ticularly to discover the grace of God to them, and in them, I Cor. ii. 12. to witness with their fpirits to their adoption, Rom. viii. 16. to be a feal, which is properly to enfure an evidence, Eph. iv. 30. and an earneft, a part of the price and pledge of the whole, 2 Cor. v. 5.

Lastly, Many of the faints have attained it; as Job, chap. xix. 25. For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. Pfal. xxiii. ult. Surely goodness and mercy fall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. 2 Tim, iv. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righ. teous judge hall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them alfo that love his appearing. And others too Lefides fcriptúre-faints.

III. I fhall fhew the nature of this affurance, and how a faint comes to be affured. By what is faid ye may perceive that this is a work of the Spirit, in the hearts of the faints, without whofe efficacy no man can attain it. We may take it up in thefe three things.

1. The Spirit fhining on his own word, particularly the promises, in the Bible, the child of God firmly believes them, Heb. vi. 11. 12. The Lord has teftified in his word, that fuch and such persons, for instance, that love him, Prov. viii. 17. are univerfal in obedience, are poor in fpirit, Matth. v. 3. are beloved of him, and shall certainly be faved. The Spirit says in effect, by the light he gives the believer into the divine authority of that word, This is my word, And as fuch the child of God is firmly perfuaded of the certainty of it, as if a voice from the throne of God would make thefe promifes and declarations. This is the ground-work of affurance.

2. The Spirit fhining on his own work of grace in the believer's heart, the believer difcerns it, 1 Cor. ii, 12. The Spirit of God clears up to the man the truth

VI. Deduce an inference or two.

I. I am to fhew the kinds of affurance. They are two.

1. Objective affurance, whereby the fpecial love of God to a faint, and his eternal falvation, are sure in themfelves, 2 Tim. ii. 19. The foundation of God flandeth fure, having this feal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. This is never wanting, whether the child of God know it or not. Though they rafe foundations of hope at fome times, yet God never rafes his.

2. Subjective affurance, whereby a child of God is affured that God loves him with a fpecial love, and that he fhall certainly partake of eternal glory, Gal. ii. 20. Who loved me, and gave himfelf for me, fays Paul. This is not a wavering hope, or conjecture, but an infallible certainty. This is the affurance we treat of.

II. I fhall fhew that a child of God may have this aflurance.

1. A believer may know that he has relative grace, that he is juftified, and therefore fhall never come into condemnation, Rom. v. 1. &c. Though he cannot afcend to heaven, and at firft band read his name in the book of God's decrees; yet by comparing the book of God, and the book of his own foul, he may know that he is called and elected, 2 Pet. i. 10. and therefore fhall certainly be faved.

2. He may be affured that he has inherent grace, that he believes as fure as he breathes, 2 Tim. i. 12.; that he has love to the Lord unfeigned, and can appeal to Omnifcience on the head, John xxi. 15. as Peter did, when he faid, Thou who knoweft all things, knowest that I love thee. And believing that fuch are loved of God, and fhall certainly perfevere, for which he has the teftimony of the word, he may be affured that he is the happy man.

3. It is the oflice of the Spirit of God to affure believers of this. He has given us the word for this end: He is given to lead his people into all truth, par

ticularly to discover the grace of God to them, and in them, I Cor. ii. 12. to witnefs with their fpirits to their adoption, Rom. viii. 16. to be a feal, which is properly to enfure an evidence, Eph. iv. 30. and an earnest, a part of the price and pledge of the whole, 2 Cor. v. 5.

Lastly, Many of the faints have attained it; as Job, chap. xix. 25. For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. Pfal. xxiii. ult. Surely goodness and mercy fall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. 2 Tim, iv. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righ. teous judge fhall give me at that day and not to me only, but unto all them alfo that love his appearing. And others too Lefides fcripture-faints.

III. I fhall fhew the nature of this affurance, and how a faint comes to be affured. By what is faid ye may perceive that this is a work of the Spirit, in the hearts of the faints, without whofe efficacy no man can attain it. We may take it up in these three things.

1. The Spirit fhining on his own word, particularly the promises, in the Bible, the child of God firmly believes them, Heb. vi. 11. 12. The Lord has teftified in his word, that such and such persons, for inftance, that love him, Prov. viii. 17. are univerfal in obedience, are poor in fpirit, Matth. v. 3. are beloved of him, and fhall certainly be faved. The Spirit fays in effect, by the light he gives the believer into the divine authority of that word, This is my word. And as fuch the child of God is firmly perfuaded of the certainty of it, as if a voice from the throne of God would make thefe promifes and declarations. This is the ground-work of affurance.

2. The Spirit fhining on his own work of grace in the believer's heart, the believer difcerns it, 1 Cor. ii, 12. The Spirit of God clears up to the man the truth

of grace in him; lets him fee that he, for instance, loves God, &c. and fo fays in effect, This is my work, Hence he is enabled to conclude affuredly, that the Lord loves him, he fhall not be ashamed, and that the kingdom of God is his. This affurance is ftronger or weaker according to the degree of light that thines upon the work of grace in the heart to difcover it.

3. Lastly, The Spirit of the Lord fometimes gives à joint teftimony with the fpirits of the faints, to the truth of that conclufion, Rom. viii. 16. that they are the children of God. The teftimony of the believer's own fpirit is weak in itself, and Satan can find many ways to invalidate it; therefore the Spirit witneffes to them the truth of the conclufion, whereby they are raised to a full perfuafion of it.

IV. I fhall fhew the fruit of this affurance, whereby it may be difcerned from prefumption.

1. It inflames the foul with love to the Lord. As one flame begets another, fo the affurance of God's love to us will add new vigour to our love to the Lord, John iv. 19. Luke vii. 47. He fits in the warm funfhine, that cannot fail to melt the heart, who fits under evidence of the Lord's love.

2. It is humbling, Gal. ii. 20. None fo vile in their own eyes as thofe who are lifted up in the manifestations of the Lord's love to them, Gen. xviii. 27. 2 Sam. vii. 18. 2 Cor. xii. 4. & 11. compared. Delufion puffs up, but true affurance humbles.

3. It makes one tender in heart and life, and is a moft powerful motive to fanctification, 2 Cor. vii. 1. It is followed with great care to please God in all things, and watchfulness against every fin. While the empty traveller walks at random, fearing nothing becaufe he has nothing to lofe; he that has precious things about him, looks well to himfelf, Cant. iii. 5. One may be perfuaded, that the confidence which makes not one tender in his duty to God and man, is prefumption.

4. Eftablishment in the good ways of the Lord, 2 Pet. i. 10. Faith is the provifor of all other graces, it brings in oil into the lamp; and the more evidence it has, it can do its office the better A doubting Chriftian will be a staggering and weak Chriftian; as the foldier who has little hopes of the victory will readily be faint-hearted, while he that is affured is ftrengthened and established.

5. Lastly, It fills a man with contempt of the world, Gal. vi. 14. If ye gaze on the fhining fun, for a while after ye will fcarcely difcern the beauty of the earth. And one's folacing himfelt in contempla tion of heaven as his, will fink the value of the world with him.

V. I fhall fhew the neceffity of affurance.

1. It is not neceffary to the being of a Chriftian. One may have true faith, and yet want full affurance, If. l. 10. One may go to heaven in a mift, not knowing whither he is going. We read of fome, Heb. ii. 15. who through fear of death are all their life-time fubject to bondage. Our falvation depends on our state, not our knowledge of it.

10.

2. It is neceffary to the well-being of a Chriftian, and therefore we are cominanded to feek it, 2 Pet i. Give diligence to make your calling and election fure, There are none who can live fo comfortably for themfelves, as the affured Chriftian, and none are fo useful for God as they. It fits a man either to live or die; while others are unfit to live, because of the weakness of grace in a throng of trials and temptations, and unfit to die for want of evidence of grace.

Hence it follows, that aflurance may be loft; and they that fometimes have this light, may fall into darkness. And it is careless walking that puts it out, especially finning over the belly of light, whereby the Spirit is grieved, and withdraws his light, Eph. iv. 29. 3. But if it be loft that way, and darkness come on, it will readily be dreadful darkness; the higher