i!! 138 HOW TO 'DISCERN OUR. TITLE Will they all be damned ? Come, come, if you hearken to these preachers, they will drive you out of your wits. Are not all men sinners? And did not Christ die to save sinners? Never trouble your head with these thoughts, and you shall do well." O how many thousands have such charms kept asleep in deceit and security, till death and hell have awakened them ! 'l'he Lord calls to the sinner, and tells him, The gate is strait, the way is narrow, and few find it : Try and examine, give diligence to make sure. The world cries. Never doubt, never trouble yourselves with these thoughts. In this strait, Sinner, consider, it is Christ and not your forefathers, or neighbours, or friends, that must judge you at last ; and if Christ condemn you, these cannot save you: therefore common reason may tell you, that it is not from the words of ignorant men, but from the word of God, you must fetch your hopes of salvation. When Ahab would enquire among the multitude of flatter- ing prophets, it was his death. They can flatter men into the snare, but they cannot tell how to bring them out. " Let no man deceive you with vain words ; for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience : be not therefore' partakers with them.(c) 7. But the greatest hinderances are in men's own hearts. Some are so ignorant, that they know not what self - examination is, nor, what a minister means, when he persuadeth them to try themselves: or they know not that there is any necessity for it; but think every man is bound to believe that his sins are pardoned, whether it be true or false, and that it is a great fault to make any question of it : or they do not think the assurance can be attained : or that there is any great difference between one man and another, but that we are all Christians, and therefore need not trouble ourselves any further ; or at least they know not wherein the difference lies. They have as gross an idea of regeneration as Nicodemus had. Some will not believe that God will ever make such (c) Ephes. v. 6. 7.
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