(4.) Douhtings, fears, temptations, if not ordinarily prevailing, are consistent with gospel assurance. Though the devil's power be limited in reference unto the saints, yet his hands are not tied; though he cannot prevail against them, yet he can assault them. And although there be not " an evil heart of unbelief " in believers, yet there will still be unbelief in their hearts.. Such an evidence, con- viction, and persuasion of acceptance with God as are exclusive of all contrary reasonings, that suffer the soul to hear nothing of objections, that free and quiet it from all assaults, are neither mentioned in the Scripture, nor consistent Avith that state wherein we walk before God, nor possible on the account of Satan's will and ability to tempt, or of our own remaining unbelief Assurance encourageth us in our combat ; it delivereth us not from it. We may have peace with God when we have none from the assaults of Satan.
Ver.4.] NATURE OF GOSPEL ASSURANCE. 551
Now, unless a man do duly consider the tenor of the covenant wherein we walk with God, and the nature of that gospel obedience which he requires at our hands, with the state and condition which is our lot and portion whilst we live in this world, the daily sense of these things, Avith the trouble that must be undergone on their account, may keep him in the dark unto himself, and hinder him from that establishment in believing which otherwise he might attain unto. On this account, some as holy persons as any in this world, being wholly taken up with the consideration of these home- bred perjDlexities, and not clearly acquainted with the way and tenor of assuring their souls before God according to the rule of the cove- nant of grace, have passed away their days in a bondage-frame of spirit, and unacquaintance with that strong consolation which God is abundantly willing that all the heirs of promise should receive.
2. Evangelical assurance is not a thing that consisteth in any 2}oint, and so incapable of variation. It may be higher or lower, greater or less, obscure or attended with more evidence. It is not quite lost when it is not quite at its highest. God sometimes mar- vellously raiseth the souls of his saints with some close and near approaches unto them, — gives them a sense of his eternal love, a taste of the embraces of his Son and the inhabitation of the Spirit, without the least intervening disturbance ; then this is their assurance. But this life is not a season to be always taking wages in ; our work is not yet done; we are not always to abide in this mount; we must down again into the battle, — fight again, cry again, complain again. Shall the soul be thought now to have lost its assurance? Not at all. It had before assurance with joy, triumph, and exultation; it hath it now, or may have, with wrestling, cries, tears, and supplica- tions. And a man's assurance may be as good, as true, when he lies on the earth with a sense of sin, as when he is carried up to the third heaven with a sense of love and foretaste of glory. In brief, this assurance of salvation is such a gracious, evangelical persuasion of acceptance with God in Christ, and of an interest in the promises of preservation unto the end, wrought in believers by the Holy Ghost, in and through the exercise of faith, as for the most part produceth these effects following: —
(1.) It gives delight in obedience, and draws out love in the duties that unto God we do perform. So much assurance of a comfortable issue of their obedience, of a blessed end of their labours and duties, of their purifying their hearts, and pressing after universal renova- _tion of mind and life, as may make them cheerful in them, as may give love and delight in the pursuit of what they are engaged in, is needful for the samts, and they do not often go without it ; and where this is, there is gospel assurance. To run as men uncertain, to fight
652 AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM CXXX. [Ver.4.
as those that beat the air, to travel as not any way persuaded of a comfortable entertainment or refreshment at the journey's end, is a state and condition that God doth not frequently leave his people unto ; and when he doth, it is a season wherein he receives very little of glory from them, and they very little increase of grace in them- selves. Many things, as hath been showed, do interpose, — many doubts arise and entangling perplexities; but still there is a com- fortable persuasion kept alive that there is a rest provided, which makes them willing unto, and cheerful in, their most difficult duties. This prevaileth in them, that their labour in the Lord, their watch- ings, praying, suffering, alms, mortification, fighting against tempta- tion, crucifying the flesh with the lusts thereof, shall not be in vain. This gives them such a delight in their most difficult duties as men have in a hard journey towards a desirable home or a place of rest.
(2.) It casts out fear, tormenting fear, such as fills the soul with perplexing uncertainties, hard thoughts of God, and dreadful appre- hensions of wrath to come. There are three things spoken concern- ing that fear which is inconsistent with the assurance of forgiveness ; — First, With respect vmto its principle, it is from a " spirit of bon- dage:" Rom. viii. 15, "We have not received the spirit of bon- dage again to fear." It is not such a fear as makes an occasional incursion upon the mind or soul, such as is excited and occasioned by incident darkness and temptation, such as the best, and persons of the higliest assurance, are liable and obnoxious unto ; but it is such as hath a complete abiding principle in the sovil, even a " sphit of bondage," — a prevailing frame constantly inclining it to fear, or dread- ful apprehensions of God and its own condition. Secondly, That it tends to bondage. It brings the soul into bondage: Heb. ii. 14, 15, he died "to deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." Fear of death as penal, as it lies in the curse, which is that fear that proceeds from a " spirit of bondage," brings the persons in whom it is into bondage ; that is, it adds weariness, trouble, and anxiety of mind unto fear, and puts them upon all ways and means imaginable, unduly and disorderly, to seek for a remedy or relief. Thirdly, It hath tor'ment: " Fear hath tonnent," 1 John iv. 18. It gives no rest, no quietness, unto the mind. Now, this is so cast out by gospel assurance of forgiveness, that, though it may assault the soul, it shall not possess it ; though it make incursions upon it, it shall not dwell, abide, and prevail in it.