Object. Why then do so many good people want assurance ?
Ans 1. There need two witnesses, because the heart of man is so deceitful, and the operations thereof are so various, dark, and confused : Jer. xvii. 9, ' The heart of man is deceitful above all things, and des- perately wicked, and who can know it ? ' There needetli a double testi- mony, as in the mouth of two or three witnesses everything is estab- lished. Now^ these two witnesses are our consciences and God's Holy Spirit : Eom. viii. 16, ' The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God ; ' Kom. ix. 1, ' I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, ray conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost.' The testimony of the Spirit with our own heart, soul, and con- science, they both concur to establish the same conclusion in the same act of witnessing; for it is jointly ascribed to the Spirit of God and the spirit of man. The Spirit of God doth not bear any such witness apart from the spirit of man ; or when this doth not witness also, it doth fortify and strengthen the witness of a man's own spirit. The heart, soul, and conscience of a man doth testify to him that he desireth and endeavoureth every day to serve, please, honour, and glorify God. Hereby the Spirit assureth him that he is a child of God. Conscience will not give this witness, unless we do indeed labour to be complete in all the will of God. And the Spirit witnesseth with conscience, to give vigour and certainty to this testimony, ' My conscience also bearing rae witness in the Holy Ghost.' As when the waters of a land-flood mingle themselves with a river, they make one and the same stream, but then it is more rapid and violent ; so this conjunction of testi- monies raaketh in effect one testimony, but such as more powerfully beareth down our fears, and doubts, and jealousies. A christian is thoroughly settled as to his gracious estate, and his confidence is made more firm and strong.
2. So few know their spiritual condition through their own default ; for otherwise the Spirit is ready to witness, if we be ready to receive his testimony. What is the fault of christians ? A fourtbld fault —
[1.] Either they do not exercise grace to the life, in the mortifying
] C4 SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. [SeR. XXIV,
of sin, or the perfecting of holiness ; and therefore 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, that they want the sweetness whereby they should 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 row against the stream of flesh and blood, and cross the inclinations of nature, can sooner discern a divine spirit and a power working in them than others, who have not so perfect a conquest over the carnal nature ; as the valour of a soldier that boldly encountereth his enemy in the face of dangers and oppositions, than one that fighteth not indeed, but lieth hid in the throng.
[2.] Or they do not examine their state, and heed their soul affairs as they ought. ' Know thyself ' is a lesson worthy to be often practised. The scripture biddeth us examine ourselves, 1 Cor. xi. 28, and 2 Cor. xiii. 5, ' Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith.' But few return upon their hearts, and look inward. The soul hath its experi- ence, or a thing that may be called sense, as well as the body, but most i-egard it not. There is light, peace, joy, or trouble and doubtfulness, which we might easily find out if men would reflect upon themselves.
[3.] Or if they examine their state, they do it in a wrong way ; as sometimes they make those to be marks to try by, which are only marks to aim at ; and so by consequence that is often made matter of doubt- ing, which should only be matter of humiliation ; or else they look so much to what they should be, as not to observe what they have already, or may forget what is behind to quicken their diligence, Phil. iii. 13. But we must not forget, in judging our condition, to own the grace we liave, for we must not ' desi)ise the day of small things,' Zech. iv. 10. The spouse owneth grace in the midst of infirmities : Cant. v. 2, ' I sleep, but my heart waketh.' We come short of what we should have, but have we anything of God in our souls ? We observe our diseases more than our healths; so doth a gracious heart his sins and infirmities, but not the good things found in him.
[4.] In the general, laziness is the cause : 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 to the end ; ' 2 Peter iii. 14, ' Be diligent, that you may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.' The com- forts of the Spirit never drop into the lazy soul. When you have it, so far as you neglect your duty, so far the sense may abate. God in wisdom withdraweth his comforts to awaken and quicken his children to their duty.