Ninthly, That man that hath a good assurance, he is willing to be tried either by God or man, touching the truth of his assurance. This you find, Psal. 26.2, 3. Try me, O Lord, examine me, prove me, and try my reins, and my heart, for thy loving kindness is before me. As if he should say. Lord, I make a profession, that I have thy loving kindness in mine eye, that I am assured thou lovest me; Lord, I put my soul upon the Trial: Do thou try me, if my heart be not right in my assurance. And not by God only, but they are willing to be tried by man also. And therefore you have that phrase of the Apostle, 1 Pet. 3.15. that when men ask you an account of the hope that is in you, you should be ready to give answer; that is, when men ask you what hopes you have of heaven, and upon what ground do you hope to be saved? the Apostle saith, you should be ready to give answer of that hope that is in you. And who were they that should do so? they were those that had a good conscience, those men that had consciences free from sin, and had evidence in their own consciences, that they belonged to God, they were ready, whoever asked them, to give a reason why they hoped for heaven. Whereas a man that hath false persuasions of heaven and of his effectual calling, that man cannot endure to be tried either by God or man. He is like the man that hath stolen goods in his house. A man that is an honest man, let the Constable come, let search be made, it never troubles him, because they are his ⟨p. 151⟩own goods that be hath bought by his own money: but the Thief, when the Constable comes, and search is made, every Trunk that is opened, his heart trembles: It is so with an unsound-hearted man; a man that hath false assurance, he is afraid to be searched in point of his assurance, lest there should be a flaw found in it. Come to a man that hath false persuasions, (as to your Formalists, and those that are presumptuous to wretches) come to these men, and put this question unto them, Upon what ground do you hope for salvation.? What evidence can you give of your effectual calling? How can you make out upon Scripture-grounds, that you shall go to heaven? Such questions as these will puzzle an unsound heart, that he cannot give you any reasonable answer at all. And herein the difference is palpable between a grounded assurance and these false persuasions that wicked men have.
Ninethly, That man that hath a good assurance, he is willing to be tried either by God or man, touching the truth of his assurance. This you finde, Psal. 26.2, 3. Try me, O Lord, examine me, prove me, and try my reines, and my heart, for thy loving kindenesse is before me. As if he should say. Lord, I make a profession, that I have thy loving kindnesse in mine eye, that I am assured thou lovest me; Lord, I put my soul upon the Trial: Do thou try me, if my heart be not right in my assurance. And not by God onely, but they are willing to be tried by man also. And therefore you have that phrase of the Apostle, 1 Pet. 3.15. that when men ask you an account of the hope that is in you, you should be ready to give answer; that is, when men ask you what hopes you have of heaven, and upon what ground do you hope to be saved? the Apostle saith, you should be ready to give answer of that hope that is in you. And who were they that should do so? they were those that had a good conscience, those men that had consciences free from sin, and had evidence in their own consciences, that they belonged to God, they were ready, whoever asked them, to give a reason why they hoped for heaven. Whereas a man that hath false perswasions of heaven and of his effectual calling, that man cannot endure to be tried either by God or man. He is like the man that hath stolne goods in his house. A man that is an honest man, let the Constable come, let search be made, it never troubles him, because they are his ⟨p. 151⟩own goods that be hath bought by his own mony: but the Thief, when the Constable comes, and search is made, every Trunk that is opened, his heart trembles: It is so with an unsound-hearted man; a man that hath false assurance, he is afraid to be searched in point of his assurance, lest there should be a flaw found in it. Come to a man that hath false perswasions, (as to your Formalists, and those that are presumptuous to wretches) come to these men, and put this question unto them, Upon what ground do you hope for salvation.? What evidence can you give of your effectual calling? How can you make out upon Scripture-grounds, that you shall go to heaven? Such questions as these will puzzle an unsound heart, that he cannot give you any reasonable answer at all. And herein the difference is palpable between a grounded assurance and these false perswasions that wicked men have.
