4. Vourthly, an earnest is given rather for the security of the party that re- ceives it, than in regard of him that gives it ; so God gives ' the earnest of the Spirit,' grace and comfort ; this is not so much in regard of God, for God meaneth to give us heaven and happiness. (He hath passed his word, and he is master of his word, he is ' Jehovah,' that gives a being to his word as well as to every other thing.) But, notwithstanding, having to deal with doubtful, mistrustful persons, he doth it for our secm-ity, he re- gards not himself so much, but us. He works answerable to his own
* That is, ' government.' — G. VOL. ni, G g
466 COMMENTARY ON
greatness, strongly ; bnt he speaks according to our weakness ; and there- fore here is the term of ' earnest' borrowed for this purpose.
6. And Insthj, an earnest /.s vcrcr taken aivay, but it is made vp uith the hanjain. So it is with the Spirit of God ; the gi-aces and comforts of it are never wholly taken from a Christian, but accomplished in heaven. ' I will leave you the Comforter,' saith our Saviour Christ, ' that shall abide with you for ever,' John xiv. 10.
So that in these and such like other respects, the Spirit of God by itself, together with the graces of it, and the comforts it bringeth, for they go both together, are called an ' earnest.'
Hence then, having thus cleared the words, we may obsei've some par- ticular doctrines. As first, I observe from the first property of an earnest, that it secures the whole bargain, this, that
Obs. A Christian owjht to be, and may be assured of his estate hi grace.
Because, as I said before, an earnest is given for security, and that not so much for God's sake, as for our sakes ; this then must needs follow, either none have this earnest, or those that have it may be assured, or else God is fickle and plays fast and loose with his children, which is blasphemy to affirm. If none have this earnest, then the apostle speaks false, when he saith here, he ' stablisheth us, and gives us the earnest of his Spirit, and us with you,' both together. Ordinary Christians as well as grand ones, as well as Paul, may be assured of their salvation. And if this be so, then either those that have this earnest, this seal of the Spirit, they may be as- sured or no ; and if not, where is the fault ? Doth not God mean in good earnest to them when he gives them this ? Undoubtedly he doth. And why is it given but for assurance ? He is desirous that we should be per- suaded of his love in all things, and therefore God's children they may and they ought to be assured of his love in this world.
It is a point that we have often occasion to meet with in other portions of Scripture. I speak it therefore here only as a ground out of this place, in that the Spirit of God, together with the graces and comforts, are called an * earnest,' I say therefore from hence, tJiat we may be assured of our salvation.
I beseech you, what is the aim of the Epistles to the Romans, to the Ephesians, of the Epistle of St John, but a stirring of them up to whom they wrote to be persuaded of God's love to them, and to shew what ex- cellent things we have by the love of God in Christ ? And St John's Epistle-!^ it is for nothing else, in respect of the substance of it, but to give evidences how we may know that we are the sons of God. Wherefore did God become man ? Wherefore was Christ himself sealed by the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost to his office, when he was baptised ? And wherefore did he die and rise again ? And wherefore doth he make intercession in heaven? That we should doubt of God's love, when he hath given us that which is greater than salvation, that which is greater than all the world, his own Son ? Would we have a greater pledge of his love ? Is not all this, that we should not doubt of his love to us, if we cast ourselves upon him by faith ? Christians may, and ought, and have had assurance. These here had assurance, and the Scripture speaks of such as had it. They have had it, we may have it, because the Spirit is a seal and an earnest ; and we ought to have it, because God hath framed both his word and his sacraments, and all his dealing to man so as to persuade us of his love.
Caution. Yet add this caution, that Christians have not at all times a like assurance of their salvation ; neither all Christians at all times have it not, * That is, the lat Epistle.— G.
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, \TiR.22 . 4G7
nor the best have it not at all times. For there is an infancy of grace, when we know not our own estate and condition ; and there is a time of tempta- tion after infancy, when hkewise we stagger in our assurance. There be times hkewise of desertion, when God, to make us look better to our footing, leaves us a little, as if he would forsake us, when indeed he leaves us to draw us after him, to cleave more closely to him ; for this shaking is to settle us deeper. So there be times and seasons wherein though we be assured, yet we cannot then know our own assurance. And this assurance diflereth in Christians ; for some have more, some less ; even as the con- stitution of the body, some are of a melancholy constitution, that helps Satan in his temptations, and they are subject to fearing and misdoubting : and so as there is a diflerence in regard of tempers, some are more hardly brought to be persuaded than others, so there is a ditierence likewise in care and diligence ; for those that use more care and diligence have more assurance. There is a difference likewise in growth and continuance in Christianity, some are fathers, and some are babes. Answerable to the difference of constitution, and of care and diligence, and of age and growth in Christianity, so is the difference of assurance.