Chapter III: How to attain to assurance.
How to attain to assurance.
But how do you, neighbour Neophytus; for methinks you look very heavily.
Neo. Truly, sir, I was thinking of that place of Scripture, where the apostle exhorts us "to examine ourselves whether we be in the faith or no," (2 Cor 13:5); whereby it seems to me, that a man may think he is in the faith, when he is not. Therefore, sir, I would gladly hear how I may be sure that I am in the faith.
Evan. I would not have you to make any question of it, since you have grounded your faith upon such a firm foundation as will never fail you; for the promise of God in Christ is of a tried truth, and never yet failed any man, nor ever will. [342] Therefore I would have you to close with Christ in the promise, without making any question whether you are in the faith or no; for there is an assurance which rises from the exercise of faith by a direct act, and that is, when a man, by faith, directly lays hold upon Christ, and concludes assurance from thence. [343]
Neo. Sir, I know that the foundation whereon I am to ground my faith remains sure; and I think I have already built thereon; but yet, because I conceive a man may think he has done so when he has not, therefore, would I fain know how I may be assured that I have so done?
[344]
Evan. Well, now I understand you what you mean; it seems you do not want a ground for your believing, but for your believing that you have believed. [345]
Neo. Yea, indeed, that is the thing I want.
Evan. Why, the next way to find out and know this is to look back and reflect upon your own heart, and consider what actions have passed through there; for indeed this is the benefit that a reasonable soul has, that it is able to return upon itself, to see what it has done; which the soul of a beast cannot do. Consider, then, I pray you, that you have been convinced in your spirit that you are a sinful man, and, therefore, have feared the Lord's wrath and eternal damnation in hell; and you have been convinced that there is no help for you at all in yourself, by anything that you can do; and you heard it plainly proved, that Jesus Christ alone is an all-sufficient help; and the free and full promise of God in Christ has been made so plain and clear to you, that you had nothing to object why Christ did not belong to you in particular; [346] and you have perceived a willingness in Christ to receive you, and to embrace you as his beloved spouse; and you have thereupon consented and resolved to take Christ, and to give yourself unto him, whatsoever betides you; and I am persuaded you have thereupon felt a secret persuasion in your heart, that God in Christ doth bear a love to you; and answerably your heart hath been inflamed towards him in love again, manifesting itself in an unfeigned desire to be obedient and subject to his will in all things, and never to displease him in anything. Now tell me, I pray you, and truly, whether you have not found these things in you, as I have said?
Neo. Yea, indeed, I hope I have in some measure.
Evan. Then I tell you truly, you have a sure ground to lay your believing that you have believed upon; and, as the apostle John says, "Hereby you may know that you are of the truth, and may assure your heart thereof before God," (1 John 3:19).
Neo. Surely, sir, this I can truly say, that heretofore, when I have thought upon my sins, I have conceived of God and Christ, as of a wrathful judge that would condemn all unrighteous men to eternal death: and, therefore, when I have thought upon the day of judgment, and hell torments, I have even trembled for fear, and have, as it were, even hated God. And though I have laboured to become righteous, that I might escape his wrath, yet all that I did, I did it unwillingly. But since I have heard you make it so plain, that a sinner that sees and feels his sins is to conceive of God, as of a merciful, loving, and forgiving Father in Christ, that hath committed all judgment to his Son, who came not to condemn men but to save them; methinks I do not now fear his wrath, but do rather apprehend his love towards me; whereupon my heart is inflamed towards him with such love, that, methinks, I would willingly do or suffer anything that I knew would please him; and would rather choose to suffer any misery than I would do anything that I knew were displeasing to him.
Evan. We read in the seventh chapter of Luke's gospel, that when that sinful yet believing woman did manifest her faith in Christ by her love to him, in "washing his feet with her tears, and wiping them with the hairs of her head," (verse 38), he said unto Simon the Pharisee, (verse 47), "I say unto thee, her sins, which are many, are forgiven her, for she loved much"; even so I may say unto you, Nomista, in the same words concerning our neighbour Neophytus. And to you yourself, Neophytus, I say, as Christ said unto the woman, (verse 48-50), "Thy sins are forgiven thee, thy faith hath saved thee, go in peace."
Ant. But I pray you, sir, is to this his reflecting upon himself to find out a ground to lay his believing that he hath believed upon, a turning back from the covenant of grace to the covenant of works, and from Christ to himself?
Evan. Indeed, if he should look upon these things in himself, and thereon conclude, that because he has done this, God had accepted of him, and justified him, and will save him, and so make them the ground of his believing; this were to turn back from the covenant of grace to the covenant of works, and from Christ to himself. But if he look upon these things in himself, and thereupon conclude, that because these things are in his heart, Christ dwells there by faith, and therefore he is accepted of God, and justified, and shall certainly be saved, and so make them an evidence of his believing, or the ground of his believing that he has believed; this is neither to turn back from the covenant of grace to the covenant of works, nor from Christ to himself. So that these things in his heart being the daughters of faith, and the offspring of Christ, though they cannot at first produce, or bring forth their mother, yet may they in time of need nourish her.