Use 3. It is an awakening to God's people, who after long profession are no more clear in their own qualification. You should so unques- tionably carry it for God, that others should know you ; at least you should know j'our own selves : ' Examine yourselves, prove yourselves ; know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? ' It is a shame to live so long, and not to know what is in us. But you will say, If the case be so evident, why then do so
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many good people want assurance, and live in doubtfulness of their sincerity ? I answer —
1. There need two witnesses: Kom. viii. 16, 'The Spirit itself bear- eth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God ; ' Eom. ix. 1, ' I say the truth in Christ, and lie not, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost.' Why ? Because the heart of man is so deceitful, Jer. xvii. 9, and the operations of it so various, dark, and confused, that we dare not trust our private judgment : 1 Cor. iv. 4, ' For I know nothing by myself, yet am I not thereby justified.'
2. That so few know their spiritual condition is through their own default, for otherwise the Spirit is ready to witness, if we are ready to receive his testimony. There is a fourfold fault —
[1.] They do not exercise grace to the life in the mortifying of sin or perfecting of holiness, and thei-efore the remainders of sin are active and troublesome, and grace is weak and small, and doth little discover itself in any costly and self-denying acts, and so are not accompanied with that delight and sweetness by which they sliould be noted and observed. Surely great things are more liable to sense and feeling than little ; a staff is sooner found than a needle, and they that cross the in- clinations of corrupt nature can sooner discern a divine spirit and power working in them than others that only cull out the safe, cheap, and easy part of religion ; as valour is more seen in an open field than by lurking in a garrison.
[2.] It may be they do not examine their state or heed soul-affairs, that they may get their uprightness interpreted : 1 Cor. xi. 28, ' But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup ; ' 2 Cor. xiii. 4, * Examine yourselves, prove j'ourselves ; know ye not your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye are repro- bates ? ' Now if men do not reflect upon themselves, no wonder they be ignorant of their own estate.
[3.] Sometimes, out of a faulty modesty and humility, they deny what is wrought in them and by them. A child of God should own his graces as well as corruptions. Hezekiah said, 2 Kings xx. 3, ' 0 Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and done that which is good in thy sight.' We should not so far look to what we should be as not to observe what we are and liave already been ; for the day of small things must not be despised, Zech. iv. 10. The spou.se owneth grace in the midst of infirmities : Cant. V. 2, ' I sleep, but my heart waketh ; ' and he in the Gospel, Mark ix. 24, ' Lord, I believe ; help thou my unbelief.' We are sensible of a disease more than health. We come short of what we should have, Init is there nothing of God in our souls ? We should not only observe our sins and infirmities, but also take notice of the good things that are found in us. Christ taxeth this over-humility in Peter : John xiii. 8, ' Peler saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus an- swered, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.'
[4.] The general cause is laziness : 2 Peter i. 10, ' Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure ; ' Heb. vi. 11, ' And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope unto the end ; ' 2 Peter iii. 14, ' Seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent, that you may be found of him in peace.' So far as
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we neglect our duty, the sense of our interest may abate. Foolish pre- sumption costs a man nothing, but solid assurance cometh with dili- gence ; and the more grace is exercised in acts of communion with God, the more it is known by us : Job xxii. 21, ' Acquaint thyself with God, and be at peace/ In difficulties and afflictions : Heb. xii. 11, ' No chasteniug for the present seemeth joyous, but grievous ; but after- wards it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness.' In all the duties of holiness : John xiv*. 21, 23, ' He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that lovetli me ; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and manifest myself to him. If a 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.' In duties towards God : Heb. xi. 4, ' By faith Abel offered unto God a more ex- cellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous.' In duties towards men : 1 John iii. 19, ' And hereby we know we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.'