teaches us, that he is just too; and it can never assure us, what bounds God will fet to the exercise of the one or the other; and when juftice, and when mercy fhall take place: what fins are, and what are not capable of the benefit of facrifice and repentance. And this uncertainty, confidering the fins of the beft life, was ever naturally apt to beget defpondencies, melancholy, and fometimes a fuperftitious dread of God.

The fecond ground of affurance, as it relates to our present state, is an application of the conditions of life laid down in the gofpel to a man's own particular cafe, thus; they that believe and repent shall be faved; I believe and repent, therefore I fhall be faved. Now that a man upon an examination of himself, may be throughly affured that he does believe and repent, is evident from fcripture, which does not only exhort us to enter upon this examination, but also afferts, that affurance, joy and peace, are the natural fruits of it: but let a man examine himself, and fo let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup, 1 Cor. xi. 28. Examine your felves whether you be in the faith; prove your own felves: know ye not your own felves, how that Jefus Chrift is in you, except ye be reprobates? 2 Cor. xv. 5. But fanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer to every man

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that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear, 1 Pet. iii. 13. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments, 1 John ii. 3. Beloved, if our hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God, 1 John iii. 2. 'Tis true, men do often deceive themselves, and entertain a more favourable opinion of their ftate than they ought. But whence proceeds this? Even from too partial or fuperficial reflections on themselves, or none at all. And therefore the apostle teaches us plainly, that the only way to correct this error, is a fincere and diligent search into our felves for if a man think himself to be fomething when he is nothing, he deceiveth himfelf: but let every man prove his own work, and then fhall be have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another, Gal. vi. 34. But it is objected against all this, that the heart of man is fo deceitful, that it is a very difcult matter to make a thorough difcovery of it. We often think our felves fincere, when the fuccefs of the next temptation gives us just reason to call this fincerity into ques tion; fuch is the contradictious compofition of our nature, that we often act contrary to our inward convictions, and frequently fail in the execution of thofe defigns," in the performance of those refolutions, which we have thought very well grounded; and this being not to be charged upon the infufficiency

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ciency of God's grace, but the levity or infincerity of our own hearts, how can we Safely frame any right opinion of our felves from thofe affections and purposes, which are fo little to be relied upon? To this I anfwer. First, We are not to conclude any thing concerning our progress or perfection too hastily; we are not to determine of the final iffue of a war by the fuccefs of one or two engagements; but our hopes and affurances are to advance flowly and gradually in proportion to the abatement of the enemy's force, and the increase of our own; fo that we may have time enough to examine and prove our own hearts. Secondly, A fincere Chriftian, but efpecially one of a mature virtue, may eafily difcern his fpiritual state, by the inward movings and actings of the foul, if he attend to them: for it is impoffible that fuch a one fhould be ignorant, what impreffions divine truths make upon him? Is it poffible he fhould be ignorant, whether his faith ftands firm against the fhock of all carnal objections; whether he earneftly defire to please God, as loving him above all things; whether he thirft after the confolation and joy of the Spirit, more than after that of fenfible things? Is it poffible the foul fhould bewail its beavi nefs and drinefs, which the beft are liable to at fome feafon or other? Is it poffible* that the soul should be carried upwards frequent

frequently on the wings of faith and love, that it fhould maintain a familiar and conftant converfation with heaven, that it fhould long to be delivered from this world of trouble, and this body of death, and to enter into the regions of peace, of life, and righteoufnefs? Is it poffible, I fay, that thefe fhould be the affections, the longings and earnings of the foul; and yet that the good man, the perfect man, who often enters into his closet, and communes with his own heart, fhould be ignorant of them? It cannot be. In a word, can the reluctances of the body, and the allurements of the world, be difarmed, weakened, and reduced? Can the hunger and thirst after righteousness be very eager, the relifh of fpiritual pleasure brisk and delightful, and the contempt of worldly things be really and thoroughly fettled, and yet the man be infenfible of all this? It cannot be. But if we feel thefe affections in us, we may fafely conclude, that we are partakers of the Divine Nature; that we have escaped the corruption that is in the world through luft ; and that the new creature is at least growing up into a perfect man, to the measure of the ftature of the fulness of Chrift. Thirdly, The fureft teft of a state of grace, is our abounding in good works: you fhall know the tree by its fruit, is our Master's own rule, and it can never deceive us: He that doth righteousness

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righteoufness is born of God. If then we be frequent and fervent in our devotion towards God; if we be modeft and grateful in the fucceffes, patient and refigned, calm and ferene under the crosses and troubles of life; if we be not only punctual, but honourable in our dealings; if we be vigorous and generous in the exercifes of charity; if we be not only juft and true, but meek, gentle and obliging in our words; if we retrench not only the finful, but fomething from the innocent liberties and gratifications of fenfe, to give our felves more intirely up to the duties and pleasures of faith: if finally, we never be ashamed of virtue, nor flatter, compliment, nor wink at vice; if we be ready to meet with death with comfort, and retain life with fome degree of indifference: if these things, I fay, be in us, we have little reafon to doubt of the goodness of our state: for good works being the natural fruit of grace, it is impoffible we should abound in the one without being poffeffed with the other. One would think now, that there fhould be nothing further needful to eftablifh the confolation of a Chriftian; and yet God, out of regard, no doubt, to the vaft importance and happy influence of affurance, has furnished us with another ground of it, which is,

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