11 Because your assurance that your persons are accepted, is weak, therefore your confidence that your prayers are heard, is weak also: For as God doth first accept the person, and then our prayers: so the belief, ⟨p. 217⟩that God doth accept our person is that which also upholds our hearts in confidence that our prayers shall be granted: this you may find in 1 John 5. 13, 14, 15. in the 13. vers. he says. These things have I written to you, that ye may know you have eternal life: and upon that assurance this will follow, Vers. 14, 15. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us, &c. And if we know he hears us, we know we have the petitions we desired of him. Mark how he links these three together, as effects and consequences each of other. 1. These ⟨p. 218⟩things I write unto you, that you may be assured, that life and heaven is yours, as in 12. and 13. verses. And upon that 2. this confidence will follow in your hearts, That God hears you, that is, that you have his ears open to you, and his heart enlarged towards you: and then 3. if you be assured that God hears you, then from this will follow an assurance, that You shall have any thing granted you desire; yea, and he makes this one of the main and immediate effects of Assurance of justification; therefore he says, this is the confidence that we have in him; that is, this effect there is of this confidence, ⟨p. 219⟩for whereas they might say, what benefit will accrue to us by this assurance? why this says he, which is one of the great and main privileges of a Christian, even assurance that God will hear him; and not only so, but grant him all his prayers. For when a man is assured God hath given him his Son, he will then easily be induced to believe and expect, How shall he not with him give me all things? Rom. 8. 32. If once he looks upon God as a Father, he will then easily conceive that which Christ says, If Fathers that are evil can give good things to their Children, how much more ⟨p. 220⟩shall not your Father give his spirit, and all good things to them that ask them: and if he gave his Son, when we did not pray to him, how much more shall he not with him give us all things we pray for?
11 Because your assurance that your persons are accepted, is weake, therfore your confidence that your prayers are heard, is weake also: For as God doth first accept the person, and then our prayers: so the beliefe, ⟨p. 217⟩that God doth accept our person is that which also upholds our hearts in confidence that our prayers shall be granted: this you may finde in 1 Iohn 5. 13, 14, 15. in the 13. vers. he sayes. These things have I written to you, that ye may know you have eternall life: and upon that assurance this will follow, Vers. 14, 15. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we aske any thing according to his will, he heares us, &c. And if we know he heares us, we know we have the petitions wee desired of him. Marke how he links these three together, as effects and consequences each of other. 1. These ⟨p. 218⟩things I write unto you, that you may be assured, that life and heaven is yours, as in 12. and 13. verses. And upon that 2. this confidence wil follow in your hearts, That God hears you, that is, that you have his eares open to you, and his heart enlarged towards you: and then 3. if you be assured that God heares you, then from this will follow an assurance, that You shall have any thing granted you desire; yea, and he makes this one of the maine and immediate effects of Assurance of justification; therefore he sayes, this is the confidence that we have in him; that is, this effect there is of this confidence, ⟨p. 219⟩for whereas they might say, what benefit will accrue to us by this assurance? why this saies hee, which is one of the great and maine priviledges of a Christian, even assurance that God will heare him; and not only so, but grant him all his prayers. For when a man is assured God hath given him his Son, he will then easily be induced to beleeve and expect, How shal he not with him give mee all things? Rom. 8. 32. If once he looks upon God as a Father, he will then easily conceive that which Christ sayes, If Fathers that are evill can give good things to their Children, how much more ⟨p. 220⟩shall not your Father give his spirit, and all good things to them that aske them: and if he gave his Son, when wee did not pray to him, how much more shall hee not with him give us all things wee pray for?
- 11 Temptations, want of assurance; as 1. That because your persons are not accepted your prayers are not.1 Temptations, want of assurāce; as 1. That because your persons are not accepted your prayers are not.
