A Body of Practical Divinity

Resp. 1. If you have Assurance of your Justification, do not abuse Assurance. 1. 'Tis an abusing of Assurance, when we grow more remiss in Duty; as the ⟨p. 206⟩Musician having Money thrown him, leaves off playing. By Remissness or intermitting the Exercises of Religion, we grieve the Spirit, and that is the way to have an Embargo laid upon our Spiritual Comforts. 2. We abuse Assurance when we grow Presumptuous and less fearful of sin. What? because a Father gives his Son an Assurance of his Love, and tells him he will entail his Land upon him, shall the Son therefore be Wanton and Dissolute? This were the way to lose his Fathers Affection, and make him cut off the Entail; it was an Aggravation of Solomon's Sin, His Heart was turned away from the Lord, after he had appeared to him twice, 1 Kings 11.9. 'Tis bad to sin when one wants Assurance, but it is worse to sin when one hath it. Hath the Lord sealed his Love with a Kiss? Hath he left a Pawn of Heaven in your Hands, and do you thus requite the Lord? Will you sin with Manna in your Mouth? Doth God give you the sweet Clusters of Assurance to feed on, and will you return him wild Grapes? It much pleaseth Satan, either to see us want Assurance, or abuse it. This is to abuse Assurance, when the Pulse of our Soul beats faster in Sin and slower in Duty.

Resp. 1. If you have Assurance of your Justification, do not abuse Assurance. 1. 'Tis an abusing of Assurance, when we grow more remiss in Duty; as the ⟨p. 206⟩Musician having Mony thrown him, leaves off playing. By Remisness or intermitting the Exercises of Religion, we grieve the Spirit, and that is the way to have an Imbargo laid upon our Spiritual Comforts. 2. We abuse Assurance when we grow Presumptuous and less fearful of sin. What? because a Father gives his Son an Assurance of his Love, and tells him he will entail his Land upon him, shall the Son therefore be Wanton and Dissolute? This were the way to lose his Fathers Affection, and make him cut off the Entail; it was an Aggravation of Solomon's Sin, His Heart was turned away from the Lord, after he had appeared to him twice, 1 Kings 11.9. 'Tis bad to sin when one wants Assurance, but it is worse to sin when one hath it. Hath the Lord seal'd his Love with a Kiss? Hath he left a Pawn of Heaven in your Hands, and do you thus requite the Lord? Will you sin with Manna in your Mouth? Doth God give you the sweet Clusters of Assurance to feed on, and will you return him wild Grapes? It much pleaseth Satan, either to see us want Assurance, or abuse it. This is to abuse Assurance, when the Pulse of our Soul beats faster in Sin and slower in Duty.