---- CHAPTER III: That Assurance of Salvation may be obtained.
laying my soul to him, this is the proper real application of him, this is an act of the will; but to apprehend he is mine, and so to challenge a right in him, that is but an axiomatical application, an act of the understanding, though where it is in truth it increaseth that application, and draws the will more unto Christ. Now if the main application of faith lay in believing that Christ is mine, then it were mainly an act of the understanding, and a proposition were the chief object of it, and not Christ's person, and that drawing spoken of,
John 6:44, were specially drawing the understanding to assent, whereas it lies mainly in drawing my will to him, to choose him to be mine.
Obj. 2. But you will say, I must believe Christ is mine ere my will can thus apply him, as I must believe meat is mine ere I eat it, and that clothes are mine ere I put them on.
Ans. I answer, If the condition of making meat mine be to eat it, and if a father offers a child a suit, saying, it shall be his if he will wear it, then he must eat that meat first, and put those clothes on, that they may become his; and so it is here.
CHAPTER III
That Assurance of Salvation may be obtained.
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.—1 JOHN
5:13.
The doctrine of assurance is that which of all other civil men and popish spirits do gainsay and calumniate, which they do out of ignorance, as men are apt to 'speak evil of that they know not,' Jude
10. Now assurance of salvation such men never had experience of, as Christ (speaking of the Spirit as a Comforter, John 14:17) says, 'The world cannot receive him, for it knows him not.' Neither are such men solicitous about it, for assurance of earth here contents them, and makes them think themselves happy enough. They oppose this doctrine of assurance also out of envy, because they think much that so great a privilege should be bestowed upon any which themselves want, and therefore envying that others should exceed them in so great a happiness, as this must needs be acknowledged, which indeed is able to outvie all other, they deny it, and would make it a thing impossible, and a fancy in them that have it. And the devil bears a great part in it also, who, when he cannot hinder the salvation of Christians in the event, would hinder their comfort; and as he knows how much this assurance-office increaseth spiritual traffic, and raiseth the customs of God's glory and revenues of grace double, by encouraging Christians to trade more in all manner of holiness, so his spite therefore is exceedingly at it to put it down; and indeed if he could get the opinion to prevail, that no such thing is to be attained,
Christians would give over looking after it. And then, too, all our hearts naturally being fruitful of doubtings and distrust, are apt to join in with our enemies, and to be glad to hear of a doctrine of doubtings; and then also that presumptuous security which stills the hearts of many is at the best but blind careless hope, and that, too, counter-checked with a world of real guilt, so as in their own sense they cannot call it a certainty or infallibility; and then such persons labouring after assurance (as in their opinions having thought it attainable), in the real pursuit of it find it so difficult that they are apt to give over, and to think it like that of the philosopher's stone, a devised invention, good indeed if it could be procured, but not to be had; and then those also who have attained it cannot demonstrate it to others, especially not to those who have not experience of it, for it is 'hidden manna, a white stone which none knows but he that receives it,' Rev. 2:17. 'A stranger doth not meddlle with his joy,'
Prov. 14:10; that is, it is a business he is not skilled in, as the opposition shews, for the words afore are, 'the heart knows the bitterness of his soul,' that is, terrors of conscience are best known to
him that hath them. Carnal people will not believe there are any such troubles for sin, and when men are troubled they ascribe it to any other cause; much less then will they believe their joys and assurance, which are more remote from their reason than the other.
So as it is no wonder if that thing be denied which the most are ignorant of, and do envy at as the greatest happiness in others, and which the devil opposeth, and which is so hard to attain, and which is not demonstrable or obvious to sense.
Now my purpose is both to establish and vindicate this work and doctrine of assurance, it being both a work which furthers and advanceth the power of godliness in their hearts who enjoy it (as shall be shown), and also it being a branch and appendix of faith, an addition or complement to faith, and therefore is called the assurance of faith, Heb. 10:22, it therefore lies next in my way. Now this text, 1 John 5:13, doth not only assure us that assurance of salvation may be obtained by believers, but further refers us to this whole epistle for the proof thereof: 'These things,' saith he, 'have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know ye have eternal life.'
I shall speak something of the coherence of the words, though indeed the words are the close and argument of the whole. In the 7th and 8th verses he tells us of fixed witnesses to confirm believers' faith, for of faith he had spoken, ver. 5, 6, and in ver. 10, 11 he tells us of the record or testimony which these witnesses give in their evidence of, which contains the sum of the gospel, and the object that faith is exercised about. 1. That eternal life is to be had alone in Christ. 2.
That this eternal life he hath given to all believers; 'that God hath given us'—that is, believers, for to them he writes and intends his
Epistle—'eternal life.' Both these would God have to be believed and embraced, and for the confirmation of both serve those six witnesses.
First, he would have men believe and rest in, and take his Son as the only fountain of life, which proposition the witnesses in heaven do especially confirm, which is called believing on him. And then, secondly, he would have these believers that have taken his Son, and
believed in him, know and believe that they shall certainly be saved, because they have his Son, and life in him; for 'he that hath the Son hath life,' and he partakes of eternal life; and to that end God hath appointed the three witnesses on earth in a believer's own conscience, ver. 10. And to these two heads, especially the latter, is it that all this Epistle of John drives at; that whereas there are many souls that do entertain that first record, that Christ is the fountain of life, and so depend on him, and rest in him alone, but yet are backward to entertain the other, namely, that they have the Son, and that they belong to Christ, and that they believe on him aright, therefore for such did he intend this Epistle, that they may come to the assurance of faith concerning their own particular estates: 'These things have I written to you,' saith he, 'that have believed on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have the Son, and that ye have eternal life.' And yet not for these only doth he write, but also that they which have some knowledge of this begun may know it yet more, that so they may go from one degree of faith to another, and further believe on his name. And because this text refers us to what is written in this Epistle, I will content myself with what may thence be gathered as touching both (it being a point the text calls for), viz., that not only believers may know they have eternal life, but that these things were written to assure them of it.
First, Therefore let us argue from the scope of the whole Epistle; those arguments which the Holy Ghost spends whole books upon, are certainly both of necessary and of common use. As when
Solomon writ a book on purpose to shew the vanity of the creatures, when Paul writes an whole epistle to prove justification by faith, as that to the Galatians; and another epistle to shew the natures and offices of Christ, as that to the Hebrews, these must be regarded as very considerable. Now John wrote his Gospel to prove Christ to be the Son of God, thereby to draw men to believe on him, that they might have eternal life: John 20:31, 'These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name;' and therefore he endeavours through the whole to give all the characters and
demonstrations that he was God, as divines observe. So, likewise, he wrote this his Epistle to teach them who believe how they may know that they do believe, and that they have eternal life, and to that end gives all the evidences and means that may tend to this. He not only demonstrates that eternal life is given to believers, but gives evidence that they might particularly know their interest. The signs given in this Epistle tend to this purpose. And farther to assure you that this is his scope, the beginning of the Epistle doth answer to this his conclusion, for he puts in the argument of the whole, 1 John 1:4,
'These things we write unto you, that your joy may be full.' Joy ariseth only out of some good we know, and know, too, to be ours.
Men, in a vulgar sense and phrase of speech, may be said to be happy, though they do not know it, as a king that is asleep, and a believer in a temptation, but rejoice in that their happiness they cannot, unless they know it; or at least it cannot be full joy else, not so full for parts as Christians are here capable of. Full joy ariseth only out of the possession of the chiefest good, and the knowledge of it, and that is eternal life, and Christ in whom it is. Let the happiness be never so great, if the persons know not that it is theirs, their joy is diminished and detracted, and can in no sense be said to be full joy; and therefore the apostle says not only that he wrote these things that they might have eternal life, the chiefest good, but that they might know it, that so their joy might be full. Moral philosophers, disputing against Plotinus, who said the happiest condition might be without knowledge, bring this very argument against him, and argues truly, that reflection or knowledge of a man's happiness is necessarily required to it, for otherwise it is lessened. Reflection is a part of the perfection of a perfect action, and a man should see but imperfectly, he should but half see, who did not observe he saw; but especially a reflection is essentially required to joy (which is the companion of happiness), and to full joy.
Secondly, He wrote these things that they might have fellowship and communion with God and Christ. A soul may have real union, and the marriage knot which can never be untied, that is knit by faith, and by casting a man's self on Christ, but yet mutual fellowship and
communion, and a mutual expression of love, and walking as friends, may be wanting. But now the comfort of friendship lies in the mutual knowledge and sense of each other's dearness and love. A man can have no hearty fellowship with one he thinks, for all that he knows, to be his enemy. Such suspicions are the bane of friendship. These things, therefore, the apostle wrote that we might have fellowship with Christ, as he had. Now, the fellowship that he had with God, he says, was this, chap. 4:16, 'We have known and believed the love of God to us.' This fellowship lies not in God's bearing us good-will simply, but in knowing and believing it, and that in such a manner as God hath it, that as he certainly doth bear love to us, so we certainly know it, and this fellowship he calls 'dwelling in love;' for the soul walks in the assurance of it, and works in it, and lies down in it, as a man doth in his house, and he possesseth God's love, and knows it is his own, as he knows his house is his own.
Therefore, thirdly, he calls upon believers to behold and consider God's love, as it is in a special manner set upon themselves in making them sons; 'Behold,' says he, 'what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon ns, that we should be called the sons of God,' 1 John
3:1. Of all things in God or men, love desires to have itself considered and taken notice of, as much as wisdom, and power, or any other thing whatever, and therefore he calls on them to behold God's love; and, above all, love desires notice to be taken of the party beloved, whom it is in special directed unto, more than of any other, for the emphasis lies in the speciality of it; therefore he would not have them run out in general thoughts of admiring God's love to mankind, and his giving his Son, but as having bestowed him on us. For when this great benefit is thus specially apprehended, it doubles our admiration of it, and then it takes and affects us. And to this purpose he bids them view their present condition into which they were put, viz., the estate of grace, to look on this more than God's love in giving
Christ to die, and offering heaven, &c.; they were to regard their being put into the present possession of it; 'That we are called,' says he, 'to be his sons;' and he bids them view it again and again what now at present they were: 'Beloved, now we are the sons of God,' says
he, ver. 2. He exhorts not only to blind hopes of heaven, and indefinite considerations of God's love to some, but to a joyful persuasion of their present particular happiness in that now they were sons; and though the world knows us not to be such men, yet to our comfort we may know it, for to that end he brings in the world slighting us, as not knowing us, because it appears not what we are and shall be: 'But we know,' says he, 'that when he appears we shall be like him;' and let the world think of us what they will, we know what they are, and what ourselves are: chap. 5:19, 'We know we are of God, and that the whole world lies in wickedness;' so that his scope is evident. Now, would the Holy Ghost lose all this labour, as if none could attain this assurance he should? Hath he not said, his word shall not return empty?
And Again, fourthly, he shews the blessed effects that would follow upon this assurance.
1. The more assurance a man hath of being now at present the son of God, the more true hope he hath of what is to come in heaven; and the more true hope a man hath, the more will he purify himself as Christ is pure, chap. 3 ver. 8. Carnal men calumniate this doctrine, as that which makes men secure, and more bold to sin, for if they were sure of heaven, then they might think to live as they please, as being sure to get thither: no; it works a clean contrary effect, it makes a man purify himself. This doctrine he goes on at large to prove in the following verses, shewing that assurance is so far from making men unrighteous, that he whom it works not thus with, to make him more holy, hath no true assurance in him, but is manifestly the child of the devil, so ver. 10; so chap. 2 ver. 6, 9. Nay, there is not a greater means to keep from sin than assurance; therefore (says he), as my end of writing is, that you may know you have eternal life, so also,
'that ye sin not,' chap. 2 ver. 1. Now if there were danger of looseness in assurance, he could never have made these two ends meet in one epistle together, had not the one been a means to the other. Yea, and says he, when a man hath sinned, there is no speedier way to recover that man again, and reclaim him from sin, than assurance; therefore,
says he, in the same chapter, 'If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, who is the propitiation for our sins.' He bids them consider and believe this, and maintain the assurance of it, to raise them again. Then David's heart began to gush, and bleed, and break, when the prophet told him his sins were forgiven; and therefore the apostle he useth that as a motive to the confession of sins, viz., the assurance that God will pardon them, chap. 1 ver. 9, when a man knows not but out of his own mouth he may be condemned, he is loath to confess; but when a pardon comes, he cares not what he lays open. And then,
2. Assurance perfects our love to God, chap. 4:16, 17. 'Herein is our love made perfect,' ver. 17. Herein, that is, hereby, 'that we know and believe God's love to us,' ver. 16. As we cannot love one heartily, whom we apprehend to be an irreconcileable enemy, so we cannot love one perfectly whom we do not know to be a friend; therefore, as full joy ariseth out of assurance of God's love, so perfect love ariseth only thence. Men may love God afore as one who may be reconciled to them, but now their love is perfected; men may believe afore, but now their faith is perfected, and what is wanting supplied. And this perfect love, which ariseth out of assurance of God's love, doth cast out fear and jealousies, and suspicions, and a servile slavish temper; it throws out such fear as hath torment joined with it, as apprehending God a judge, and ourselves under bondage. This fear the assurance of God's love frees us from, and casts out; much of which remains in many souls that have faith, and some love to God begun; therefore, when assurance comes, their love is said to be made perfect, there is that degree added which frees them from their fears, and which completes their love begun. Now God would have all his children serve him without this fear, he would have this child of bondage cast out (that I may allude to the casting out of Hagar), yea, and that he would have us so freed from such fears he hath took an oath, Luke 1:74, 'that we should worship him without fear;' and we shall serve him the better, though men [that] have nothing but selflove in them, think that fears and doubtings are the only means to keep men in awe. And,
3. As this assurance will breed full joy, perfect love, and cast out fear, so also confidence in God, and a certainty that our prayers are heard, which the apostle brings in as another motive to get this assurance, chap. 3 ver. 19, 21, 22, and so in the verse after my text, ver. 14, 'This is the confidence that is in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.' He brings it in as an effect of knowing we have eternal life; for doubting that our persons are accepted, makes us doubt whether our prayers be; and until then we shoot at rovers, as it were, and know not when our prayers will take or hit the white, whether they will come weeping home or granted. But when God hath given a man assurance of his love unto salvation, he useth often to give him the like special assurance for many special mercies, ver.
15, so as he knows he hath the petitions that he desired of him, knows it even then when he asks them, as by the context appears.
This will encourage a man to pray, for then it is a man hath access to God with boldness, freedom of speech and confidence, Eph. 3:12.
And, 4. As love, so faith is made more perfect also; so as assurance helps faith also, and till then there is something wanting in faith. And therefore in the text (if you mark it), says he, 'These things I write to you that believe, that ye may know ye have eternal life, and may believe on the name of the Son of God.' For when assurance comes in faith is increased, for it receives a new degree, whereas before there is something lacking in faith; as philosophers say, to see and not observe is but an imperfect action, so to believe and not to know it is but half your faith; and therefore, Heb. 10:22, he exhorts to assurance of faith; and therefore, Mat. 9:2, the word translated, 'Be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee,' is θάρσει, that is, confide, believe, and be confident; and therefore, Eph. 3:12, we are said to 'have confidence in the faith of him;' and therefore he urgeth it on them as their duty, as well to believe that God hath given them eternal life, as to begin to believe that life is in Christ, and so to fly to him: and (says he) ye make God a liar in not believing the one as well as in not believing the other, ver. 10, for the believing not God in that 10th verse, whereby men make God a liar, is spoken to believers, and