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the way and manner in which it was first begun, or no, as a farther evidence of the truth thereof. Sanctification is a progressive work; therefore it is not enough for us to set our faces heaven-ward; but we must make advances towards it, and be found in the daily exercise of grace, in order to our concluding that we are in a state of grace. A believer must not only set out in the right way, but he must hold on therein; he must live by faith if he would conclude that the work of faith is begun in truth. It is not sufficient to call upon God, or implore help from him, when under some distressing providences, and afterwards to grow remiss in, or lay aside this duty; but it must be our constant work. A true christian is distinguished from an hypocrite, in that it is said, concerning the latter, Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God? Job xxvii. 20. denoting that a true believer will do so. He is either habitually or actually inclined to it; and that in such a way as is attended with the daily exercise of those graces, which are the fruits and effects of faith, where by he may conclude that he is in a state of grace. Thus far we have considered those marks or evidences of grace, which, in order to our attaining assurance, we must be able to discern in ourselves. But inasmuch as a believer may understand what are the marks of grace contained in scripture, and, at the same time, enquire into the state of his soul, to know whether he can apprehend in himself any evidences of the truth of grace; and not be able to arrive to a satisfaction as to this matter, so as to have his doubts and fears removed; let it be considered,

3. That he must depend on, hope, and pray for the testimony of the Spirit, with his spirit, that he is a child of God. It will be a difficult matter for us to conclude that we have the truth of grace, till the Spirit is pleased to shine on his own work; which, when he does, all things will appear clear and bright to us, though before this we might walk in darkness, and have no light. In speaking concerning the inward testimony of the Spirit (which is necessary to enable a believer to discern in himself the marks of grace, on which his assurance of salvation is founded) let it be premised; that as it is a branch of the Spirit's divine glory, by his internal influence, to deal with the hearts of his people; so he does this various ways, according to the various faculties of the soul, which are the subjects thereof; particularly, when by his power, he renews the will, and causes it to act those graces which are the effects of his divine power; then he is said to sanctify a believer. But when he deals with the understanding and conscience, enabling us to discern the truth of the work of grace, that we may take the comfort of it, then he is described, in scripture, as a witness hereunto, or as witnessing with our spirits, that

we are in a state of grace, the consequence of which is, that the eyes of our understanding being enlightened, we may know what is the hope of his calling, Eph. i. 18. accordingly he gives us to discern that he has called us by his grace; and, as the result thereof, granted us a hope of eternal life.

This is a privilege plainly mentioned in scripture; and we must not suppose that none had it but those who had extraordinary revelation, since it is so necessary to a believer's attaining that peace and joy which the church, in this present dispensation, is certainly not less possessed of, than it was in former ages. And that the Spirit gives his testimony to the work of grace in the souls of believers, though extraordinary revelation be ceased, is evident from what is matter of daily experience; since there are many instances of those who have used their utmost endeavours in examining themselves, to know whether they had any marks of grace, who have not been able to discern any, though they have been thought to be sincere believers by others, till, on a sudden, light has broke forth out of darkness, and their evidences for eternal life cleared up, sp that all their doubts have been removed; and this they could not but attribute to a divine hand, inasmuch as before this they could meditate nothing but terror to themselves; and, in this case, what the apostle prays for, with respect to the church, That the God of hope would fill them with all joy and peace in believing, that they might abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost, Rom. xv. 13, is experienced by them: And on this account they are said to be sealed with that Holy Spi rit of promise, Eph. i. 13. whereby their hope is established, and that is now confirmed to them by this means, which they were before in perplexity about; so that we have as much ground to conclude that the Spirit is the author of assurance in believers, as we have that he is the author of sanctification.

But that this doctrine may not appear liable to the charge of enthusiasm, let it be farther considered, that the Spirit never gives his testimony to the truth of grace in any, in whom he has not first wrought it; for that would be, as it were, a setting his seal to a blank. And to this we may add, that he, at the same time, excites the lively exercise of grace, whereby they are enabled to discern that it is true and genuine; so that their assurance, though it be not without some internal, impressive influences, which they are favoured with; yet it is not wholly dependent on them: Therefore, if you demand a reason of the hope that is in them, though they ascribe the glo ry hereof to the Holy Spirit, as enabling them to discern the truth of grace; yet they are able to prove their ownselves, after having examined themselves, whether they are in the faith,

by discovering their evidences of the faith of God's elect; which argues that their assurance is no delusion.

QUEST. LXXXI. Are all true believers, at all times, assured of their present being in the estate of grace; and that they shall be saved?

ANSW. Assurance of grace and salvation not being of the essence of faith, true believers may wait long before they obtain it; and after the enjoyment thereof, may have it weakened and intermitted through manifold distempers, sins, temptations, and desertions; yet are they never left without such a presence and support of the Spirit of God, as keeps them from sinking into utter despair.

AVING considered some believers as favoured with as

a state grace, we are, in

answer, led to speak of others who are destitute of it. And the general method in which it may be considered, is,

I. That there is something supposed, namely, that assurance of grace and salvation is not of the essence of saving faith. II Some things are inferred from this supposition, namely.

1. That true believers may wait long before they obtain assurance. And,

2. That after the enjoyment thereof it may be weakened and intermitted; the reasons whereof are assigned, viz. bodily distempers, sins, temptations, and divine desertions; yet it is farther added, that they are never left without the support of the Spirit of God; whereby they are kept from sinking into utter despair.

I. As to the thing supposed in this answer, viz. that assurance of grace and salvation is not of the essence of faith. There are many who, in other respects, explain the nature of faith, in such a way as is unexceptionable, who, notwithstanding, assert that assurance is of the essence thereof; in which we cannot but think they express themselves very unwarily, at least, they ought to have more clearly discovered what they mean by faith, and what by assurance, being of the essence of faith; if they mean that no one has saving faith but he who has an assurance of his own salvation; they not only assert what is contrary to the experience of many believers, but lay a stumbling-block in the way of weak Christians, who will be induced from hence to conclude, that because they cannot tell whether they are true believers or no, therefore they are destitute of saving faith; upon which account it is necessary for

us to enquire how far this supposition is to be allowed of, and in what respect denied.

It is certain, that there are many excellent divines, in our own and foreign nations, who have defined faith by assurance; which they have supposed so essential to it, that without it no one can be reckoned a believer. It may be they might be inclined thus to express themselves by the sense in which they understood several texts of scripture, in which assurance seems to be considered as a necessary ingredient in faith; as it is said, Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, Heb. x. 22. and when the apostle speaks of assurance, as a privilege that belonged to the church to which he wrote, We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, 2 Cor. v. 1. and elsewhere, he so far blames their not knowing themselves, or being destitute of this assurance, that he will hardly allow them to have any faith, who were without it; Know ye not your ownselves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates, chap. xiii. 5. From such like expressions as these, they who plead for assurance being of the essence of faith, are ready to conclude, that they who are destitute of it, can hardly be called believers.

But, that this matter may be set in a true light, we must distinguish between assurance of the object, viz. the great and important doctrines of the gospel, being of the essence of faith; and assurance of our interest in Christ being so. The former of these we will not deny; for no one can come to Christ, who is not assured that he will receive him, nor trust in him till he is fully assured that he is able to save him: but the latter we must take leave to deny; for if no one is a believer but he that knows himself to be so, then he that doubts of his salvation, must be concluded to be no believer; which is certainly a very discouraging doctrine to weak Christians. And also, when we lose the comfortable persuasion we once had, of our interest in Christ, we are bound to question all our former experiences, and to determine ourselves to be in a state of unregeneracy, which is, in effect to deny to give God the glory of that powerful work which was formerly wrought in us, which we then thought to be a work of grace,

If they, indeed, mean by assurance, being of the essence of faith, that an assurance of our interest in Christ is essential to the highest or most comfortable acts of faith, designing thereby to put us upon pressing after it, if we have not attained to it; and that hereby God is very much glorified, and a foundation laid for our offering praise to him, for the experience we have had of his grace, which a doubting Christian cannot be said to do; we have nothing to say against it. Or, if they should

assert, that doubting is no ingredient in faith, nor a commendable excellency in a Christian; this we do not deny. All that we are contending for is, that there may be a direct act of faith, or a faith of reliance, in those who are destitute of assurance that they are in a state of grace; which is the thing supposed in this answer, when it is said, that assurance is not of the essence of faith. That this may be better understood, and we be led into the sense of those scriptures that describe believers as having assurance, such as those but now mentioned, and others to the like purpose, let it be considered, that there are many scriptures, in which believers are said to have such an assurance, as only respects the objects of faith, viz. the person, of fices, and glory of Christ, the truth of the gospel, and the promises thereof; which we do not deny to be of the essence of faith. Thus, when the apostle prays for the church, That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknow ledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, Col. ii. 2. and when elsewhere he says, Our gospel came to you in much assurance, 1 Thess. i. 5. and when he exhorts persons to draw near to God, with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, Heb. x. 22. it is probable, that he means in these, and several other scriptures of the like import, no more than an assurance of the object of faith. And as for that scripture but now mentioned, in 2 Cor. xiii. 5. where he seems to assert, that all who are destitute of this privilege are reprobates; some understand the word, which we translate reprobates, as only signifying injudicious Christians; and if so, this is not inconsistent with the character of believers: but others, with an equal degree of probability, render it disapproved, and so the mean

• The word aspuien, though it be sometimes used to signify such as are rejected as objects of God's hatred, as in Heb. vi. 8. and consequently is inconsistent with the character of believers; yet, in other places it may be taken according to the grammatical construction thereof, as opposed to doxas; which signifies persons approved, 2 Tim. ii. 15. and so it signifies a person whose conduct is blame-worthy, or whose actions are not to be approved of; and this may be applied to some who are not altogether destitute of faith, though they are not able to vindicate themselves in all respects as blameless. That the apostle uses the word in this sense here, seems probable from the application he makes of it to himself; it is said, ver. 3. Ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, doxum ¿nlure; and verse 6. he says, I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates; so we render the words via de ori græcede otI access in soper adonici; but it would be more agreeable to what is said in verse 4. if we should render them, I trust that ye shall know that we are not disapproved, or that ye shall find a proof of Christ speaking in us: and in verse 7. he farther says, I pray to God, not that we should appear approved. 8x va mess dexques pavaus, that is, I am not so much concerned about your finding a proof of Christ speaking in us; but that ye should do that which is honest, g. d. I am more concerned for you than myself, though we be as reprobates, muss de ces adoxspecs per; that is, whether you think we have a proof of Christ's speaking in us or no, or his approving us in the course of cur ministry, my great concern is, that you may be approved; so that it is plain the @postic uses the word adempu, as signifying disapproved; and therefore as it is ap

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