Be diligent and constant, be studious and conscientious in observing the frame and temper of your own hearts, and when you find them most plain, most melting, most yielding, most tender and humble, most sweetly raised, and most divinely composed, then, oh then, is the time to single out the most convenient place where thou mayest with greatest freedom open thy bosom to God, and plead with him as for thy life, that he would shew thee how things stand between him and thee, and how it must fare with thy soul for ever.' And when thou hast thus set thyself before God, and opened thy bosom to God, then wisely observe what report God and thy own renewed conscience do make concerning thy eternal condition : ' I will hear what God the Lord will speak,' saith David ; ' for he will speak peace unto his people, and they shall not return to folly,' so the Hebrew may be read.^ Oh ! so must thou stand still, when thou hast sincerely unbowelled thyself before the Lord, and listen and hearken what God will say unto thee. Surely he will speak peace unto thee, he will say, * Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee,' thy heart is upright with me ; m}"- soul is set upon thee ; I have already blessed thee, and I will hereafter glorify thee.
I have read of one who was kept from destroying of himself, — being much tempted by Satan thereunto, — by remembering that there was a time when he solemnly set himself in prayer and self-examination before the Lord, and made a diligent inquiry into his spiritual condi- tion ; and in the close of that work, it was evidenced to him that his heart was upright with God, and this kept him from laying of violent hands upon himself Oh ! a wise and serious observing what that testi- mony is that God, conscience, and the word gives in upon solemn prayer and self-examination may beget strong consolation, and support the soul under the greatest affliction, and strengthen the soul against
• Our hearts are ponderous, Multum trahit de terra, de came multum, therefore we had need take them when in the best temper, &c.
2 Ps. Ixxxv. 8, 9, n^D3b 131B'* ^N1.
^ A good conscience is mille testes, a thousand witnesses ; therefore make much of its testimony.
KOM. VIII. 32-34.] HEAVEN ON EARTH. 431
the most violent temptations, and make the soul look and long for the day of dissolution, as princes do for their day of coronation.
(9.) The ninth means to gain a -well-grounded assurance is, to make a diligent inquiry whether thou hast those things that do accom- pany eternal salvation : Heb. vi. 9, ' But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation ;' or as it is in the Greek, £%o>£va, ' that have salvation,' as it were in the very bowels of them, that comprehend salvation and that touch upon salva- tion.
Oh ! beloved, if you have those choice things that accompany salva- tion, that comprehend salvation, you may be abundantly assured of your salvation. ,
But you may say to me,
What are those things that accompany salvation ? To this question I shall give this answer, viz., that there are seven special things that accompany salvation, and they are these :
1, Knowledge; % Faith; S, Repentance ; 4i, Obedience ; 5, Love ; 6, Prayer ; 7, Perseverance.
(1.) Knowledge is one of those special things that accompanies salva- tion : John xvii. 3, ' And this is life eternal, that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.' ' Divine knowledge is the beginning of eternal life ; it is a spark of glory, it works life in the soul, it is a taste and pledge of eterual life : 1 John V. 20, ' And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true : and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ; this is the true God, and eternal life.' 2 Peter i. 3, ' According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.'* What this knowledge is that accompanies salvation, I shall shew you anon.
(2.) Secondly, Faith is another of those special things that accom- panies salvation : 2 Thes. ii. 13, ' But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning cliosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth.' ^ 1 Peter i. 5, ' You who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.' Heb. x. 39, ' But we are not of them who draw back to perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul' John iii. 14-16, * And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so mu.st the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever beheveth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' Ver. 36, ' He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.' Chap. V. 24, ' Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.' Chap. VL 40, ' And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one that seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life, and I
1 Vide [John] Piscator on the words. [Com. on Bib. 4 vols, folio. 1643. — G.]
* It is called eternal life, Quia radix et origo vitce ; in legendis libris non quceramvs
leientiam, sed saporem. — Bernard. In reading books, let ua not look so much for science
as a slivouriness of the truth upon our own hearts. ' Vide Parous, Estius, and Gerhard on the text.
432 HEAVEN ON EARTH. [ROM. VIII. 32-34!.
will raise him up at the last day.' Ver. 47, ' Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life."
(3.) Thirdly, Repentance is another of those choice things that accom- panies salvation : 2 Cor. vii. 10, 'For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of; but the soitow of the world worketh death.' Jer. iv. 14, ' O Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved.' Acts xi. 18, 'When they heard these things, they held their peace, and gloriKed God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.' Mat. xviii. 3, ' And Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little chil- dren,ye shall notenter into the kingdom of heaven.' Acts iii. 19, 'Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.'*
(4.) Fourthly, Obedience is another of those precious things that accompanies salvation. Heb. v. 9, 'And being made perfect,' speaking of Christ, ' he became the author of eternal salvatiim unto all them that obey him.' Ps. 1. 23, ' Whoso offereth praise, glorifieth me ; and to him that ordereth his conversation aright, will I declare the salvation of God.'