Secondly, with respect to thy desires, what are they? Wouldst thou
be saved? Wouldst thou be saved with a thorough salvation? Wouldst
thou be saved from guilt and filth too? Wouldst thou be the servant
of thy Saviour? Art thou indeed weary of the service of thy old
masters, the devil, sin, and the world? And have these desires put
thy soul to the flight? Hast thou through desires betaken thyself to
thy heels? Dost thou fly to him that is a Saviour from the wrath to
come, for life?
If these be thy desires, and if they be unfeigned, fear not. Thou
art one of those runaways which God has commanded our Lord to
receive, and not to send thee back to the devil thy master again,
but to give thee a place in his house, even the place which thou
likest best.
"But," you say, "I am afraid I am not elect or chosen to salvation."
At present, lay the thoughts of thy election by, and ask thyself
these questions: Do I see my lost condition? Do I see salvation is
nowhere but in Christ? Would I share in this salvation by faith in
him? And would I be thoroughly saved from the filth as well as from
the guilt? Do I love Christ, his Father, his saints, his words and
ways? This is the way to prove we are elect.
Wherefore, sinner, when Satan or thine own heart seeks to puzzle
thee with election, say thou, "I cannot attend to talk of this point
now; but stay till I know that I am called of God to the fellowship
of his Son, and then I will show you that I am elect, and that my
name is written in the book of life.
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