Heaven on earth by Thomas Brooks (Available from Amazon or free here) - Commence Chapter 2 by reading up to the paragraph beginning 'II There is a second special season or time wherein the Lord is pleased to give to his children a sweet assurance of his favour and love, and that is, when he intends to put them upon some high and hard, some difficult and dangerous service.'
Today we begin Chapter 2 which contains 'several weighty propositions concerning assurance' including:
(i) that God denies assurance for a time to his dearest and choicest ones;
(ii) that the Scripture hath many sweet significant words to express that well-grounded assurance by, which believers may attain to this life;
(iii) that a man have true grace, that hath no assurance of the love and favour of God, or of the remission of his sins and salvation of his soul;
(iv) that God may deny assurance long, and yet give it in to his children at last, after patient waiting;
(v) that those choice souls that have assurance may lose it, they may forfeit it;
(vi) that the certainty and infallibility of a Christian assurance cannot be made known to any but his own heart;
(vii) that there are some special seasons and times, wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to give to his children a sweet assurance of his favour and love.
Hard truths to hear today that God holds back assurance from his children. But there were encouragements to rejoice in the assurance that you do have: 'There is gold in the mine, and men might find it, if they would but dig and search diligently after it. There is grace in the heart, and you might see it, if you would but take the candle of the Lord, and look narrowly after it. Look, as many a man upon a diligent search may find his temporal estate to be better than he apprehends it, so many choice souls upon a diligent search may find their spiritual estate to be far better than they conceived or judged it to be. Therefore souls, cease from complaining, cease from rash judging and dooming of yourselves to hell, and be diligent in inquiring what the Lord hath done, and what the Lord is a-doing, in you and for you. Compare the books together, compare his working upon you and others together. What ! is there no light, no love, no longings, no hungerings, no thirstings after God ? What ! is there no sighing, no complaining, no mourning, under the sense of sin, and under the want of divine favour? Surely if you search, you will find some of these things ; and if you do, prize them as jewels hat are more worth than a world. God will not despise "the day of small things," and will you ? Will you, dare you, say that that is little that is more worth than heaven ? The least spark of grace shall at last be turned into a crown of glory. Well ! remember this, that as the least grace, if true and sincere, is sufficient to salvation, so the sense of the least grace should be sufficient to your consolation.'
I love that. The smallest spark of grace will be your glory!
Next week's reading
Conclude Chapter 2.
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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