A body of divinity by Thomas Watson (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Read '6. Assurance' and '7. Peace'.
Firstly, a fruit of sanctification is the assurance of God's love. Watson explores this by answering the following questions:
(i) Have all sanctified persons assurance?;
(ii) What is assurance?;
(iii) Has a sanctified soul such an assurance as excludes all doubting?;
(iv) What are the differences between true assurance and presumption?
(v) What may excite us to look after assurance?;
(vi) What shall they do who have not assurance?;
(vii) How may deserted souls be comforted who are cast down for want of assurance?;
(viii) What shall we do to get assurance?;
(ix) How should they conduct themselves who have assurance?
Then we are taught that another fruit of sanctification is peace. Watson answers the following:
(i) What are the several species or kinds of Peace?;
(ii) Whence comes this Peace?;
(iii) Whether such as are destitute of grace may have peace?;
(iv) What are the signs of a false peace?;
(v) How shall we know that ours is a true peace?;
(vi) Have all sanctified persons this peace?;
(vii) What shall we do to attain this blessed peace?
I appreciated the encouragement not to squander my assurance: 'If you have assurance of your justification, do not abuse it. It is abusing assurance when we grow more remiss in duty; as the musician, having money thrown him, leaves off playing. By remissness, or intermitting the exercises of religion, we grieve the Spirit, and that is the way to have an embargo laid upon our spiritual comforts. We abuse assurance when we grow presumptuous and less fearful of sin. What! because a father gives his son an assurance of his love, and tells him he will entail his land upon him, shall the son be wanton and dissolute? This were the way to lose his father’s affection, and make him cut off the entail. It was an aggravation of Solomon’s sin that his heart was turned away from the Lord, after he had appeared to him twice. I Kings 11:9. It is bad to sin when one wants assurance, but it is worse to sin when one has it. Has the Lord sealed his love with a kiss? Has he left a pledge of heaven in your hand, and do you thus requite the Lord? Will you sin with manna in your mouth? Does God give you the sweet clusters of assurance to feed on, and will you return him wild grapes? It much pleases Satan, either to see us want assurance, or abuse it. We abuse assurance when the pulse of our souls beats faster in sin, and slower in duty.'
Make the most of your assurance by allowing it to spur you on to love and good deeds.
Next week's reading
Read '8. Joy', '9. Growth in grace' and '10. Perseverance'.
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.
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