5. Again, As God hath a purpose to employ men, as he hath great and
2. Again, There is difference in the ages of Christians; some have had longer experience in the ways of God than others.
3. Again, Men differ in their temper. Some are of a more cheerful temper. Therefore there is a clearer manifestation which helps the work a little, the disposition of the outward man.
4. Again, Men differ in their worldly temper. Men, for want of Christian prudence, cast themselves too much upon the employments of the world, that they suffer the strength of their soul to be carried so one way, that they have no time to gather assurance of salvation. Howsoever, for the main they are conscionable,* yet many such are so worn out with the world, as they differ in heavenlymindedness and want of care of this, so they differ in assurance and want of God's love.
5. Again, As God hath a purpose to employ men, as he hath great and many things for some men to do, so he suffers them to have a greater measure of assurance and pardon of sin, because he intends they shall go through a great deal of business. Those who he intends shall not go through such employments, he vouchsafes not unto them them that portion of assurance; for these are distinct gifts of the Spirit, to give the spirit of faith, to cast ourselves upon Christ, and to give the spirit of assurance. Howsoever the Spirit doth both, as 2 Cor.
2:14, seq., it teacheth us those good things that we have of God; yet sometimes the Spirit doth not so teach us the good things of God, as it enables to do the works of the Spirit, because God hath divers employments for Christians.
Quest. Another question which some may move is, Why oftentimes it comes to pass that Christians of greater parts want assurance, and sometimes die without it, when many times a weaker Christian of meaner parts has it? Men of ordinary rank do many times die with
more assurance than their great teachers. What is the reason it falls out that poor Christians of mean knowledge and gifts have a heaven upon earth, and enjoy a great deal of comfort when they end their days, men of greater parts dying more concealed?
Ans. I answer, Many reasons may be given. Christians are prone too much to value gifts; and those that have are much prone to be proud of them, and to think that grace and gifts go together, when these are often severed. Men of excellent gifts have many times no grace at all; and are given them for the good of others, not for themselves, being proud and barren all their days, not having any feeling of that they can largely talk of with glory to others; because they value these things, and neglect grace, humility, faith, and broken spirits, which things God values more than all gifts. Therefore you have men far above other[s] in gifts and glory of the world, which want this assurance.
Quest. But put the case they be good Christians, yet often they grow proud, and puffed up with great gifts, for the apostle says,
'Knowledge puffs up,' 1 Cor. 8:1.
Ans. Again, When there is a great deal of good parts in knowledge, there is oftentimes great inquisition made after things which should not be looked after, and many impertinences, wanting knowledge and experience in that which they should more look after.
Then again, men of greater gifts may out of some error look for comfort too much in sanctification, and in the covenant of works, more than in faith. A poor Christian, perhaps out of right judgment, when he stands in need of comfort, may seek it in faith, in justification, casting himself upon Christ, when another man, thinking to find his comfort more in graces and gifts than in casting himself upon Christ in justification, he may justly be deprived of that
comfort; whereas we honour God most, whatsoever our graces are, in casting ourselves upon Christ, and ending our days in mercy, making our appeal to mercy; whereas the graces of sanctification and excellent parts are excellent for the good of others, but if we place too much affiance in them, it is just with God we should oftentimes go mourning to our graves. Therefore we must set them in a right place, take them as signs and evidences of our comfort, but not forget to rely rightly on our free justification, and the fruits thereof, as the foundation of comfort, which made Saint Paul, Phil. 3:8, count all things 'but dung and dross in comparison of the righteousness of Christ.'
Then again, God doth it to shew his freedom, that to whom he pleaseth he will give more assurance, to shew that he is a free giver.
Our salvation is according to his good pleasure, so is the feeling of it; some shall have more, some less. God will sometimes manifest his comforts and feeling more to weak Christians than others, as a father or mother shews the greatest love to the weakest child. God knows that strong Christians have other things to support them with than feelings; they can go back, as holy David doth, to former experiences, and rely upon the word and promise strongly; so he suffers them to support themselves with stronger things than present feelings. Those who are weakest, he vouchsafeth unto them the sweet feeling of his love, as parents dandle and study most to please the sickest and weak children. But we should leave this to God, who gives us what measure he will, and at what time he will. Some he thinks good to keep a long time from feeling this assurance, to humble them for being too bold with sin; and some, likewise, he will keep longer from this assurance, perhaps all the days of their life, because they have been too confident heretofore in touching and meddling with petty sins, which, as pitch and fire, hath burned and defiled them too much; in the mean time supporting them with sufficient grounds of a