3. It is propounded as a common privilege. You, and I, and all the suffering servants of God, we know. When we prove the possi- bility of assurance from the experience of the saints recorded in scripture, as put case Job xix. 25, 26, ' I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that I shall see him at the last day ;' or David, Ps. xxiii. 1 ; or Paul, 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8 ; from all which instances there ariseth this argument. That which hath been may be. The Papists answer, that these were extraordinary cases that tlieyhad by special privilege and revelation. But there is no reason for such exemptions; for the VOL. XII. 2 E
434 SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. [SeR. II.
faith of every believer is as acceptable to God as the faith of a pro- phet or apostle : 2 Peter i. 1, ' Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us, through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.' The object laid hold upon is the same, Christ's righteousness ; there we are upon equal terms. So Exod. xxx. 15. The covenant by which we hold is the same. But chiefly take notice of these three things : (1.) They assert their own assurance upon grounds common to all the faithful : as the love of God in Christ, Eom. viii. 38; the righteous- ness of God, or his veracity in keeping promise, 2 Tim. iv. 8 ; God's power and all-sufficiency to maintain and uphold them in all tribula- tions, 2 Tim. i. 12. They that build upon the same grounds, they may have the same certainty. (2.) They speak as taking in believers together with themselves ; to show that it is a common case, as hei-e, oiSa/xev, we are always confident. And St John taketh in others : 1 John V. 19, 'We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.' So that here is nothing singular challenged or inti- mated. (3.) Whatever was written, was written for our comfort and learning, that we might be encouraged by the grace given to them to look up to God with the more hope for the same privileges. Paul, who was one of the instances, saith that be was set out as a pattern unto them that should afterwards believe, 1 Tim. i. 17. Though his humiliation were extraordinary, yet he had his comforts in an ordinary way by the ministry of Ananias. I come now to the fourth consideration.
Fourthly, That this sure confidence of our own right in it, and future possession of it, doth fortify the soul against all the difficulties, dangers, and pressures of the present life, yea, against death itself.
This last proposition I am now to make good. And first, I shall speak of the sure and certain confidence. Secondly, Of the force and strength of it.
First, The confidence is t^vofold. Of the thing, and of the person.
1. Of the certainty of the thing itself. 2. Of our own right in it, and future possession of it.
1. Of the certainty of the thing itself, for till that be rooted in the soul, it will have no predominancy in controlling and commanding the passions and affections. Now of the thing itself all true christians have, and should have, a certain and infallible knowledge ; not a may be, not a bare possibility. It is not enough to say it is possible there may be an heaven and happiness hereafter ; but it is certain : I know it is as true as the word of God is true, it is as true as if I saw it with my eyes, as true as the things which I daily see : Acts xxiv. 14, 15, ' I believe all things (saith Paul) which are written in the law and the prophets, and have hope towards God, which they themselves allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the just and unjust.' This is no doubtful thing to a believer ; by the word of God it is more sure than if there were a message sent from the dead ; for if men do not regard what is in Moses and the prophets, they would not regard what one saith to them who cometh from the dead, Luke xvi. 30, 31. If one should come from hell in flaming garments, or from heaven with all the brightness and glory which all the blessed saints might be thought to appear in, there were not a
VeR. 1.] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. 435