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Ch. 8. fpeak for the Noife of this Corruption. It puts out, or dimmeth the Eye of the Soul, and ftupifies it, that it can neither fee nor feel its own Condition. But efpecially it provokes God to withdraw himself, his Comforts, and the Affiftance of his Spirit, without which we may fearch long enough before we have Affurance. God hath made a Separation between Sin and Peace. As long as thou doft cherish thy Pride, thy Love of the World, the Defires of the Flefh, or any unchriftian Practice, thou expectest Comfort in vain. If any Man fetteth up his Idols in his Heart, and putteth the Stumbling-Block of his Iniquity before his Face, and cometh to a Minifter, or to God, to enquire for Comfort; instead of comforting him, God will anfwer him that cometh, according to the Multitude of his Idols (c). Another very great and common Caufe of the Want of Comfort is, when Grace is not kept in conftant and lively Exercife. The Way of painful Duty, is the Way of fulleft Comfort. Peace and Comfort are Chrift's great Encouragements to Faithfulness and Obedience; and therefore, tho' our Obedience does not merit them, yet they ufually rife and fall with our Diligence in Duty. As Prayer must have Faith and Fervency to procure it Succefs, befides the Blood and Interceffion of Chrift, fo must all other Parts of our Obedience. If thou grow fel. dom, and customary, and cold in Duty, especially in thy fecret Prayers to God, and yet findeft no Abatement in thy Joys, I cannot but fear thy Joys are either carnal or diabolical. Befides, Grace is never apparent and fenfible to the Soul, but while it is in Action; therefore Want of Action muft caufe Want of Affurance. And the Action of the Soul upon fuch excellent Objects naturally bringeth Confolation with it. The very Act of loving God in Chrift

(c) Ezek. xiv. 3--9.

Chrift is inexpreffibly fweet. The Soul that is best furnished with Grace, when it is not in Action, is like a Lute well ftringed and tuned, which while it lieth ftill maketh no more Mufick than a common Piece of Wood; but when it is handled by fkilful Musician, the Melody is delightful. Some Degree of Comfort follows every good Action, as Heat ac. companies Fire, and as Beams and Influence iffuefrom the Sun. A Man that is cold, fhould labour till Heat be excited; fo he that wants Affurance, must not ftand ftill, but exercise his Graces, till his Doubts vanish.- -The Want of Confolation in the Soul is alfo very commonly owing to bodily Melancholy. It is no more Wonder for a confcientious Man, under Melancholy, to doubt, and fear, and defpair, than for a fick Man to groan, or a Child to cry when it is chaftifed. Without the Physician in this Cafe, the Labours of the Divine are ufually in vain. You may filence, but you cannot comfort them. You may make them confefs they have fome Grace, and yet cannot bring them to the comfortable Conclufion. All the good Thoughts of their State which you can poffibly help them to, are feldom above a Day or two old. They cry out of Sin, and the Wrath of God, when the chief Caufe is in their bodily Diftemper.

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10. (3) As for Motives to perfuade to the Duty Self-Examination, I intreat you to confider the following. To be deceived about your Title to Heaven is very easy. Many are now in Hell, that never fufpected any Falfhood in their Hearts, that excelled in worldly Wifdom, that lived in the clear Light of the Gofpel, and even preached against the Negligence of others.To be mistaken in this great Point is alfo very It is the Cafe of moft in the World. In the old World, and in Sodam, we find none that were in H 5

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any Fear of Judgment. Almoft all Men among us verily look to be faved; yet Chrift tells us, there be few that find, the ftrait Gate, and narrow Way, which leadeth unto Life (d). And if fuch Multitudes are deceived, fhould not we fearch the more diligently, left we should be deceived as well as they? -Nothing is more dangerous than to be thus mistaken. If the Godly judge their State worfe than it is, the Confequences of this Miftake will be forrowful; but the Mifchief flowing from the Miftake of the Ungodly is unspeakable. It will exceedingly confirm them in the Service of Satan. It will render ineffectual the Means that fhould do them good. It will keep a Man from compaffionating his own Soul. It is in a Cafe of the greatest Moment, where everlafting Salvation or Damnation is to be determined. And if you mistake till Death, you are undone for ever. Seeing then the Danger is fo great, what wife Man would not follow the Search of his Heart both Night and Day, till he were affured of his Safety?Confider how finall the Labour of this Duty is, in Comparison of that Sorrow which followeth its Neglect. You can endure to toil and fweat from Year to Year, to prevent Poverty; and why not spend a little Time in Self Examination, to prevent eternal Mifery?————— By nglating this Duty, you can fearce de Satan a greater Pleafire, nor yourself a greater Injury. It is the grand Defign of the Devil in all his Temptations, to deceive you, and keep you ignorant of your Danger, till you feel the everlafting Flames; and will you join with him to deceive yourfelf? If you do this for him, you do the greatest Part of his Work. And hath he deferved fo well of you, that you thould affift him in fuch a Design as your Danination?-- The Time is nigh tubes God will farchy.u. If it be but in this Life

(0) Matt, vii. 14.

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by Affliction, it will make you wifh, that you had tried and judged yourselves, that you might have efcaped the Judgment of God. It was a terrible Voice to Adam, Vhere art thou? Haft thou eaten of the Tree? And to Cain, Where is thy Brother? Men confider not in their Hearts, that I, faith the Lord, remember all their Wickedness; now their own Doings have beset them about, they are before my Face (e).- Confider alfo, what would be the fweet Effects of this Self-Examination. If thou be upright and godly, it will lead thee ftrait towards Affurance of God's Love; if thou be not, though it will trouble thee at the prefent, yet it will tend to thy Happiness, and at length lead thee to the Affurance of that Happiness. Is it not a defirable Thing to know what fhall befal us hereafter? efpecially what fhall befal our Souls? and what Place and State we must be in for ever? And as the very Knowledge itfelf is defirable; how much greater will the Comfort be of that Certainty of Salvation? What fweet Thoughts wilt thou have of God? All that Greatnefs and Justice, which is the Terror of others, will be thy Joy. How fweet may be thy Thoughts of Chrift, and the Blood he hath fhed, and the Benefits he hath procured? How welcome will the Word of God be to thee, and how beautiful the very Feet of thofe that bring it? How fweet will be the Promises, when thou art fure they are thine own? The very Threatenings will occafion thy Comfort, to remem ber that thou haft efcaped them. What Boldness and Comfort mayit thou then have in Prayer, when thou canst fay, cur Father, in full Aflurance? It will make the Lord's Supper a refreshing Feaft to thy Sout It will multiply the Sweetness of every common Mercy. How comfortably mayft thou then undergo all Afflictions? How will it fweeten thy ForeH 6 thoughts

(e) Fcf. vii. 2.

thoughts of Death and Judgment, of Heaven and Hell? How lively will it make thee in the Work of the Lord, and how profitable to all around thee? What Vigour will it infufe into all thy Graces and Affections, kind'e thy Repentance, inflame thy Love, quicken thy Defires, and confirm thy Faith, be a Fountain of continual Rejoicing, overflow thy Heart with Thankfulness, raife thee high in the delightful Work of Praife, help thee to be heavenly minded, and render thee perfevering in all? All thefe tweet Effects of Affurance would make thy Life a Heaven upon Earth.

$11. THOUGH I am certain thefe Motives have Weight of Reafon in them, yet I am jealous, Reader, left you lay afide the Book, as if you had done, and never fet yourself to the Practice of the Duty. The Cafe in Hand is of the greatest Moment, Whether thou shalt everlaftingly live in Heaven or Hell? I here requeft thee, in Behalf of thy Soul; nay, I charge thee, in the Name of the Lord, that thou defer no longer, but take thy Heart to tafk in good earneft, and think with thyfelf, "Is it fo eafy, fo common, and fo dangerous to be mistaken? Are there fo many wrong Ways? Is the Heart fo deceitful? Why then do I not fearch into every Corner, till "I know my State? Muft I fo fhortly undergo the Trial at the Bar of Chrift? And do I not presently "try myfelf? What a Cafe were I in, if I fhould

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then mifcarry? May I know by a little diligent "Enquiry now? And do I ftick at the Labour?" But perhaps thou wilt fay, ". I know not how to do "it." In that I am now to give thee Directions; but, alas! it will be in vain, if, thou art not refolved" to practice them. Wilt thou, therefore, before thou goet any further, here promife before the Lord; to thyfelf upon the freedy Performance of the Duty

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