4. They have assurance, because they have the spirit of adoption in a more eminent degree. All God's children have it : Gal. iv. 6, ' And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father ; ' Eph. i. 13, 14, ' In whom ye also trusted, after ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation ; in whom also, after ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the pur- chased possession, unto the praise of his glory.' But much more they that do more eminently live in the Spirit, and walk in the Spirit. In some the Spirit discovereth himself only in childlike groans ; they feel little of childlike joy and confidence. Surely they find the Spirit a comforter who least grieve him.
5. They have a more abundant sense of the love of God and his rich mercies in Christ.
[1.] By long acquaintance with him: Job xxii. 21, 'Acquaint thyself with God, and be at peace, and thereby good shall come unto thee.'
[2.] By frequent converse with him in the word and prayer : 1 Peter ii. 3, ' If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious ; ' Eph. iii. 12, ' In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him/
[3.] By the experiences of their afflictions : Kom. v. 3-5, ' And not only so, but we glory in tribulation, as knowing that tribulation work- €th patience ; and patience, experience ; and experience, hope : and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us;' Heb. xii. 11, 1 Now no chastening for the present seemeth joyous but grievous : Nevertheless afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby.'
[4.] By those rewards of obedience which belong to God's internal government, God's hiding or manifesting his favour to his people. Now a close walker hath many of these experiences : John xiv. 21, 23, 'He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. If any "man love me, he will keep my words ; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.' They have more of sensible consolation. Now all these tastes of the love of God conduce to establish the soul in holy security and peace.
6. The change wrought in them by grace is most sensible, and plainly to be discovered. They may see a manifest difference between them and themselves. Their minds are changed : Eph. v. 8, ' Ye were sometimes darkness, but are now light in the Lord.' They have
78 SERMONS UPON" PHILIPPIANS III. [SeR. "VTIL
another sight of things, of sin, God, Christ, and heaven. So Paul here : Phil. iii. 7, ' What things were gain to me, I counted loss for Christ.' Their hearts are changed; they love what they formerly hated, and, on the contrary, they esteem and choose what they formerly slighted : Phil. iii. 8, ' Yea, doubtless, I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord ; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.' Their lives are changed : 2 Cor. v. 17, ' If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new.' And there is a difference between them and others: 1 John v. 19, 'And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.' There is somewhat of this in all, but in them the change is more notorious and. sensible; whereas others cannot so easily interpret their sincerity.
[1.] This is not spoken to infringe the doctrine of the saints' persever- ance. No ; far be it from me or you to think so ; for ' none can pluck them out of Christ's hands,' John x. 28. They are safe in the love and care of Christ, and have his power engaged for their preservation. None can unclasp those mutual embraces of love by which Christ holdeth them, and they hold Christ: Rom. viii. 39, 'Nor height nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' Yet we must not thence conclude that we have no more care to take, nor danger to be afraid of, or no more to do as necessary to salvation. We have still more work to do, and we have still to encounter new difficulties and dangers till we are in heaven, and much care and diligence is required at our hands in the use of all appointed means, much exercise of faith, and love, and hope ; for by these means doth Christ preserve us in a state of holiness and obedience : 1 Peter i. 5, ' Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ; ' 2 Peter i. 10, ' Give diligence to make your calling and election sure : for if you do these things, you shall never fall.'