lJ'J Chap. 7· SeD:. S· ------------------------ --~~~--------~ I anfwer, Grofs fins, grievous fins, are not compatiblcwith th~ hope and affurancc of a Chrillian, cfpccially rc1gnmg fins comrn1tted wnh delight, .~rmdulgencc .' and yet fuch fins as we call inhrn11t1es, blem!lhes , remamders of Ongmal corruptiOn, under Sol. which the Regenerate mull !about fo long as they live.: lhcfe arc not altogether ihcompatib!e with alfura~ce , nor do they hmder the lively. workwgs of fanh? ~~ receiving the promifes; 1t IS good thercfo!·c to ddhngmlh betWIXt fi~s-wh1ch admmtll.cr matter of humiliation, and fuch as may gtvc occafion to the foul to quell10n tts Regenerate ellatc : As--··-·-· I. There arc fins of fitl1plc ignorance,.unavotdabi; infirmity, fins of forgctfulnefs, mconfideranon, pdf.on, pcmfhnefs, motdmatc feat, whereto there is no advtfcd confent and t~cfe may lland ;vtth Alfurance.. But 2. There are foul fins enormous crimes (not to fpcak of !ins wtlfully committed Wtth full confent, delight and'contcntment to the utter cxtinguifhing of the Spirit of Grace, which fhall never befall them thatare called according to the purpofe of God) and thofe fins hinder affurancc fo that the finner cannot for the prefent lay·adnal claim to any one priviledgc ofgrace formerly enjoyt~; ·I deny no~ but he may ~ill· retain his right and title to' eternal life but he.is in thts condttton fU!pendcd from aCl:ual clatm, unttll he nfe agam by Repent;ncc, and fo recover not a.ncw right and title, but a new claim by vcrtuc of the old title. 1 o. Acouradeous refilling of *doubts, fcruples, temptations; no_t but that doubts 01~~~;,~,~~r~~ will come afte~ affurance : \Vc fee the Sun is one day br.ight, and the flext day is cfJ,ijlian in covered- Evidences may be loll; though intcrefl be continued : yet .Ajfurance and rbis I!Je can Evidence~ rightly improved and fanCl:ified to us., may help us againfl: all the lhakings ,· arrai" ro[ucb' and fhiverings and doubtings of the Soul; and of thm own naturcthcy do refill them ~ ·~: ~~;·:;;;,,• Hence the bcft cure and remedy of doubtings , is to. perfcCl: and ll:rengthcn our a:l do;,bring;, alfurance'. the more purely the firc'burns , the lefs. fmoak i.t hath; when the light and ""'I ind"u' heat of the Sun arc greatell, then the clouds and milly vapours arc fcwc!l:: .Ajfitrancc fP :a!(s 'f jull :md Doubtin~ arc like a Tilair of fcalcs, where the weight of the one bears away the •!E•r•ncc,b.r ~ r tJMi({tly f Jm'!) other. is w ccmpari(cm . of lower de- · r.rees, ard not bert~u[.: it it perf,8: Bur honfo~ver affurtt::ce m'Y he {1 great io [om.', that it mtty owrcome aT1 j i:njibl!! clmbti'lg or[cnfibleflirringslf unbdirf~by Y!!rt/~n rf 1h~ fwe-er anJ p_:1We1[u! aUs ar.d effctlt of 1/J.at 11§:.41tt:1ce:- -a?fJicb is niL I colot~:nd j 1r. fhxrers Everlatung Rd\. Thae ma.J be an injalli?lt' certaimy rrbiciJ IMrb many degreer, .t,dJ<'t 119!. a perjdJ or 1;r.doubung certainrJ: wiJ;Jer u•e a.,.e };ere Wi: l-Ju ltnow in p:trt, and bdiev~ but in parr, Md )et as tUr fail h is prct.,i:liling, and cur d.Q~<rfJnc~: dath tuad dawn a..d jnbd~te our doubringr, rhoutb not q:dte cxpelth:m, rrc tnJ} wal~jn c m;o1 t 1 11nd maint11me our pet~Ce .. Jde;rn l~idern. Bui how jhortld ajfnrancc be ftrcngth'ned? 1. GowctoGod, for God wh.ogavc itcan ll:rcngthen it: Every grace depends upon him, not only for birth , but alfo for complement; his ll:rength mull: lead us on from lhength to ll:rength, and therefore if we would have'lhong affurance, we mutt go to a llroQg God, and beg i>f,bim for it: 0 Lord (fay) my k§owled.~e is dim; lighten t~at car.dle, open l!Jl'iJC e;'es yet more and more~ that I mayfee thy trttth ; my affims marry ttmes Jhak§, but do tho~t ef/ablijh and <·onjirm my. heart in t/;)1 truth; my embracinKs, · appltcattom, are vcry tre>ublmg, and bro/en,, and mterrrlpted; bm ao thou guide my ry~ to loo'!.J<pon my Savwur., and do thou gwde my hand to lay hold on him, do tholl enable my will ~nd~JJeEftons, to embrP.ce ail the goodnefs ofthy{elf, ofthy Chrijf, ofthy Wor'd; myfaith :s bu( weak,., but Lord, I would have morefaith, evenfr:ll ajfitrance offrtith, and thou canft work,.u, 0 do .rfor thy wcak.[ervant. · .2. Be in the way of llrength: There are wayes in wl\ich God doth reveal his arm (t.) hts Ordinances; he that is too good for tbe Ordinances, will ever be too weak in h1s fatth, One thing (could David fay) have I defired ofthe Lord that 1m:~y dtvel! in the houfe:f the Lord all the days afmy life : and to what end? that 1 may be~oldihe bem:ry ofth. Lord, and 'Vifit h" Temple: what this beauty is,he himfelf expounds,We tho11lh' ofthy lovmg k,indnefs in the midft. of thy Temple: . The loving kindneffe of God; his mercy&: countenance upon his o\vn fe'rvanis, tha(is the Lords beauiy, that is it which makes hun amiable in his own people. 3· Let affurance know its p'rivilcdges,and then it will grow ll:ronger. re are a ,·bojin , generatton,aroyal pmfthood,an holy natiort,a peculia>· people: they who defccndcd fron1 thC'blood of Abrahamhad more priviledges than others,and have not they grcater,\vho c~me of the blood of Chrijl? The P\iefts of the Law had ,lingular exemptions , and Kmgs of all men are mofthighly priviledgcd ;_and do believers come fhort,who are not , A a 2 prophme; ;. 1. f2!!eft; .A;fiv. l'f•l•?·4·· Pj"!. 4l. 9•. ·'
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