condition. I do not now mean the worst of 'men, but such as make some show and appearance of goodness. It is very unpleasing to fall under the censure of others, but most grievous to be self-condemned; and therefore it is no wonder we use all manner of shifts to avoid so great an inconvenience.-Some rely upon the profession of the Christian faith; this is so far from being an exemption from a good life, that it is the most solemn obligation to it. Dost thou believe the doctrine of the gospel? thou of all men art inexcusable, if thou allowest thyself in ungodliness and worldly lusts. Others trust to their external devotion; they frequent the church, they pray to God, and hear his word, and receive the blessed sacrament; but let us not deceive ourselves, God is not mocked. All this is so far from making amends for the wickedness of our lives, that, on the contrary, the wickedness of our lives spoils all the acceptance of our devotions. He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law (that is, from obeying it) even his prayer shall be an abomination.-Others, who are sensible they are very bad, depend very much upon their repentance, especially if they set solemn times apart for it. And there is no doubt but that a sincere repentance will make our condition good; but then no repentance can be sincere, which produceth not a real reformation in our

lives. It is well thou art in some measure sensible of thy miscarriage, but thou art never safe till thou hast forsaken thy sins; thy condition towards God is not changed, till thou hast really altered the course of thy life.Others satisfy themselves with the exercise of some particular virtues; justice, liberality, and charity. And is it not a thousand pities, that thy life is not all of a piece! that thou shouldst lose the reward of what is so well done, out of thy fondness to any one vice or lust! that when thou art not far from the kingdom of God, for lack of one or two things more thou shouldst fall short of it! hast thou ever heard what the Scripture saith, that he who offends in one point is a transgressor of the whole law? To make us good, all parts of goodness must concur; but any one way of wickedness is sufficient to denominate us bad.-Lastly, Some who are very careful of their outward carriage, but yet are conscious of great secret faults and vices, when they can find no comfort from the testimony of their own consciences, are apt to comfort themselves in the good opinion which others have of them. But if we know ourselves to be bad, and our own hearts condemn us, it is not the good opinion of others that will better our condition. They may have reason for their charity, and yet thou none for thy confidence; trust nobody concerning thyself rather than

thyself, because nobody can know thee so well as thou mayest know thyself.

These, and such as these, are the hopes of the hypocrite, which Job elegantly compares to the spider's web, finely and artificially wrought, but miserably thin and weak. They are but pleasant dreams, which, whenever we are awakened to a serious consideration of our condition by the apprehensions of approaching death and judgment, will presently vanish; what is the hope of the hypocrite, says the same holy man, when God taketh away his soul?

2. We will consider, in the next place, the causeless doubts of men really good, concerning their bad condition: for as some are prone beyond all reason to delude themselves with vain hopes, so others are apt as unreasonably to torment themselves with groundless fears. Of these doubts there are several occasions.

1. Some are afraid that they are reprobated from all eternity, and that therefore they cannot be the children of God. This is so unreasonable, that if it were not a real cause of trouble to some persons, it would not deserve to be considered. For no man who sincerely endeavours to please God and keep his commandments, hath, from Scripture, the least ground to suspect any secret decree of God against him, that shall work his ruin. But whatever the decrees of God be concerning the eternal

state of men, since they are unknown to us, they can certainly be no rule either of our duty or comfort. And no one has reason to think himself rejected of God either from eternity, or in time, who does not find the marks of reprobation in himself; I mean, an evil heart and life. By this, indeed, he may know that he is out of God's favour for the present, but he has no reason to conclude from hence that God hath from all eternity, and for ever, cast him off. That God calls him to repentance, and affords him the space and means for it, is a much plainer sign that he is willing and ready to have mercy on him, than any thing else can be that he hath utterly cast him off; and therefore for us to judge of our condition by the decrees of God which are hid from us, and not by his word, which is near us and in our hearts, is as if a sailor, wandering in the wide sea in a dark night, when the heaven is all clouded about him, should yet resolve to steer his course by the stars, which he can only guess at, and neglect the compass which is at hand, and would afford him a certain direction.

This therefore is to be rejected as a groundless imagination, and which ought to trouble nobody, because nobody can know any thing concerning it. Moses hath long since very well determined this matter; Secret things beLong unto the Lord our God; but those things

which are revealed belong unto us, and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law, Deut. xxix. 29.

2. Good men are conscious to themselves of many frailties and imperfections; and therefore they are afraid of their condition; but God considers the infirmities of our present state, and expects no other obedience from us, in order to our acceptance with him, but what this state of imperfection is capable of; and, provided our sincere endeavours be to please him, and keep his commandments, the terms of the gospel are so merciful that our frailties shall not be imputed to us, so as to make us cease to be the children of God. And though we may be guilty of many errors which escape our observation; yet, in this case, God will accept of a general repentance, as he did from David, when he made that humble confession and prayer to him; Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret sins, Psalm xix. 12. I speak not this to hinder any from a more particular repentance of all their known failings, the more particular the better; but to remove the groundless jealousies of men about their main state.

3. Good men are afraid their obedience is not sincere, because it proceeds many times from fear, and not always from pure love to God. To remove this doubt, let it be observed,