A treatise of effectual calling and election. In XVI. sermons, on 2 Pet. 1.10…

Eighthly, Assurance should be managed with cheerfulness of heart: Assured Christians should be cheerful Christians. We read Nehem. 2.1, 2. That Nehemiah all the while he was before the face of the King, and in the presence of the King, the Text saith, Nehemiah for a long time was not sad: the Kings presence did so cheer up Nehemiahs heart. Now to this I would allude: If the presence and face of King Artaxerxes did make Nehemiah, that for a long time he was not sad before him; Oh how much more should the face of God, and the presence of God in a mans soul, and the favour of God towards a man, how much more should this keep thee from being sad in Gods presence, from a lumpish and Melancholy and sad spirit? Thou art in the presence of a King, in the favour of God, and this should keep thee from being sad and heavy. None in the world have greater grounds of joy then those that live in a constant assurance of the love of God towards them. It is for condemned men, that are condemned to the Gallows, to hang down their heads and wring their hands; but let the pardoned people of the Lord rejoice. The man that is condemned, he hangs down his head, but the man that comes ⟨p. 161⟩pardoned from the bar, with what a cheerful countenance will that man come? you are all a people pardoned by your God, you may well be a rejoicing people: I remember a passage I have read in D. Halls Works, in his Meditations upon the Creatures, speaking of a little Bird called Robin red-breast, that when he was in his study, came chirping at the window, and leaping upon his book, and singing a great while together; upon this sight he breaks out into this contemplation. O this little silly Bird, that doth not know where to pick up the next crumb, that doth not know where to pitch and rest it self for the next night, yet behold, how cheerfully doth this Bird sing, when man, and a Christian man that knows God to be his Father, that hath not only crumbs of outward blessings but whole morsels of inward comfort, and can drink draughts of inward consolation: Christians, that have a God, and a heaven, that have Christ and glory, yet they cannot be merry, as a poor Bird can be: and truly it is a good Meditation: Many times people that are called by Jesus Christ, and have ground and assurance of their everlasting happiness by him, yet they cannot be so merry as a poor Bird will be;

Eighthly, Assurance should be managed with chearfulnesse of heart: Assured Christians should be chearful Christians. We read