6 8 OfEffeattal Cain. S e c T.XIT. Both not the fpirituat loverfeel fuch fire in hisbones ? Doth not David cry, That hie fowlbrearheth and longethfor God? Dothnot the Church cryour, She ìa fickof love ? So then, fupernatural principles afting in the foul, areperceived fpirituatly, as rational alts are, or fenfible as are. As Auffi»faid, He thatbe- lieveth, findeth he doth believe ; viz. Godsfpirit ailifting him ; otherwife, like Hagar, theremay bea pleafant fountainof refrethment hard by, and the not per- ceive it, till hereyes be opened : What then Ihould be the caufe that menmay think this certainty impoffible? This may arife from three grounds: Why men Firth, WhenWe takenoeffeflsof grace to before figns, unlefi they be perfe£l and think this cer- cam Lear And this is veryoften adeceit, even to good and tender hearta ; the able1ecmpof do not loveGod, theyare not fo heavenly minded,fozealous; they have often r, failings, they have daily infirmities : And thus, becaufe they have not perfea workings of grace, they doubt of any grace at all ; but then Heeekiah, Pmei and all the worthies of God, who enjoyed this priviledge, fhould have been thripped of it,for at the fame time they complain ofthe remainder of theircorru- ptions, they feel thornsand goads in their,fide : Sogreat a matter is itto make a difference between truth of grace in the Effence, and perfeftion in the de- grees. 2. Another groundmay be, Becaufemenfor the mollpart keepat a remotediflance fromGad: They are not diligent and conftant in fpiritual duties and approaches to God : Thus becaufe they draw not nigh toGod, God drawethnotnigh to them ; becaufe theyare eflrangedfrom Gòd, God is alto from them: If there- fore wedid take the Scriptures counfel, To walk with God, and to acquaint our felves with God, which is done by livelymeditation, andquickned duties ofReligion, wefhould then finde that fromGod, which we thought impoffi- ble: You fee the effols ofall adis are thought impollible, to thofe that have no skill therein: And thus it ishere,Alfurance is a myftery,and impoflibitity to thee, becaufe thouhá4 no familiar acquaintance with God ; thou comet} not into his prefence often, thoudelighteft not to draw nigh to him. 1. Thirdly, Onemain taufeof this uncertainty, is alto, Anourifhinqa feervile flee- vifh fear about God; not praying for the fpirit of Adoption, and a filial Evangeli Calframe of heart : This is greatly to be attended untoby timorated confciences, fuch as are fhaken with fear and terror for fin; Nunquam[ariacavent etiam inm cavent, they dithinguifhnot between Timor folieitudinis, and Timor anxietatis, Afear ofgodly care and diligence,anda fear ofperplexing anxieties:Oh this ma- ny times is a labyrinth that good people are in;their hearts arenot directed into theway ofbelieving,as the Apo41e fpeaks a7heff.;.5.they fear Godas an auflere Mailer, watching the opportunity todamn them ; they have not the reveren- tial fear of a father, which is accompanied with faith and loveof God : Thus Cainand .Iudeu, they did fplit their foulsupon this rock, they were terrified a- bout their fins, horror had taken hold of them, becaufe of the wretched con- dition theywerein; but they hadnot faith in God as a father, which would have been the clue attired tohave helped themout of theirdifrefs : Oh then do not delightin thybondage difpofition ; do not took uponGod with a flavifh fear; this will breed hatred at lath, Odirunt dammetunrt,and hatred blafphe- ming defpair: Thefe things difpatched, I come to Anfwer the firth Qbje- /ion : Objtfl. The heart of mail isdeceitful, its inch a deep we cannot fathom : Whocan under- frondhis errors?faith David, Cleaefemefromfecret fins,Pfal.19.a3. Theremay be a great deal of unknown wickednefs in me, filch pride, fuch earthlinefs, fach unbelief, that I never can underthand. Antr, To thisI Anfwer, That though a man may be deceived inhie judgement about himfelf, yet it doth notfollow, that he is alwaysde fa/ho dereived: Wefay, Gene- ral Connects mayerre, yet they didnot always defaflo erre; fo it mayfallout, that a man in judgingabout himfelf may be deceived, but thathe is in every aft
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