it should be so with thee, till thou knowest thy eternal state. When thou liest down to take thy rest, methinks the uncertainty of thy salvation should keep thee waking, or amaze thee in thy dreams, and trouble thy sleep. Doth it not grieve thee to see the people of God so comfortable in their way to glory, when thou hast no good hope of ever enjoying it thyself? How canst thou think of thy dying hour? Thou knowest it is near, and there is no avoiding it, nor any medicine found out that can prevent it. If thou shouldest die this day, (and who knows what a day may bring forth?) thou art not certain whether thou shalt go to heaven or hell. And canst thou be merry, till thou art got out of this dangerous state? What shift dost thou make to preserve thy heart from horror, when thou rememberest the great judgment-day, and everlasting flames? When thou hearest of it, dost thou not tremble, as Felix? If the keepers shook, and became as dead men, on seeing the angel roll back the stone from Christ's sepulchre; how canst thou think of living in hell with devils, till thou hast some well-grounded assurance that thou shalt escape it?— Thy bed is very soft, or thy heart is very hard, if thou canst sleep soundly in this uncertain case.

3. If this general uncertainty of the world about their salvation were remediless, then must it be borne as other unavoidable miseries. But, alas! the common cause is wilful negligence. Men will not be persuaded to use the remedy. The great means to conquer this uncertainty is self-examination, or the serious and diligent trying of a man's heart and state by the rule of scripture. Either men understand not the nature and use of this duty, or else they will not be at the pains to try. Go through a congregation of a thousand men, and how few of them shall you meet with, that ever bestowed one hour in all their lives in a close examination of their title to heaven! Ask thy own conscience, Reader, when was the time, and where was the place, that ever thou solemnly tookest thy heart to task, as in the sight of God, and didst examine it by scripture, whether it be renewed

or not? whether it be holy or not? whether it be set most on God, or the creatures, on heaven or earth? And when didst thou follow on this examination till thou hadst discovered thy condition, and passed sentence on thyself accordingly? But because this is a work of so high importance and so commonly neglected, I will therefore show,-that it is possible, by trying to come to a certainty;-what hinders men from trying and knowing their state;then offer motives to examine; and directions together with some marks out of scripture, by which you may try and certainly know, whether you are the people of God or not.

§4. (1) Scripture shows, that the certainty of salvation may be attained, and ought to be laboured for, when it tells us so frequently, that the saints before us have known their justification and future salvation: when it declares, that whosoever believeth in Christ shall not perish, but have everlasting life; which it would be in vain to declare, if we cannot know ourselves to be believers or not: when it makes such a wide difference between the children of God, and the children of the devil; when it bids us give diligence to make our calling and election sure; and earnestly urges us to examine, prove, know our own selves, whether we be in the faith, and whether Jesus Christ be in us, except we be reprobates: also when its precepts require us to rejoice always, to call God our Father, to live in his praises, to love Christ's appearing, to wish that he may come quickly, and to comfort ourselves with the mention of it. But who can do any of these heartily, that is not in some measure sure that he is the child of God?

§ 5. (2) Among the many hinderances which keep men from self-examination, we cannot doubt but Satan will do his part. If all the power he hath, or all the means and instruments he can employ, can do it, he will be sure above all duties to keep you from this. He is loth the godly should have the joy, assurance, and advantage against corruption, which the faithful performance of self-examination would pro

cure them. As for the ungodly, he knows if they should once earnestly examine, they would find out his deceits and their own danger, and so be very likely to escape him. How could he get so many millions to hell willingly, if they knew they were going thither? And how could they avoid knowing it, if they did but thoroughly try; having such a clear light and sure rule in the scripture to discover it? If the snare be not hid, the bird will escape it. Satan knows how to angle for souls, better than to show them the hook and line, or fright them away with a noise, or with his own appearance. Therefore he labours to keep them from a searching ministry; or to keep the minister from helping them to search; or to take off the edge of the word, that it may not pierce and divide; or to turn away their, thoughts; or to possess them with prejudice. Satan knows when the minister has provided a searching sermon, fitted to the state and necessity of a hearer; and there fore he will keep him away that day, if it be possible; or cast him into a sleep; or steal away the word by the cares and talk of the world; or some way prevent its operation.

§ 6. Another great hinderance to self-examination arises from wicked men. Their examples; their merry company and discourse; their continually insisting on worldly concerns; their raillery and scoffs at godly persons; also their persuasions, allurements, and threats; are each of them exceeding great temptations to security. God doth scarce ever open the eyes of a poor sinner to see that his way is wrong, but presently there is a multitude of Satan's apostles ready to deceive and settle him again in the quiet possession of his former master. "What!" say they, "do you make a doubt of your salvation, who have lived so well, and done nobody any harm? God is merciful; and if such as you shall not be saved, God help a great many! What do you think of all your forefathers? And what will become of all your friends and neighbours that live as you do? S

Will they all be damned? Come, come, if you hearken to these preachers, they will drive you out of your wits. Are not all men sinners? And did not Christ die to save sinners? Never trouble your head with these thoughts, and you shall do well." O how many thousands have such charms kept asleep in deceit and security, till death and hell have awakened them! The Lord calls to the sinner, and tells him, The gate is strait, the way is narrow, and few find it: Try and examine, give diligence to make sure. The world cries, Never doubt, never trouble yourselves with these thoughts. In this strait, Sinner, consider, it is Christ, and not your forefathers, or neighbours, or friends, that must judge you at last; and if Christ condemn you, these cannot save you: therefore common reason 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 Ahab would inquire 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 of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience: be not therefore partakers with them.(c)

7. But the greatest hinderances are in men's own hearts. Some are so ignorant, that they know not what self-examination is, nor what a minister means, when he persuadeth them to try themselves: or they know not that there is any necessity for it; but think every man is bound to believe that his sins are pardoned, whether it be true or false, and that it is a great fault to make any question of it: or they do not think the assurance 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 gross an idea of regeneration as Nicodemus had.-Some will not believe that God will ever make such

(c) Ephes. v. 6, 7.

a difference betwixt men in the life to come, and therefore will not search themselves whether 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 is the end. Some are so possessed with self-love and pride, that they will not so much as suspect that they are in any danger. Like a proud tradesman, who scorns the prudent advice of casting up his books; as fond parents will not believe or hear any evil of their children.-Some are so guilty, that they dare not try; and yet they dare venture on a more dreadful trial.-Some are so in love with sin, and so dislike the way of God, that they dare not try their ways, lest they be forced from the course they love, to that which they loathe.-Some are so resolved never to change their present state, that they neglect examination as a useless thing. Before they will seek a new way when they have lived so long, and gone so far, they will put their eternal state to the venture, come of it what will. Many men are so busy in the world, that they cannot set themselves to the trying their title to heaven. Others are so clogged with slothfulness 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 false faith and hope, commonly called presumption, which bears up the hearts of the greatest part of the world, and so keeps them from suspecting their danger.

8. And if a man should break through all these hinderances, and set upon the duty of self-examination, yet assurance is not presently attained.Too many deceive themselves in their inquiries after it, through one or other of the following causes: There is such confusion and darkness in the soul of man, especially of an unregenerate man, that he can scarcely tell what he doeth, 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; so it is in the heart, where all things are in disorder. Most men