* It is said of Marcellus, the Roman general, that he could not be quiet, Nee victor, nee victus, neither conquered, nor conqueror. Satan's envy is such against the joy and coraSort of the saints, that lie cannot rest, nor cease from making use of all his wiles, whereby poor souls may be kept off from assurance, and their lives made a burden to them.
402 HEAVEN ON EARTH. [ROM. VIII. 32-34.
Some say of the crystal, that it hath such a virtue in it, that the very touching of it quickens other stones, and puts a lustre and beauty upon them. Assurance is that heavenly crystal that quickens souls, and that casts a beauty and a glory upon souls ; and this makes the devil mad.
Satan knows that assurance is manna in a wilderness, it is water out of a rock, it is a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. He knows that assurance is a salve for all sores, and physic for all diseases, and a remedy against every malady. He knows that assurance is a Christian's anchor at sea, and his shield upon land ; and that it is a staff to support him, and a sword to defend him, and a pavilion to hide him, and a cor- dial to cheer him ; and therefore it is that he labours, both as a lioa and as a serpent, to keep poor souls from a well-grounded assurance. This son of the morning is fallen from the top of glory to the bottom of misery, and therefore he strives to make all as miserable and unhappy as himself
Ah ! Christians, have not you need to seek assurance with all your might, who have to do with so mighty an adversary, who cares not what torments he heaps upon himself, so he may prove your tormentor, by keeping your souls and assurance asunder ? Oh that this very consider- ation might make you restless, till you have got this ' white stone' in your bosoms !
(5.) The fifth motive to provoke you to get a well grounded assurance is this, consider that a well grounded assurance is a jewel of that in- comparable value, it is such a pearl of price as will abundantly recompense the soul for all the cost and charge it shall be at to enjoy it. Aye, the enjoyment of assurance in that hour, when the soul shall sit upon thy trembling lips, ready to take her leave of thee, and all tl^e world, will richly recompense thee for all those prayers, tears, sighs and groans that thou hast breathed out in one place or another, in one service or another.* Surely the gold in the mine will recompense the digger ; the crown, in the end, will recompense the runner ; the fruit in the vineyard will recompense the dresser ; the corn in the bam will re- compense the reaper ; and the increase of the stock will recompense the shepherd ; so assurance at last will abundantly recompense the soul for all its knocking, weeping, and waiting at mercy's door. God will never suffer ' the seed of Jacob to seek his face in vain,' Isa. xlv. 19. There is a reward not only in keeping, but also for keeping of his commands, Ps. xix. 11. Joseph, for his thirteen years' imprisonment, had the honour to reign fourscore years like a king ; David, for his seven years' banishment, had a glorious reign of forty years' continuance ; Daniel, for his lying a few hours among the lions, is made chief president over a hundred and twenty princes ; the three children, for taking a few turns in the fiery furnace, are advanced to great dignity and glory. Ah ! doubting souls, pray hard, pull hard, work hard for assurance ; the pay will answer the pains. Christ will, sooner or later, say to thee, as the king of Israel said to the king of Syria, ' I am thine, and all that I have/ 1 Kings xx. 4. I am thine, O doubting souls, says Christ, and
' It is a true maxim, He finds' his enemy strong at a dear rate, who contemns him aa weak.
' Hvjntmodi lucri dulcis odor, the smell of this gain is sweet to many ; then what is assurance itself? &c.
Rom. VIII 32-34.] heaven on earth. 403
assurance is thine, and joy is thine ; my merit is thine, my Spirit is thine, and my glory is thine ; all I am is thine, and all I have is thine. Oh this is alveariuTTh divini mellifi, an hive full of divine comfort ; oh this will recompense thee for all thy wrestling and sweating to obtain assurance, Mat. xxv. 34-41 ; Rev. iii. 11, 12.
Augustine, in his Confessions, hath this notable expression, 'How sweet was it to me of a sudden to be without those sweet vanities ; and those things which I was afraid to lose with joy I let go, for thou who art the true and only sweetness, didst cast out those from me, and in- stead of them didst enter in thyself, who art more delightful than all pleasure, and more clear than all light.' Ah ! Christians, do but hold up and hold on, and assurance and joy will come, and thou shalt, after thy working and waiting, sit down and sing it out with old Simeon, 'Mine eyes have seen thy salvation ;' my heart hath found the sweetness of assurance, and ' now. Lord, let thy servant depart in peace,' Luke ii. 30.
(6.) The sixth Tnotive to provoke you to get assurance, is this, Consider what labour and paiois ivorldlings take to make sure the things of this life to them and theirs.^ Ah ! what riding, running, plotting, lying, swearing, stabbing, and poisoning is used by men of this world, to make sure the poor things of this world, that are but shadows and dreams, and mere nothings ! How do many with Samson lay heap upon heap, to make their crowns and kingdoms sure, to make the tottering glory of this world sure to themselves ! what bloody butchers do they prove ! they will have the crown, though they swim to it through blood. Men will venture life and limb to make sure these things that hop from man to man, as the bird hops from twig to twig. Oh ! how should this stir and provoke us to be up and doing, to labour as for life, to make sure spiritual and eternal things ! Is earth better than heaven ? Is the glory of this world greater than the glory of the world to come ? Are these riches more durable than those that corrupt not, that ' are laid up in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through, nor steal ?' Mat. vi. 19, 20. No. Oh then be ashamed, Christians, that worldlings are more studious and industrious to make sure pebbles, than you are to make sure pearls ; to make sure those things that at last will be their burden, their bane, their plague, their hell, than you are to make sure those things that would be your joy and crown in life, in death, and in the day of your account.'
Pambus,* in the ecclesiastical history, wept when he saw a harlot dressed with much care and cost, partly to see one take so much pains to go to hell, and partly because he had not been so careful to please God, as she had been to please a wanton lover. Ah, Christians ! what great reason have you to sit down and weep bitterly, that worldlings take so much pains to make themselves miserable, and that you have taken no more pains to get assurance, to get a pardon in your bosoms, to get more of Christ into your hearts !