You have tuned in to the voice of the narrated Puritan. This is a class on Christian experience and assurance. This morning we're going to talk about the desire for a more full and complete assurance of salvation. In John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, it says, Then I saw in my dream that Christian asked him further if he could not help him off with this burden that was upon his back. For as yet he had not got rid of it. Nor could he by any means get it off without help. He told him, as to your burden, be content to bear it until you come to the place of deliverance, for there it will fall off the back by itself. Now I saw in my dream that the highway up which Christian was to go was fenced on either side with a wall. and that wall was called Salvation. Up this way therefore did Bertrand Christian run, but not without great difficulty because of the load that was on his back. He ran thus till he came to a place somewhat ascending, and upon that place stood a cross, and a little below in the bottom a sepulcher. So I saw in my dream that just as Christian came up with the cross his burden loose from off of his shoulders and fell from off of his back. And it began to tumble, and so continued to do till it came to the mouth of the sepulcher where it fell in, and I saw it no more." Westminster, Larger Catechism, Question 81. Are all true believers at all times assured of their present being in a state of grace, and that they shall be saved? Answer. Assurance of grace and salvation not being of the essence of faith True believers may wait long before they obtain it, and after the enjoyment of it may have it weakened and intermitted through manifold distemper, sins, temptations, and desertions. Yet are they never left without such a presence and support of the Spirit of God as keeps them from sinking into utter despair. Now, though this full assurance is earnestly desired and highly prized, as Thomas Brooks in his book called Heaven on Earth, a serious discourse touching a well-grounded assurance. Now, though this full assurance is earnestly desired and highly prized, and the lack of it much lamented, and the enjoyment of it much endeavored after by all saints, yet, It is only obtained by a few. Assurance is a mercy too good for most men's hearts. It is a crown too weighty for most men's heads. Assurance is optimum, maximum, the best and the greatest mercy, and therefore God will only give it to his best and dearest friends. It is one mercy for God to love the soul, and another mercy for God to assure the soul of His love. Professor David Engelsma, Protestant Reformed Theological Seminarian, Grand Rapids, Michigan, takes a great issue with that statement of Thomas Brooks, and not only with that statement, but with Dr. Beeky's quest for a full assurance. Joel Beeky's book is called A Quest for Full Assurance. Engelsman's book is called The Gift of Full Assurance. And he says, quote, speaking to Thomas Brick, such misleading and spiritually damaging statements as this are nothing but a scriptural hogwash, end quote. And yet he wrote, Only in the way of a holy life can and do believers enjoy the assurance that they are the children of God. The Spirit witnesses with the Spirit of the Believer as the Believer obeys God's commandments and only as he obeys God's commandments. The Believer has assurance as he walks in holiness of life and only as he walks in holiness of life. Holiness is a confirming evidence of salvation to the Believer as good works are an evidence of justification." What I want to establish is Jonathan Edwards John Owen, Thomas Brooks, and others are saying much the same thing. The book is called David J. Engelsma, The Gift of Assurance, The Spirit of Christ and Assurance of Salvation, Protestant Reformed Theological Journal. It was published in April 2009. Volume 42, number 2, Wyoming, Michigan, Protestant Reformed Theological Seminary. To show further his inconsistency, he wrote on the Heidelberg Catechism Question 21, What is true faith? Engelsma says, Faith is assurance of personal salvation. Faith is assurance that one who from the heart believes the gospel is saved now, has been saved from eternity in the decree of election, and will be preserved unto everlasting salvation. He defines faith itself as absolute certainty of a personal salvation, the only kind of certainty that is certain. A certainty that is not absolutely certain is, he says, in fact uncertainty, that is doubt. Such certainty is worthless. Assurance belongs to the essence or very nature of faith. Assurance is what faith is. That assurance belongs to faith's nature is a fundamental truth about assurance. Where this is preached is an important aspect of the gospel. The congregation will be blessed with assurance, young and old, weak and strong. When preachers deny that faith is assurance, Congregations will be full of doubters, doubters who profess to believe the gospel. Many who profess to believe the gospel will live and die in the terror that they may be lost and damned. This is both a dreadful condition and an insult to the gospel." Well, this is what we call a caricature of what the Puritans taught, of what Question 81 says on the Westminster Larger Catechism. but not just the larger catechism. Chapter 18 of the London Baptist Confession of Faith says the same. But from J.C. Ryle's book on holiness, on assurance of salvation, quote, a believer may never arrive at this assured hope, and yet he may be saved. I would not desire to make one contrite heart sad that God has not made sad. or to discourage one fainting child of God, or to leave the impression that men have no part or lot in Christ, unless they feel assurance. A person may have saving faith in Christ and yet never enjoy an assured hope such as the Apostle Paul enjoyed. To believe and have a glimmering hope of acceptance is one thing. To have joy and peace in our believing and abound in hope is quite another. All God's children have faith, but not all have assurance. I think this ought never to be forgotten. I know some great and good men have held a different opinion. I believe that many excellent pastors of the gospel at whose feet I would gladly sit do not allow the distinction I have stated. But I desire to call no man master. I dread as much as anyone the idea of healing the wounds of the conscience slightly. But I would think. any other view than what I have given to be a most uncomfortable gospel to preach, and one very likely to keep souls back a long time from the gate of life. I do not shrink from saying that by grace a man may have sufficient faith to flee to Christ, sufficient faith really to lay hold on Him, really to trust in Him, really to be a child of God, and really to be saved, and yet to his last day be never free from much anxiety, doubt, and fear." In other words, you're a pastor. Somebody comes to you with an introverted temperament, and he struggles to have a full assurance of faith. So what do you tell him? Seems to me that if you're giving him the counsel of Dr. David Engelsma, you would tell him, well, you're not converted because you don't have assurance of salvation. Because I deal with these subjects, I get email from some of the listeners who are struggling here. I got this letter. It's been about a year and a half since I realized that I was truly lost. That my profession was false. It all started as terrifying and hopeless thinking I committed the unpardonable sin because of my ignorance and the devil's temptations and wiles. I struggled for a while until listening to a sermon that helped me see that I didn't commit that sin. It has been a long and what seems to be hopeless time. But with so much hope cast into my heart from the Lord, I have to believe it has been from Him. And some of the times where I seem to have been only declining spiritually and laboring in unbelief, I have been sent books or a testimony or a word as if to keep me going. My background is the Assemblies of God Church, so I grew a belief in my thoughts and feelings, or rather experiences, were a good place of authority and based a lot of my judgment or confidence on those things. But I've learned slowly over the past year and a half that I must go to God's Word alone for help. I've learned my sinfulness, so now it seems that my sense and feelings are all gone. There were times that I was constantly struggling with a sin in my heart and having no strength to fight. It seemed helpless. I remember reading a book Desiring God by John Piper and this is the beginning of me realizing my enmity to God and who He is. Seeing that God lives to glorify himself in all that he does, my heart seemed to be so dissatisfied. And I felt this, and it scared me. It became constant, and questions on God's character and hate to it was in all of my reading of its word. And I couldn't seem to stop and remember just saying, if I'm this bad, all I can do is fall on my knees. And not long after that, I read John 6, verse 37. And to me, this is a gift for God to my soul. Then I read John Bunyan's story, or I listened to it. And it was, I believe, God showing me that his dealings with him are not different than myself. And then some months after, I listened to the Bruce Reed, and in my darkness, I am blessed to have found this book that has helped me apply the truth at time to Jesus as gentle and unwilling to cast even the heart in the way. I remember a time. When I was reading Psalm 119, I had read it before but never were my eyes open to see the world for a time as I did then. I saw how all things were made to glorify God and the beauty of it all. The Lord had been showing me in His Word more so in the book of John. who was, and then other places, how his free mercy was to all who ever came to him. I saw for the first time that no one ever did one thing to be saved, that they just simply trusted him. But how to do that? I did not know. When I prayed him, or rather called on him, my heart or the devil, or I don't know what, came in and said, you're trusting in your faith, or trusting in your praying for salvation, so it won't work. My greatest fear, and it seems I don't fear as I should, is that I do not feel a sense of sin as I used to. I don't know how to do good, and if I do it, it seems to be legalistic and far from a grateful heart, even after so much mercy. So he's saying he doesn't feel like he's doing these things out of evangelical motives, but out of a spirit of bondage and fear. But I go on. I feel hardened and I'm afraid of deceiving myself. I'm constantly thinking that I'm trying to get to Jesus and that he won't accept me for trying to do something when faith is the opposite of trying. At times my mind is so exhausted from exerting itself and is trying to convince myself that I don't know what is left or right. I feel like I'm growing harder and can't seem to pray as I should, but I don't know if I should be praying as I have been Because I don't know if I'm his and to pray for help from God who may be your enemy is confusing or rather discouraging. But I pray. I have to. All I can do is run to the one who says he won't cast me away. I feel from recent conversation that I may be misapplying some truth to myself and it could be dangerous. I don't know where I am. and don't know if I'm his or not, deceiving myself is my greatest fear because I see how I do not love him or anyone else but myself. And if I were to walk in grace, I don't know where to begin. Please pray for me." John Owen, an exposition of Psalm 130 on the forgiveness of sin. This discovery of the forgiveness of sin in God is great, holy, and mysterious, and which very few on gospel grounds attain to. But why, first, the constant voice of conscience lies against it? Conscience, if it's not seared, inexorably condemns and pronounces wrath and anger upon the soul that has the least guilt clinging to it. Now it has this advantage, it lies very close to the soul, and by importunity and loud speaking it will be heard in what it has to say. It will make the whole soul attend, or it will speak like thunder, and its constant voice is that where there is guilt, there must be judgment. Romans 2 verses 14 and 15. Conscience naturally, or by nature, knows nothing of forgiveness of sin. Yea, it is against conscience's very trustwork and office to hear anything of it. Conscience says, What, tell me? Of forgiveness? I know what my commission is, and that I will abide by. You shall not bring in a superior commander. a cross-principle into my trust. For if this be so, it seems I must let go my throne. Another lord must come in, not knowing as yet how this whole business is compounded in the blood of Christ. Now whom should a man believe, if not his own conscience, which, as it will not flatter him, so it intends not to affright him, but to speak the truth as a mantor requires? Conscience has two works in reference to sin. One, to condemn the acts of sin. Another, to judge a person of the sin, or both, with reference to the judgment of God. It is, then, no easy thing to make a discovery of forgiveness to a soul when the work and employment which conscience, upon unquestionable grounds, challenges to itself, lies in opposition to it. Hence a soul's great desire to establish its own righteousness whereby its natural principles may be preserved in their power. Let self-righteousness be enthroned, and natural conscience desires no more. It is satisfied and pacified. The moral law it knows, and righteousness, or self-righteousness it knows, but as for forgiveness it says, what is this? to the utmost, until Christ perfects his conquest. There on this account secret strugglings in the heart against free pardon in the gospel, and fluctuations of mind and spirit about it. Yea, hence are the doubts and fears of believers themselves. They are nothing but the strivings of conscience to keep its whole dominion, to condemn the sinner as well as the sin. More or less, it keeps up its pretensions against the gospel while we live in this world. It is a great work that the blood of Christ has to do upon the conscience of a sinner. For whereas, as it has been declared, it has a power and claims a right to condemn both sin and the sinner, one part of this, its power, is to be cleared, strengthened, made more active, vigorous, and watchful, the other to be taken quite away. It shall now see more sins informally. more of the vileness of all sins informally, and condemn them with more abhorrence than ever, upon more and more glorious accounts informally. But it is also made to see an interposition between these sins and the person of the sinner who has committed them, which is no small or ordinary work. 2. Why Christians do not have a full assurance John Owen is talking about here. The moral law is contrary to it. It is certain that the law knows neither mercy nor forgiveness in the sinner. The very sanction of it lies wholly against them. The soul that sinneth, it shall die is its voice. Curses he that continues not in all things in the book of the law to do them. Deuteronomy 27 verse 26 Galatians 3 verse 10. Hence the apostle pronounces universally without exception that they who are under the law are under the curse. Galatians 3 10 and he says in verse 12 the law is not a faith. There is an inconsistency between the law and believing they cannot have their abode and power together. Do this and live is its voice. Fail this and die is the constant immutable voice of the law. This it speaks in general to all and this in particular to everyone." Following is taken from the diary of Jonathan Edwards, December 8th, this day made the 35th resolution. The reason why I in the least question my interest in God's love and favor is, number one, because I cannot speak so fully to my experience of that preparatory work of which theologians speak, and number two, I do not remember that I experienced regeneration exactly in those steps in which theologians say it is generally wrought. And number three, I do not feel the Christian graces sensibly enough, particularly faith. I fear there are only such hypocritical outside affections which wicked men may feel as well as others. They do not seem to be sufficiently inward, full, sincere, and entire, and hearty. They do not seem so substantial and so wrought into my very nature as I could wish. And fourthly, because I am sometimes guilty of sins of omission and commission, lately I've doubted whether I do not transgress in evil speaking. This day, resolved, no." From the diary of Ruth Bryan. I am at this time in a state of much anxiety about my immortal interests. I have begun to read William Romaine's Life of Faith. I feel much interested in it, and see more of the nature of faith than before. But I find myself lamentably deficient, and think my lack of this precious faith and the dear Redeemer is the cause of my overwhelming distress. Oh, that I could view him as my law-fulfiller. Holy Spirit, be pleased to open my eyes, to see clearly the finished work he has wrought out. Be pleased to grant me a sweet view of Jesus as the Savior who is able and willing to save all who come to him, and enable me to come, to be ever coming in the midst of all of my darkness. Oh, grant me faith, strong faith." John Newton wrote this poem, and it's so applicable here. It is called, Lovest Thou Me? The poem goes like this, Tis a point, I long to know, Oft to cause this anxious thought, Do I love the Lord or no? Am I his or am I not? If I love, Why am I thus? Why this stalled and lifeless frame? Hardly sure can they be worse, Who have never heard his name. Could my heart so hard remain Prayer a task and burden prove? Every trifle give me pain, If I knew a Saviour's love. When I turn my eyes within, All is dark, and vain, and wild, filled with unbelief and sin. Can I deem myself a child if I pray, or hear, or read? Sin is mixed with all I do. You that love the Lord indeed, tell me, is it thus with you? Yet I mourn my stubborn will, find my sin of grief and thrall. Should I grieve for what I feel, if I did not love it all? Could I joy his sayings to me, choose the ways I once abhorred, find at times a promise sweet? If I did not love the Lord, Lord, decide the doubtful case. Thou who art thy people's son, shine upon thy work of grace, if it indeed be begun. Let me love thee more and more, if I love it all, I pray. If I have not loved before, help me to begin today. A book that I quote so often when teaching on Christian experience and assurance is Samuel Pike and Samuel Hayward's Cases of Conscience. In this case, it's very applicable here. Samuel Pike Question 10. Is it possible for a person to be regenerated or born again and yet for many years after, or fear he is not? If we consider the mental circumstances of the person regenerated, did there yet the remains of sin and unbelief abiding with him? and at the best are much clouded with ignorance as well as liable to the bewildering temptations of deceitful friends. We need not think it impossible for a regenerate person to be afraid that he never experienced that gracious work upon his mind. It is observable that some of Jehovah's most eminent saints have been left in that and their last distress to call in question the truth of their interest in Christ. and consequently their regeneration, that imminent saint and minister of Christ, a reverend Mr. Ralph Erskine, late of Dunfermline, of precious memory to the Church, whose sonnets and sermons will be dear to the saints while both exist on the earth. and notwithstanding some defects, such as the ten best human compositions, fully demonstrates his skill in the Spirit's work in regeneration and sanctification. Likewise, his doctrinal acquaintance with the person creates in righteousness of Christ. Add to this his imminent usefulness in the work of the ministration of the Word. When he came to a deathbed, was yet left in such deep desertion. Talking about Ralph Erskine, one of the Merrill men. But I go on. He was left in such deep desertion on his deathbed that all of his friends who attended honor visited him could not persuade him from the melancholy reflection that after he had preached to others he himself was become a castaway. And in the sad and mournful condition he continued till his friends thought him past speaking. Then, When they least expected it, he lifted up his withered hands and clapped them thrice, shouting, Victory! Victory! Victory! I also find another northern worthy, Samuel Rutherford, in his letters expressing his fears lest he was but half a Christian. A discovery of the secret abominations of the heart and our helplessness to deliver ourselves from such inbred vermin, for the most part, is what our fears do least spring from. Whereas if our eye were fixed on, thus saith the Lord in his word, Although we could never be joyful purely because these abominations dwell in our heart, yet we both could and would rejoice that the Lord had discovered them to us. It is a certain proof that God has been here when His light shines into our darkness, which only can manifest our darkness to us. It is His grace alone that can show to us the depravity of our nature. However great the attainments of a hypocrite may be, he can never be capable of mourning over his natural propensity to sin. Through the depravity of the whole man, and by the way, I apprehend, The regenerated person mourns more over this than all of its actual transgressions." Here's a book I came across when I was studying to teach on Pilgrim's Progress. This book is called A Deathbed Dialogue Between Robert Shira and a Mr. Lister. Being informed, the book says, that Mr. Lister was in the darkest to the state of his soul. I waited upon him, and I inquired how I was with his inner man. and what he had to say concerning the Lord's goodness. His reply was, nothing. I have nothing to say. I am a poor, stupid one. I asked him if in some period of his life he had not met with the deliverances from the Lord and found joy in his word. He answered, The stony ground hearers received the word with joy, and although he had met with deliverances, they were such as were common." I observed that it seemed to be a common deliverance, a common mercy. Jacob on his deathbed speaks of, the God which fed me all my life long to this day and the angel who redeemed me from all evil. Bless the last. Genesis 48, 15 and 16. Now, I pose your conscience with this and charge it to tell the truth before God who is omniscient. Do you love the saints? He answered, If my heart does not deceive me, I do love the saints. Then I said, That is a thing better than receiving the word with joy, than being enlightened, than tasting the heavenly gift and so on. It is a thing which accompanies salvation. God, will not damn the man who loves the saints. 1 John 3 verse 14. We proceeded next to observe that the self-emptiness I perceived about him was another evidence of the grace of God in him, which is always accompanied with self-abasement. Surely, says Agur, I am more British than any man and have not the understanding of a man. I neither learn wisdom nor have the knowledge of the holy. Proverbs 30 verse 2 and 3. He answered back to me. His self-emptiness was not of the right kind." Charles Spurgeon, in a sermon called A Lecture for Little Faith, quote, Little faith is always sure of heaven, for God has begun the good work in him, and he will carry it on. God does love him, and he will love him unto the end. God has provided a crown for him, and he will not allow the crown to hang there without a head. He has erected for him a mansion in heaven, and he will not allow the mansion to stand untenanted forever. A little faith is always safe, but he very seldom knows it. If you meet him, he is sometimes afraid of hell. very often afraid that the wrath of God abides on him. He will tell you that the country on the other side of the flood can never belong to a worm so base as he. Sometimes it is because he feels himself so unworthy. Another time it is because the things of God are too good to be true, he says, for he cannot think that they can be true to such a one as he is. Sometimes he's afraid he's not one of the elect. Another time he fears that he has not been called a right, and that he never came to Christ a right. Another time his fears are that he will not hold on to the end, and he shall not be able to persevere. And if he kill a thousand of his fears, he is sure to have another host by tomorrow. For unbelief is one of those things that you cannot destroy. It has, saith John Bunyan, as many lives as a cat. You may kill it over and over again, but still it lives. It is one of those ill weeds asleep in the soil. Even after it has been burned, it only needs a little encouragement to grow again." End quote. Back to the story of Robert Shearer and a Mr. Lister. Here Mr. Lister opened his mind more fully and told me that the Lord did begin to work in his soul about nine or ten years of age. That then his conscience was struck with the arrows of conviction. for the sins of his former years which made him tremble, and the remembrance of them still galled him. Indeed, he said, these convictions were a mean in the Lord's hands of keeping me from youthful follies at the college. But when he heard Krishna's talk of words coming with power for their relief, it did always sink his spirits, as he always has a little to say that way. I answered, You know that self-examination is an ordinance appointed by God for bringing persons to clearness as to the quality of the work on them. and from what is past he might perceive the work of God on his heart to be saving, and so a spring of comfort, so far as it evidence union to Christ, in whom all the seed of Israel shall be justified. But in regard to comfort arising from marks of conversion, they are very variable and fluctuating. It was both his duty and interest to have his eye fixed on an absolute promise, such as that I am the Lord your God, Exodus 20 verse 2. Or that, I even I am he that blots out your transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember your sins, Isaiah 43 verse 25. That the blood of Jesus shed for the remission of sins is brought near, in these are the like words, was never a filling and an overflowing source of consolation. All true Christians, as a godly theologian expresses it, when they come to die and to knock at heaven's gate, for entrance into their master's joy, do mine for otherwise a blood that bought the inheritance than anything that has wrought in them to make them fit for it, or than any pains they have been in in walking or running or race towards it." The greatest part of the believer's inherent righteousness in this world lies in his faith going out of himself to Christ for all. Going back to J.C. Ryle. Holiness. Assurance. But all this time, be it remembered, the poor believing soul may have no full assurance of his pardon and acceptance with God. He may be troubled, with fear upon fear, and doubt upon doubt. He may have many an inward question, and many an anxiety, many a struggle, and many a misgiving. Clouds and darkness, storm and tempest, to the very end. I will engage, I repeat, that bare simple faith in Christ shall save a man, though he may never attain to a full assurance of salvation. But I will not engage it shall bring him to heaven with strong and abounding consolations. I will engage it shall land him safe in the harbor, but I will not engage he shall enter that harbor in full sail, confident and rejoicing. I shall not be surprised if he reaches his desired haven weather-beaten. Tempest-tossed, scarcely realizing his own safety, Ellie opens his eyes in glory. I believe it is of great importance to keep in view this distinction between faith and assurance. It explains things which an inquirer in religion sometimes finds it hard to understand. Faith Let us remember it's a root. An assurance is a flower. Doubtless you can never have the flower without the root, but it is no less certain you may have the root and not the flower. Faith is that poor trembling woman that came behind Jesus in the press and touched the hem of his garment. Mark 5 verse 25. Assurance of Stephen standing calmly in the midst of his murderers and saying, I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God, Acts 7 verse 56. Faith is a penitent thief, crying, Lord, remember me, Luke 23 verse 42. Assurance is Job sitting in the dust covered with sores and saying, I know that my Redeemer lives. Robert Shura Mr. Lister In the end of the story, while discoursing thus, he, by his eager looks and elevated hands, testified his approval. Afterwards, he took a little food, and being inclined to rest, we withdrew. On our return, he felonly uttered these words, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God, to declare, I say at this time, His righteousness, that He might be just and a justifier of him that believes in Jesus." Romans 3, 25 and 26. And then he signified that last night, being his last Sabbath night on earth, he was constrained to cry out at the view he'd gotten of Christ as a propitiation for his sin. By the grace of God I look and will look to the blood of Christ as a propitiation for my sin, and I am sure I will never perish. And then he added, among all the redeemed company I shall be the greatest monument of free grace. I could not but observe to him that God, who is a revealer of secrets, had last night made that manner of sweet meditation to him, which he directed me to speak of in the forenoon. And I may, I must say, with Jeremiah, great is his faithfulness. His promises surely shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength. Isaiah 45 verse 25. God has made out that promise last night to you. Blessed be his name." End quote. Now, of his liberation. On Wednesday morning at about eight, I was called for and told that it had been an extraordinary night of God with Mr. Lister. and that he was desirous of seeing me. I went to him, and though he seized with a fit of coughing as I entered the room, yet he instantly stretched out his right hand and, taking hold of mine, said, Calm, O calm, and rejoice with me. I replied, I understand the salvation of God has come to this house in a very uncommon manner this night, and that I came on purpose to rejoice with him and help him to praise a precious Redeemer. After a short pause, Mr. Lister said, I've been a poor man all of my life, held under and bound by the cords of atheism and unbelief. Howbeit this night the Lord came and not only loosed my bonds, but sent a multitude of the heavenly hosts to carry my soul home to heaven. To which I replied, All praise to God and the Lamb. Thursday morning, a messenger came for me and told me if I did not make haste I would not see Mr. Lister again in this life. I hasted and found him revived. Sometimes he roved, but seemed to have a deep concern upon his heart about his congregation. I told him he would see several of them in heaven, and I named two of them to him. And one of his parishioners, being present, said he hoped he would see some seals of his ministry in heaven. After we prayed, I told him I was going to the country to examine, and hoped the Lord would be with us both. He said he hoped so, and added, I never had so much hope in God all my life as I have now. I then, touching on his shoulder, said, you are a piece of Christ's mystical body. Yes, yes, he said. I have a being, a new being in God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. On Friday I asked him how he did. He answered, not amiss. He rove much through this day, but in the midst of his rovings he still expressed a concern about his congregation as we learn from his pronouncing that word, namely, congregation as it addresses to the throne of grace. The last words which in their relation heard him utter were these, where I am. Dare shall also my servant be, John 12 verse 26, worthy, worthy, worthy. And then he fell asleep and had only worthy one to whom with the loving Father and blessed Spirit be all glory forever and ever. Amen. End quote. Let me close by quoting Archibald Alexander. Among some classes of religious people, all doubting about the goodness and safety of our state is scouted as inconsistent with faith. It is assumed, as intuitively true, that every Christian must be assured of his being in a state of grace, and they have no charity for those who are distressed with almost perpetual doubts and fears. This, they consider to be the essence of unbelief. For faith, according to them, is a full persuasion that our sins are forgiven. No painful process of self-examination is therefore requisite, for every believer has possession already of all that could be learned from such examination. But, among other groups, doubting is, to be feared, too much encouraged, and serious Christians are perplexed with needless scruples originating in the multiplication of the marks of conversion. which sometimes are very difficult to apply, and in other cases are not scriptural but arbitrary, set up by the preacher who values himself upon his skill in detecting the close hypocrite, whereas his wounds, the weak believer, in ten cases where the preacher awakens a hypocrite in one, I once heard one of these preachers, whose common mode was harsh and calculated to distress a feeble-minded, attempt to preach in a very different style. He seemed to remember that he should not bruise a broken reed, nor quench a smoking flax. A person of a contrite spirit heard the discourse with unusual comfort, but at the close of the sermon the preacher resumed his harsh tone and said, Now, you hypocrites will be snatching at the children's bread. On hearing which, the broken-hearted here felt himself addressed and instantly threw away all of the comfort which he had received. And though there might be a hundred hypocrites present, yet not one of them cared anything about the admonition. I recollect a sickly but pious lady who, with a profusion of tears, expressed her anxiety and fear in the view of her approaching end. There seemed to be ground for her foreboding apprehensions, because from the beginning of her profession she had enjoyed no comfortable assurance, but was of the number of those who, though they fear God and obey the voice of his servant, yet walk in darkness and have no light. Isaiah 50 verse 10. no light of comfort, but Mark, the goodness of God and the fidelity of the Grey Shepherd. Some months afterwards I saw this lady on her deathbed, and was astonished to find that Christ had delivered her entirely from her spirit of bondage. She was now near to her end, and she knew it. But she had shed no tears now but those of joy and gratitude. All her darkness and sorrow were gone. Her heart glowed with love to the Redeemer, and all her anxiety now was to depart and be with Jesus. There was as it were a beaming of heaven in her countenance. I'd before tried to comfort her, but now I sat down by her bedside to listen to the gracious words which proceeded from her mouth and could not but send up the fervent aspiration. let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like hers, number 3310. Then I knew that there was one who had conquered death, and him who has the power of death. for Satan to the last moment was not permitted to molest her." Thank you for tuning in to this class on Christian Experience and Assurance. The desire for a full assurance. This is the voice of the narrated Puritan.