Exhortation. I beseech you, therefore, as we desire to do anything that may please God, labour for particular faith and assurance. Would we have our whole course of life to stink before God ? I tell you, without this faith it is not possible to please God. Would we have all our life to pass fruit- fully, and nothing to run upon our account when we are to die ? Oh pray that the Lord would increase our faith ; above all, labour for particular faith and assurance, for there is nothing Satan opposes us more in. It is a happy estate, a heaven upon earth. If Satan doth oppose it most, and it bp the greatest happiness we can enjoy, it is worth the labouring after.
Let especially those that have ground and cause to be assured, humble broken-hearted Christians, let them by all means not yield to Satan, so much as to obscure the beauty of a Christian life, and to weaken the good things in others ; who see them so mopish and cast down as though Christi- anity were a life of perpetual sorrow, and not rather of perpetual rejoicing, Ps. xxxii. 10, 11. Our blessed Saviour indeed shews that mourners are blessed, but it is chiefly because it tends and ends in joy. There is a com- mand to 'rejoice evermore,' but nowhere is it written, 'mourn continually.' Every one, therefore, ought to express by all means this assurance in the beauty of a holy life. Therefore those who make conscience of holy duties and of their ways, let them not yield to temptations of this kind. If we be in such darkness, let us not trust unto our own judgment, but let us trust the judgment of others. Oftentimes others know more by us than we by our- selves. We ought to yield much to the discerning of Christians in this kind. It is an easy matter when all things go well with us, in a light current, having some feeling, then to have comfort and to be fruitful ; but when we are in our dumps, and in the hour of temptation, then it is not so easy. When a tree bears a gi-eat deal of fruit, and abounds with leaves, it is an easy matter to say, This is a fruitful tree ; but when in winter the sap falls to the root, is covered with snow and frost, the leaves shaken oflf, and the root that is unseen lies hid, then it requires some judgment and former experience to say. This tree hath life, and is fruitful, though now there appears none. So a Christian may be in such an estate, that he re- quires the judgment of some others to look upon him. When in such a case, he must go to former times, for God's love is constant, always like himself.
And go to the secret working of grace ; when outwardly there appears little, go to the pulses. As, if we would know whether a man who is in a swound hath life and breath, we go to feel the pulses, to see if there be any breath remaining ; so in a case of desertion, or seeming deadness of
400 SALVATION APPLIED.
spirit, try which way goes the soul in the desires of it. Is there not a desire to please God ? Ai'o there not groans and endeavours with those desires ? Are not those desires restless, and thy soul unsatisfied ? Thou dost not content thyself with a little foith, but thou desirest more and more, and thou art ashamed, because thou hast so little. This is the pulses beating, and the breathings of a living soul. Yield not to Satan, who tells thee there is no ground for thee to be assured of thy estate. Where we lind these evidences of a living soul, we ought to believe there is true life there ; which I speak to those, who, without cause, are carried to doubt oi their} estates.
Olij. And do not tie Christ to thy conditions : If I had feeling and joy, I could believe, and be cheerful ; if God would send a messenger from heaven, an interpreter, one of a thousand unto me, or if I had those super- natural suavities that some others have found, and those joys ; or were not corruption so busy with me, and I so prone to be overtaken by them.
Sol. But I say unto thee, know this for thy comfort, that whilst thou art clothed with flesh, two fountains will have two streams ; that which is born of the flesh will be flesh, and which is born of the Spirit will be spirit still. Inform thy judgment, mistake not, neither say thou wilt not be comforted unless thou find such a thorough mortification of thy corruption, as admits no strong combustion.
CJncst. Shall St Paul, that chosen vessel, have cause to cry out, * 0 wretched mau that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death.?' Rom. vii. 24, and canst thou think to be freed from them ?
Ans. No ; deceive not thyself. Thy comfort stands in this, with St Paul, not to allow the evil that thou doest ; that sin shall not have dominion over thee, as the apostle speaks, thou not being under the law, but under grace ; for saith he in another place, ' The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh : and these two are contrary, so that ye cannot do the things which ye would,' Gal. v. 17. Comfort thyself rather from this self-combat, and thence even gather thy assurance, tlaat now sin and thou are not one lump ; that a heavenly light hath discovered this thy darkness unto thee ; onl}^ be sure, sin hath no quiet possession in thee. Complain of thyself, and of thy corruptions, unto thy Christ as fast as they come ; lay the burden upon the strongest, and then fear not the issue : that which thou allowest not of, complainest of, and repentest of, shall not, cannot undo thee, but the Spirit at last shall have a final victory. So much for thy corruptions.