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"become of all your Friends and Neighbours that "live as you do? Will they all be damned? Come,

come, if you hearken to thefe Preachers, they will "drive you out of your Wits. Are not all Men. "Sinners? And did not Chrift die to fave Sinners? "Never trouble your Head with thefe Thoughts, "and you fhall do well." O how many Thousands have fuch Charms kept afleep in Deceit and Security, till Death and Hell have awakened them! The Lord calls to the Sinner, and tells him, The Gate is firait, the Way is narrow, and few find it: Try and examine, give Diligence to make fure. The World cries, Never doubt, never trouble yourselves with thefe Thoughts. In this Strait, Sinner, confider, it is Chrift, and not your Fore-fathers, or Neighbours, or Friends, that muft judge you at laft; and if Chrift condemn you, thefe cannot fave you: Therefore common Reafon may tell you, that it is not from the Words of ignorant Men, but from the Word of God, you must fetch your Hopes of Salvation. When Arab would enquire among the Multitude of flattering Prophets, it was his Death. They can flatter Men into the Snare, but they cannot tell how to bring them out. Let no Man deceive you with vain Words, for because if thefe Things cometh the Wrath of God upon the Children of Dijobedience; be not ye therefore Partakers with them (b).

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$7. But the greatef Hinderances are in Men's own Hearts. Some are fo ignorant, that they know not what Self-Examination is, nor what a Minifter means when he perfuadeth them to try themfelves: Or they know not that there is any Neceffity for it; but think every Man is bound to believe that his Sins are pardoned, whether it be true or falfe, and that it is a great Fault to make any Queftion of it: Or they de

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(b) Ephef. v. 6, 7.

not think that Affurance can be attained: Or that there is any great Difference between one Man and another, but that we are all Christians, and therefore need not trouble ourselves any further: Or at least they know not wherein the Difference lies. They have as grofs an Idea of Regeneration, as Nicodemus had.Some will not believe, that God will ever make fuch a Difference betwixt Men in the Life to come, and therefore will not fearch themselves whe ther they differ here.Some are so stupified, say what we can to them, that they lay it not to Heart, but give us the Hearing, and there's an End.

Some are fo poffeffed with Self-Love and Pride, that they will not fo much as fufpect they are in any Danger. Like a proud Tradefman, who fcorns the prudent Advice of cafting up his Bocks. As fond Parents will not believe or hear any Evil of their Children.

Some are fo guilty, that they dare not try; and yet they dare venture on a more dreadful Trial. Some are fo in Love with Sin, and f dislike the Way of God, that they dare not try their Ways, left they be forced from the Courfe they love, to that which they loath. Some are fo refolved never to change their prefent State, that they neglect Examination as an ufelefs Thing. Before they will feek a new Way, when they have lived fo long, and gone fo far, they will put their eternal State to the Venture, come of it what will.--Many Men are fo bufy in the World, that they cannot fet themselves to the trying their Title to Heaven.-Others are fo clogged with Slathfulness of Spirit, that they will not be at the Pains of an Hour's Examination of their own Hearts.--But the most common and dangerous Impediment is that falje Faith and Hope, commonly called Presumption, which bears up the Hearts of the greatest Part of the World, and fo keeps them from fufpe&ing their Danger.

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$8. AND if a Man fhould break through all these Hinderances, and fet upon the Duty of Self-Examination, yet Affurance is not prefently_attained. Too many deceive themselves in their Enquiries after it, through one or other of the following Caufes.

There is fuch Confufion and Darkness in the Soul of Man, especially of an unregenerate Man, that he can scarcely tell what he doth, or what is in him. As in a House, where nothing is in its proper Place, it will be difficult to find what is wanted; fo it is in the Heart where all Things are in Disorder.Moft Men accufom themfelves to be Strangers at Home, and too little obferve the Temper and Motions of their own Hearts.

Many are refolved what to judge before they try. Like a bribed Judge, who examines as if he would judge uprightly, when he is previously refolved which Way the Caufe fhall go. -Men are partial in their own Caufe; ready to think their great Sins fmall, and their fmall Sins none; their Gifts of Nature to be the Work of Grace, and to fay, Ail thefe have I kept from my Youth; I am rich, and increased in Goods, and have need of nothing.Moft Men fearch but by the Halves. If it will not eafily and quickly be done, they are difcouraged, and leave off.- They try themfelves by falfe Marks and Rules; not knowing wherein the Truth of Chriftianity doth confift; fome looking beyond, and fome fhort of the Scripture Standard.

And frequently they mifcarry in this Vork, by attempting it in their own Strength. As fome expect the Spirit fhould do it without them, fo others attempt it themselves without feeking or expecting the Help of the Spirit. Both thefe will certainly mifcarry in

their Affurance.

$9. SOME other Hindrances keep even true Chriftians from comfortable Certainty. As for Inftance; The Weakness of Grace. Small Things are hardly

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difcerned

Ch. 8. difcerned. Moft Chriftians content themfelves with a finall Measure of Grace, and do not follow on to fpiritual Strength and Manhood. The chief Remedy for fuch would be, to follow on their Duty, till their Graces be increased. Wait upon God in the Ufe of his prescribed Means, and he will undoubtedly bless you with Increafe. Oh that Chriftians would beftow moft of that Time in getting more Grace, which they beflow in anxious Doubtings whether they have any or none; and lay out thofe ferious Affections in praying for more Grace, which they beftow in fruitlefs Complaints! I befeech thee, Chriftian, take this Advice as from God; and then, when thou believeft ftrongly, and loveft fervently, thou canst no more doubt of thy Faith and Love, than a Man that is very hot can doubt of his Warmth, or a Man that is frong and lufty can doubt of his being alive.

Chriftians hinder their own Comfort by locking more at Signs, which tell them what they are, than at Precepts, which tell them what they should do. As if their prefent Cafe muft needs be their everlafting Cafe; and if they be now unpardoned, there were no Remedy. Were he not mad, that would lie weeping because he is not pardoned, when his Prince ftands by all the while offering him a Pardon, and perfuading him to accept of it? Juftifying Faith, Chriftian, is not thy Perfuafion of God's Special Love to thee, but thy accepting Christ to make thee lovely. It is far better to accept Chrift as offered, than spend fo much Time in doubting whether we have Chrift or no.- -Another Caufe of Diftrefs to Chriftians is, their miftaking Affurance for the foy that fometimes accompanies it. As if a Child fhould take himself for a Son no longer, than while he fees the Smiles of his Father's Face, or hears the comfortable Expreffions of his Mouth: And as if the Father ceafed to be a Father, whenever he ceafed

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thofe Smiles and Speeches.The Trouble of Souls is alfo increased by their not knowing the ordinary Way of God's conveying Comfort. They think they have nothing to do but to wait when God will beftow it. But they must know, that the Matter of their Comfort is in the Promifes, and thence they muft fetch it as often as they expect it, by daily and diligently meditating upon the Promifes, and in this Way they may expect the Spirit will communicate Comfort to their Souls. The Joy of the Promifes, and the Joy of the Holy Ghoft, are one.Add to this, their expecting a greater Measure of Affurance than God ufually beflows. As long as they have any Doubting, they think they have no Affurance. They confider not that there are many Degrees of Certainty. While they are here, they fhall know but in Part.Add alfo, their deriving their Comfort at first from infufficient Grounds. This may be the Gafe of a gracious Soul, who hath better Grounds, but doth not fee them. As an Infant hath Life before he knoweth it, and many Mifapprehenfions of himfelf and other Things, yet it will not follow that he hath no Life. So when Chriffians find a Flaw in their fift Comforts, they are apt to judge it a Flaw in their Safety. Many continue under Doubting, through the excording Weakness of their natural Parts. Many honeft Hearts have weak Heads, and know not how to per-. form the Work of Self Trial. They will acknowledge, the Premifes, and yet deny the apparent Conclufion. If God do not fome other Way fupply the Defect of their Realon, I fee not how they should have clear and fettled Peace.One great and to common Caufe of Diftrefs is, the fecret maintaining fome, known Sin. This abates the Degree of our Graces, and fo makes them more undifcernable. It obfcureth that which it, deftrøyeth not; for it beareth fuch Sway, that Grace is not in Action, nor feems to ftir, nor is fcarce heard'

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