The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God…

Two things were observable in this man; one was as to the witness: that in it there was no attendance to the condition expressed in that Text, for it is there, To you who fear my Name: That he did fear his Name, that was certain: but I asked him, Did not the Spirit clear the Condition? He told me, there was no attendance to the Condition at that time, but only here was assurance of healing by the Sun of Righteousness, pardon, love, &c. had not this man both before and after this proved the Condition, and been a close walker with God to his last, I should not so much have regarded his comforts from this Text.

But a second thing I wonder at more, and there he and I differed. That which made him to regard this so much was, that it was a Scripture he had not in his thoughts, or had read at that time; for, said he, had I been meditating upon it before, and so had comfort from the Text, I should not have regarded it so much; that was the emphasis, that it was a Scripture he had not thought of. Whence, according to him, the greatest assurance is when the Spirit sets home a Promise to a man, which Promise was not in a mans mind, he was not meditating upon it; for if he had been in meditation upon it, he should not so regard it. This Divinity, I told him, I dare not preach; for I doubt not, but if the Spirit will please to witness, healing, pardon, love, peace, by a Promise, that I was meditating upon, it is as sound, sure and good, as if he doth it by a Promise, I did not think of. Hence we see experiences of eminent Christians must not be in every point our rule, for in my discourse with him he always set the Accent there, and so that if it had not been a Text not thought of, he should not have so much minded it, at least not so much, But sure his great comforts he would have minded.

But a second thing I wonder at more, and there he and I differed. That which made him to regard this so much was, that it was a Scripture he had not in his thoughts, or had read at that time; for, said he, had I been meditating upon it before, and so had comfort from the Text, I should not have regarded it so much; that was the emphasis, that it was a Scripture he had not thought of. Whence, according to him, the greatest assurance is when the Spirit sets home a Promise to a man, which Promise was not in a mans mind, he was not meditating upon it; for if he had been in meditation upon it, he should not so regard it. This Divinity, I told him, I dare not preach; for I doubt not, but if the Spirit will please to witness, healing, pardon, love, peace, by a Promise, that I was meditating upon, it is as sound, sure and good, as if he doth it by a Promise, I did not think of. Hence we see experiences of eminent Christians must not be in every point our rule, for in my discourse with him he alwayes set the Accent there, and so that if it had not been a Text not thought of, he should not have so much minded it, at least not so much, But sure his great comforts he would have minded.