HJ'OH the EpifUt of J A M ~ - s• . :you think thefe things are too good ~o be true, or carry yo~r fel~es with a carelc:fnefs,and loofe uncertamty cowards them, or,m adlf– .pair think there .cannot be comfor.t for fuch. finners ~s you are· this is to lift up your own fenfe and expenen~e agamft the oa:hs and ProtefiationsofGod, which are every where interlaced with the Propofals of the Gofpel. Oh do not hang off, bring up alfent to the grea_tefi certainty that may be , ·check thofe ,vile .rhoughcs whidl fecretly lurk in all our hearts, that the Gofpel is -fome fine devi~·e, and rare artifice to cheat the world ; fome gold 4 -en fancy to make fools fond with, as that prophane Pope faid, Fabula Chrifti, the fable of che Gofpd. Oh confider, all the wit of ' the creatures could not contrive or defign fuch a plot -and frame of . truths,fo fatisfying to theconfcienoe,as the Gofpel is, and therefore .aUlAffent.r that do not amount and come up toAf{urance, are b~-. aeath the dignity o(it. · . ;AJTent s are ofdivers kinds, fome are very imperfeCt- ; there is Conjeaure, which is but a lighter inclination and_propenfion of the mind to that which is only probabk,it may or may not be tr9e; this is difcerned by cardeffnefsand difrefpeCl: towat.:ds things that _are excellent; men do .but guefi and have bu~ loofe thoughts of them: Higher then this there is opini~n, when rhc min'd is frrong– ly fwayed: to thinka thing true, however there isformido oppQjiti, .a fear of t~e contrary J which is owofed to helieving with all the heart, Al'js 8. This jsenough to ingage to profeffion, a m~n fol· -loweth hts op)oion, The~,~ext:. degree above this,is oMyo?rl>ftt, Wt~~faith, . which Ct:lgageth the Soul not only to profejJion, but ' .to fome aJfeflion and -adh~rence. to .the truths acknowleqged; they look upon them as 'rue and good, but cleave to them with muchbrok!nnefs and imperfetl-irm. Higher then t~~' there . is Aj[nranc;, I .mean, of the truths of the GoJfeJ,-; not of our .intf~eft in the comfor~s of.ic ; .this is in~nded l?.Y f!l<t~pofile,when , _he fa1d, the_TbeJ!t~!qn·e~J!ecewedthlword.~;~~k.rmech ~J/nra_nce, I The[. I. 5• they were undoubtedly, and beyot:t4 contradiClion, ~rfwaded of the.truths of theGofpel,: The .failJe-Apofile; (olo . . :~· 2. calleth it, The riches oft~efull a([u,r~npe_ ofunderftanding the .V:Jfteries ofChrift ; '!;hat,is fuch an appr,~enfion Qf; ,th~ ~rutli~ of · t~e Gofpel, ~s is joynedwi.t~ fo~<: ~xper~~~~~ ,aE9r~,"r~fg\~tWP, to ' - -~~ ~~~ dye ~~ ~~~ pr<?.fefflo~p~ 1t. . ·: · . ~, '~"~ · ) · ' : You :.
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