522 CHARACTER'OF A SOUND, without setting one against another, or neglecting one while he is exercising another. He can be humbled without hindering his thankfulness and joy ; and he can be Thankful and joyful without hindering his due humility; his knowledge doth not destroy, but quicken his zeal ; his wisdom hindereth not, but furthereth his in- nocency ; his faith is a help to his repentance, and his repentance to his faith; his love to himself doth not hinder, but help his love to others >; and his love to God is the end of both. He can mourn for the sins ofthe times, and the calamities of the church, yea, for his own sins and imperfectiods, and yet rejoice for the mercies which he bath in possession, or in hope. He findeth that piety and charity are necessarily conjunct, and every grace and duty is a help to all the rest. Yea, he can exercise his graces methodical- ly, which is the comeliness and beauty of hisheart and life ; 1 Thes. v. 12, 13. 16-21. 1 Pet. ii. 17. 2. But the weak Christian, though he have every grace, and his obedience is universal, yet can he hardly set himself to any duty, but it hindereth him from some other duty, through the nar- rowness and weakness of his mind. When he is humbling himself in confessionof sin, he can scarce be lively in thankfulness for mer- cy; when he rejoiceth, it hindereth his humiliation ;.he can hardly do one duty without omitting or hindering another ; he is either all for joy or all for sorrow ; all for love or all for fear ; and cannot well do many things at once, but is at to separate the truth and , duties which God bath inseparably conjoined. 3. And for the seeming Christian, he exerciseth no grace in sin- cerity, nor is he universal in his, obedience to God ; though he may have the image of every grace and duty. XXXII. 1. A Christian indeed is more in getting and using his graces, than in inquiring whether he have them: he is very desir- ous to be assured that he is sincere, buthe is moredesirous to be so : and he knoweth that even assurance is got moreby the exer- cise and increase of grace; than by bare inquiry whether we have it already ; not that he is a neglecter of self-examination, but he oftener asketh, ' What shall I do to be saved?' than, ` How shall I know that I shall be saved ?' 2. But the weak Christian bath more of self, and less of God in his solicitude ; and though be be willing to obey the whole law of Christ, yet he is much more solicitous to know that he is out of danger, and shall be saved, than to be fully pleasing' unto God; and therefore, proportionably, he is more in inquiring by what mark? he may know that he shall be saved, than by what means he may attain more holiness, and what diligence is necessary to his salvation. 3. But the seeming Christian is most`careful how to prosper in the world, or please his flesh ; andnext how he may be sure to
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