comfortdble w4lkitigwith God. 335 dayes of humiliation, bookes of bell rellifh to a fpirituall talk, &c. But now on the contrary fide, the prefumptuous confidenceand groundleffe conceits, lye in the Pharifes tae- Tome withmuch quietnefreand fecurity r without doubting, difficulty, contradiction, or any filch a doe. The reafon is,his carnall heart is well enough content, and meddles not; be. caufe it fill fades upon the delights of his darling time, without difturbance. Satan is too fubtill to interpofe, tempt or interrupt, in fucha cafe. For he well knoweth that his foundation is falfehood, his hope of heaven but a golden dreatne ; and therefore in policy he holds 'his peace, that he may hold him the faller. Takenotice by the way,that,that very thing whichmakes many a true heartedChriflian to doubt of himfelfe, and of the foundneffe of his fpirituall liate,fhould put him out ofall doubt; even often exercife withdoubts, temptatiOns, multi plyed attemptsagainfi his faith, andaffurance ofGods love prayed againa, humbly refilled, and oppofed with cleaving unto the tender heartedneffeof Chrill, and truth of his pro- tnifes, though for the prefent he bath little or no feeling ; no fuch joy and peace in fobeleeving : And that very thing"up. on which thedeluded Ones doe build, and many times boaft themfelves ; to wit, that they are untroubled, untempted, in point of faith, and pretended affurance ; may returne-an in- fallible remonftrance to their owne confciences, that they are certainely deceived, For doubtleffe,that faith which is never affaulted with doubting, is but a fancy. Affuredly thataffix- ranee which is ever fectare, is but a dreame. Many a Pharifee naiads by the bed-fide of the fincere Profeffor, vifited with affliftion ofconfcience,and many heavy temptations; keret- lyand finfully pleating himfelfe in the unbleffed calmeneffe of a groundleffe confidence, and in his freedome from fuch ter- rors and fpirituail troubles : when as himfelfe is like an Oita fatting in the greene paflures of impunity and outward prbf- ptrity forthe day of flaughter but the afflitiedparty is as precious gold, purifying in the Lords refining farnace;that he any afterward come,outand thine more glorioully. s. In
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