we of the least measures of grace. A man may read the king's image upon a silver penny, as well as upon a larger piece of coin. The least dram of gi'ace bears the image of God upon it ; and why then should it not evidence the goodness and happiness of a Christian's estate ?^ It is a true saying, that the assurance of an eternal life is the life of this temporal life. I have read that Mr Jordain, one of the aldermen of the city of Exeter, would use to ask grown j^rofessors, whether they had any assurance ; which if they denied, he would tell them, that he was even ashamed of them ; ' In good earnest,' saith he, I would study the pro- mises, and go into my closet, and lock the door, and there plead them to God, and say, that I would not go forth till he gave me some sense of his love.' He would often mention and try himself by these three marks : first, a sincere desire to fear the name of God, which he grounded upon that Neh. i. 11 ; secondly, a sincere desire to do the will of God in all things required, which he grounded upon Ps. cxix. 6 ; thirdly, a full purpose of heart to cleave to the Lord, which he grounded upon Acts xi. 23. These he would often press upon others, and these he frequently tried himself by, and from these he had much assurance and comfort.^ Mr Stephen Marshal, in a sermon of his on Isa. ix. 2, saith, * Look and examine, whether thou dost not loathe thyself as a base crea- ture ; and dost thou make this nothing ? Secondly, Dost thou not in thy heart value and prize the meanest child of God more than the greatest man in the world, that have not the image of God, the image of grace and holiness stamped upon them ? I pray God,' saith Mr Marshal, ' that many of God's people do not want these evidences.' ' If our souls,' saith another, ' shall like of Christ for a suitor, when we find no other jointure but the cross, we may be sure we are Christians. A man may want the feeling of his faith, and cry and call again and again for it, and feel nothing all this while, and yet nevertheless have true and sound faith ; for the feeling of and mourning for the want of faith, and the earnest and constant desire of it, is an infallible sign of faith. For this is a sure rule, that so long as one feeleth himself sick he is not dead ; and the high estimation of faith, joined with a vehement desire of it, is a singular evidence that there is a sound and lively root of faith in our hearts.'^ * All the elect of God,' saith another,* 'shall have the sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and the sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon their hearts, sooner or later. I do not press the having of these things perfectly, but sincerely ; an elect person may want many a degree of grace, but if he have them in sincerity, though in the least measure, it is a sufficient evidence of his election.' *An earnest," saith Dr Sibbes,* 'is little in regard of the whole ; perhaps we have but a shilling to secure us of many pounds ; 80 then the point is this, that howsoever we may be assured of our estate in grace, and likewise that we shall hold out, yet the ground of
' ' Slight not the lowest, the meanest evidences of grace. God may put thee to make use of the lowest as thou thinkest, even that, 1 John iii. 14, that may be worth a thousamd worlds to thee.' — Page 33 of a little piece called ' A Choice Drop of Honey.'
" The discovery of grace in thy heart, though but one grain, and that of mustard-seed, will assure thee of thy election and final salvation. Ford's ' Spirit of Adoption,' p. 248.
' Mr Dod on the commandments, pp. 313, 314.
< 1 Pet. i. 2. Mr Love his ' Zealous Christian,' p. 29, last part.
^ Dr Sibbes his commentary on the Fiist Chapter of the Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, v. 22, pp 491, 492.
Chap. I.] a cabixet of jewels, 261
this assurance is not from any great measure of grace ; but though it be little in quantity, it may be great in assurance and security. As we value an earnest, not for the worth that is in itself, but because it assures us of a great bargain ; we have an eye more to the consummation of the bargain, than to the quantity of the earnest ; so it is here, grace is but an earnest ; yet not\vithstanding, though it be little, as an earnest is, yet it is great in assurance and validity, answerable to the relation of that it hath to assure us. Though grace be little, yet as little as it is, seeing it is an earnest, and ' the first fruits,' as the apostle saith, — which were but little in regard of the whole harvest, — yet it is of the nature of the whole, and thereupon it comes to secure. A spark of fire is but little, yet it is fire as well as the whole element of fire ; and a drop of water is but little, yet it is water as well as the whole ocean. When a man is in a dark place, put the case it be in a dungeon, if he have but a little light shining in to him from a little crevice, that little light dis- covers that the day is broke, that the sun is risen. Put the case there be but one grape on a vine, it shews that it is a vine, and that the vine is not dead ; so put the case that there be but the appearance of a little grace in a Christian, perhaps the Spirit of God appears but in one grace in him at that time, yet that one grace sheweth that we are vines, and not thistles, or thorns, or base plants, and it shews that there is life in the root.' Thus you see how fully this reverend doctor speaks to the case. That friend that writes the life and death of Mr John Murcot, once preacher of the gospel at Dublin, saith,^ ' That in preparation for the supper ordinance, he would bring himself unt« the test, and to say the truth, was very clear in the discovering and making out his own condition, being well acquainted with the way of God's dealing with the soul, and with the way of the soul's closing with Christ. Instance, April 3, 1653. Upon search I find, 1. Myself an undone creature.
2. That the Lord Jesus sufficiently satisfied as mediator the law for sin.
3. That he is freely offered in the gospel. 4. So far as I know my own heart, I do through mercy heartily consent that he only shall be my Saviour ; not my works or duties, which I do only in obedience to him. 5. If I know my heart, I would be ruled by his word and Spirit.' ' Be- hold, in a few words,' saith he that writes his life and death, ' the sum and substance of the gospel' By these instances we may see that some of the precious servants of God have found a great deal of comfort, sup- port, rest, content, and some measure of assurance, from a lower rank of evidences, than those that many strong Christians do reach unto, &c. But,
The seventh maxim or consideration.