First, All true believers have not assurance. Scripture and experience manifest it; there are Lambs which are gathered into the arms and laid in the bosom of free-grace, yet know not where they are. There are little ones, babes in Christ, which can only hang upon the breast, and are not grown up into the reflections and joys of faith; the poor in spirit, the mourners, the hungry and thirsty after righteousness, mentioned in the fifth chapter of Matthew, are all of them true believers, blessed ones, and heirs of the promises, and yet all of them are without any glimpse of assurance; the poor in spirit, all in rags of unworthiness and self-nothingness, as if he had no title to the kingdom; the mourners weeping and desolate, ⟨p. 138⟩like Hagar in the wilderness with her bottle spent, as if there were no Well of comfort near them; the hungry and thirsty, like men in a famine, drooping and fainting away in fits of soul-emptiness, as if there were no such thing as hidden Manna for them. It is very observable in the Canticles, that Christ takes notice of the tender grape just at its first appearing; the very first opening or budding forth of faith is welcome to him; if the wine be but in the cluster, if there be but faith in desire, Christ saith, destroy it not, the blessing of Abraham is in it, out of this little grain of mustard-seed heaven will grow, in this smoking flax there's a divine spark, though the smoke of doubts and temptations muffle it up in obscurity, it will break out at last into flames of love and joy; in the infant-believers assurance is not to be expected, because of their primordial weakness; and in well-grown believers it may be suspended, because of Gods infinite sovereignty in the dispensing thereof as he pleaseth. Cruciger on his death-bed prayed thus, Invoco te Domine languidâ & imbecillâ side, sed side tamen, Lord, I call upon thee with a weak and languishing faith, but yet with a faith. Pious Justus Jonas, who was present with Luther at his death, and took as it were his last breath into his bosom, was in his own sickness sainting and cold-hearted, till a servant of his rubbed him up with some comforts out of the Gospel, Holy Bayn saith of himself, I thank God, sustentation in Christ ⟨p. 139⟩I have, and some little strength, suavities spiritual I taste not any:
First, All true believers have not assurance. Scripture and experience manifest it; there are Lambs which are gathered into the arms and laid in the bosome of free-grace, yet know not where they are. There are little ones, babes in Christ, which can only hang upon the breast, and are not grown up into the reflections and joys of faith; the poor in spirit, the mourners, the hungry and thirsty after righteousness, mentioned in the fifth chapter of Matthew, are all of them true believers, blessed ones, and heirs of the promises, and yet all of them are without any glimpse of assurance; the poor in spirit, all in rags of unworthiness and selfnothingness, as if he had no title to the kingdom; the mourners weeping and desolate, ⟨p. 138⟩like Hagar in the wilderness with her bottle spent, as if there were no Well of comfort near them; the hungry and thirsty, like men in a famine, drooping and fainting away in fits of soul-emptiness, as if there were no such thing as hidden Manna for them. It is very observable in the Canticles, that Christ takes notice of the tender grape just at its first appearing; the very first opening or budding forth of faith is welcom to him; if the wine be but in the cluster, if there be but faith in desire, Christ saith, destroy it not, the blessing of Abraham is in it, out of this little grain of mustard-seed heaven will grow, in this smoking slax there's a divine spark, though the smoak of doubts and temptations muffle it up in obscurity, it will break out at last into slames of love and joy; in the infant-believers assurance is not to be expected, because of their primordial weakness; and in well-grown believers it may be suspended, because of Gods infinite soveraignty in the dispensing thereof as he pleaseth. Cruciger on his death-bed prayed thus, Invoco te Domine languidâ & imbecillâ side, sed side tamen, Lord, I call upon thee with a weak and languishing faith, but yet with a faith. Pious Justus Jonas, who was present with Luther at his death, and took as it were his last breath into his bosome, was in his own sickness sainting and cold-hearted, till a servant of his rubbed him up with some comforts out of the Gospel, Holy Bayn saith of himself, I thank God, sustentation in Christ ⟨p. 139⟩I have, and some little strength, suavities spiritual I tast not any:
