Sermon 8

2 Peter 1:10. Therefore the rather, brethren, give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure.

The doctrine I am yet upon, is this, that Christians ought to put forth a great deal of diligence to make this sure to their souls, that they are effectually called by Jesus Christ. In the prosecution of which I have gone over many particulars, and answered some doubts, in reference to godly men who are effectually called. As first, in regard of some seeming defects they apprehend to be in the manner of their calling. Secondly, in the means of their calling. And thirdly, which I am yet upon, of some defects they apprehend about the concomitants that accompany those that are effectually called, of which I have spoken only of one in particular, namely, that they cannot call upon God in prayer. I now pass to the second.

Secondly, they apprehend that those that are effectually called, they have this to accompany their calling, that they are brought out of a state of ignorance into a state of knowledge, out of a state of darkness into a state of light. Hence they will urge this against themselves (1 Peter 2:9): You are to show forth the praises of him, who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. And (Acts 26:18): He sent forth his Word to call them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. Now says the poor soul, Alas, I do not find this concomitant to be in my heart, I do not find this marvelous light the Scripture here speaks of (2 Corinthians 4:6). Alas, my heart is like a dungeon of darkness, and like a house that has no inlets, no windows to let in the sunshine of the Gospel upon it — and many times this troubles many a godly mind. Now to those that make this doubt, I shall only speak two or three things to take it off.

First, to you that make this complaint, I would say this: that those that know most, they know but little in the mysteries of Jesus Christ. As you are not perfect in other graces, so you are not here perfect in knowledge. You know but in part (1 Corinthians 13:9), therefore you have no need to be discouraged at this.

Secondly, and more particularly, you that complain of ignorance — though you are ignorant, and cannot find that marvelous light shine in your souls, which you expect, yet if your ignorance have not these three ill qualities, you may rest confident your ignorance will never prove a damning sin to you, but it may be consistent with your effectual calling.

First, if your ignorance be not a stubborn and willful ignorance. Secondly, if it be not a sottish and brutish ignorance. And thirdly, if it be not a fundamental ignorance.

First, if it be not a stubborn and willful ignorance. Though you are ignorant, yet if you are willing to learn, and know the ways of God revealed in his Word, such an ignorance will never damn you. But when ignorance comes to be willful, that a man does not know, and he will not learn — a man is an ignorant man yet he thinks he knows more than all the preachers can tell him — this is a sad sign you are not effectually called. Hence you read (Proverbs 1:22): How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? Godly people may be in a state of ignorance but they love it not. Therefore (2 Peter 3:5) the Scripture tells us of wicked men, that they are willfully ignorant. So that if your ignorance have not this bad quality in it, to be a stubborn and willful ignorance, it may stand with your effectual calling.

Secondly, provided that your ignorance be not a sottish and brutish ignorance — that is, that you do not so lie clouded in a state of darkness, that you are incapable to discern the goodness of the Word, and incapable to apprehend anything that is taught you. That you are not like those (Jeremiah 4:22): My people have no understanding, they are a sottish people, wise to do evil, but to do good they have no understanding. Many men are ignorant men, yet not so sottishly ignorant, as not to be capable of learning. If you will teach him, he is willing to be instructed. But some men are so ignorant, they are not capable of learning — you may as well teach a block as them. Hence it is the prophet complains (Isaiah 1:4): The ox knows his own, and the donkey his master's crib, but Israel knows not the Lord his God.

Thirdly, in case your ignorance be not a fundamental ignorance — I mean such an ignorance, as not to know those necessary and fundamental points in the Word, that must be known, if ever you be saved — as about Jesus Christ and salvation, and justification by his blood, and faith in his name, and so forth. Though you may be ignorant about circumstantials, yet if it be not in fundamentals your ignorance may be consistent with effectual calling.

Thirdly, if a godly man be satisfied in these two points, and thinks perhaps I may have the first concomitant to call upon God, and so evidence my effectual call; and then perhaps the second may not be wanting in me, that I do not lie under the state of a willful, sottish, and fundamental ignorance. But alas says he, I want a third concomitant that accompanies effectual calling, and that is: I find in the Word, that they that are effectually called, they are brought into an obedient frame of heart to all the ways of God, that whatever God commands them to do, their hearts can readily obey. And this I find (Romans 1:5-6): God has called them by his grace to the obedience of faith. Now alas, says a poor soul, I find a defect in this concomitant likewise — I cannot discern that I am called to an obedience flowing from faith as its principle, I cannot find this frame of heart to be in me, and therefore I doubt of my effectual calling. This I shall labor to take off likewise.

First, when I say that obedience is a concomitant that will accompany one effectually called, I do not say nor intend it of obedience in the acting of it, but of an obedient frame of spirit in the purposes of it. Many men may be effectually called, when they may not always live in the acting of obedience to Christ, but every man effectually called has an obedient frame of heart. That is, he has purposes and intentions and resolutions to obey God, though he cannot act what he would do. He has obedience in the habit, and obedience in his purposes and resolutions always attending him.

Second, you find in Scripture that the strongest and ablest Christians who have done most for God have sometimes been very defective in the acts of obedience, so that they could not do what they would do for God. And therefore Paul complains (Romans 7), that the good that we would do, we cannot do. Paul himself, who was a pillar in God's house, tells you that he could not go out in those acts of obedience which in his heart he would do. And therefore if you would willingly do more than you do, God accepts of the little you do.

Third, though you cannot put forth many acts of obedience to God, where there is readiness of mind and heart, God accepts the purposes of the mind for the action itself (2 Corinthians 8:12). Where there is a willing mind, it is accepted of God as if the deed were done. And this much be spoken to the second case of conscience: why men effectually called do so much doubt of their own call.

Third, seeing Christians must put forth diligence in making their calling sure, therefore now in what ways must this diligence of ours be employed, or in what channel must our diligence run, that we might be sure of our effectual calling? This is a very material question, and in resolving it I shall answer it in these two generals.

First, if you would get assurance of your effectual calling, you must put forth diligence to remove those things that will hinder you in making sure your calling.

Second, use diligence to set upon the practice of those duties that may further you in making this sure, that you are effectually called.

First, you must remove those things which do much hinder you from being assured, and those hindrances that are to be removed I shall comprise under six heads.

First, you must use diligence to remove melancholy from your thoughts; this is a natural hindrance of assurance. Melancholy is a temper in man arising from a black blood running about the body, that does naturally occasion distrust and fear in men's minds. This temper being in the body does work much upon the disposition of the soul. Now if your temper is melancholy, and so disposes you to distrust and fear, this will be a great stop to your having of the joys and comforts of the Lord in your hearts, in assurance of his love. It is a note Perkins has upon Nebuchadnezzar when he ate grass like a beast: he, writing upon that place, thinks that Nebuchadnezzar was in a deep melancholy, and that did so possess him that he could not tell whether he was a man or a beast — though, says he, he did not eat grass, but his deep perplexity seizing upon him did make him think that he was turned from a man into a beast. Beloved, melancholy in a Christian will make him think himself a hypocrite when he is a saint. Therefore take heed of a melancholy, lumpish, and sad temper; it is a very great hindrance to this grace of assurance. This I lay down only as a natural remedy.

Second, a mind filled with worldly cares and running into encumbering employments in the world is a great hindrance of assurance. The cares of this life (Matthew 13:15) are compared to thorns. Now thorns choke the seed by drawing the juice that is in the seed to themselves, so that the corn does not grow where thorns spring. The cares of this life are like thorns in this: they are of an attractive power to suck and draw the juice of your spirits and comforts to themselves, so that you cannot have the juice of your spirits in gathering your evidences for heaven. The more encumbered you are in the world, the less clear you will be touching the evidence of your everlasting condition. The cares of this life pierce the soul through with many sorrows. Now when a man is pierced through with many sorrows, he is in a very unfit temper to be raised up in spiritual joy. The more you encumber yourselves in the employments of this world, the less you will be in the comforts of heaven. I remember it was the speech of a Pope when he lay dying: when I was a faithful preaching minister, then I had hopes of my salvation; when I came to be a Cardinal, I doubted of it; but when I came to be a Pope, I despaired of it — I was so entangled in the affairs of this life. Beloved, so I may say to you: when you were but ordinary Christians in the world, you were in a way to get assurance of your salvation, but since you have been taken up with the affairs of the world, it so distracts your mind that [reconstructed: you may be in no composed temper] to have any settledness of heart about your everlasting estate. It is the observation of philosophers that the sun is eclipsed by the interposition of the moon, the moon coming between the sun and our sight. Beloved, the sun of your comforts comes to be eclipsed by the moon, which is made an emblem of the world (Revelation 12:9). Now if the moon of the world comes between your comforts and you, it will miserably darken and eclipse your comforts to you. Nothing in the world does so much impede your comfort in assurance as encumbering and carking cares about the things of this world.

Thirdly, take heed you do not harbor the guilt of any one known sin upon your conscience. Keeping of sin upon the conscience is a great impediment to your inward comforts. You will never be assured while you do thus; and therefore if ever you would have assurance, remove this. It is an observation of Mr. Hildersham upon Psalm 51:12, 14: What does David do, when he prays for assurance? Saying, Restore to me the joys of your salvation, establish me with your free Spirit; restore my comforts, and my evidences to me. And what course does he take? Read verse 14: Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O Lord. As much as if he should say, all the while that sin lay upon conscience unrepented of (as it did for nine months together), all that while David lost the joys of the Spirit, and lost the comforts of Heaven. And therefore when he comes to renew his comforts, and restore his assurance, he does with begging of God for assurance, beg of God also to deliver him from blood-guiltiness; as knowing, that if this sin should be upon conscience unrepented of, and unpardoned, he should never have the joys of God's Spirit restored. Beloved, you will never have assurance of your effectual calling, till your consciences are freed from having sin upon them with approbation. It is an observation that Aristotle has about earthquakes, that they are occasioned by wind got into the caverns and hollow places of the earth; which having no place for vent again, it makes ruptures, and overturns houses and mountains and all before it. Sin upon the conscience unrepented of is like wind in the earth — it will make a heart quake there, that there shall not be that calmness, and quietness, and settledness of mind which there would be, were sin away. Hence we read, Isaiah 33:6: The sinners in Zion are afraid, and fearfulness has surprised the hypocrite. The sinners are afraid; those who had guilt upon them, their sins bred terror and fear; and hypocrites that are conscious to themselves of their own guilt, fearfulness surprises them, but the upright and sincere in heart were not so. This notes that it is a great enemy to inward peace, and to assurance about your everlasting estate, if you harbor sin upon the conscience unrepented of. And it is just with God it should be so; because if you keep sin in your hearts, that will be ever jarring with Heaven, it is just with God to be at odds with you.

Fourthly, avoid the casting of your eye, in a way of dejection, upon others, who are more eminent in grace than you, and have got a precedency of you in the ways of godliness. It is true indeed, a man that is given to spiritual pride, and self-conceitedness touching his own goodness, it is fit that he should look upon those that have a precedency before him in grace, the more to humble him. But for a man that lies under trouble of mind, and doubtings touching his everlasting estate, that man should not look upon others more eminent than he in grace, because it will rather increase discomforts, than any way work assurance in you. If you look upon the glittering beams of the sun shining in its full strength, the more you look upon that orient and resplendent body, the more it will dazzle your eyes, that you can behold but dimly things upon the earth. It is so with Christians; some Christians they shine like so many suns in the firmament, their graces do so shine and sparkle, that if you look upon them, they will even dazzle your eyes, and make you blind, that you cannot see those small scantlings and sparks of grace that are in your own hearts. In case therefore you would get assurance, avoid the casting of your eye too much upon those that have a precedency in grace before you.

Fifthly, take heed you make not sense and feeling the touchstone to try your effectual calling by; sense and feeling will deceive you in the matters of your calling. I may allude to [reconstructed: that passage] in the book of Genesis: you know old Isaac was dim-sighted, and by reason of his old age, he ran into a [reconstructed: mistake] by feeling; he had Jacob by the hand, and by feeling thought it had been Esau. Beloved, many of us are dim-sighted in our comforts, and in our graces, and if we trust to feeling, we may be deceived as Isaac was. You may think when you have Jacob by the hand — I mean grace in the heart — that it is but an Esau, it is but a reprobate. Therefore take heed of making sense and feeling the touchstone to try your calling by. A child is born, yet knows not that it is born; lives yet knows not that it lives; but those about it do. So a Christian may be born again, live the life of grace, and yet not be sensible of it.

Sixthly, give diligence to remove this hindrance, to wit, pride in your gifts, and dependence upon your graces. Pride and dependence, they are not only murderers of comforts, but they murder our graces also; and if God sees you swell with pride, because you abound in grace, he will soon prick that swelling bladder. It is the observation of a modern divine, that exalting of spirit after assurance attained will inevitably expose a Christian, either to great discomforts, or to great sins. Hence the Scripture makes mention, that pride of your gifts is not only an enemy to the comfort, but an enemy to grace; not only an enemy to the comforts from grace, but to the very having of grace. Habakkuk 2:4: If a man's heart be exalted, his spirit is not upright within him. James 4:6: God resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble. So that pride is not only an enemy to your comforts, but to the very getting of grace likewise; when the branches of a vine grow luxuriant, they shall have the pruning hook. And thus you have the first sort of helps laid down to you; in case you would get assurance, you must use diligence to avoid those things that may be a hindrance to you in getting assurance of your call.

Secondly, a second sort of helps in case you would get assurance, is to use diligence in the practice of those things that may be helps and furtherances to the obtaining of assurance about your effectual calling. And here I shall name only six or seven particulars.

First, exalt arguments of faith against present feelings. If you will once enter the lists to dispute with the devil, he will out-cavil you and nonplus you. The devil is a cunning logician, and it is not safe, says Doctor Preston, to argue with the devil; the devil will out-dispute and out-argue you. It is a Christian's work to exalt arguments of faith against present feelings. In case you would get assurance, you are to do as Abraham the father of the faithful did, when he was to believe a thing that sense and reason would tell him should never come to pass. It is said of Abraham (Romans 4:18-19) that in hope he believed against hope. He would exalt faith against sense. And how was it? God promised Abraham a child; reason and sense would have told Abraham: Abraham, you are a hundred years old, your wife ninety-nine, her womb is barren, and it is not likely you should have children. But Abraham would not argue thus, but would exalt arguments of faith, and apply God's promises, and God's word, exalting these — Abraham did believe in hope against hope. Beloved, so must you: though you say you have a barren womb, grace is not likely to grow in you, and though you are old, and decrepit, and feeble Christians, yet advance arguments of faith from God's love, and from God's power, and from God's providence, and God's promises — and that's the way to get your comforts clear and full. I may apply what Fox in his Acts and Monuments reports of a good woman, that was called before Bonner and the rest in Queen Mary's reign that sat in judgment about her religion. They saw her, though a poor and simple woman, yet keep firm to her principles, and would not deny her religion. At length Bonner sent some learned doctors to dispute with her and argue the case about some points she held. They coming to see her, she puts them off with this saying: Well, you are scholars, and you come to dispute; I must needs tell you, I cannot dispute, but I can burn for my religion. Beloved, I would have you answer the devil thus. If he comes to outwit and cavil with you about your comforts, say you cannot dispute, but you can believe; you can lay your help on Jesus Christ, upon one that is mighty, and exalt arguments of faith — and this will much strengthen your comforts. In Luke 8:42, there came a ruler to Jesus Christ and besought him for his daughter that lay dying. And while he was telling Christ this, there came another messenger after him: Your daughter is dead, trouble the man no further. What says Christ, hearing this? Fear not, only believe. As if he should say, sense and reason would have told him it were a needless thing to beg of Christ for his daughter when she was dead; but says Christ, Do not stoop to sense and reason, Fear not, only believe, and the work shall be done. So I say to you, consult not with flesh and blood, but exalt arguments of faith against present feelings; and this is the way to get assurance of your comforts.

Secondly, keep conscience clear, that no sin be harbored there, and you are in the way to get your comforts full. God, says David, will speak peace to his people, but they must not return to folly. As if he should say, though God does speak peace, and assure you of your pardon and salvation, yet if you return to sin, God can tell how to break your peace, and turn his smiles into frowns and angry looks. Take heed of sin, and keep your conscience clear, and that's the way to have peace settled in your heart. In Job 11:14-15: If iniquity be in your hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in your tabernacle. What follows? And then shall you lift up your face before God without spot, you shall be steadfast, and shall not fear. A strange expression — that if you will keep sin far away, then you shall be steadfast before God, and not fear; that is, you shall not be exposed to those fears and doubts and anxieties which other men are exposed to. In Hebrews 10:22: Let us draw near to God with an upright heart, in full assurance of faith. Now what shall a man do to come to God in full assurance? Mark the next words: Draw near to God in full assurance of faith, having your hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. Here is the way — if you are sprinkled from an evil conscience, you may be bold to come to God in full assurance. Whereas, alas, if your conscience tells you you are a whoremaster, and you are a deceiver, and a liar, and a loose liver, you cannot come with full assurance; you may come in presumption indeed, but not with the assurance of faith. Therefore keep a conscience clear from harboring guilt upon it, and that's the way to have the heart full of joy.

Thirdly, be diligent in keeping company with the most godly experienced Christians where you live — this is a very special way to increase your comforts. You read an excellent passage, 2 Corinthians 1:4: We are comforted of God, says the Apostle, that we might comfort others with the comfort wherewith we are comforted of God. Godly Christians will comfort you with the same comforts wherewith they themselves are comforted. If we are comforted, it is for your consolation. Godly men, if they have any inward comfort from God, they will impart their experiences to you, and tell you as David did (Psalm 66:16) what God has done for their soul. There is no way better than this, to keep in communion with godly and knowing Christians. Mr. Bradford, that famous martyr, who was in prison about his profession of Christ — the story says he lay a long time under trouble of mind, and horror of conscience, that he could not find a real and clear evidence of his effectual calling. There came many men to him, and could not settle him. Yet a poor weaver, an ancient and experienced Christian that did usually accompany Mr. Bradford in prison — by his frequent communion with this poor man, he got more inward comfort than ever he got all his life before. Beloved, this I speak to you to make you the more to study the worth of godly society, and the more you are conversant with Christians that live in the enjoyment of the light of God's countenance, and in the assurance of his favor all the day long, the more you are in the ready way to increase your comforts and assurance.

Fourthly, submit yourself to the approbation of others, and be willing to have them pass a verdict upon you. When you are asleep or in a swoon, then you cannot tell yourself what you do, but others must tell you. So it may fall out with the godly; they may be in such a spiritual swoon, that they are not fit judges of their own condition. In this case submit to the judgment of others; they may see grace in you, when you yourself cannot see it. So Mr. Throgmorton was comforted by the testimony of a company of godly ministers.

Fifthly, live in the daily improvement of grace, and that is the way to get assurance. And this means the Holy Ghost lays down in the chapter out of which my text is taken: Add grace to grace. And I remember that Beza upon this text does write, that in the Greek translations these words are put in, "Give diligence by good works to make your calling sure." Whether it be so or no, I cannot affirm, but this I am sure of, and the context will clearly prove it, that the way to make your calling sure is to add grace to grace. For after the Apostle had spoken of adding grace to grace, he comes in with this: "Give diligence to make your calling sure" — implying that the more you live in the actings of grace, the more you shall live in the enjoyment of comforts. Isaiah 32:17: "The works of righteousness shall be peace" — not the habit, but the work. If you act righteousness, and live in the workings and thrivings in grace, this shall be peace, and the effect of it quietness and assurance forever. So John 16:24: the more you pray, the more you increase your joy. So that the more you live in the improvement of grace, the more likely way you are in to get assurance.

Sixthly, if you would get assurance, spend more time in strengthening your evidences for heaven than in questioning them. It is the great fault of many Christians: they will spend much time in questioning and not in strengthening their comforts. They will reason themselves into unbelief, and say, "Lord, why should I believe? Why should I take hold of a promise, I who am so unholy and so unmortified a creature?" And so by this they reason themselves to such a pass that they dare not lay hold upon Christ. Whereas it should be your work to reason yourselves into Christ as much as you can. Labor to strengthen your comforts, and reason thus: "Why should I not believe in Christ?" Thus David did (Psalm 42): "Why are you troubled, O my soul, and why are you cast down within me?" Is not the mercy of God more than sin in the creature? Is there not free grace where there is guilt? Are there not pardoning mercies where condemnation is deserved? You should reason up your comforts, rather than reason them down, and spend more time in strengthening than in questioning them. You would count him a very unwise man who has a lease of much land, and he himself shall create scruples and doubts, and shall use no means to make his title good. And truly many Christians are as unwise for heaven; they have, as I may say, good bond and seal that God will bring them to heaven, and yet they will question and cavil themselves into unbelief. Beloved, this should not be, but you ought rather to strengthen your comforts than question them.

Seventhly, be diligent in the earnest study of the covenant of grace. Beloved, all a Christian's doubts arise from ignorance of the covenant of grace. And here, that I may speak a little to it, I beseech you, follow me: study the covenant of grace. If you do, you shall discern five particular props in it to bear up your hearts against discomforts, and to strengthen you in a way of assurance touching your effectual call.

First, the covenant of works commands perfect obedience upon pain of damnation; but the covenant of grace does command and accept of imperfect obedience, if it be sincere — there is your first prop.

Secondly, the covenant of works is not contented with good desires, unless there be good works; the covenant of grace accepts the good will and good desires when the deed is wanting, and is content with the will for the deed.

Thirdly, the covenant of works does require that you should obey the will of God perfectly in your own person; the covenant of grace requires only that you obey in the person of Christ. So Christ obeys for you; it is accepted, though you do not.

Fourthly, the covenant of works requires you to obey the whole will of God by your own strength; the covenant of grace accepts of it, though not our own strength, but the strength of Christ be put forth in doing any spiritual action.

Fifthly, the covenant of works requires the performance of the condition before it gives the promise — as, "Do this and live." You cannot live, says the covenant of works, unless you do this. But the covenant of grace first tenders the promise, and then requires the condition: it bids you first take Christ, and first believe, and then show forth the effects of faith. First, lay hold upon the promise, and then hold forth and practice the condition of that promise. First believe, and then take Christ — though you are unworthy, and a wretched creature — if after taking of him you will be conscientious to practice those obligations that lie upon you, and I will accept you. Now would you lay these to your heart, to study that vast difference between the covenant of works and the covenant of grace, doubtless these would be great props for your inward comforts.