672 OfEfeclrtal Calling. S a c r.XII. fiance,bath two kinde ofafls, There are fit the direr alb of the foul, whereby it is carried out ttnrnediatly and direftly to forno object. And there are fxondly reflexails, whereby the foul confiders and takes notice ofwhat as it cloth. It's as if the eye were turned inward to fce it fell. The Apoftie john exprefleth it fully, we know that we know, r John 2.3. So that when we believe inGod, that is a direct adofthe foul ; when we repent of fin, bccaufe God is difhonoured, that is a dire, aft ; but when weknow that we do believe, and that wedo re- pent, this is a reflexaft : Now whether this certainty or affurance be a certainty of faith, or offenfe, orrather mixedof both, I (hall not difpute : To be litre, it is more then thofe probable conjectures and meer humane certainty which the Papifls pleadfor. 3. Thirdly, I fay, ThiiaffuranceidA priviledge may be had, anditia ourfn ifwe breath not after it, or do any thing that may jsflly Pourhearts with doubtsanddffi_ dence. Yet it is not of abfolute neceffity to falvation : Its not a neceffary effect ofour calling and election at all times, asheat is an infeparable effect of fire, and light of the fun. We fee 'David andChrifl hitnfelf in fuch fpiritnal defertions, though there was unbelief in David, but not any fin in Chrilt. Faith of adhe- rence is many times where this faithof evidence is not. Although therefore it be our great fin todo thofe things which may grieve the fpirit ofGod, and chafe away our affurance ; yet many times the peopleofGod may walk without this comfortableperfwadon : Yea they may begreatly affaulted, as ifGod had caft them offfor ever. They may be as Paa1, fellow-paffengers in the Ship, who had feenno fun for many daies together. Let not therefore any argue they are nor called, not elated, bccaufe this is not yet made fore to them ; for many timesGod works the greatestcertainty out of themofe perplexing doubts, and thefhakings of the foul make the root fatter. ¡l. Fourthly; 21jeither yet is this afJ'urssnce the Apaflle preflerhus unto, (itch ifs ad- mits ofsodoubts, no temptations or oppofrtions bySatan. No,as he cried out, Lord Ibelieve, he/p my unbelief, fo, Lord I am offered, yet give me more certainty. When 7Z,arhantold Davidhis fins were doneaway, yet he (till praiethfor par- don, Pfal.5t, bccaufe guilt and doubts in his foul were ready to obfcure and darken his faith : And therefore the Apoltle fohn, i John ;. cals this affurance, perfwadingof the heart : That doth excellently imply the heart fentible of Gn, is full of arguments and cavils,bringeth many throng contradiftions againfi the promife. Hence the great word that is ufedoften to comfort, e w wns+r, isal- to for exhortation, bccaufe to the grievedand troubled heart for fin,comfort will not bereceived but byfrequent exhortation. That opinion therefore of having fuchan affurante as tohave no doubt, is much to be fufpeded, as not being of theSpirit of God. For the fiefs luffeth againff the 02irit, in all the adions of it. And the devil doth diligently atfault ourcomfort and afïurance. Iftherefore it beof God, if it be fpirituall and heavenly, it cannot be but that the heart ofa man, and the devil willoppofe it; prefumption indeed being a fin of a mans felf-flattering heart meets withno contradi&ion ; fo true is that layingofa fo- lid Divine, Nudifans magic dcljutrati, quam quiminus font deffierantes, None are more defperate, then thofethat are leali defpairing, viz, in theirown felvese though notofthe graceofGod. 5. Laftiy, Howfoever inpradicall divinityit be difputed, whether there benot an affurance by the immediateteftimonyof the Spirit,viz.whether the Spirit of Cod doth not by immediate revelation perfwade the foul of its good condition and intert(t in God; yet I (hall not touch upon that, but only fpeak to thatme- diatea(furance, viz, which the Spirit ofGod works, by the arguing from the effects to the caufe, from the fruits of grace to the root, and this isnot fubiedto fuch dangerous deletions, as the former is : for this goeth upon a lureground, the fruits of mortification, andvivification ; and the ApoRle plainly moaned; this airtime.; viz, byadding one grace toanother, andby-aboundingin the frtrlsitaof honesfe,
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