on rlctS 24. ab. 95 proveth him, and faith to him, Look not on his counte- nance, nor on the height of bis feature, becaufe I have refufed him; for the Lord feeth not as man Teeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. How oft may a tryft of providence be miíiaken ? I was in prayer, and fuch a word met me, and fuch a providence occurred to me, and did cad the balance. A 2d Cafe is, When a thing reprefenteth itfelf to the believer,not only as lawful and honett, but as conducing much to Goi's glory,and to the good of his work,and he meaneth well in it, how ready is he hence to conclude, that he is certain- ly called to fuch a thing, and that it is his duty,when yet it is not fo ? We may fee fomething of this in David,who, z Sam. 7. z, 2, 3, and 4, having a purpofe to build a houfe to God, propofeth the matter to Nathan the prophet,who, without confulting God, off -hand faith to him, Go, do all that is in thine heart, for the Lord is with thee; and ye t, not - withftanding, tho' God loved the thing, and approved of it in itfelf as a duty ; yet it was nor God's mind that Da- vid should perform it, nor that Nathan fhould have fo po- fitively encouraged him to it : Hence, when a thing con- f tiered in itfelf is pleafing to God, and may be for his ho- nour, Tome good people may think it to be their duty, . whom yet God never called to fuch a thing : As, for in- fiance, to aim to be a minifter of the gofpel is a good thing in itfelf, and one may have a fort of impulfe to it, . who yet may not be called to it. A 3d Cafe is, When believers inclinations and affeetions are exceeding much towards fuch or fuch a thing, very readily therefrom they will come to have a fart of perfwafion in their Confcience anent that thing : As,for inftance, when they love one fort of life beyond another, which is not limply unlawful, or one child beyond another ; as we may fee in Ifaac his firong inclination to biefs Efau,Gen. 27. we conceive, the good man went not agatuft the light of his own Confcience in the matter, but he loved him exceffively, which made him take the lets heed to what otherwife God's promife and way of dealing with his Ions might have taught him ; even when he is about to die (when men ufe to be mofe fingle) he is, by his excels of affe &ion, carried on that fame way, tho', doubtlefs, not intending to crofs God's pur
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