A11111111 2 a 2 The riibt manner of Sane if the but you can never knowwhen you have done enough, fo as co e certain that you are wel for eternity : That faith, Whofball af:_ send into 'Heaven to know the mind of God concerning me ? whether he wil accept of me, and of that obedience and worfhip that I tender up to him ? Whofbalgo down into the deep ? who !hal go down ro Hell to know there, whether that place be pre- pared for him or no ? It is a phrafe that only expreffeth anun- certainty thi one cannot befatisfied about his eternal eilace, ex- a cepc he could go to Heaven, and there fee and read GodsBook, and fodifcover Gods mind concerning him ; or godown toHell, and fo knowwhether that place be appointed for him or not ? Except I can do one of thefe, I cannot certainly tell ( meetly by the Law) whether I fhal go toHeaven or Hell. As you that are Merchants and Dealers abroad, you are at a great deal ofuncer- tainty what fhal become ofyour canes. Indeed if I coulctiend one over to the Indies, to tel me how my Shipprofpered, then I. could be at a certainty, thenI fhould hear whether I were a rich man, yea,or no ; but except I coulddo fuch a thing, I am at an uncertainty. Such is the expreffion here. As ifa poor foul fhould fay, I would fain be Caved, and loth to perith eternally : But all thewhile the foul remains under theLaw;it remains in an uncer- tain condition ; but now faith he, The wordofthe Gofpel is nigh thee, even in thine heart, and that is the word that we preach, that faith, 'Rom. up. 9. If thoufbalt confefl voidb tby mouth the Lord. Jerips, and fbalt beleme in thine heart that god bath raifedhim from the dead, thou Pal: be laved. As if he ihould fay, This word of the Gofpel that is come into thine heart cloth affure thy foul of thy eternal efface, fo that though thoucan't nor go up to Heaven,nor go down to Hel, yet thou haft that in thine hearr,that, loth as it wereaffure thee that thou shalt be eternally faved, as if thouwert able to goup to thehigbeft Heavens, and fetch News from thence. Oh now,the good word of. the Gofpelhow fhould we prize it,ancl keep it in our hearts ? for that's in our heartsthat wil allure us of our falvation to al eternity, and of Godseternal purpofe todo thee good in Heaven. You would account it, a great happinefs if there could be any arc to fend abroad to the Straights, or to other places, to know how things fare with you : but now,jf thou halt the word of the Gofpel wIthin thee, if that prevails
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