A cabinet of choice jewels, or, A box of precious ointment being a plain…A cabinet of choice jevvels, or, A box of precious ointment being a plain…

The Tenth Maxim or Consideration.

Tenthly, Consider we have no ground from Scripture to §10expect that God should either by a Voice from Heaven, or by sending an Angel from about his Throne, or by any glorious apparitions or strong impressions, or by any extraordinary way of Revelations, assure us that we do believe, or that our Grace is true, or that our interest in God and Christ is certain, or that our pardon is sealed in Heaven, or that we are in a justified state, and that we shall be at last undoubtedly saved, O no! But we are to use all those blessed helps and means that are appointed by God, and common to all Believers, for the obtaining of a particular Assurance that we are Believers, and that our state is good, and that we have a special propriety in Christ, and in all the fundamental good that comes by him. Mark, he that will receive no establishment, no comfort, no peace, no assurance, except it be administered by the hand of an Angel, and witnessed to by some Voice from Heaven, &c. will certainly live and dye without establishment, comfort, peace, or assurance. Gregory tells us of a Religious Lady of the Empresses Bed-Chamber,¹ whose name was Gregoria, that being much troubled about her Salvation, did write unto him, That she should never cease importuning of him, till he had sent her word that he had received a Revelation from Heaven that her sins were pardoned and that she was saved. To whom he returned this Answer, That it was a hard, and altogether a useless matter which she required of him; It was difficult for him to obtain, as being unworthy ⟨p. 59⟩to have the secret Counsels of God to be imparted to him, and it was as unprofitable for her to know; and that first, because such a Revelation might make her too secure; and secondly, because it was impossible for him to demonstrate and make known unto her or any other, the truth and infallibility of the Revelation which he had received, to be from God, so that should she afterwards call into question the truth of it, as well she might, her troubles and doubtings concerning her Salvation would have been as great as they were before. O therefore let all Believers that would have sure establishment, sound comfort, lasting Peace, and true and sweet assurance of the love of God, and of their interest in Christ, &c.