Yea further, He that wants Assurance of Gods love, converseth too much with Satan; as he that hath the Assurance of Gods love, doth converse with Christ, the spirit bearing witness to him, that he is the Child of God: So he that doth want Assurance, converseth with Satan, and Satan, (though falsely) is still bearing witness to his spirit, that he is not the child of God. and is it not a misery to be in these converses with Satan? to be under his hellish droppings? David, felt one pang of unbelief, and he cried out and said, It is too painful for me, O! what a pain is it then, to lie bed-rid of an unbelieving heart? you know, a chaste and a loving wife, counts it an affliction to her, to be followed with the solicitations of an unworthy person, to suspect, and be jealous of her husbands love; for saith she, he doth therefore follow me with these solicitations, making me to suspect my husbands love, ⟨p. 113⟩that so he may attain his own filthy desires. So saith a gracious soul, the Devil is always following and tempting me, to suspect the Love of Christ; and he doth therefore do it, that he may attain his mind upon me; for the Devil knows well enough, that the more I suspect Christs Love, the more I shall embrace Satan's love. The truth is (Beloved) this want of Assurance of Gods Love, or Interest in Christ, is an in-let to many sins and miseries; for first a man doubts of his own Salvation, and after he hath continued doubting, then he riseth up unto a full conclusion, saying, now know I that Christ doth not love me, I did but doubt before, but now I know he doth not love me. And after he is risen to this conclusion, then shortly he riseth higher, and he goes further thus: If Christ doth not love me now, he will never love me, and if I have not interest in Christ now, after all the Preaching I have heard, and Ordinances enjoyed, if I have not an Interest in Christ now, I shall never have it; and so the longer I live, the more I aggravate my condemnation, therefore as good in Hell at first, as at the last; and therefore now, I will even make a way my self. O! what a black Chain is here? and the first link, is the want of Assurance. If you should see a Child, • pretty Child, lie in the open streets, and none own it, would it not make your Bowels yearn within you? Come to the little one, and say, Child, where's thy Father? I know not saith the Child: Where's thy Mother, Child?
Yea further, He that wants Assurance of Gods love, converseth too much with Satan; as he that hath the Assurance of Gods love, doth converse with Christ, the spirit bearing witness to him, that he is the Child of God: So he that doth want Assurance, converseth with Satan, and Sacan, (though falsly) is stil bearing witness to his spirit, that he is not the child of God. and is it not a misery to be in these converses with Satan? to be under his hellish droppings? David, felt one pang of unbelief, and he cryed out and said, It is too painful for me, O! what a pain is it then, to lie bed-rid of an unbeleeving heart? you know, a chast and a loving wife, counts it an affliction to her, to be followed with the solicitations of an unworthy person, to suspect, and be jealous of her husbands love; for saith she, he doth therefore follow me with these solicitations, makeing me to suspect my husbands love, ⟨p. 113⟩that so he may attain his own filthy desires. So saith a gracious soul, the Devil is alwaies following and tempting me, to suspect the Love of Christ; and he doth therefore do it, that he may attain his mind upon me; for the Devil knows wel enough, that the more I suspect Christs Love, the more I shal embrace Satans love. The truth is (Beloved) this want of Assurance of Gods Love, or Interest in Christ, is an in-let to many sins and miseries; for first a man doubts of his own Salvation, and after he hath continued doubting, then he riseth up unto a full conclusion, saying, now know I that Christ doth not love me, I did but doubt before, but now I know he doth not love me. And after he is risen to this conclusion, then shortly he riseth higher, and he goes further thus: If Christ doth not love me now, he will never love me, and if I have not interest in Christ now, after all the Preaching I have heard, and Ordinances enjoyed, if I have not an Interest in Christ now, I shal never have it; and so the longer I live, the more I aggravate my condemnation, therefore as good in Hel at first, as at the last; and therefore now, I wil even make a way my self. O! what a black Chain is here? and the first link, is the want of Assurance. If you should see a Child, • pretty Child, lie in the open streets, and none own it, would it not make your Bowels yern within you? Come to the little one, and say, Child, where's thy Father? I know not saith the Child: Where's thy Mother, Child?
