I am aware that some Christians, who enjoy very comfortable evidences of being the adopted children of God, are not willing to profess that they have arrived at full assurance. They suppose that they who have attained to this high privilege are in a state of uninterrupted joy, and that no shadow of doubt ever passes over their minds. The truth is, they do possess a solid assurance, although their frames of mind are not always equally comfortable, and although the evidence is not so great that it cannot be increased.

Don't mix too much foundation and building work together. Our foundation in dealing with God is Christ alone, mere grace and pardon in him. Our building is in and by holiness and obedience, as the fruits of that faith by which we have received the atonement. And great mistakes there are in this matter, which bring great entanglements on the souls of men. Some are all their days laying of the foundation, and are never able to build upon it unto any comfort to themselves or usefulness unto others; and the reason is, because they will be mixing with the foundation stones that are fit only for the following building.

THE first discovery of forgiveness in God (and which I place as the first evidence of it) was made in his dealing with our first parents after their shameful sin and fall. Now, to make it appear that this is an evidence that carries along with it a great conviction, and is such as faith may securely rest upon and close withal, the ensuing observations are to be considered:— 1. The first sin in the world was, on many accounts, the greatest sin that ever was in the world.

The word of promise doth not only express God's nature as that wherein he proposeth himself unto the contemplation of faith, but it also declares his will and purpose of acting towards the soul suitably unto his own goodness and grace: for promises are the declarations of God's purpose and will to act towards believers in Christ Jesus according to the infinite goodness of his own nature; and this is done in great variety, according to the various conditions and wants of them that believe.

And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above. There are many that God hates to whom He is willing to give plenty of earthly things to.

Death, when viewed merely by the light of nature, is truly an appalling event! It is commonly preceded by disease, or the decrepitude of old age. The separation between the soul and body is usually accompanied with a convulsive struggle, and the appearance of extreme agony; so that "the pangs of death", and "the agonies of death", are familiar phrases among all people.

There may be a jealousy in a gracious heart concerning the love of Christ, which is acceptable unto him, at least which he is tender towards, that may be mistaken for this questioning of the promises by unbelief, and so help to keep the soul in darkness and disconsolation. This the spouse expresses in herself: Cant. 8:6, "Love is strong as death; jealousy is hard as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame."