3. He also by his Spirit hears witness with our sjnrits as to our state and condition. Of this I have spoken largely elsewhere, and therefore shall now pavss it by.
This, then, is our first general rule and direction : — Self-determina- tions concerning men's spiritual state and condition, because their minds are usually influenced by their chstempers, are seldom right and according to rule; mistakes in sucli determinations are exceed-
Ver. 4] NATURE OF GOSPEL ASSURANCE. 547
ingly prejudicial to a soul seeking out after relief and sense of for- giveness: let Christ, then, be the judge in this case by his word and Spirit, as hath been directed.
Rule II.
Self-condemnation and abhorrency for sin consistent with gospel justification and peace — The nature of gospel assurance — What is consistent with it — What are the effects of it.
Self-condemnation and ablioy^rency do very tuell consist luith gospel justification and 'peace. Some men have no peace, because they have that without which it is impossible they should have j)eace. Because they cannot but condemn themselves, they cannot entertain a sense that God doth acquit them. But this is the mys- tery of the gospel, which unbelief is a stranger unto ; nothing but faith can give a real subsistence unto these things in the same soul, at the same time. It is easy to learn the notion of it, but it is not easy to experience the power of it. For a man to have a sight of that with- in him which would condemn him, for which he is troubled, and at the same time to have a discovery of that without him which will justify him, and to rejoice therein, is that which he is not led unto but by faith in the mystery of the gospel. We are now under a law for justification which excludes all boasting, Rom. iii. 27; so that though we have joy enough in another, yet we may have, we always have, sufficient cause of humiliation in ourselves. The gospel will teach a man to feel sin and believe righteousness at the same time. Faith will cany heaven in one hand and hell in the other ; showing the one deserved, the other purchased. A man may see enough of his own sin and folly to bring " gehennam e coelo," — a hell of wrath out of heaven ; and yet see Christ bring " coelum ex inferno," — a heaven of blessedness out of a hell of punishment. And these must needs produce very divers, yea, contrary effects and operations in the soul ; and he who knows not how to assign them their proper duties and seasons must needs be perplexed. The work of self-condemnation, then, which men in these dej)ths cannot but abound with, is, in the disposition of the covenant of grace, no way inconsistent with nor unsuited unto justification and the enjoyment of peace in the sense of it. There may be a deep sense of sin on other considerations be- sides hell. David was never more humbled for sin than when Nathan told him it was forgiven. And there may be a view of hell as de- served, which yet the soul may know itself freed from as to the issue.
548 AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM cxxx. [Ver.4.
To evidence our intendment in this discourse, I shall briefly con- sider what wc intend by gospel assurance of forgiveness, that the soul may not be solicitous and perplexed about the utter want of that which, perhaps, it is already in some enjoyment of.
Some men seem to place gospel assurance in a high, unassauUed confidence of acceptance with God. They think it is in none but such as, if a man should go to them and ask them, " Are you cer- tain you shall be saved?" have boldness, and confidence, and osten- tation to answer presently, " Yea, they are certain they shall be saved." But as the blessed truth of assurance hath been reproached in the world under such a notion of it, so such expressions be- come not them who know what it is to have to do with the holy God, who is " a consuming fire," Hence some conclude that there are very few believers who have any assurance, because they have not this confidence, or are more free to mention the opposition they meet with than the supportment they enjoy. And thus it is rendered a matter not greatly to be desired, because it is so rarely to be obtained, most of the saints serving God and going to heaven well euough without it. But the matter is otherwise. The import- ance of it, not only as it is our life of comfort and joy, but also as it is the principal means of the flourishing of our life of holiness, hath been declared before, and might be farther manifested, were that our present business; yea, and in times of trial, which are the proper sea- sons for the effectual working and manifestation of assurance, it will and doth appear that many, yea, that most of the saints of God are made partakers of this grace and privilege.
I shall, then, in the pursuit of the nile laid down, do these two things: — 1. Show what things they are which are not only consistent with assurance, but are even necessary concomitants of it; which yet, if not duly weighed and considered, may seem so far to impeach a man's comfortable persuasion of his condition before God as to leave him beneath the assurance sought after. And, — 2. I shall speak somewhat of its nature, especially as manifesting itself by its effects.