2 PET. 1. 10.
YOu have heard of the possibility, yea, and necessary duty, to endeavor after the certainty of our Calling and Election; as also, what are those means, in the diligent exercise whereof, we may expect this priviledge: And for the clearer apprehension of this, I shall Answer one or two Objections, by the discussion whereof, the truth will be more illustrious, as the file getteth off the rust: For whereas there were two things in the Doctrine, The possibility and duty of this holy certainty, we may first question the possibility of it, and then the duty. Now in these things I shall be brief, because the matter hath been formerly more largely handled: That therefore certainty is not possible; among other Objections, I shall pitch upon one that is most practical, and that which doth most usually obstruct assurance in the godly; and that is,
The Hypocrisie and the deceitfulness of the heart.
For thus commonly the Christian that is tender about his condition towards God Objecteth:
I know the promises are true and good, it is without all question, He that believeth and repenteth, he shall be saved; he that is born of God, and effectually1 called, he may conclude, I am my Beloveds, and my Beloved is mine; but whether I do so or no, there is my perplexity: The heart is full of guile, and we read of Ahabs humiliation, of the foolish Virgins, of the stony and thorny ground, such who had some affections and delight in holy things, some sorrow and humiliation about sin; yet for all that, their own hearts deceived them, their gold proved dross, they took Iohn Baptist for Christ, some imperfect dispositions, for the compleat and effectual workings of grace; and why may not I delude my self? and the rather, because every one is apt to flatter himself: We see all people, that are indeed far enough from the Kingdom of heaven, between whom and godliness there is a great gulf; yet peremptorily conclude, All is well with them: So true is that of Solomon, Every mans way is pure in his own eyes; but then that which followeth should make all tremble, But God pondereth the heart, Prov. 21. 2.
Answ. This is very specious, and so far this Objection hath strength, that no man should easily and speedily perswade himself that all is well with him: That those duties of searching and trying the heart, and communing with our own selves privately, are again and again to be practised by us; but yet the Doctrine of the hypocrisie and desperate guile of the heart overthroweth not this Scripture-certainty. And before I give you the reason of that, I shall set down some arguments briefly, out of Scripture and Reason, that prove the possibility, and then answer that; for let it once be manifested by Scripture, that such a thing may be, then we are not to regard a thousand Objections that may be made to the contrary.
Now the grounds for the possibility of it, may be taken from these general2 heads:
First, The Scripture requiring this of us: God would not put us upon such a search, if to finde had been impossible; for besides this Text, which seems to speak this truth in the Sun beams, Give all diligence to make your calling sure; if certainty hereof had been impossible, might not any one stand up and say, This is to command one to give all diligence for that which cannot be? I may be as well required to touch the heavens with my hands, or to remove the earth from its center? Besides this (I say) I shal name you one impregnable place, which hath stood like a rock, that all the Popish Engins have not been able to stir, 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves, &c. where you have the duty required, To examine, to prove our selves, as the Artificer doth his mettal, to see whether it be counterfeit or true, so the Greek word signifieth; and thus they are to do to themselves: And he ingeminates the duty, to shew his earnestness and affection therein. 2. There is the object matter of this duty, Whether ye be in the faith, whether Christ be in ye; that is, whether ye be effectually called or no; and he brings a reason from an absurdity, If you do not know Christ is in you, ye are reprobates: As we use the English word, it may seem harsh, but the Greek word is no more then unskilful in minde, not able to discern: So that reprobate is not here taken for one that is not elected, but for one that is foolish, weak, unskilful, as the Scripture speaks of reprobate silver: see more of this in the first Sermon. So that you see the Apostle makes it an ignorant and weak unskilfulness in the ways of God, and in the work of grace, when we are not able thus to discern our selves. So then, let this Text put it out of all question; for when the Apostle commanded the Corinthians to make this proof and examination, had the thing been impossible to be found out: It would have been as absurd, as for a Physitian to come to a diseased person, and tell him, he cannot be cured, unless he eat of a Phenix, or use the Philosophers stone, which haply can never be found out.