Durham - BV4615 D87 1732

98 Sermon 4. cafes they give not credit to, nor lay weight upon, all that their Confcience faith. A fourth quefion arifing from the former is, Whether it may be thus with a believer, and yet he be in a good. frame ? 24nfwer, If we mean a good frame univerfally, fo he cannot be ; but altho' he be in many, yea in molt, things in a good. frame, as both himfelf and others may think, and have good ground to think fo ; yet he may go wrong in a particular, and in fo far he is not in a good frame, as in the inftances given before. I. He may have an honeft mind and meaning. z. In other things he may be very obfervant of, and tender in duty, very traEtable and obedient to the faith of Chrïft, keeping the Church, hearing the word preached, given to prayer, and to wait on all ordinances, as no doubt thefe believing Yews were, .4th 2 i . 3. he may be in Tome meafure in a praying frame, yea praying in or about the very time he mifcar- rieth; as we fee in that forecited inftance of Samuel, i Sam. i 5. compared with 16. who had been prefently praying and offering facrifice, when he drew that conclufion touching Eliab; Jonah alfo was praying in that fit of di- ftempered paffion, and content to die, and defirous to be in heaven, which fuppofeth fome clearnefs of his iute- reft; for it cannot in charity be thought, that the godly man was defperate, or durit fo go to God, and yet he was no doubt wrong. Yea, 4. IIe may have great manifefla- tións, (as we fee in Peter on the mount) and ytt go wrong in a particular, as he did ; this faith, that belie- vers, as well as others, Ihould walk in humility and fear, and never be over confident ; it is not fure in vain that they are bidden work out the work of their own falvation with fear and trembling ; and all men fliould be very warry,, unlefs it be on good grounds, to draw conclufions about the goodnefs of their efiate, efpecially wherein thefe greatly failed, who are fpoken of, yer. 2. 35. Be- . Gaffe f am innocent, furely his anger is turned away front me. Only here, take two or three differences betwixt the .' 'erfwafions that are in believers, and thefe that are in hypocrites, when they go wrong. t. In a believer it is in Come particular, and not as to their Rare, as 'Lis hn

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