means for the obtaining of assurance; for if it be attainable in the use of ordinary means, we sin exceedingly against God and our own souls in neglecting those means of assurance.

2. You cannot evidence the truth of grace, or your title to covenant mercies, unless you use God's appointed means to obtain assurance. It is an ill sign of a graceless heart to nourish doubtings and distrusts, and then to come in with such pleas as these :-" True faith is accompanied with doubtings; he that doubts not, doth not believe; a doubting faith is a good faith; let me have doubts and fears, I dare not be too confident, lest I presume." But I must tell thee, soul, a doubting faith is but a weak faith, and a Christian ought to be strong in faith,"* and make progress to a full degree and proficiency in grace, and endeavour to arrive at this full assurance, for this is the nature of grace to be pressing after perfection, and to "go from faith to faith," † even from a faith of adherence to a faith of evidence and assurance; yea, let such as slight means of assurance know this-that they live in a constant neglect of a known duty, in disobedience to a flat command, Heb. vi. 11, "And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end;" as if he had said, if your faith and hope be of the right stamp, as it may seem to be, it will be working off all doubtings, anxious thoughts, and distrusting fears, and move to a further degree of confidence and assurance; else you may suspect the truth of it.

3. You cannot assure yourselves of creature enjoyments a day to an end, nor yet of immunity from crosses; and if you have not assurance of these covenant mercies, what have you to bear up your hearts in + Rom. i. 17.

Rom. iv. 20.

an evil day? We little know what shaking times may come, that may tear from you whatever you account dear; and if you have not something above, oh the sad confusions that will seize upon you! but assurance of an interest in the God of heaven, and the good things of the covenant will be a guard to free your hearts from those numerous armies of tormenting fears that will beset you; this will be a cordial to drive away sick and swooning qualms from your troubled spirits; assurance of God's love will fortify your hearts against the fierce assaults of men and devils; Psalm xxvii. 1, "The Lord is my light and salvation, whom shall I fear?" destroying angels shall not come near any persons that are sprinkled with Christ's blood, and have the mourner's mark. * A day of danger, horror, and confusion may overtake us in the nation, in which we may be stript naked of all our enjoyments—surely then assurance of our interest in the best riches in the world, will stand us in stead, and when all things else fail, these will abide with us. But,

4. Consider the great advantages of assurance, I can but name them.

(1.) It will assure us that we shall want nothing that is good for us; "if God have given us Christ, then will he give us all good things."-Rom. viii. 32.

(2.) It gives a sweet relish to every comfort of life, and causes "delight in God's great goodness."-Neh. ix. 25.

(3.) It will sweeten the "bitterest cup of affliction." -Matt. ix. 2.

(4.) It encourages us to come "with boldness to the throne of grace," Heb. iv. 16, μerà appηoías, that is, with a liberty to say what we list if according to his will, and he will hear us.

(5.) Assurance helps the soul to despise the world; he that knows he is clothed with the sun, can trample the moon under his feet.-Heb. x. 34.

(6.) It strengthens the mind against the censures and reproaches of men,* no matter what men say when God acquits, Rom. viii. 33, 34; our conscience tells us we are not the men we are represented to be.

(7.) It enhances the reading of the word, and receiving of the sacraments, the promises, seals, and blood of the covenant: precepts of Scripture, ministers, things present and things to come, all are the believer's. -1 Cor. iii. 21, 22.

(8.) It enlargeth the soul in praise and thanksgiving; hence those hallelujahs in heaven: the more assurance, the more thankfulness.-Psalm ciii. 1-3.

(9.) It commendeth religion to others, makes God's ways lovely: "O taste and see that the Lord is good, come and I will shew you what he hath done for my soul," engageth many.-Psalm exlii. 7. and lxvi. 16.

(10.) It helpeth on repentance, makes godly sorrow more kindly and evangelical; a look of love from Christ melts Peter's heart-this sun dissolves frozen souls.-Ezek. xvi. 63.

(11.) It engageth the soul against sin; manifestations of God are cords of love, which are strongest to an ingenuous spirit.-Rom. vi. 1, 2.

(12.) Assurance animates our performances and obedience; is any thing too much to do for God? yes, my God deserves all I am and have, his commands are not grievous.-1 John v. 3.

(13.) It deadens the heart to needless disputes and controversies; it settles the mind in an attachment to the truth, and fortifies it against the subtilties of seduc

* 1 Pet. iv. 14, 16.

ing spirits, for "God's law is in the hearts of his people."-Heb. xiii. 9.

(14.) It representeth the glory of heaven, and is a blessed emblem of a soul's bathing itself in those rivers of pleasure that are at God's right hand, while it opens a Pisgah sight of the celestial Canaan.

(15.) It disarms the king of terrors, and plucks out the sting of death; so that a gracious soul, assured of God's love, can triumph with Paul over this conquered enemy.-1 Cor. xv. 55.

And indeed none but an assured Christian can look death in the face without dread and amazement. Ruffling gallants may be prodigal of their lives, when they are far from any capacity of obtaining assurance, but those are more like brutes than men, who are guided by sense, not by reason, and consider not that their souls are immortal, and that they enter into eternity at death; hence they have drowned themselves in sensuality, and consider not what they do. It is only the Christian that is upon good grounds assured of his good estate, who can in cold blood adventure upon death, yea, be willing to die, even desire" to be dissolved and be with Christ."

I have but hinted at these things, because it is an ordinary subject on which many have done worthily to promote endeavours to obtain assurance.

Sirs, what say you to these things? is not assurance of interest in covenant mercies worth labouring for? can you let these things lie without making your title clear? doth not the new creature breathe after it? doth not a rational soul desire it? do not all wicked men catch at a certainty, and frame to themselves some kind of certainty? do not worldlings take care to secure their money, goods, and estates? shall they re

quire bonds, seals, oaths, and sureties, and yet account all this too little, and shall we account any thing too much to secure these precious mercies without which we are undone for ever? Oh let nothing hinder your endeavours this way; let no objections make you delay or be discouraged; let not Satan deter you, or the world's conceits make you slight it as unattainable, nor a slothful unbelieving heart obstruct your diligence in this great and weighty case. Who of you would live at such uncertainties as the most do? who would have his life to hang in doubt on a mere conjecture? especially when it depends on this important case of conscience, whether the soul must live in heaven or hell? but most of all, consider that our very lives are so uncertain that the next moment we may step into eternity. The God of heaven awake the saints of God who have indeed an interest in these mercies, to use all means to know they have an interest therein, that, as the apostle expresses himself, 1 John iii. 19, "they may know they are of the truth, and assure their hearts before him."

Thirdly,-In what cases may a believer make use of, or improve these sure mercies of David?

In answer to this, I shall propose these seven cases wherein a gracious soul may and must have recourse to these covenant mercies.

1. In case of unsettling suggestions leading to atheism or unbelief. When reason begins to dispute the being of God, or the truth of the Scriptures, and shakes our confidence, or strikes at the foundation, then study and improve these sure undoubted mercies, and lean upon divine authority; if God speak it, the thing is out of doubt, his ipse dixit is beyond all demonstrations. Divines make distinctions relative to maxims in divinity, some of which are partly divine, others are solely