Assurance

The following is a powerful (extended) quote from Richard Sibbes that is helpful for those who struggle with assurance.

"We must judge ourselves by faith and not by feeling, looking to the promises in the word of God and not to our present sense and apprehension... Even the best actions of the believer need Christ to perfume them...It is always a danger for us to rely too much on our own works...Men, by a natural kind of popery, seek too much for their sanctification as comfort, neglecting justification, relying too much on their own performances...When corruption is so strong that the believer cant see sanctification at all in ones own life, the believer should remember that ones salvation did not come from assurance, and that God could see somewhat of his own spirit in that confusion, but the spirit of the believer itself could not. Then go to the blood of Christ, there is always comfort. Go to the blood of Christ, that is, if we find sin upon our consciences, if we find not peace in our consciences, nor sanctification in our hearts, go to the blood of Christ which is shed for all those who trust in him, though we find no grace before we go to Christ, it is sufficient that we find nothing in ourselves, no qualifications, for the grace is of the Spirit, they are not the condition for coming to Christ, but the promise for those that receive Christ after. Therefore go to Christ when thou feelest not joy of the Spirit, nor sanctification of the Spirit. Go to the blood of Christ and that will purge thee and wash thee from all thy sins. Though the evidence indeed to prove our faith to be a real faith is from works, the title we have is only from Christ, only by grace. This is the only basis for comfort and assurance. We are more safe in his comprehending and holding of us than our clasping upon Him. As a mother and child- both hold, but the safety of the child is that the mother holds him."