(John xv. 5,) to make you wise and ex-vii. 29;) death is near, and may be sudden. perienced against Satan's devices; to give May the Lord enable you to consider the you a tender sympathy and fellow-feeling in things belonging to your peace, before they the sufferings and infirmities of your bre- are hid from your eyes! Luke xix. 42. thren, and to enable you to encourage and comfort others, (2 Cor. i. 4,) who shall be hereafter in your case, by relating what you have seen and known yourself in your various conflicts and strivings against sin. These are some of the reasons why the Lord suffers his dear children to groan being burdened, and sometimes permits their enemies to gain a short advantage over them, that he may humble and prove them, (Deut. viii. 2-16,) in order to do them good in their latter end. And, O! with what wisdom is all this appointed! A little of it we may see at present, but we shall not have a complete view till we get safe home. Then to look back upon the way by which he led us through this wilderness, will furnish matter for eternal praise. Farther, not only your mouths, but your lives shall praise him. What is the language of a believing heart, when the Lord pardons his sins, and binds up his wounds? It is this, "Now Lord, I am thine, thy vows are upon me, for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth," Psalm cxvi. 14, 16, and xxxi. 5. "Shall I continue in sin because grace has abounded? God forbid!" Rom. vi. 1. "I am crucified with Christ, crucified to the world, and the world to me," Gal. ii. 20, and vi. 14. "The love of Christ constrains me," 2 Cor. v. 14. "The time past is sufficient to have lived in vanity; henceforth I am the Lord's," 1 Pet. iv. 3. "Has he bound me by his tender mercies, to present myself, body and soul to his service? (Rom. xii. 1;) here, O Lord, I offer my whole self, all that I am, and all that I have, a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to thee. O let me never, never, wander from thee again, but walk in the light, as thou art in the light, and have communion with thee here below, till thou shalt remove me out of the reach of sin and sorrow for ever," 1 John i. 7. And you, my friends, who at present enjoy the light of God's countenance, who know your sins are forgiven (1 John ii. 12) for his name's sake, and have a happy freedom of access at a throne of grace, O be mindful of your privileges; beware of sin, beware of self, beware of Satan. Your enemy envies you your liberty; he watches you with subtilty and malice; he spreads snares for your feet; he desires to have advantage of you, "that he may sift you as wheat," Luke xxii. 31. Therefore be upon your guard, be humble, make much of secret prayer, keep close to the scriptures of God: by the words of his lips you shall be preserved from the paths of the destroyer, Psalm xvii. 4. Attend diligently upon the ordinances, and speak often one to another, (Mal. iii. 16,) in love and faithfulness, of what the Lord has done and prepared for you, and of what manner of persons you ought to be, in all holy conversation and godliness, 2 Pet. iii. 11. Thus you shall be kept safe from evil. Jesus has prayed for you, that your faith may not fail, Luke xxii. 32. Fix your eye (Heb. xii. 2) and your heart upon him, as he that must do all for you, all in you, and all by you. And he has said, "Yet a little while, and behold I come quickly," Rev. iii. 11. Hold fast that which thou hast. "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus," Rev. ii. 10, and xxii. 20. SERMON XX. OF THE ASSURANCE OF FAITH. And we know that we are of God. 1 John v. 19. A WELL-GROUNDED and abiding persuasion, not only that the doctrines of the gospel are If there are any here who have neither true in themselves, but that we, through known the loving-kindness of the Lord, nor grace, are surely and unchangeably intermourned under the sense of his displeasure, ested in them, is highly desirable. If we I am sure your lips are closed to this hour. may be safe, we cannot be happy and comAnd should you die thus incapable of prais- fortable without it, when once we have reing the God who made you, and the grace ceived an experimental knowledge of the which has brought the sound of the gospel to deceitfulness of our own hearts, and the vayour ears, it were better for you that you had riety, subtilty, and force of Satan's temptanever been born, Matt. xxvi. 24. You have tions: and he who knows our frame and much reason to cry out, "O Lord, open thou situation has, in his holy word, made a full my lips." Open my eyes to see my danger, provision for us in this respect, and declared to see the evil of my nature and life. Open it to be his intention, that those who flee for my lips to confess my wickedness. Open my refuge to the hope he has set before them, heart to receive thy word, that I likewise may might have strong consolation; (Heb. vi. 18;) bear a part in the praises thy people pay not be left at an uncertainty in a concern thee, and not perish (as without thy mercy I of the highest importance, but be rooted, must do) with a lie in my right hand, Isa. grounded, established, and settled in the xliv. 20. Consider, the time is short; (1 Cor. | knowledge of his love, and be enabled to maintain it as an unshaken principle through every change of dispensation and frame, "that he who hath begun a good work in them will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ," Phil. i. 6. This animating confidence, so well suited, and so necessary to render the soul superior to all the trials of life, to inspire a noble disdain of the sinful pleasures and vain pursuits of the present evil world, and to engage the grateful exertion of every faculty and power in the service of God, is generally expressed by the word Assurance. But though the word is in frequent use, the thing itself has been, and still is, a subject of much dispute and controversy amongst professors of the gospel. Many not being conscious of such a cheering persuasion in themselves, and too hasty in supposing their attainments must be a standard to others, have ventured to deny the possibility of such an assurance, and treated every claim to it as visionary and enthusiastic. On the other hand, some have maintained the opposite extreme, and held assurance so essential to faith, that without it no person has a scriptural warrant even to hope that a work of grace is begun in his heart. This sentiment, especially when asserted by persons of undoubted character for gifts, graces, and usefulness, has greatly startled and discouraged weak and feebleminded souls, and been too often an occasion of adding to the distress of those who rather ought to have been comforted. Great differences of judgment have likewise obtained concerning the means whereby, the manner in which, and the persons to whom, this assurance is communicated, supposing it attainable. It is not needful to insist on particulars. Perhaps the best way to prevent or remove mistakes, is to propose the truth simply, which, so far as it takes place, will necessarily prevent the entertainment of error. I only mention in general, that there is a variety of sentiments on this point, and the most of them supported by respectable names, in order to caution you against paying too great a deference to human authority, and to urge you to praise God for your Bibles, and to be diligent in the perusal of them. If you search the scriptures, and pray for the Spirit, you may arrive to a clear satisfaction for yourselves, no less than if all the learned were of one mind, and all of your side. My text assures us that this assurance was possessed in the first ages of the church. There were some who could say without hesitation, "We know that we are of God;" and though they are an apostle's words, he uses them not exclusively as an apostle, but generally as a believer. The greatest part of the chapter, and indeed of the epistle, shows that he considers those to whom he was writing as partakers with him in the common privileges of christians. So likewise St. Paul joins the believing Corinthians with himself, when he says, "We know, that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens," 2 Cor. v. 1. And elsewhere he takes it for granted, that they (some of them at least) had this assurance, and presses them to a lively discharge of their duty upon that consideration: " for as much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord," 1 Cor. xv. 58. And we need make no scruple of affirming from the fullest evidence, that this precious privilege was not confined or designed by God to be so, to the first ages of the gospel. There have been in all periods of the church, where the word and ordinances of Christ have been faithfully administered, many who could say, "We know that we are of God;" and we trust there are more than a few who can say so, and give a solid scriptural evidence of the hope that is in them, even in this degenerate day. But because arguments from facts, which must depend upon persons' testimony in their own cases, are not allowed to be fully conclusive; and because the greater part of those who we hope sincerely love the Lord Jesus, live far below their just right and pri vilege, and are perplexed with doubts and fears, which dishonour their profession, weaken their hands, and make their lives uncomfortable; I shall endeavour at this time to state and explain the nature of assurance, to prove that it is attainable, to point out the means by which we are to expect it, and to take notice of the hinderances which keep so many who are interested in the gospel-salvation from enjoying their privilege, and make them unwilling or afraid to say, "We know that we are of God." What I have to offer on these particulars, will occur under one or other of the following propositions: I. Assurance is not essential to the being of faith. It is a strong faith, but we read likewise of a weak faith, (Rom. xiv. 1,) a little faith, (Matth. iv. 31,) and faith like a grain of mustard-seed, Matth. xvii. 20. True saving faith in Jesus Christ is only distinguishable by its different degrees; but in every degree, and in every subject, it is universally of the same kind, and produces (according to its degree) the same uniform effects. It purifies the heart from the love and practice of sin; (Acts xv. 9;) it works by love to the Lord Jesus Christ, his ordinances, ways, and people; (Gal. v. 6;) and it enables the possessor to overcome the world, (1 John v. 4,) to stand fast against its frowns, and to resist the more pleasing, but not less dangerous, influence of its smiles. Each of these effects is beyond the power, and contrary to the inclination of the natural man. "No man can say that Jesus Christ is the Lord," (1 Cor. xii. 3,) that mercy, which is fainter or stronger according as the knowledge of Jesus is more or less distinct, and the surrender unto him more or less simple and unreserved, and therefore, in ge ledge of Christ in a measure depends upon our knowledge of the scriptures, which testify of him, and on the proofs we have had of his wisdom, grace, and love to ourselves; but the young convert, in whom the seed of faith is but lately sown, has but little acquaintance with the word; for he has but just begun to know the value of it, and he has but little experience; though his eyes are opened, his sight is not yet confirmed, nor his spiritual senses exercised. is, can give him the honour due to his name, renounce every other hope of salvation, and count all things but loss and dung that he may win Christ, (Phil. iii. 8,) "but by the Holy Ghost." Yet thus far many have un-neral, it is very faint at first; for the knowdoubtedly attained, who have not assurance; but while they give sufficient evidence by their conduct that they have received precious faith in their hearts, they go mourning all the day long, and almost pass sentence against themselves as unbelievers. Now, what these mourners want, in order to their establishment and assurance, is not some new principle, which they have not yet received, but only a stronger degree of that faith which they already possess. Some good writers speak of a faith of reliance, a faith of adhe- Farther, though he was sincerely convinced rence, a faith of assurance, and of the direct of his need of a Saviour, there is still much and reflex acts of faith, &c.; but these are not of a legal bias, and a principle of self-rightescriptural modes of expression, nor do they ousness in his heart, which, so far from being appear to me to throw light upon the subject, removed, is not yet discovered to himself; but rather to increase the perplexity of plain and while he thinks he looks to Christ alone, people, who are apt to imagine these are so he is looking in himself for qualifications to many different kinds of faith. The scriptures recommend him, and afraid to draw near with mention only two kinds, a living and a dead confidence, because he cannot find them. faith, James ii. 17. True faith is faint and These things discourage his hopes, and deweak in its beginnings, like the life of a new-monstrate his faith to be but weak. born infant, but is growing up to maturity, and shall increase with the increase of God, "unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ," Eph. iv. 13. From thence it follows, II. The grounds and principles of faith and assurance are exactly the same. The first and lowest act of saving faith necessarily includes three things: But the strongest and most lively assurance that we can conceive attainable in the present life, is wrought and maintained by the very same principles which have so faint an influence in the infancy of faith. Let us hear the great champion St. Paul, in the close of an exemplary, laborious life, giving an account to a dear and intimate friend of the hope that was in him. He had been honoured and dis1. An apprehension of the sufficiency and tinguished for grace, gifts, and usefulness, in authority of Christ to save. Men that live in a peculiar manner; he had laboured more their sins will rest upon a slender hope! but abundantly than all the apostles; he had fully a conscience truly awakened must have sure preached the gospel, and gathered churches grounds to go upon, and, without the disco- throughout a very large part of the Roman very of such a Saviour as is revealed in the empire; (1 Cor. xv. 10; Rom. xv. 19;) his gospel, would sink into despair. It is afraid first call was extraordinary, by the Lord's apof being deceived, and is so far enlightened pearing to him in glory; and some of his sucthat it cannot be easily imposed upon; a sense ceeding experiences had been no less singular, of the sinfulness of sin, an impression of the for he had been caught up into the third heamajesty of God, will not suffer it to rest in any vens: (Cor. xii. 2:) finally, his suffering for thing short of a perfect atonement and a per- the gospel had been as great and remarkable fect righteousness. But when the eyes of the as his services. But when he expresses his mind are opened, and Jesus is seen as re-assurance of support and salvation, he says vealed by the word and Spirit of God, all scruples of this sort are silenced, and the soul perceives and feels, that he is fully equal to the mighty undertaking. 2. An application to him. This of course follows a persuasion of his ability to save: for who will sit down and perish, when there is a possibility of relief! There is, perhaps, a great questioning of Christ's willingness; but still, since there is a peradventure, a sense of distress on the one hand, and a view of his power and grace on the other, will extort a cry, "Lord, save me, or I perish," Matth. viii. 25, and xiv. 30. 3. From hence there arises a hope in his not a syllable of these things, but rests the whole upon such points as were common to him with all believers: "I know whom I have been believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day," 2 Tim. i. 12. We see there St. Paul's assurance was founded on, 1st, A knowledge of Jesus Christ, the object of his faith; 2dly, A consciousness of transactions which had passed between him and his Saviour, he had committed something to him, that was, his soul with all his interests; 3dly, A persuasion of his ability, willingness, and faithfulness, to secure and preserve what he had taken charge of. And these are the very same principles which are necessary to the first act of weak faith, only here they exert themselves with their proper power and efficacy. From hence, III. Assurance is equally open to all believers. It is not the exclusive privilege of great services or sufferings; it is not confined to apostles, ministers, or martyrs, but is a prize set before all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, being no other than the growth and establishment of that faith which they have already received. The reasons why all who believe are not happy in the assurance of hope, are to be sought, not in the will of God, who hath made abundant provision for our comfort, but in the perverseness, ignorance, and misapprehensions of our own hearts, and from inattention to his revealed word. We are not straitened in him, but in ourselves. It is not easy to enumerate the many ways in which our depravity works to keep this good thing from us. A few of the principal are these: power of the law, to grow slack and remiss in prayer soon after they obtain some hope of salvation from the gospel, and particularly they do not "give all diligence to make their calling and election sure," (2 Pet. i. 10,) in the careful use of every means appointed for their establishment in the truth as it is in Jesus. Therefore that word is fulfilled in them, "The slothful soul desireth, and hath nothing," Prov. xiii. 4. They go on for months or years in a complaining, unsettled state, and deservedly, because they are not earnest in seeking, asking, waiting, knocking at the gate of wisdom, and at the throne of grace, for that blessing which the Lord has promised to those who persevere in wrestling prayer, and will take no denial. 3. Misapprehensions. These arise from a neglect of examining the scriptures, and an undue deference to the decisions of men. If assurance is supposed unattainable, it will consequently not be sought after. If it is expected as an instantaneous impression of the 1. Insincerity. Where grace is really im- Spirit of God upon the mind, independent of planted by the Holy Spirit, it will surely pre- his word, or to arise from some sudden, vail at length, and subdue the whole soul to powerful application of a particular text of the obedience of faith. But in too many there scripture, this persuasion will end in disapis, for a long time, not only a great opposi-pointment. For, though it must be allowed tion from indwelling corruption, but a secret that the Lord does at times favour his people cleaving of the will to evil; a double-mindedness, (James i. 8,) a kind of halting between two opinions, (1 Kings xviii. 21,) so that, while the desire and prayer of the soul seems expressed against all sin universally, (Prov. xxiii. 26,) there is still an allowed reserve of something inconsistent with light received, Psal. ix. 1. An habitual indulgence of known or suspected evil, or an habitual neglect of any known duty, will certainly prevent the growth of grace and consolation. For the Lord claims (what is his just due) the whole heart, and will not afford the strengthening light of his countenance, while any idol is deliberately set up in his presence. "Then," says David (and not till then) "shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments," Psalm cxix. 6. And our Lord Jesus, when asked, "How wilt thou manifest thyself unto us?" answered, “If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him," John xiv. 22, 23. Till the pride and naughti-2 Cor. xi. 14. If inherent sanctification, or ness of our spirits are conquered, and we are made willing to give up all, to renounce whatever is contrary to his precepts, though pleasing as a right eye, and seemingly necessary as a right hand, it is in vain to expect a full and abiding assurance of his love. 2. Indolence. With respect to this valuable blessing, it may be often said, "Ye receive not, because ye ask not," James iv. 2. It is too common for those who were earnest in crying for mercy, while they thought themselves under the curse and with peculiar manifestations of his goodness, and perhaps seal some promise especially suited to their present circumstances, with a remarkable sweetness and evidence upon their minds, yet these do rarely produce the assurance we are speaking of. These are but visits seldom vouchsafed, and quickly suspended; and those who depend chiefly on such impressions, instead of endeavouring to grow in the scriptural knowledge of Christ, are generally as changeable in their hopes as in their frame. While their affections are thus engaged, "their mountain stands strong, and they think they shall never be moved; (Psalm xxx. 7;) but when the cause is withdrawn, the effect ceases, and they presently relapse into their former fears and inquietudes: not to say that expectations of this sort have a tendency to great inconve niences, and often open a door to the delusions of enthusiasm and dangerous impositions; for Satan, when permitted, knows how to transform himself into an angel of light, a considerable increase of it, is considered as the proper ground of assurance, those who are most humble, sincere, and desirous of being conformed to the will of God, will be the most perplexed and discouraged in their search after it. For they of all others will be the least satisfied with themselves, and have the quickest sense of the innumerable defilements and defects which the scriptures assure us are inseparable from our best tempers and best actions. These mistakes, with others that might be mentioned, prevent many from seeking after assurance at all, and bewilder many more, by putting them upon a wrong pursuit. But what then is assurance? and how is it to be attained! I shall attempt an answer to these questions together in the next proposition. IV. "Assurance is the result of a competent spiritual knowledge of the person and work of Christ as revealed in the gospel, and a consciousness of dependence on him and his work alone for salvation." What I apprehend necessary to make my meaning plain, will occur from a brief explanation of the terms I have made use of in this description. 3. This knowledge is wrought in us by the Spirit, through the medium of the written word. He teaches no unrevealed truths. We are not to expect that he will assure us by a voice from heaven, or by a sudden impulse upon our hearts, that our names in particular are written in the book of life; but he opens our understandings to understand the scriptures, (Luke xxiv. 45,) to assent to, and feel, that we are such sinners as are there described, to see the dignity and sufficiency of Christ Jesus, as God-man, the mediator, the suitableness of his offices, the value of his atonement and righteousness, and the harmony and glory of the divine attributes, in the adorable methods of redeeming love, which renders it just, righteous, and worthy of God to justify and save the believing sinner, Rom. iii. 26. He likewise gives us to understand the freedom and security of the God, and sealed with the blood of his Son. He shows us the establishment and immutability of the covenant of grace; convinces us that there is a fulness of wisdom, grace, life, and strength, treasured up in Christ, for the use and support of those who in themselves are poor, miserable, and helpless, and to be freely communicated in measure and season, as he sees necessary to support, nourish, and revive the believing soul, and to lead him in the path of perseverance to everlasting life. Such a discovery of almighty power, and unchangeable love, engaged for the infallible salvation of every believer, which they cannot lose by their own unworthiness, nor be deprived of by all the opposition which earth or hell can raise against them, (John x. 28,) produces a suitable assurance in the soul that receives it. And we can confidently say, "We know that we are of God," when we can in this manner know in whom we have believed. 1. By the term spiritual knowledge, I would ascribe it to the influence and teaching of the Holy Spirit of God, and distinguish it both from that speculative knowledge of divine things which natural men may acquire from books and human instruction, and likewise from that knowledge gospel-promises confirmed by the oath of which a real believer may obtain in the same way, beyond the limits of his present experience. Those who are favoured with great outward advantages, particularly the light of a clear gospel-ministry, may very soon arrive to a notional apprehension of the most important truths; but with respect to the spiritual and abiding perception of those truths, there is no effectual teacher but the Spirit of God; and we often find, that what we think we have learned of men, we have occasion to be taught again by the Lord the Spirit, for our acquisitions fail us when we have most need of them, and will not stand the trial of an hour of temptation. But, so far as we have received our views of Jesus, his person, offices, mediation, and promises, from him, we possess them, and should be able to defy an angel, if he were to propose to us any other doctrine than that which we have surely known and believed, Gal. i. 8. 2. I use the word competent, because there is not, that I know of, any determinate standard where to fix. When our knowledge is so far increased as to overpower the objections arising from inward corruptions, defects of obedience, unbelieving fears, and the temptations of Satan; when we can cut them short with that question of the apostle, "Who is he that condemneth? it is Christ that died," (Rom. viii. 34,) assurance follows of course. For I do not understand assurance in the strictest sense for the highest degree of certainty imaginable. Assurance itself is capable of increase; and will be so continually, while there is any darkness in our understandings, or any remaining propensity to a self-righteous spirit. Then only will our assurance be perfect, when we shall see Jesus as he is, and be completely freed from all our infirmities. For these, in whatever degree they prevail, will so far affect the strength and steadiness of our confidence in God. 4. Such discoveries of the person and grace of Christ are connected with a heartfelt consciousness, that the believer's dependence for all the great hopes and ends of salvation are fixed on him and his work alone. They draw forth acts of surrender and trust, and keep the mind from forming any vain scheme of hope or refuge, either in whole or in part, from any other quarter. Indeed, from the very first dawnings of faith, as I have observed, the soul is led to commit itself into the hands of Jesus; but while knowledge was weak, and the heart very imperfectly humbled, there was a secret, though unallowed, dependence upon self, upon resolutions, frames, and duties. But as Jesus rises more glorious in the eye of faith, self is in the same degree depressed and renounced; and when we certainly see that there is no safety or stability but in mis name, we as certainly feel that we expect them from him, and from him only. And |