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

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.