OCR Text |
Show I '~ .!. How a cbrijlian "'"J attain to affurance. while thofe Clouds1 rem~i~, ~ilij Is hard to the~ (Q di(cern ;· how• ever it . will -be g,ood both for thofe who pollibly filall never be thus exercifed, ( but may fee 9thers that' ~~e ), and for thofe who .may fall under fo great a trial; to underHand this; It is not to ' be expected\that a Chrit\ian undcr thole natural dillempersfhould be able to fay, Cbrili it mine, and I am hit, ( i.t were almoll·a mira~ le if they fhoul~ ) for to fay this (as you have heard) requires an orderly working of our reafon in a Soul, freed from the dillurban:e ot fearr and jealo.,{ter, arifing from a natural caufe, as well as a true Spirit,.al ground. The Soul working under thefe bodily dillcmpers, cannot freely exercife its reafon in comparing _ Spiritt<al thingt with Spiritr<al; and the1ef~re let the Min iller of the Gofpd oiler all the PrO!Pjfes of th~. Gofpel · to1t, it can apply none; let him ai~ue the .gobd'nefs 6fils Ilate, from ~he moll undeniable arguments of Script6~e; h~ 1rrl<iy filence {ucli ~ c;:hrillian, . but not relieve it, or,at leall ,ohly f'!r ~.lit\le mom~nt : the reafan i;·,becaufe itsfearr, fufpicipns and jealou!ies,are the product of _its bodily difeafe, thus 1)1fhtencin{the mind, in~ way' of natural caufation: Alth6u.gh fhere~o!e in tl\~fe ci\.fes1a difcourfe'with,faithfu'l and able Mini!lets, may·be ,ufcful fot Hie pre rent {o relieve the Chrt/lian; yet th~.mel!n·s'· God 1\ath '~ppo_int~d .for ' the cure qf fuch di!lempers,mull b~ ufed, and prayer both, (or a blelfing upon fuch means, and fo~ the u~hqlding of fuch • thriftian, that its prefent atllictiq1ri may .not dv'e~-w/lei!D _the Soul, n?r Satan 1ake ad~antag,e of it. Tbefe are 'the 'great thfngs to be done, and the ,Chrlliian \bull warily tli!liqguifh·, be~wiJ<f 'the lang'uage of tbe Soul•t fuch a time,and ,th't: true condemdingsof a guilty Confci-ence. · · fourthly, A Chri~ian !D~lll alfo dillinguilh wat ily, between the fe.ntmce of Satan, t ow viole'nt!)i ['!eyer P(")jozmced •g~iltjl bzm; and t.h~ f<ntrn ,e of hit '"'" cohfcience jnftl.Y, c~kdemni'Hg. Tpey are In-' i!e'ed but r~rt;. c~fe$.; ~1\e rf'!I'I~ 'tlev~l 'a~etV•,;Iy,, , (he mol} ordinarily tak, tll 'advah tage ofth<?ft"bpUiiY diflcmpers which I before nlef!doned1 whe.nce Melan~hOI.f,_iS.'ca!l.~ •B •I(''Ifm, Pi~boli; '} but fame fuchcales111:ly be, artd 11-SJiritVarts ,he obf,rv.~pt,lr.)Villi npt be hard to. thetri,~ di(liti8uli'h;-&etwo(rfW~Ii(n9,[trSx an~ .the tru" condern,ningr- of\ I~ ow~ Conr~;~es.:~ T~e-.p~·q\ ~~Ji!~HY ar-, gues e!thel' fto!'if. _ !l~t, l;fe_ knp~s b¥ : ~J:fJI>~ }'Jh~f'Jf. 'true.muft, dellroy the whole ren_oor 'of the_' ofpel. H~ etther tells the Scul,. I. It ii rrprobated; ~'ndmlf{eti~d; n~w-Qo1~ how same he 19 be of . - r · '· ·' Gods 0 How" C}Jrifiian 111aJ Attain to affurance. 46.9 ;Gods fecret Co}mfel? Or, 2. 'that it hath finned tbe fin againj! the H'lyGholl.Now who c•n tellt!l•t Co long as there is an hour of life left us to believe or to repent In? Or elfe, he layeth to our charge, the Sint of oHr Child-hood and youth; what we did beforeconver-fio" ur reg; ner•tion: Or Sint committed fince, but repented of; and if thefe (hould condemn us, of what benefit were the Gofpel, or Cox.enant of Grace to'Us? Our hearts can never truly condemn us, liut it mull be for fins we never repented of, or which we yet love, and live in. Again, he mull. di!linguifh betwixt ~otian1 to fin, meerly made to hi1 Soul,but abhorred and reJected by It; a!'d mo-tions to !in riling up in hit S~ul, orfavourttland a~ctpted by.tt. Th_e · fir !I may be and oft are very troublefome and at!11Cl:rve to a graci-ous Soul· but the latter only can defile a Soul, and ground a con-clu! ion a~ainfi the happy llate or' it. Hitherto I have offered di-rections [erving the Soul in this great concern by way of true Information, thofe which follow will refer more to pra-crice. • fifthly, Would£\ thou bs .able .to fay, .my Beloved "m!n• aH~l am hi<, 0 then frl'dy to perf_eCI holrnrfr hi the f~·~ of the !-ord! S1_n is the only thing !hal can gt ve _the Soul a _rub 11:1 rrs motton to this mark. Oh the vilenefs of Stn! AJfliClJai!I, 'fm!ptJtiOnt,Defertzont may hinder a So~ls confolation.Sin hinders a Souls S~lvation and Confolation too,and nothing bdt lin can do it. It is a peculiar malignity iri Sin;'every wilful fin is a mote at l~a£1, if I)Ot a beam in t :' · 1.·• rhe~9ul1 eye ; t~at . it~~nnc t fee Beaven.its' right an~ po~tion; r · ·• Nay give me leave tb telf you· that the fame degree nf Bohnefs, that will carry yblno He~ven at' lafl, will not cony yon th ither in tha view 0fit. "(he,Apo(llefpeak,s of{ome tbatfinll bej:zveJ,yet fu ilf tbroi.gh fire, I Cor. 3. 15. he th~ t h"d t a truth .'f f!,r.rce, gut withal moll failings, is he that·fha111Je fl'ved ; yet {o ., through tire: but'( fay 1he fame degree <'f Holinefs that will carry thee to Heaven 'will not earn thee thither in the view ofit.You !hall obfe'rve (~batin'g rhofe in 'whom',as I ·fald befatt<[eJrr and{ufpicion1 are ql!t .the prod4~ of a natnral dife~fe) th?f" Chri{\ians' rhot, have moll failings h<~ve mofi{car~; '!nd m~eed 1t mull be fo (uppoilng a Chri.ll'lan 1~ live'_i,n >Jiew df hl ~fd~ apd to 1\ J:ve his eyes open 1 henceyb,dMfl'cilif~r \li, '!nat' CHrrfriilhs • bfgre~l p~Jllon. are <not) apt tQ,'Ihe~~e'ars; a?d.1ifc?mpofur:~:of Spirit, bec:iJfe_ of tkole: many ertors ra whtc'h. theu exorbrtant palfi!>nS betray them; commonly thofr wHd are ·of moft-evcr and:compafe'd Splri<s, of . • &will |