Heaven Made Sure by Thomas Adams, 1583 to 1652. Thomas Adams was called the Shakespeare of the Puritan theologians for his brilliant and eloquent prose. His ministry helped shape the theology of a young John Bunyan. Here, Adams encourages us to seek and savor the sweet comfort of assurance of salvation. which whispers that his gracious presence is with us wherever we go, bringing the joys of heaven to warm our hearts and embolden us to march into any calamity, cheerfully singing of Christ's eternal love for us. That was the editor, Dr. Gerald Nick. Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. Psalm 35 verse three. The words contain a petition for a benediction. The supplicant is a king, and his humble suit is to the king of kings. The king of Israel prays to the king of heaven and earth. He doth beg two things. Number one, that God would save him. Number two, that God would certify him of it, so that the text may be distributed accordingly into salvation and the assurance of it. The assurance lies first in the words. and shall have the first place in my discourse wherein I conceive two things, the matter and the manner. The matter is assurance. The manner, how assured? Say unto my soul. Roman numeral one, from the matter or assurance, observe, letter A, that salvation may be made sure to a man David would never pray for that which could not be, nor would St. Peter charge us with a duty which stood not in possibility to be performed. 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 10. Make your election sure. And to stop the bawling throats of all cavilling adversaries, Paul directly proves it. 2 Corinthians chapter 13 verse 5. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? We may then know that Christ is in us. If Christ be in us, we are in Christ. If we be in Christ, we cannot be condemned. For, Romans chapter 8 verse 1, there is no damnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. Letter B. that the best saints have desired to make their salvation sure. David that knew it yet entreats to know it more. Psalm 41 verse 2. I know thou favorest me yet here still say unto my soul I am thy salvation. A man can never be too sure of his going to heaven. If we purchase an inheritance on earth we make it as sure and our tenure as strong as the brawn of the law or the brains of the lawyers can devise. We have conveyance and bonds and fines, no strength too much. And shall we not be more curious in the settling of our internal inheritance in heaven? Even the best certainty hath often in this thought itself weak. Here we find matter of consolation, of reprehension, of admonition, comfort to some, reproof to others, warning to all. Of consolation, even David desires better assurance to keep us from dejection. Behold, they often think themselves weakest that are the strongest. He calls himself the chiefest of sinners, 1st Timothy chapter 1 verse 15. That was not the least of saints. Indeed, sometimes a dear saint may want feeling of the spirit of comfort. Grace comes into the soul as the morning sun into the world. There is first a dawning, then a mean light, and at last the sun is in his excellent brightness In a Christian life, there is proficio, profectio, perfectio, a profession of the name of Christ wrought in our conversation, not the husk of religion, but the sap, a pure heart, a good conscience, and faith unfeigned. Next, there is a perfection or going forward in grace. working up our salvation in fear and trembling. Last, a perfection or full assurance that we are sealed up to the day of redemption. And yet, after this full assurance, there may be some fear. It is not the commendation of this eternity to be void of doubting. The wealthiest saints have suspected their poverty. and the richest in grace are yet poorest in spirit, as it is seen in rich misers. They possess much, yet esteem it little in respect of what they desire, for the fullness of riches cannot answer the insatiable affection. Whence it comes to pass that they have restless thoughts, and vexing cares for that they have not, not caring for that they have. So, many good men, rich in the graces of God's Spirit, are so desirous of more that they regard not what they enjoy, but what they desire, complaining often that they have no grace, no love, no life. This is the sweetest comfort that can come to a man in this life, even a heaven upon earth, to be ascertained of his salvation. There are many mysteries in the world which curious wits with perplexful studies strive to apprehend. But without this, he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow. Ecclesiastes chapter 1 verse 18. This one thing is only necessary. Whatsoever I leave unknown, let me know this, that I am the Lord's. He may without danger be ignorant of other things that truly knows Jesus Christ. There is no potion of misery so embittered with gall, but this can sweeten it with a comfortable relish. When enemies assault us, get us under, triumph over us, imagining that salvation itself cannot save us, what is our comfort? I know whom I have believed. I am sure the Lord will not forsake me. Thou wantest bread, and God is thy bread of life. We want a pillow, and God is our resting place. Psalm 32 verse 7. We may be without apparel, not without faith, without meat, not without Christ, without a house, never without the Lord. What state can there be wherein the stay of this heavenly assurance gives us not peace and joy? Are we clapped up in a dark and desolate dungeon? There the light of the sun cannot enter, the light of mercy not be kept out. What restrained body that hath the assurance of this eternal peace will not pity the darkness of the profane man's liberty, or rather the liberty of his darkness? No walls can keep out an infinite spirit. No darkness can be uncomfortable where the Father of Lights, James chapter 1 verse 17, and the Son of Righteousness, Malachi chapter 4 verse 2, shineth. The presence of glorious angels is much, but of the most glorious God is enough. Are we cast out in exile, our backs to our native home? All the world is our way. Whither can we go from God? Psalm 139 verse 7. Whither shall I go from thy face or whither shall I flee from thy presence? That exile would be strange that could separate us from God. I speak not of those poor and common comforts that in all lands and coasts it is his sun that shines, his elements of earth or water that bear us, his air we breathe, but of that special privilege, that His gracious presence is ever with us, that no sea is so broad as to divide us from His favor, that wheresoever we feed, He is our host. Wheresoever we rest, the wings of His blessed providence are stretched over us. Let my soul be sure of this, though the whole world be traitors to me. Doth the world despise us? we have sufficient recompense that God esteems us. How unworthy is that man of God's favor that cannot go away contented with it without the world's. Doth it hate us much? God hates it more. That it is not ever worthy which man honors, but that is ever base which God despises. Without question the world would be our friend If God were our enemy, the sweetness of both cannot be enjoyed. Let it content us that we have the best. Roman numeral two. This much for the matter of the assurance. Let us now come to the manna. Say unto my soul, say, but is God a man? Hath he a tongue? How doth David desire him to speak? That God who made the ear shall he not hear? He that made the eye shall he not see? He that made the tongue shall he not speak? He that sees without eyes and hears without ears and walks without feet and works without hands can speak without a tongue. God may be said to speak in many diverse ways. Letter A. God speaks by his scriptures. Romans chapter 15 verse 4. Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Scripta sunt. They are written. Things that go only by tale or tradition meet with such variations, augmentations, abbreviations, corruptions, false glosses, that as in a lawyer's pleading, truth is lost in the choir for her. Related things, we are long in getting, quick in forgetting, therefore God commanded his law should be written. Litra Scripta Mene. Thus God doth effectually speak to us. Many good wholesome instructions have dropped from human pens to lessen and direct man and goodness, but there is no promise given to any word to convert the soul but to God's word. Oh that we had hearts to bless God for his mercy. Scriptures are among us and not sealed up under an unknown tongue. The time was when a devout father was glad of a piece of the New Testament in English. When he took his little son into a corner and with the joy of his soul heard him read a chapter so that even children became fathers to their fathers and begat them to Christ. Now as if the commonness had abated the worth of Our Bibles lie dusty in the windows. It is all if a Sunday handling quit them from perpetual oblivion. Few can read. Fewer do read. And fewest of all read as they should. God of His infinite mercy lay not to our charge this neglect. Letter B. God speaks by His ministers. expounding and opening to us those scriptures. These are les gâtés et les latières, dispensers of the mysteries of heaven, ambassadors for Christ, as if God did beseech you through us, so we pray to you in Christ's stead that you would be reconciled to God, 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 verse 20. This voice is continually sounding in our churches, beating upon our ears. I would it could pierce our consciences and that our lives would echo to it in an answerable obedience. How great should be our thankfulness. God hath dealt with us as he did with Elijah 1st Kings chapter 19 verses 11 through 12. The Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains and break in pieces the rocks before the Lord. But the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, a fire. But the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, a still voice. and the Lord came with that voice. After the same manner hath God done to this land, in the time of King Henry VIII, there came a great and mighty wind that rent down churches, overthrew altrages, and appropriated from ministers their livings that made laymen substantial parsons and clergymen their vicar shadows. It blew away the rites of levy into the lap of Issachar. violent wind, but God was not in that wind. In the days of King Edward VI, there came a terrible earthquake, hideous vapors of treasons and conspiracies rumbling from Rome to shake the foundations of that church which had now left off loving the whore and turned Antichrists quite out of his saddle. Excommunications of Prince, people, execrations and curses in their tetrical forms with bell, book, and candle. Indulgences, bowls, pardons, promises of heaven to all traitors that would extirpate such a king and kingdom. A monstrous earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake. In the days of Queen Mary came the fire, an unmerciful fire, such a one as was never before kindled in England. and we trust in Jesus Christ never shall be again." It raged against all that professed the gospel of Christ, made bonfires of silly women for not understanding that their ineffable mystery of transubstantiation, burnt the mother with the child. Bonner and Gardner were those hellish bellows that set it on flaming. A raging and insatiable fire But God was not in that fire. In the days of Queen Elizabeth, of blessed memory came the still voice, saluting us with the songs of Sion and speaking the comfortable things of Jesus Christ. And God came with this voice. This sweet and blessed voice is still continued by our gracious Sovereign. God long preserve him with it and it with him. and us all with them both. To my soul, mine, I might here examine whose this mie is. Who is this owner of this my? A prophet, a king, a man after God's own heart that confessed himself the beloved of God, that knew the Lord would never forsake him. Holy, happy, David owns this, me I. He knows the Lord loves him, yet desires to know it more. Say to my soul. But let this teach us to make much of this my. Luther says there is great divinity in pronouns. The assurance that God will save some is a faith incident to devils. The very reprobates may believe that there is a book of election, but God never told them that their names were written there. The hungry beggar at the feasthouse gate smells good cheer, but the master does not say, this is provided for thee. It is small comfort to the harborless wretch to pass through a goodly city and see many glorious buildings when he cannot say, I have a place here. The beauty of that excellent city, Jerusalem, built with sapphires, emeralds, chrysalites, and such precious stones, the foundation and walls wherever, perfect gold, Revelation 21, affords a soul no comfort unless he can say, I have a mansion in it. The all-sufficient merits of Christ do thee no good unless tu et pars et portio. He be thy Savior. Happy soul that can say with the psalmist, O Lord, thou art my portion. Let us all have oil in our lamps, lest if we be then to buy, beg, or borrow, we be shut out of doors like the fools not worthy of entrance. To conclude, it is salvation our prophet desires that God would seal him up for his child, then certify him of it. He requests not riches. He knew that man may be better fed than taught, that wealth doth but frank men up to death. He that prefers riches before his soul doth but sell the horse to buy the saddle, or kill a good horse to catch a hare. He begs not honor. Many have leapt from the high throne to the low pit. The greatest commander on earth hath not a foot of ground in heaven, except he can get it by entitling himself to Christ. He desires not pleasures. He knows there are as great miseries beyond prosperity as on this side it. And that all vanity is but the indulgence of the present time. A minute begins. continues, ends it, for it endures but the acting and leaves no solace in the memory. In the fairest garden of delights, there is somewhat that stings in the midst of all vain contents. In a word, it is not momentary, variable, apt to either change or chance that he desires, but eternal salvation He seeks, like Mary, that better part which shall never be taken from him. The wise man's mind is ever above the moon, saith Seneca. Let the world make never so great a noise as if it all ran upon coaches, and all those full of roarers, yet all peace is there. It is not sublunary under the wheel of changeable mortality, that he wishes, but salvation. To be saved is simply the best plot. Beat your brains and break your sleeps, and waste your marrows to be healthy or to be wealthy, to be worthy for riches, for honors. Plot, study, contrive, be as politic as you can, and then kiss the child of your own brains, hug your inventions, applaud your wits. upon your advancements or advantagements. Yet all these are but dreams. When you awake, you shall confess that to make sure your salvation was the best plot, and no study shall yield you comfort but what hath been spent about it. What should we then do but work and pray? Work, saith Paul, Philippians chapter 2 verse 12, Work up your salvation with fear and trembling, and then pray with our prophet. Lord, say to our souls, thou art our salvation, with comfort and rejoicing.