' and ' you shall lie down in peace, and none shall make you afraid.'^ I would earnestly desire you, O doubting souls, seriously to consider, that all the ways of Christ are ways of pleasantness ; as Solomon speaks, Prov. iii. 17, not only this way or that way, but every way of Christ is a way of pleasant- ness ; every way is strewed with roses, every way is paved with gold, every way is attended with comfort and refreshing. So the psalmist, 'Thy paths drop fatness,' Ps. Ixv. 11, 12 ; not only this or that path, but all the paths of God drops fatness. Oh then, walk in every way, tread in every path of God, as you would have your souls filled with marrow and fatness, Ps. Ixiii. 5 ; and never forget that choice saying of the prophet Isaiah, * Thou meetest him that rejoiceth, and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways,' Isa. Ixiv. 5.' They that would have God to meet with them in a way of peace and reconciliation, in a way of grace and favour, must remember God in all his ways ; not only in this or that particular way, but in every way wherein he is pleased to cause his glory to shine. Therefore, doubting souls, cease complaining, and be more conscientious and ingenuous in waiting upon God in all his appointments, and it will not be long night with you.
(9.) The ninth impediment that keeps Christians from assurance is An imTYioderate love of the world} Their thoughts and hearts are so busied about getting the world and keeping the world, that they neither seek assurance as they should, nor prize assurance as they should, nor lament the want of assurance as they should, nor study the worth and
• Here the proverb is most false that says, Modicum non noeet, a little hurts not. Ah I this or that little omission, as you call it, may expose men to a great deal of wrath, Mat. XXV. 41-46. They did not rob the saints, but omitted the relieving of them, which was their ruin. » Neh. viii. 9 ; Isa. Ix. 20 ; Levit. xxvi. 6. — G.
^ ny33, to run and meet the soul, as the father of the prodigal ran and met him afar off *with bowels of love and pity.
* Multi a mando res noxias sunt miseri, habendo miseriores, many are miserable by loving hurtful things, but are more miserable by having them.
390 HEAVEN ON EARTH. [ROM. VIII. 32-34.
excellency of assurance as they should; and therefore it is no wonder, that such are without assurance. As it is very hard for a rich man to enter into heaven, Mat. xix. 23, 2-4, so it is very hard for a worldly Christian to get assurance of heaven. The ' thick clay,' Hab. ii. 6, of this world doth so affect him, and take him, so satisfy him, and sink him, that he is not able to pursue after assurance, with that life and love, with that fervency and frequency, as those must do that will obtain it. It is said. Gen. xiil 2, 'That Abraham was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold ; according to the Hebrew '?^^, Abraham was very heavy; to shew, saith one, that riches are a heavy burden, and a hindrance many times to a Christian's comfort and confidence, to his happiness and assurance.^ Solomon got more hurt by his wealth, than he got good by his wisdom.^ Such a fire rose out of his worldly enjoyments, as did even consume and bum up his choicest spirits and his noblest virtues ; under all his royal robes, he had but a thread-bare soul. Sicily, saith one, is so full of sweet flowers, that dogs cannot hunt there, the scent of the sweet flowers diverteth their smell.^ And ah ! what doth all the sweet delights and contents of this world, but make men lose the scent of heaven, but divert men from hunting after assurance, and from running after Christ, in the sweetness of his ointments.*