As the rewards of grace are made sure to the righteous, the address to the seventy speaks their knowledge of it—­Rejoice because your names are written in heaven.  They could not rejoice in an unknown good.  But the manner in which their privileged state is mentioned supposes them acquainted with it.  Christ did not here reveal it—­did not say, your names are written in heaven, therefore rejoice, but rejoice because they are written there—­because you know it to be the case.

Neither do they appear to have possessed knowledge, in this respect, which others are denied.  Others are also exhorted to rejoice in the Lord.  The suffering Christians of that age were often reminded of the rewards in reserve for them, as what would abundantly compensate all their sufferings here; which supposed them acquainted with their title to glory.

But how did they attain this knowledge?  And how may others attain it?

By considering the conditions of the promises and seeing that they have complied with them.  The promises are made to faith and repentance, to love and obedience.  Where these are found on a person, that person may know that his name is written in heaven.

Obedience flows from faith and love.  “Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit.”  The fruits of grace, are the evidences of grace, and the only evidences on which there is dependence.  Should an angel from heaven testify to a person that his name was written there, the evidence should be inferior to that which ariseth from the Christian temper evidenced by fruits of holiness.  If these were found, that would be useless; if wanting, inefficient.  “By their fruits ye shall know them.  In this the children of God are manifest.”  Had a person such testimony from heaven, he could know that the bearer was from above, only by attending to his own heart and life.

“Satan can transform himself into an angel of light.”  Permitted of God he might have access to our minds and persuade us that our names were written in heaven, while we remained enemies to God and under the condemning sentence of his law, had we no rule by which to try ourselves, and judge of our state; but this is not denied us.  Yet some are probably deceived, through infernal influence, and filled with vain hopes.  Mistaking the sophistry of Satan, for the operation of the divine Spirit, they boast communion with God and call themselves his children while no portion of the Christian temper is found upon them.  Doubtless some, who have gloried in special divine communications have been deceived, relative to the nature and source of the operations which they have experienced.  Supposed visions and revelations, are often no other than illusions of fancy, freaks of imagination, or effects of diabolical influence, those affected with them often appear confident of that which sober reason rejects as groundless.