Serm.i z. to dlfcern their Spiritual condition 309 rich as thy Neighbours, that have a full efface ? Or thac thou knowet nothing, becaufe thou knoweft not fo much as the greaten Scholar ? Obferve Peter in this cafe, yohz 21. 17. he did nor fay when Chrifi` asked him, Lovell thou me more than thefe,I love thee more than john, or any of thy Difciples love thee, but d love thee thou mull love Chrif} more than thou lovef+ any thing in the world betides, or elfe thou daft not lmncerely love him ; but thou mull not conclude that except thou love + him as much or more than others love him, that thou haft no love at all unto him ; Yet this is ordinary, I never was humbled fo much as others have been ; I cannot mourn as others do, enquire now. after the truth, rather than after the degrees, and know "thy humiliation is true. Firtl when thou arc broken for and froth thy fin ; fo much bitternefs upon the BreAl , as vveanech the Child from it, is fufficient. Second- ly that makes thee fee a neceliìcy of Chrift, and willing to clofe fin - cerely with him. 2. Say noc,Thou ha(+ no Grace,becaufe thou hail not Grace propor- tion,ble to thy delres, but rather hope thou haft it, becaufe thou hall fuch enlarged delires after it ; is not he a froward unthankful Child,that faith hi, Father bath given him nothing , becaufe not fo much as he de1r,;th ? 3. Say nor,Thou haft no Grace,becaufe thou feed corruption in: thee more than before; they were in thy heart before, though thou didit not difcern them ; the houfe i> full of filth, but while the thuts art up it is not perceived, but rake the:r: down and you fee it plainly, not becaufe there is more filth,but becaufe there is more light. 4. Nor becaufe of the indifpoCednefs of thy heart to,anddulnefs of thy affeo ?ions,fo:netimes in the time of holy duties. Secondly, When thou canfl not get affarance , make as mach improve- ment of the grounds, upon which thou mayef build (u) hopes of falvation. The probable grounds thou haft, thou would(tnot part with for all the World ; if thy heart is not full of joy through fenfe of Gods love, yet thine eyes are full of tears, and thy foul of fórrow,.through thefenfe of thy fin, woulde(t thou change thy condition with any hypocrite whatfoever, with the rich man that hath no Grace*? I would not have thee refit fatisfied with a probability , but yet biefs God for a probability of falvation : Is it nothingthitone that halm ieferved hell moil certainly, lhould have a probahilirp that he t kould. efcapeit ; would nor this be a little eife to the Torments of the Damned , if they had but a ftrong probability , that they may be faved ; big.no hope makes it heavy : when thou art fick, thou enquireft of<the Phyfiti- aZ u Pfal.33a8;&: Pfaló.t43: ra.;..
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