fickness, how inlightened, how penitent, how humble, how mortified and reformed they then feem to be, and how much they condemn all fin, and juftifie a holy life: And obferve your felves whether you be not wifer and better, more penitent, and lefs worldly in an afflicted Atate: And will you think that intollerable, which fo much bettereth almoft all the world? Alas, were it not for affliction,there are fome Nebuchadnezzars that would never be humbled, and fome Pharaohs that would never confess their fins, and fome Manaffeks that would never be converted. Many in Heaven are thankful for amiction, and fo fhould we, Ecclef. 7. 2,3,4,5,6. It is better to go to the boufe of mourning, than to the boufe of feafting: For that is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to beart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by the fadness of the countenance, the beart is made better. The heart of the wife is in the boufe of mourning, but the beart of fools is in the house of mirth. It is better to bear the rebuke of the wife, than for a man to bear the fong of fools: For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, fo is the laughter of a fool.

Do you not perceive that a merry profperous ftate inclineth to folly, levity, rafhnefs, inconfideratenefs, ftupidity, forgetting the latter end,&c? And that a fadder frame is more awakened, illuminated, fixed,fenfible,confiderate and fit for great employments? Quarrel not then with your Phyfician, because he dyeteth you as tendeth to your cure, and turneth you not over to the dyet of defperate patients, or of fools.

Direct. 15. If God afflict you, add not cauflefs affliction to your felves. If he touch your friends, or body, or eftate,do not you therefore touch and tear your hearts. If you have not enough, why do you complain of it? If you have enough, why do you make your felves more? He that hath faid, Bleffed are they that mourn, did never mean that thofe are bleffed that mourn erroneously, for nothing, or for that which is their benefit, or that pievishly quarrel with God and man, or that wilfully by pride or impatiency torment themfelves. He meant not to blefs the forrow of the covetous that grieveth because he is not rich, or because he is wronged, or is a lofer in fome commodity; nor to blefs the forrow of the proud, who is troubled becaufe he is not obferved, honoured or preferred: Nor the forrow of

the

the fenfual, who grieve when their luffs and pleasures are reftrained: Nor the forrows of the idle, who grieve if they are called to diligent labour; nor the forrow of the envious, who grieveth to fee another profper; nor the forrows of the cruel, who grieve when they cannot be as hurtful to Gods fervants, and their neighbours or enemies, as they defire. It is neither wicked forrows, nor wilful felf-vexation, which Chrift doth blefs: But it is the holy improving, and patient enduring the fufferings laid upon us by God or man.

Direct. 16. Let Patience have its perfed work. He that believeth, will not make hafte, James 1. 3. Ifa. 28. 16. God's time is beft; and eternity is long enough for our cafe and comfort. It is by patient continuance in well doing, that glory, honour and immortality muft be fought, Rom. 2. We shall reap in due fealon, if we faint not, Galat. 6. 9., James 5.7, 8, 9. Be patient therefore Brethren unto the coming of the Lord. Behold the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and bath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye alfo patient: ftablish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. When others by impatience lofe themselves, do you in your patience poffefs your fouls, Luke 21. 19. Rom. 5.4. Patience worketh experience, and experience bape, which maketh not ashamed. If we hope for that we fee not, thee do we with patience wait for it, Rom. 8. 25. Through patience and comfort of the Scriptures it is that we have hope, Rom. 15. 4. Therefore we have need of patience, that when we have done the will of God, we may inherit the promife, Heb. 10. 36. 11.

How to live by Faith, in troubles of Confcience, and doubts or ter rours about our spiritual and everlasting state.

H

Aving written a Treatife called, The Right Method for Spiritual Peace and Comfort, &c. upon this fubject already, I muft refer the Reader thither, and here only add thefe few Directions..

Dired.

Dire. 1. Diftinguish of the feveral Causes of these troubles; and take heed of thofe unskilful Mountebanks, who have the fame cure for every fuch difeafe, and speak prefent comfort to all that they hear complain; and that think every trouble of mind is fome notable work of the Spirit of God; when it is often the fruit of the manifold weaknefs or wilfulness of the troubled complainers.

Direct. 2. When it is fome heinous fin committed, or great corruption indulged, which doth cause the trouble, be sure that found Repentance be never omitted in the cure; and that a real reformation prove the truth of that Repentance. For Chrift never died to juftific and fave the impenitent finner: And a deceitful Repentance is the common felf-deceit and undoing of the world. And how can that be true Repentance, which changeth not the will and life? God will not give you peace and comfort,as long as you indulge your wilful fin.

Note here the difference between 1. The grofly impenitent: 2. And the mock-repentance of the Hypocrite: 3. And the true Repentance of found Believers.

1. The grofly impenitent cannot bring his heart to a ferious purpofe to let go his fin, nor to a confent or willingness, that God fhould cure him, and change his mind: but he had rather have his pride, and covetousness, and fenfuality, to be fully pleafed, than to be mortified. Like a fool in a Feaver or a Dropfic, that had rather have drink, than have the cure of his thirst.

2. The mock repentance of the Hypocrite hath some purposes under an extraordinary conviction, to leave his fin; and for a time may feem to do it. But when the temptation is as strong again, he is the fame, and returneth to his vomit; or elfe exchangeth his fin for a worfe. And if you ask him whether he had rather have the mortifying of all his lufts, or the pleasing of them,his understanding and conviction may caufe him truly to fay at the prefent, that if God would prefently mortifie his fin, Or fer bim this in choice, he would rather confent to it, than -take the pleafing of them. But mark it, 1. That though he Sponfent that God should do this bimfelf, yet he will not confent to use the means, and do bis duty to attain it. If a cold wifh, os bare consent would change his foul, and take away all finful inclinations

or

clinations at once, that he might never more defire the plea fure of fin, nor be put to any conflict to overcome it, nor any great difficulty to deny it, and all this might be done without any labour of his own, I doubt not but the Hypocrite would confent to be fo mortified. But to watch, and pray, and read, and meditate,and use the means which God appointeth him,both to get mortification, and to use it for the conquering of every temptation; this the Hypocrite will not confent to.

2. And what he doth confent to at the prefent, he confenteth not to when his finful pleasure is revived by the next tempta

tion.

3. But the true penitent Chriftian is both willing to be changed and had rather have his lufts to be killed, than pleased; and alfo willing to use Gods means both to mortifie the inward luft, and to overcome the outward fin: And this in fincerity is his babitual ftate.

Direct. 3. Never forget that 1. The gracious nature of God: 2. The fufficiency of Chrifts Sacrifice and Merit: And 3. The truth of the univerfal ffer or promise of pardon to aũ (if they will accept the offer) are the foundation of all our faith and comforts; and are that univerfal grace which is before our special grace or faith, and is presupposed to it: On this foundation all our faith and peace is to be built.

Direct. 4. The particular application of this to our felves, is, 1. By Believing, and then by knowing that we do believe, and then by difcerning our priviledges upon believing..

1. Our believing it felf is, 1. Our Afeext to the truth of the Gofpel: 2. Our Acceptance of the good (even Chrift and life) which is offered in it, and confent to the Baptifmal Covemant with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: And 3. Our Afiance in Chrift and his Covenant.

2. To know that we do believe (fomehow) is cafie, when we do it: But to be fure that this belief is fincere and Javing, is more difficult, because of the deceitfulness of the beart of man, and the mixtures of unbelief, and other fins, and the weakness of grace where it is true, and the counterfeits of it, and the infufficient degrees which are in Hypocrites; fo that it is not cafie to difcern whether the faith which we have be fincere, and predominant above our fenfe and our unbelief (as it must be.) But Sff

yet

yet it may be known by fuch means as these.

1. By labouring to ftrengthen and increase our faith and grace, that it may not by the fmalnefs be next to undifcernable, 2. By fubduing all contrary inward corruptions, which obfcure it. 3. By frequent exercifing it; feeing habits are difcerned only in their acts. 4. By refifting and conquering temptations, and doing all the good we can in the world, and living as wholly devoted to God, above all worldly Aefhly intereft; that fo 1.Faith may be evidenced by its fruits: 2. And God may reward the faithful foul with his affuring feal, and light and comfort. 5. By efcaping all thofe lapfes into beinous and wilful fin, which caufe wounds, and fears, and hinder affurance, peace and joy. 6. By a wife and conftant examination of the heart, and obfervation of it, in the time of tryal, and finding the habits and strength of faith, and of unbelief, in their feveral aЯings, and prevalencies in their conflicts. 7. And withall, efcaping thofe ignorances and errours, about the nature, means, caufes and figns of grace and affuranee, which keep many from it, who have juftifying faith. Thefe feven are the true and neceffary means to get effurance of your own fincerity, and that indeed you have the true feal, and earnest, and witneß of the Spirit of Chrift.

3. When you have first truly believed (or confented to the Baptifmal Covenant of Grace) and next got affurance that you do this in fincerity, the laft part is the cafieft, which is to gather up the priviledges, or comfortable conclufions which follow hereupon: Which are your pardon and juftification, your adopsion and right to life eternal, and to all the benefits promifed by God, in that Covenant to which you do confent; which are all comprehended in the three great Relations eftablished by the Covenant, viz. that God is your Reconciled God and Father' Chrift in your Head and Saviour, and the Holy Spirit is your Life and San&ifier.

These three works which make up affurance, are contained in the three parts of this fyllogifm. 1. He that truly believeth, is juftified, and adopted, and an heir of life. But I do truly believe Therefore I am juftified, adopted, and am an heir of life.

Os, thus to the fame sense.