3. The third point is, that assurance doth spring from this particular
not the Spirit of Christ, we are none of his,' Rom. 8:9. Thus we have seen that God loves some with a peculiar and a special love; and secondly, that they have a special faith to make this love their own.
3. The third point is, that assurance doth spring from this particular faith; so that a Christian man may be assured of the love of Christ.
But here divers questions and cases must be answered and explained to clear the point, else our speech shall not be answerable to the experience of God's people, or the truth itself. First, we must know that there is a double act of faith in the believing soul,
1. An act of faith, trusting and relying; and 2. An act of assurance upon that act of relying.
For it is one thing to believe and cast myself upon Christ for pardon of sins, and another thing upon that act to feel assurance and pardon. The one looks to the word more principally; the other is founded upon experience, together with the word. We ought to labour for both, for affiance and consent in the will, to cast ourselves upon Christ for salvation; and then upon believing we ought to find and feel this assurance. But these many times are severed, and sometimes the first is without the second. The first brings us into the state of grace. A man may be in the state of grace, by giving consent to Christ and relying on him for mercy, and yet want assurance of pardon and reconciliation in the second place.
This falls out ofttimes, especially in the new birth, that in those strugglings when little grace strives with corruption, there the Spirit of God is exercised in the act, in yielding the obedience of faith, to cast itself upon the arm of Christ, into the bosom of Christ, and upon God's mercy. As for any feeling, it doth not so much stand upon it at first, as it doth regard the act; after which assurance it comes for a reward, as God sees it good.
Then again, it often falls out in the time of temptation, that the first act of affiance, it is without the act of persuasion or feeling, which requires more experience, when a Christian, in the time of temptation, hath rather experience of corruption and the wrath of God, having no experience of the contrary; yet he yields the first act of affiance with a particular faith, casting himself upon the mercy of Christ and upon his death, for the comfort of redemption.
Quest. But here a question must be asked, What is the reason that, where the first act of faith is, to cast itself upon the mercy of Christ in the promises, that yet there is not the sense of pardon and reconciliation, nor that full persuasion: why is this many times suspended?
Ans. 1. I answer, many causes there be of it. To name some:
(1.) First, In some the distemper of the body helps the distemper of the soul; I mean a melancholy temper, which is a constitution subject to distrust, fears, and temptations. As some tempers, that are of a bold spirit, are subject to presumption, the devil suiting himself to their temper; so where there is this melancholy abounding, which is prone to fear and distrust, the devil mingling his suggestions with their constitution, causes that those tempers are inclined to fear, where there is no cause of fear. They are careful enough to do their duties abundantly, as God doth discover his will unto them; they cast themselves upon God's mercy, and renounce themselves; humble souls, only, out of distrust, helped by Satan applying himself to their distemper, they are kept in darkness.
(2.) And also it is, many times, from a judgment not rightly persuaded: as when they think they have no faith, because they have it not in so great a measure. And when they are not rightly conceited of the covenant of grace, which requires truth for perfection, and not
measure. For Christ will not quench the smoking flax. He despiseth not the day of small things, but cherisheth it. 'Thou hast a little strength,' saith he to the church of Philadelphia, 'and hast kept my word,' Rev. 3:8; yet they think, out of a spiritual covetousness, that they have none, because they have not so much as they would, and as stronger Christians have. They misconceit the covenant of grace, where truth goes for perfection. Sincerity is our perfection, which is known by a strife against the contrary, and by a desire of growth in the use of all means. There is not so much as truth where there is not this; where the least is, there is this strife against the contrary, and a desire of growth in a further measure by the use of means.
(3.) Also, they are held perhaps without this persuasion and assurance of the pardon of their sin, because perhaps they are taken up with other cares. They do not value this so much as they should do; whereas this is another manner of gift than the most take it for.
God vouchsafes not this sweet heaven upon earth, the sense of his love in Christ to any, but it is sought for long, and valued highly, that afterwards we may be thankful for it.
(4.) Again, Perhaps they are negligent in holy communion with those that are better than themselves; casting themselves into dead and dark company that want life, who bring them into the same temper with themselves. Many other causes may be reckoned why these acts are severed, that men, casting themselves in the spirit of obedience upon Christ, have not that assurance of the pardon and forgiveness of their sins. Hence we may give an answer to another question.
Quest. Why do some Christians feel more comfort than others do, who have the same means of grace?
Ans. 1. I answer, Because God stirs up in some an higher esteem of it than others; they have more spiritual poverty.