The Epijile Dedicatory. wrerched,and miferable, and poore, and blind, and naked. In there luke- warme rimes , many there are, who with the fruits ofa temporary faith ,'and forne light of the generali graces of the Spirit, make a faire thew, and winnegood reputation for their fpirituall fiate,hoth with their own hearts,and with the world abroad;when to theeye ofheavenlywifèdome,and in truth,rhey are but onely Blazing-Barres, and earthly minded, not fixed in the fame firmament with the Sunneofrighteoufneffe , nor ofan heavenly Bampe. And ifthey rifenot higher in their afffcEtions and con- verfation from earth and earthly vanities , when their rootlefre graces íhall bee withered and wafted away,their fall will be fudden and fearefull;and their formervanifhitìg fiddles ofvainehope for future hap- pinefie,will be turned into horror, &extremeü mile- ries ofdefpaire. Moft behoofefull then is it for every man in time,to fearch and examine himfelfe,wherher Cjríf Iefus he inhim or no. And it is one ofrhe wor- thieft and nobleft irnploymenrs of the foule,to reflex} upon it felfe; and with an undazelcd and undifiem- bling eye thorowly to try and defcry clearely it own Bate: whether it be already wafhed with theblood of Chrift, and enlyved with a fupernaturall vigour and life ofgrace; or yet lie polluted in it owne bloud and under the powerof the fiat death.I wonder how any man can beat ref and quiet, until! he be affured and fecured in this point, fich upon it depends his everla fting effare in another world ! Nay , fith even in this world, every unregenerate man, let him be otherwife never fo great, or adored above others,never fo abfo- lute in all other excellencies andperfeßions whatfo- ever;
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