If when we be moved to any sin, by Satan, or our own flesh, which is a devil within us, this is contrary to my covenant, this is contrary to the renewing of the covenant, so often renewed in the sacrament, and therefore I will not commit it. It is contrary to the state I am advanced to, and contrary to my relation. God is my Father and my God, and therefore I must be his ; and what have I to do with sin ? What hath pride to do with a heart bequeathed to God ? WTiat hath lust and filthiness ? What hath injustice, or anything .else that is sinful, to do in a heart that hath dedicated and consecrated itself to God, who hath given up himself and all he can do, and to whom we have given up all we have ? and shall we give our strength to sin and Satan, his enemies ?
Thus we should grow in assurance, exercising the increase and know- ledge of our interest. I beseech you, therefore, let us use these and the like things to make God our God. And if any temptation to sin be joined, as Satan cannot but solicit to sin, so he laboureth when we have sinned to tempt to despair for sin ; for they be the two ways by which Satan pre- vails. Now, fetch comfort against both from hence, ' God is my God and my Father,' and Christ teacheth them to call him so ; and therefore, not- withstanding sin, I may go to God and call him Father. The disciples, though their sin was great, yet on their humility they were to acknowledge God to be their Father and their God. And therefore answer Satan : I ought not to abuse, and break off, and deny my interest in God as my Father and my God for any sin, because the disciples did not so ; and Christ hath taught how to make use of God, and to acknowledge him for my comfort. We cannot have a better guide than God ; and therefore
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never think of God but as ' our God and our Father,' and labour to answer all Satan's temptations in that kind from hence.
Use 4. Again, This assurance, that God is our God in Christ, and our Father, is icrought by the sealing of the Spirit, and sanctifying of us ; there- fore take heed ice grieve not the Spirit of God. God's Spirit moveth our hearts oftentimes in hearing the word, or reading, or praying ; when we have any good motions, or when we entertain them ; and therefore do not grieve the Spirit of God, whose office is ' to seal us to the day of redemp- tion,' to assure us God is our God and our Father in Christ. Grieve him not, lest he grieve us, by racking and tormenting our consciences. That is the way to maintain our interest. Take heed of crossing the Spirit, especially by any sin against conscience. Conscience is God's deputy. Grieve not the Spirit. Grieve not conscience, for conscience is God's deputative. It is a little god within us. And therefore, if we will not alienate God from us, to whom we have given ourselves if we be true believers, do nothing against his deputy and agent, the Spirit that sancti- fieth and sealeth us to the day of redemption.
This is the way to maintain assurance, that God is our God. For men may be led -with a spirit of presumption, and say, God is my God. But if conscience telleth them, they live in sin against conscience and the motions of the Spirit, and suppress them, and kill them, as births that they would not have grow in their hearts ; then they cannot say God is my God, but conscience telleth them they lie. And therefore, I beseech you, labour for an holy Hfe. That faith that maketh this claim, that God is my Father and my God, is a purifying faith, 1 John iii. 3. It is a -faith quickening the soul, a faith purifying, a faith cleansing. Faith is wonderfully operative, especially having these promises. What promises ? ' I will be your God and your Father.' ' Having such promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and grow up in all holiness in the fear of the Lord.' And therefore labour for that faith that layeth hold upon this privilege, God is our Father and our God. Make it good by this, that it be a purifying faith, an operative faith, that worketh by love, that sheweth itself in our conversation. The more we labour and grow this way, the more we grow in assurance of salvation.
Beloved, favour cannot be maintained with great persons without much industry, and respect, and observance of distance. A man that will main- tain the favour of great persons must be well read in their dispositions, must know how to please them, and yield them all observance and respect. And shall we think then to preserve respect with God without much industry and holiness ? It cannot be. * And therefore give all diligence,* not a little, * to make your calling and election sure,' 2 Peter i. 10. It requireth all dihgence, it is worth your pains. "We live on this, that he is our God, and will be our God to death and in death, for ever and ever. That God is our God to everlasting, that he is of an equal extent with the soul, he liveth to fill it and make it happy, our souls being of an eternal subsistence. Therefore it standeth us upon ' to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure,' else it will not be maintained. Why do not Christians enjoy the comforts of this, that God is their God in Christ, more than they do ? The reason is, they be negligent to maintain intercourse between God and them. We must know our distances, there must be reverent carriage to God, Ps. ii. 11. A loose Christian can never enjoy the comforts of God. He is so great, and we so mean, we ought to reverence him, we ought to ' love him with fear, and rejoice with trembling,'