FINDING ASSURANCE

WITH

THOMAS GOODWIN

ANDREW S. BALLITCH

Finding Assurance with Thomas Goodwin

Lived Theology

Copyright 2023 Andrew S. Ballitch

Lexham Press, 1313 Commercial St., Bellingham, WA 98225

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version. Public domain.

Print ISBN 9781683597223

Digital ISBN 9781683597230

Library of Congress Control Number 2023933404

Series Editor: Michael A. G. Haykin

Lexham Editorial: Todd Hains, Claire Brubaker, Cindy Huelat, Jordan Short, Mandi Newell

Cover Design: Joshua Hunt

LIVED THEOLOGY

To my precious children,

Elizabeth, Etta, and Winston,

May you one day enjoy full assurance of faith.

Contents

Timeline of Thomas Goodwin

Series Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1

The Struggle for Assurance

Chapter 2

The Experience of Assurance

Chapter 3

The Theology of Assurance

Chapter 4

The Motivation of Assurance

Chapter 5

The Comfort of Assurance

Chapter 6

The Legacy of Assurance

Conclusion

Works Cited

Subject Index

Scripture Index

Timeline of Thomas Goodwin’s Life

Series Preface

Men and women—not ideas—make history. Ideas have influence only if they grip the minds and energize the wills of flesh-and-blood individuals.

This is no less true in the history of Christianity than it is in other spheres of history. For example, the eventual success of Trinitarianism in the fourth century was not simply the triumph of an idea but of the biblical convictions and piety of believers like Hilary and Athanasius, Basil of Caesarea and Macarius-Symeon. Thirteen hundred years later, men and women like William Carey, William Ward, and Hannah Marshman were propelled onto the mission field of India—their grit and gumption founded on the conviction that the living, risen Lord has given his church an ongoing command: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt 28:19–20). These verses had an impact when they found a lodging-place in their hearts.

The Lived Theology series traces the way that biblical concepts and ideas are lived out in the lives of Christians, some well known, some relatively unknown (though we hope that more people will know their stories). These books tell the stories of these men and women and also describe the way in which ideas become clothed in concrete decisions and actions.

The goal for all of the books is the same: ...