Page images
PDF
EPUB
[merged small][ocr errors]

and an apostle of Jesus Christ, who was ished for three things: his great temptaand surprising recoveries.

were great, and he was ensnared by them. d corruptions, aided by satanical iufluence, the station of a reprover of our Lord. No astonishing office but Peter. Our Saviour et go up to Jerusalem, and suffer many and e; the petulence and self-conceit of this fort out in the following arrogance : "Let these o you ;" and as if he had the command of heaproceeds to affirm, "These things shall not be is brought upon him a severe rebuke; a rebuke ever received its equal. "Get thee behind me an offence unto me." As if he had said, thou 2 rear of all my disciples, thou art an offence t from me. This, one would think, should e insolence of this man. Yet soon after he ong boastings, implicitly declaring himself er disciples in firmness, faith and love. "If 1, yet will not I."

oss was his fall? In the same night, in a ty brags, he denies his Lord, and swears knew not the man." Thus lying and. g are vices often united in the same. ss iniquities, we find this man mak.. Mans at Antioch. He was afraid lest

ames, would report at Jerusalem, A mean love to his reputation to form a truckling separation which St. Paul withstood him to.

[graphic]

SERMON XXXVIII.

ASSURANCE OF GRACE ESTABLISHED.

II. PETER -I. 10.

Wherefore the rather brethren, give all diligence to make your. calling and election sure.

ASSURANCE of grace is one of the benefits flowing from conversion, faith and love. A comfortable reflection arising from scriptural evidence, that we are in favour with God, and interested in the merits of Christ Jesus, can only be expressed by an eternity of praise and gratitude. However great and super-eminent this blessing may be, glory to God, we find it a priviledge christians may obtain in this life. The complacential love of God, is the highest pleasure and satisfaction man or angel can enjoy, and a prevailing hope of this is the chief happiness on earth. Hence we have this pathetic exhortation in our text, to make this acquisition, "Give all diligence to make your calling and "election sure." This is here stated before us, as an object of most careful attention and sedulous pursuit. This text at once affirms the possibility of the attainment of assurance, and our duty to make the acquisition.

It may be proper here to make a few introductory observations upon the character inspired to administer this counsel. It was

Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, who was remarkable and distinguished for three things: his great temptations, his gross falls, and surprising recoveries.

His temptations were great, and he was ensnared by them. His pride, vanity and corruptions, aided by satanical influence, moved him to assume the station of a reprover of our Lord. No saint ever dared the astonishing office but Peter. Our Saviour had declared, he must go up to Jerusalem, and suffer many and dreadful things there; the petulence and self-conceit of this forward disciple, burst out in the following arrogance: "Let these "things be far from you ;" and as if he had the command of heaven and earth, he proceeds to affirm, "These things shall not be "unto thee." This brought upon him a severe rebuke; a rebuke that no christian ever received its equal. "Get thee behind me "Satan, thou art an offence unto me." As if he had said, thou art a devil, take the rear of all my disciples, thou art an offence to mine eyes, depart from me. This, one would think, should have forever cured the insolence of this man. Yet soon after he comes forward in strong boastings, implicitly declaring himself superior to all the other disciples in firmness, faith and love. "If all should forsake you, yet will not I."

Yet how great and gross was his fall? In the same night, in a few hours, after these mighty brags, he denies his Lord, and swears to the falsehood," that he knew, not the man." Thus lying and profane cursing and swearing are vices often united in the same. person. After all these gross iniquities, we find this man making divisions among the christians at Antioch. He was afraid lest certain Jews who came with James, would report at Jerusalem, that he eat with the Gentiles. A mean love to his reputation among the Jews, tempted him to form a truckling separation from the Gentile converts, for which St. Paul withstood him to. the face, because he was to blame..

His surprising recovery from these abominable falls, serves t

show us the power of divine grace, and the efficacy of the inter cession of Christ Jesus. He prayed for Peter that his faith might not fail. And this was effectual for his recovery from these backsliding enormities.

Moreover, Peter had great experience of sorrow and genuine repentance, so that he was hereby fitted in a special manner to encourage weak christians, and preach the doctrine of pressing after assurance. He had received this in commandment from his master, "That when he should be converted," that is recovered from his falls, "he should strengthen his brethren."

They are cha

They had ob

The persons to whom the Apostle gives this exhortation, were not graceless or unconverted sinners, but they were such who were in favour with God and united to Christ. racterized thus in the verses preceding our text. tained "like precious faith, had a saving knowledge; they had a "divine power in all things pertaining to life and godliness; they "had exceeding great and precious promises, were partakers of "a divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the "world through lust." From all these considerations, he deduces this conclusion, "Wherefore the rather brethren, give all dili"gence to make your calling and election sure." He addresses them by the tender appellation of brethren, because many of them, being Jews, were his brethren according to the flesh, and all of them were brethren in the common salvation as children of the same heavenly Father, and heirs of the same inheritance :"Give all diligence," that is, be earnest, sincere, sedulous, faithful and persevering to accomplish this important purpose. By the word calling, here is meant effectual calling, or conversion, grace and sanctification. By election is intended the chosen and favourites of God. These things we are to make sure. We are to endeavour after scriptural evidences of grace in our souls, and this is the only way in which we can obtain the comfortable hope that we are the elect of God.

Various observations from these words might be usefully considered, but the single one to which your attention is invited at present, is this,

That assurance of grace, or a satisfying and comfortable hope that we are in peace and friendship with God, united to Christ Jesus by faith, and interested in the promises of eternal life, is attainable by christians in this world.

All the measure of time that a pulpit discoure will admit, can be nothing more than

First, To make a few remarks for the explanation of the doctrine of assurance; and

Secondly, Produce some of the arguments in favour of its

confirmation.

First, We are to make some remarks explanatory, and illustrative of this doctrine.

The First remark is, That a gospel assurance cannot be acquired. by any Christless or unconverted sinner, while continuing such. Graceless persons may arrive at strange things in religion. This has been the case of wild enthusiasts in modern, and pharisees in ancient times. All these have enjoyed the highest assurance, but by our Lord's doctrine, were farther from the kingdom of heaven than harlots and sinners. To have a persuasion of being the the distinguished favourites of heaven without any foundation, is the worst state in the world. View his account of the Pharisees, stony ground hearers, Laodicean church, &c. they had assurance, but it was all delusion. All impulses, fancies, and unscriptural persuasions will only usher their unhappy possessors into ruin. A gospel assurance always arises from reason, light and evidence. No person can receive comfort, hope and satisfaction, only from proper evidence. As far as his pleasures deviate from this, they are unfounded. It is impossible, in the nature of things, for any person to believe any matter or fact farther than he has just evi

« PreviousContinue »