* Confessions, b. viii. et alibi — G.
* Scripture and histories abound with instances of this kind, aa all know that know anything of the one or of the other.
* The laborious, the active Christian, is tempted but by one devil ; but the idle, sloth- ful Christian, is tempted by all, saith one. It is very sad, when worldlings are a-reaping, that saints as to spirituals should be slumbering and sleeping.
* Qu. ' Bembus' ?— G.
404) HEAVEN ON EARTH. [ROM. VIII. 32-34.
(7.) The seventh motive to provoke you to get assurance, is to con- sider, That assurance luill enable you to hear a burden without a burden, as in Heb. x. 34, ' For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an everlasting substance.' Here you see that assurance of heavenly things makes these worthies patiently and joyfully bear a burden without a burden. So the apostles, know- ing that they had ' a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, went through honour and dishonour, evil report and good report,' 2 Cor. V. 8, and vi. 8-11. They went through many weaknesses, sicknesses, wants, and deaths ; they had nothing, and yet possessed all things ; they had burden upon burden cast upon them by the churches, by false apostles, and by an uncharitable world, and yet they cheerfully bore all burdens without a burden, through the power of a well-grounded assur- ance.^ Assurance makes heavy afflictions light, long afflictions short, bitter afflictions sweet, 2 Cor. iv. 16-18. Where a man wants assur- ance, there the shadow of a burden frights him, and the weight of the least burden sinks him. Such a man is still a-crying out. No man's burden to my burden ; my burden is greater than others, my burden is heavier than others. The want of assurance oftentimes makes men's very mercies a burden, their comforts a burden, their relations a burden, yea, their very lives a burden unto them. Ah ! Christians, you will never bear burdens without a burden, till you come to attain an assur- ance of better things. This will enable you to leap under the weight of any cross, to rejoice under the weight of any mountain, Job vii. 20. Assurance fits a man's heart to his condition, and when a man's heart is fitted to his condition, nothing proves a burden to him. Assurance of better things to come takes away the sting, the poison that attends these lower things ; and the sting and the poison being taken away, the very worst of these things are so far from being a burden to a man, that they become rather a pleasure and a delight unto him. When the sting is taken out of this or that venomous creature, a man may play with it and put it in his bosom.^ Ah ! assurance pulls out the sting that is in every cross, loss, &c., and this makes the assured soul to sit down singing, when others under far less crosses and losses, sit down sighing, mourning, and complaining, Our burdens are greater than we are able to bear. If there were but more assurance of better things among Christians, there would be less complaints among them of this burden, andthat mole-hills then would be no longer mountains. Chris- tians, it is not new notions, new opinions, new nothings, as I may say, in your heads, but the gaining of a well-grounded assurance in your hearts, that will enable you to bear all kinds of burdens without a burden.
(8.) The eighth motive to provoke you to get assurance, is drawn from those i^aiiicular commands of God, u-Jtereby he engages Chris- tians to get assurance,^ as that in 2 Peter i. 10,' Wherefore the rather,
> So Moses, and all those worthies in the 11th chapter.
" I have read of Albas Paulus, who handled serpents and scorpions, and cut them in pieces without any hurt, and said, If a man be holy, all things are subject to him as to Adam, before his sin in paradise. Surely assurance will enable a man to do much this way.
3 The saints in heaven have Jelix necessilas, an happy necessity of obeying God alway ; but we infelix necessitat, an unhappy necessity of disobeying continually.
Rom. V^III. 32-34.] heaven on earth. 405
brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure : for if ye do these things ye shall never fall.' So 2 Cor. xiii. 5, ' Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith ; prove your own selves : know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates or unapproved,' as the Greek imports. So Heb. vi. 11, ' And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope unto the end.' Ah ! you dull, doubting, drowsy Christians, you should take all these commands of God, and press them with all the power and authority you can upon your hearts, to awaken them and provoke them to get assurance of your eternal well- being.' Take one command, and charge that upon the heart ; if the heart be stout and will not yield, then take another command, and press it upon your heart ; if that will not do, then take another, and lay that home upon the heart ; and never leave this work till your souls be effectually stirred up to labour for assurance with all your might. Christians ! you should tell your souls that the commands of God bind directly and immediately, that they bind absolutely and universally. You must obey God intuitu voluntatis, upon the bare sight of his will, and in one thing as well as another. Christians ! if I am not much mis- taken, you should make as much conscience of those commands of God that require you to get assurance of your future happiness, as you do of those commands that requires you to pray, to hear, &c. It is very sad to consider that many that complain much of the want of assurance, should make no more care and conscience of those commands of God that require them to get assurance than some of the heathens have done of the commands of their gods; v/ho, when they have called for a man, have offered a candle ; or as Hercules, who offered a painted man instead of a living. Verily, Christians ! while you make light of any of God's commands, God will make as light of your com- forts. Did you make more conscience to act answerable to the fore- mentioned commands, I am very apt to believe that the Sun of right- eousness would certainly and speedily cause his love and glory to beam, out upon you. Mind God's commands more than your own wants and complaints, and light will break in upon you. By obeying Christ's commands, you will gain more than you can give ; by kissing the Son, you will even command him, and make him and assurance yours.