SPIRITUAL PEACE AND COMFORT. 297 usually in men's souls, for a poor, weak Christian to seek for the discovery of his sincerity, is according to the proverb, to seek for a'needle in a bottle of hay. 5. Besides all this,, the corrupt heart of man is so exceedingly backward to the work of self-exam- ination, and the use of other means, by which the soul should be familiarly acquainted with itself, that in a case of such difficulty it will hardly ever overcome them, if it were a thing that might be done. In the, best, a great deal of resolvedness, diligence, and un- wearied constancy in searching into-the state of the soul, is neces- sary to the attainment of a settled assurance and peace. How much more in them that have so small, and almost undiscernible ameasure of grace to discover. 6. Yet further, the conceptions, apprehensions, and consequently the sensiblemotions of the will, and especially the passions, are all naturally exceeding mutable; and while the mobile, agile spirits are any way the instruments, it will be so ; especially where the impression which is made in the understanding is so small and weak. Naturally, man's mind and will is exceeding mutable, and turned into a hundred shapes in a few days, according as objects ate presented to us, and the temper- ature of the body disposeth, helps or hinders the mind. Let us hear one man reason the case, and we think he makes all as clear as the light: let us hear another solve all his arguments, and dis- pute for the contrary, and then wesee that our apprehensions were abused. Let us hear him reply and refute all again, and confirm his cause, and then we think him in the right again. Nothing more changeable than the conceivings and mind of man, till he be thoroughly resolved and habituated. Now, in this case, how shall those who have but littlegrace, be able to discern it It will not keep the mind from fluctuating. :If they seem resolved for obedi- ence to Christ to-day, to-morrow they are so shaken by some en- ticing object, and force of the same temptation, that their resolu- tion is undiscernible; nay, actually, they prefer sin at that time before obedience. It is impossible, then, but the soul should stag- ger. and be at ,a loss; fort will judge of itselfas it finds itself, and it cannot discern the habitual prevalency of Christ's interest, when they feel the actual prevalency ofthe flesh's interest. For the act is the only discoverer of the habit. And if Peter himself should have fallen to the examination of his heart, whether he preferred Christ before his life, at the same time when he was denying and forswearing Christ to save his life, do you think he could have discerned it? And yet even then Christ's interest was greatest in him habitually. IfDavid should have gone to search, whether he preferred obedience' to God, before his fleshly pleasure, when he was committing adultery ; or before his credit, when he was plot- ting the deathof Uriah, what discoverydoyou think hewould have VOL. I. 38
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=