Page:Faith's plea upon God's word.pdf/21

( 21 ) But I want aſſurance of all theſe things, may one ſay, Well, what mean you by that, man, woman, that you want aſſurance ? I ſuppoſe many do not underſtand themſelves, when they ſay they want aſſurance ; for, what better aſſurance would you have than the word ? If you have his word, you need no better aſſurance. If a man of credit give you his word, you can depend upon it, and ſay you are aſſured of it. There is an aſſurance, of ſenſe, that is the aſſurance of the work, when you have got the thing that is promiſed ; this is not properly aſſurance, it is enjoyment ; but the aſſurance of faith is the aſſurance of a word. And though the aſſurance of ſenſe be ſweeteſt, yet the aſſurance of faith is the ſureſt aſſurance ; for, what you get in hand from God, you may ſoon loſe the benefit and comfort of it ; but what you have upon hand in the promiſe, is ſtill to the fore. If you take God's promiſe, you have the beſt aſſurance in the world ; but if you ſay you want faith, you cannot take his word, or truſt his word, then this is plain dealing : I fear this, indeed, be the caſe of the moſt ; then you want