1. Sometimes, among the rest for this one, to humble us, to keep us from security, to make us careful and diligent ; to make us know that he hath the keeping of our feeling and persuasion in his own hands. As he hath the keeping of all our grace, so he hath the keeping of the knowledge
FAITH TKIUMPHANT. 431
that we have grace, and of our comfortable walking, that we may know we have everything from him, both grace and the feeling of grace ; and if we take liberty to om-selves, he will take liberty to keep our feeling at that time, to make us humble, and to make us seek reconciliation again. It is one part of God's dispensation with his children to hinder their persuasion of their particular interest sometimes.
Sometimes the children of God may be in such a condition, as that they may think for a time in their judgment, that they be in a contrary estate ; they are mispersuaded of themselves not to be God's children, as it were. God may suffer this, that they shall not only have a weak, staggering per- suasion, but a persuasion to the contrary, though it be a false persuasion.
Quest. But how shall they know that they are God's children at that time ? They say they are so shaken, and at a stand, they are so con- ceited* that they are none of God's ; that God hath left them, and forsaken them.
Ans. You may know it by this, that at the same time they are conscion- ablef of all heavenly duties, at the same they neglect no means of salva- tion ; at the same time they complain against their own corrupt course of life that hath given God occasion to leave them thus to themselves ; at the same time they strive against this, and labour to be persuaded of God's truths in general. And though the devil sometimes shake that persuasion, that God's truth is not God's truth, and make them question whether it be the word of God or no, and whether there be such a thinrf as life ever- lasting,— the devil shakes us in principles sometimes, — but yet a Christian in such temptations, though he be shaken in his principles by the force of wickedness, yet he attends upon the means, and goes on more conscion- ably, he doth not give back, but labours for satisfaction and further settling still, and is ashamed of himself that he should have such beastly thoughts, as the psalmist saith, * so foolish was I and ignorant, and as a beast before thee,' Ps. Ixxiii. 22, when he began to stagger in the prin- ciple of the providence of God. So sometimes a Christian is brought to stagger in principles, in the main general persuasion of the word of God ; but he likes not himself, he accounts himself as a beast, and labours for satisfaction still in sanctified means, and never gives over, though he have not particular persuasion, he gives not over holy duties, but goes on in spiritual duties ; he labours to obey God in all things ; he is conscionable to God in fear and trembling, in the least thing. A man may say to such a soul, it shall find peace at the length; for God's ways are unsearchable. God hath cause and reason why he keeps such a soul under for a time, and withholds some sense and persuasion ; but usuall}' God's comforts come more abundantly to such a soul, he reserves it for the time of aflflic* tion or the hour of death.
The truth is, it is a constant rule, that though it may be thus with some in some cases, yet ordinarily God's children may be persuaded of their particular condition ; yea, and they ought to labour after this persuasion and assur- ance, that their souls may be filled with marrow and fatness, and that they may joy in God, and have boldness to come before God in prayer, that they may be fruitful in all holy duties ; that they may be strong to suffer afilictions, and to resist temptations. Therefore though God sometimes, in his wise dispensation, suffer them to be hindered, yet notwithstanding, this [is] a thing that is both attainable, and that they ought to labour for, and never give their hearts rest till they attain to it.
* That is, ' they so conceive.' — Ed. f That is, ' conscientious.'— G.
432 FAITH TRIUMPHANT.
I say wo ought to labour for it ; for the soul is never in such a frame as it ought to be but when it hath gotten some assurance of God's love. But I must add this, we must labour that this persuasion be supernatural, by the Spirit of God, both of the truths in general, of the promises in general, and of our interest in particular in them. We must labour that it be by the Spirit to our spirits ; that the Spirit may seal them to our spirits. For it is not sufficient to know the word of God to be the word of God, and the promises to be the promises, because we have been brought up in them, and can say them by heart, and it were a shame for us to conceive the contrary. That is not suificient, for that will deceive us. We must labour (as I said of knowledge, tliat we may be supernaturally convinced, so also that is from that knowledge), that it may be spiritual, or else it will deceive us.