SPIRITUAL PEACE AND. COMFORT. 445 of the general grounds of comfort, or from the want of evidence of special grace. For that which is a fit remedy for one of these, will do little for the cure of the other. 2. If your doubting be only, Whether you be sincere in believing, loving, hoping, repent- ing, and obeying, then it will not answer this doubt, though you discern never so much of God's merciful nature, or Christ's gra- cious office, or the universal sufficiency of his death and satisfac- tion, or the freeness and extent of the premise of pardon. For I profess considerately, that I do not knowin all the body of Popery concerning merits, justification, human .satisfaction, assurance, or any other point about grace, for which we unchurch them, that they err half so dangerously as Saltmarsh and such Antinomians do in this point, when they say, that Christ bath repented and be- lieved for us; meaningit of that faith and repentance which he bath made the conditions of our salvation. And that we must no more question our own faith, than we must question Christ, the object of it. Itwill be no saving plea- at the day of judgment to say, Though I repented not and believed not, yet Christ died for me, or God is merciful, or Christ repented and believed for me, or God made me a free promise and gift of salvation, if I would repent and believe. What comfort would such an answer give them? And therefore, doubtless, it will hot serve now to quiet any knowing Christian against those doubts that arise from : the want of particular evidence of special grace, though in their own place, the general grounds of comfort. are of absolute necessity thereto. 2. Onthe other side, if your doubts arise from any defect in your apprehensions of general grace, it is not your looking after marks in yourself that is the way to resolve them. I told you in the beginning, that the general grounds of comfort lie in four par- ticulars, (that square foundation which will bear up all the faith of the saints.) First, God's merciful and inconceivable good and gracious nature, and his love to mankind. Secondly, Thegracious nature of the Mediator God and Man, with his most gracious, un- dertaken office of saving and reconciling. Thirdly, The sufficien- cy of Christ's death and satisfaction for all the world, to save them if they will accept him and his grace. I put it in terms beyond dispute, because I would not buildup believer's comforts on points which godly divines do contradict, (as little as may be.)' Yet I ampast all doubt myself, that Christ did actually make satisfaction to God's justice for ALL, and that no man perisheth for want of an expiatory sacrifice, but for want of faith to believe and apply it or for want of repentance and yielding to recovering grace. The fourth is, The universal grant of pardon, and right to salvation, on condition of faith and repentance: If your doubt arise from the
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