' As is not a note of equality, but likeness ; so that the sense may be this : Look, as God knoweth me after a manner agreeable to liis infiuito excellency, so shall I know God according to my capacity, not obscurely, but perfectly, as it were face to face.
A CABINET OF JEWELS. 287
that we are in a justified state, and that we shall he at last undoubt- edly saved. Oh no ! But we are to use all those blessed helps and means that are appointed by God, and common to all believers, for the obtaining of a particular assurance that we are believers, and that our state is good, and that we have a special propriety in Christ and in all the fundamental good that comes by him. Mark, he that will receive no establishment, no comfort, no peace, no assurance, except it be ad- ministered by the hand of an angel, and witnessed to by some voice from heaven, &c., will certainly live and die without establishment, comfort, peace, or assurance. Gregory^ tells us of a religious lady of the empress's bed-chamber, whose name was Gregoria, that, being much troubled about her salvation, did write unto him, that she ' should never cease importuning of him till he had sent her word that he had received a revelation from heaven that her sins were pardoned, and that she was saved.' To whom he returned this answer, ' That it was a hard and altogether a useless matter which she required of him ; it was diffi- cult for him to obtain, as being unworthy to have the secret counsels of God to be imparted to him, and it was as unprofitable for her to know: and that, first, because such a revelation might make her too secure ; and secondly, because it was impossible for him to demonstrate and make known unto her or any other the truth and infallibility of the revelation which he had received to be from God, so that, should she afterwards call into question the truth of it, as well she might, her troubles and doubtings concerning her salvation would have been as great as they were before.' Oh therefore, let all believers that would have sure establishment, sound comfort, lasting peace, and true and sweet assurance of the love of God, and of tlieir interest in Christ, &c., take heed of flying unto revelations, visions or voices from heaven, to assure them of their salvation, and of the love of God, and of their in- terest in Christ, &c. If you who are advantaged to consult histoiy, please to do it, you Avill find upon record that where one hath been mis- taken about searching his own heart, and trying his ways, and observ- ing the frame and temper of his own spirit, many hundreds have been eternally deceived and deluded by voices, visions, apparitions, revela- tions, and strange impulses and strong impressions, especially among the Romanists, 2 Thes. ii. 9-12 ; and within these few years, have not many hundreds in this nation fallen under the same woful delusions, who are all for crying up a light within, and a Christ within ? &c. ' And this you are seriously and conscientiously to observe in opposition to the papists, who boldly and stoutly affirm that assurance of a man's sal- vation can be had by no other means than by extraordinary revelation. Witness the council of Trent, who have long since said, ' That if any man say that he knoweth he shall certainly persevere, or infallibly be assured of his election, except he have this by special revelation, let him be Anathema.' Without all peradventure, God will one day cross and curse such a wicked council, that curseth, that anathematizeth his people for asserting and maintaining that that may certainly be obtained m this life, as I have sufficiently proved by ten arguments in my treatise called Heaven on Earth, from page 1 to page 26.^ I think there is a
1 Vide Gregorii Epistolas; a Lapide in Kom. viii. 16.
2 See Vol. II. p. 300, seq.—G.
288 A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. I.
freat truth in that Confession of Faith, that saith that ' infaUible assur- ance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true beUever may wait long and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it ; yet, being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may without any extraordinary revelation, in the right use of ordinary means, attain thereunto ; and therefore it is the duty of every one to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure.'^ But,
The eleventh maxim or consideration.
XL Eleventhly, Consider that probabilities of grace, of sinceHty, of an interest in Christ, and of scdvation, may be a very great stay, arid a singular support, and a special cordial and comfort to abundance of precious Christians that ivant that sweet and blessed assurance thai their souls do earnestly breathe and long after. There are doubtless many thousands of 'the precious sons and daughters of Zion comparable to fine gold,' Lam. iv. 2, that have not a clear and full assurance of their interest in Christ, nor of the saving work of God upon their souls, who vet are able to plead many probabilities of grace, and of an interest in Christ. Now doubtless probabilities of grace and of an interest in Christ may serve to keep off fears and doubts, and darkness and sadness, and all rash and peremptory conclusions against a man's own soul, and his everlasting w^elfare, and may contribute very much to the keeping up of a great deal of peace, comfort, and quietness in his soul. The probable grounds that thou hast grace, and that God has begun to work powerfully and savingl}^ upon thee, are mercies more worth than ten thousand worlds. Will you please seriously and frequently to dwell upon these ten particulars.
[1.] First, That though Tnany weak gracious souls do not enjoy communion with God in joy and delight, yet they do enjoy commu- nion tcith God in sorrow and tears, Hos. xii. 4 ; Isa. xxxviii. 3 ; Ps. li. 17. A man may have communion with God in a heart-humbling, a heart-melting, and a heart-abasing way, when he hath not communion with God in a heart-reviving, a heart-cheering, and a heart-comfoi'ting way. It is a very great mistake among many weak, tender-spirited Christians, to think that they have no communion with God in .duties, except they meet with God embracing and kissing, cheering and com- forting up their souls. And oh that all Christians would remember this once for all, viz., that a Christian may have as real communion with God in a heart-humbling way, as he can have in a heart-comforting way. John XX. 11-19. A Christian may have as choice communion witii God when his eyes are full of tears, as he can have when his heart i> full of joy. When a godly man upon his dying bed was asked which were his most joyful day.s, either those before his conversion or those since his conversion, upon which he cried out, ' Oh give me my mourn- iu<^r days again, give me my mourning days agam, for they were my juyfullest days.' Many times a poor Christian has never more joy in his heart than when his eyes are full of tears. But,