The third Reason why God denies Assurance to his most precious ones, is,1 that they may be the more clearly and fully convinced of that exceeding sinfulness, and bitterness that is in sin. Ah Lord, says the soul, that sits sighing and mourning, under the want of Assurance, I see now that sin is not only evil, but the greatest evil in the world, in that it keeps me from an Assurance of my interest in thee who art the greatest good in the world, and from an Assurance of that favour of thine that is better then life,2 and from the light of thy sweet countenance, that is better then corn and wine, and oil; and from those joys and comforts that can only ⟨p. 40⟩make a Paradise in my soul. Ah3 Lord now I find sin not only to be bitter, but to be the very quintessence of bitterness: Ah, no bitterness so bitter as sin, that keeps my soul from that sweet assurance, that is not only the top and crown of mercy, but also the sweetener of all mercy, misery, and glory. Oh what unspeakable evil do I now see in that evil that keeps me from the most desirable good. Oh what bitterness do I now find in that which Satan, the4 world, and my own deluded heart told me I should find sweetness in. Ah, now I find by experience, that to be true, which long since the faithful Messengers of the Lord have told me, viz. That sin debaseth the soul of man, that it defiles and pollutes the soul of man, that it renders the soul most unlike to God, (who is optimum maximum) the best and greatest, who is (omnia super omnia) all, and above all, and renders it most like to Satan, who is a very sea and sink of sin. That it hath robbed the soul of the image of God, the holiness of God, the beauty of God, the glory ⟨p. 41⟩of God, the righteousness of God, and that keeps the soul from wearing this Golden Chain of Assurance.
The third Reason why God denies Assurance to his most precious ones, is,1 that they may be the more cleerly and fully convinced of that exceeding sinfulnesse, and bitternesse that is in sinne. Ah Lord, sayes the soule, that sits sighing and mourning, under the want of Assurance, I see now that sinne is not onely evil, but the greatest evill in the world, in that it keeps mee from an Assurance of my interest in thee who art the greatest good in the world, and from an Assurance of that favour of thine that is better then life,2 and from the light of thy sweet countenance, that is better then corne and wine, and oyle; and from those joyes and comforts that can onely ⟨p. 40⟩make a Paradise in my soule. Ah3 Lord now I finde sinne not onely to bee bitter, but to bee the very quintessence of bitternesse: Ah, no bitternesse so bitter as sinne, that keeps my soule from that sweet assurance, that is not onely the top and crowne of mercy, but also the sweetner of all mercie, misery, and glory. Oh what unspeakable evill do I now see in that evil that keeps me from the most desirable good. Oh what bitternesse do I now find in that which Satan, the4 world, and my owne deluded heart told me I should finde sweetnesse in. Ah, now I finde by experience, that to be true, which long since the faithfull Messengers of the Lord have told me, viz. That sinne debaseth the soule of man, that it defiles and pollutes the soule of man, that it renders the soule most unlike to God, (who is optimum maximum) the best and greatest, who is (omnia super omnia) all, and above all, and renders it most like to Satan, who is a very sea and sinke of sinne. That it hath robbed the soule of the image of God, the holinesse of God, the beauty of God, the glory ⟨p. 41⟩of God, the righteousnesse of God, and that keepes the soule from wearing this Golden Chaine of Assurance.
- 1Jer. 2. 19.Ier. 2. 19.
- 2Sin is, Malum Catholicum; Tis aeterna macula; Tis corruptio optimi pessima. Ps. 63. 3, 4. Ps. 4 7.
- 3This made one cry out, Quid restat O peccator, nisi ut in tota vita tua deplores rotam vitam tuam; O what then remains but in our whole life to lament the sins of our whole life.
- 4Heb. 3. 13. Sin hath its original from a deceitful subtle Serpent, and is the ground of all the deceit in the world, and is the great couzner of souls. Yea peccatum est Deicidium, Sin is a killing of God.Heb. 3. 13. Sin hath its original from a deceitfull subtle Serpent, and is the ground of all the deceit in the world, and is the great couzner of souls. Yea peccatum est Deicidium, Sin is a killing of God.
