68 THE CHARACTER OF THOSE subscribed and sealed to that which ascertains us, both of . the grace which is the condition, and the kingdom which on that condition is offered ! ,§ 12.: Such are the essentials of this people of God, Not a full portraiture of them in all their excellencies. nor all the notes whereby they may be discerned. I beseech thee, Reader, as thou hast the hope of a Christian, or the reason of a man, judge thyself as one that must shortly be judged by a righteous God, and faithfully answer these questions. I will not in- quire whether thou remember the time or the order of these workings of the Spirit ; there may be much uncertainty and mistake in that. If thou art sure they are wrought in thee, the matter is not so great though thou know not when or how thou earnest by them. But carefully examine and enquire, hast thou been thoroughly convinced of a prevailing de- pravation through thy whole soul? and .a prevailing wickedness through thy whole life? and how vile sin is ? and that, by the covenant thou hast transgressed, the least sin deserves eternal death ? Dost thou con- sent to the law, that it is true and righteous, and perceive thyself sentenced to this death by it ? Hast thou seen the utter insufficiency of every creature, either to be itself thy happiness, or the means of re- moving this thy misery? Hast thou been convinced, that thy happiness is only in God, as the end; and in Christ, as the way to him ; and that, thou must be brought to God through Christ, or perish eternally? Hast thou seen an absolute necessity of thy enjoying Christ, and the full sufficiency in him to do for thee whatsoever thy case requires ? Hast thou discovered the excellency of this pearl, to be worth thy selling all to buy it ?(z) Have thy convictions been like those of a man that thirsts ; and not merely a change in opi- nion, produced by reading or education ? Have both thy sin and misery been the abhorrence and burden of thy soul? If thou eouldst not weep, yet couldst (z)° Matt. xiii. 46.
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