SPIWTVAL PEACE AND COMFORT. 327 Again, I entreat you, avoid and abhor all such fears. But if you find in you the fears of godly jealousy of your own heart, and such moderated fears of the wrath of God, which banish security, pre- sumption, and boldness in sinning, and are (as Dr. Sibbs calls them) the awe-band ofyour soul ; and make you fly to the merits and bosom of the Lord Jesus, as. the affrighted child to the lap of the mother, and as the man-slayer, under the law, to the city of reftige, and as a man pursued by a lion, to his sanctuary or hold do not think you have no faith, because you have these fears, but moderate them by faith and love, and then thank God for them. Indeed, perfect love (which will be in heaven when all is perfect- ed) will cast out this fear; and so it will do sorrow and care, and prayer and means. But see you lay not these by till perfect love cast them out. See der. v. 12, 23. Heb. xii. two last verses. "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire." I am sensible that I am too large on these foregoing heads ; I will purposely shorten the rest, lest I weary you. Direct. XIX. Further understand, ' That those fewwhodo attain to assurance, have it not either perfectlyor constantly, (for the most part,)but mixed with imperfection, andoft clouded and interrupted.' That the highest assurance on earth is imperfect, I have showed you elsewhere. If we be imperfect, and our faith imperfect, and . the knowledge of our own hearts imperfect, and all our evidences and graces imperfect ; then our assurance must needs be imperfect also. To dream of perfection on earth is to dream of heaven on earth. And if assurance may be here perfect, why not all our graces? Even when all doubtingas are overcome, yet is assurance far short of the highest degree. Besides, that measure of assurance which godly men do partake of, bath here its many sad interruptions, in the most. Upon the prevalency of temptations, and the hidings of God's face, their souls are oft left in a state of sadness, that were but lately in the arms of Christ. How fully might this be proved from the exam- ples of Job, David, Jeremy, and others in Scripture ! And much more abundantly by the daily complaints and examples of the best of God's people now living among us ! As there is no perfect evenness to be expected in our obedience while we are on earth, so neither will there be any constant or perfect evenness in our comforts. He that bath life in one duty, is cold in the next. And therefore he that hath much joy in one duty, hath little in the next. Yea, perhaps duty may but occasion the renewal of his sorrows; that the soul who before felt not its own burden at a sermon, or in prayer, or holy meditation, which were wont to revive him, now
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