Chap. XVIII carnal prefumptions of being in the favour of God and eftate of falvation a; which hope of theirs fhall perifh b; yet fuch as truly believe in the Lord Jefus, and love him in fincerity, endeavouring to walk in all good conscience before him, may in this life be certainly affured that they are in the ftate of grace c, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God; which hope shall never make them afhamed d. II. This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable perfuafion, grounded upon a fallible hope e; but I. a Job viii. 13. So are the paths of all that forget God, and the hypocrites hope fhall perifh; v. 14. Whofe hope fhall be cut off, and whose truft shall be a fpider's web. Micah i. 11. The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and fay, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us. Deut. xxix. 19. And it come to pafs when he heareth the words of this curfe, that he blifs himself in his heart, faying, I fhall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst. John viii. 41. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then faid they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one father, even God. b Matth. vii. 22. Many fhall fay to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophefied in thy name? and in thy name have caft out devils and in thy name done many wonderful works? v. 23. And then will I profefs unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. CI John ii. 3. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 1 John iii. 14. We know that we have paffed from death unto life, becaufe we love the brethren he that loveth not an his brother, abideth in death. v. 18. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed, and in truth. V. 19. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and fhall affure our hearts before him. v. 21. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God, v.24. And he that keepeth his commandments, dwelleth in him, and he in him: and hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit that he hath given us. I John v. 13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God: that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. d Rom. v. 2. By whom alfo we have accefs by faith into this grace wherein we ftand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. v. 5. And hope maketh not afhamed, becaufe the love of God is fhed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. II. e Heb. vi. 11. And we defire that every one of you do fhew the fame diligence, to the full affurance of hope unto the end. v. 19. Which hope we have as an anchor of the foul, both fure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the vail. f Heb. an infallible affurance of faith, founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation f, the inward evidence of those graces unto which thefe promifes are made g, the teftimony of the Spirit of adoption witneffing with our fpirits that we are the children of God h: which Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are fealed to the day of redemption i. III. This infallible affurance doth not fo belong to the effence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties, before he be partaker of it yet being enabled by the Spirit to know the f Heb. vi. 17. Wherein God willing more abundantly to fhew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counfel, confirmed it by an oath v. 18. That by two immutable things, in which it was impoffible for God to lie, we might have a ftrong confolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope fet before us. 8 2 Pet. i. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promifes; that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having efcaped the corruption that is in the world through luft. v. 5. And befides this, giving diligence, add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge. v.ro. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election fure: for if ye do thefe things, ye fhall never fall: v. II. For fo an entrance fhall be miniftered unto you abundantly, into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Christ. 1 John 3. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 1 John iii. 14. We know that we have paffed from death unto life, because we love the brethren: he that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 2 Cor. i. 12. For our rejoicing is this, the things teftimony of our confcience, that in fimplicity and godly fincerity, not with fleshly wifdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our converfation in the world, and more abundantly to you-wards. b Rom. viii. 15. For ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. v. 16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our fpirit, that we are the children of God. : i Eph. i. 13. In whom ye also trufted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gofpel of your falvation: in whom alfo after that ye believed, ye were fealed with that holy Spirit of promise, v. 14. Which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased poffeffion, unto the praife of his glory. Eph. iv. 30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are fealed unto the day of redemption. 2 Cor. i. 21. Now he which ftablifheth us with you in Chrift, and hath anointed us, is God: v.22. Who hath also fealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. III. k 1 John v. 13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name things which are freely given him of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation, in the right ufe of ordinary means, attain thereunto 1. And therefore it is the duty of every one, to give all diligence to make his calling and election fure m; that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Ghoft, in love and thankfulness to God, and in ftrength and chearful nefs in the duties of obedience, the proper fruits of this affurance n: fo far is it from inclining men to looseness o. IV. True name of the Son of God. If. 1. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his fervant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. Mark ix. 24. And ftraightway the father of the child cried out, and faid with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. (See Pfal. Ixxxviii. throughout. Pfal. lxxvii. to the 12th verfe.) / 1 Cor. ii. 12. Now we have received, not the fpirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. r John iv. 13. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. Heb. vi. 11. And we defire that every one of you do fhew the fame diligence, to the full afsurance of hope unto the end: V. 12. That you be not flothful, but followers of them, who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Eph. iii. 17. That Chrift may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in love, v. 18. May be able to comprehend with all faints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; v. 19. And to know the love of Chrift, which paffeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fuinefs of God. m 2 Pet. i. 10. Wherefore the : rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election fure for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. » Rom. v. 1. Therefore being juftified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift. v. 2. By whom alfo we have access by faith into this grace wherein we ftand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. v. 5. And hope maketh not afhamed, because the love of God is fhed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghoft which is given unto us. Rom. xiv. 17. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteoufpefs, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft. Rom. xv. 13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghoft. Eph.i.3. Bleffed be the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who hath bleffed us with all' fpi ritual bleffings in heavenly places in Chrift: v. 4. According as he hath chofen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love. Pfal. iv. 6. There be many that fay, Who will fhew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. v. 7. Thou haft put gladnefs in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increafed. Pfal. cxix. 32. -I IV. True believers may have the affurance of their falvation divers ways fhaken, diminished, and intermitted; as, by negligence in preferving of it, by falling into fome fpecial fin, which woundeth the confcience, and grieveth the Spirit; by fome fudden or yehement temptation; by God's withdrawing the light of his countenance, and luffering even fuch as fear him to walk in darkness, and to have no light p; yet are they never utterly destitute of I will ran the way of thy commandments, when thou fhalt enlarge my heart. • 1 John ii. 1. My little children, thefe things write I unto you, that ye fin not. And if any man fin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the righteous: v. 2. And he is the propitiation for our fins: and not for ours only, but alfo for the fins of the whole world. Rom. vi. 1. What fhall we fay then? fhall we continue in fin, that grace may abound? v. 2. God forbid: how fhall we that are dead to fin, live any longer therein? Tit. ii. 11. For the grace of God that bringeth falvation hath appeared to all men; v. 12, Teaching us, that denying ungodlinefs, and wordly lufts, we fhould live foberly, righteoufly, and godly in this prefent world. v. 14. Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 2 Cor. vii. 1. Having therefore thefe promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanfe ourfelves from all filthinefs of the flesh and fpirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Rom. viii. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Chrift Jefus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. v. 12. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 1 John iii. 2. Beloved, now are we the fons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we fhall be: but we know, that when he fhall appear, we shall be like him; for we fhall fee him as he is. v. 3• And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Pfal. cxxx. 4. But there is forgivenefs with thee; that thou mayft be feared. 1 John i. 6. If we fay that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: v. 7. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jefus Chrift his Son cleanfeth us from all fin. IV. Cant. iv. 2. I fleep,but my Þ heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, faying, Open, to me, my fifter, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. v, 3. I have put off my coat, how fhall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them? v. 6. I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himfelf, and was gone: my foul failed when he fpake: I fought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. Pfal. li. 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness: that the bones which thou haft broken,may rejoice. v. 12. Re flore unto me the joy of thy falvation: and uphold me with thy free Spirit. v. 14. Deliver me from bloodguiltinefs, O God, thou God of my falvation: of that feed of God, and life of faith, that love of Chrift and the brethren, that fincerity of heart and confcience of duty, out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this affurance may in due time be revived q, and by the which, in the mean time, they are fupported from utter defpair r. falvation and my tongue fhall fing ing, : CHAP. v. 71. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid faw him, and faid unto them that were there, This fellow was alfo with Jefus of Nazareth. v. 72. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. Pfal. xxxi. 22. For I faid in my hafte, I am cut out from before thine eyes; nevertheless thou heardeft the voice of my fupplications, when I cried unto thee. (Pfal. lxxxviii. throughout.) If. 1. 1o. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his fervant, that walketh in darknefs, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. q 1 John iii. 9. Whofoever is born of God, doth not commit fin, for his feed remaineth in him: and he cannot fin, because he is born of God. Luke xxii. 32. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, ftrengthen thy brethren. Job xiii. 15. Though he flay me, yet will I truft in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. Pfal. lxxiii. 15. If I fay, I will fpeak thus: behold, I fhould offend against the generation of thy children. Pfal.li. 8. 12. (See letter p immediately before) If. 1. 10. (See letter p immediately forgoing.) r Mic. vii. 7. Therefore I will and a look unto the Lord: I will wait for the God of my falvation: my God will hear me. v. 8. Rejoice not againft me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I fhall arife; when I fit in dark I know not what thou fayeft. nefs, |