184 Thefifth Sign PART III, ality and Certainty, appear new to them,and they behold 'em quite in another View than they ufed to do. There are many Perfons who have been exceedingly raifed with religious Affections, and think they have been converted, they don't go about the World any more con- vinced of the Truth of the Gofpel, than they ufed to be ; or at leaft, there is no remarkable Alteration : They are not Men who live un- der the Influence and Power of a realizing Conviaion of the infinite and eternal Things which the Gofpel reveals : If they were, it would be impoflible for 'em to live as they do. Becaufe their Affe Lions are not attended with a thorough Convi6ttion of the Mind, they are not at all to be depended on ; however great a Show and Noife they make, 'tis like the Blaze of Tow, or Crackling of Thorns, or like the forward flourifhing Blade on ftony Ground, that has no Root, nor.Deepnefs of Earth to maintain it's Life. Some Perfons, under high Affections, and a confident Perfwafion of their good Eflate, have that, which they very ignorantly call a Seeing the Truth of the Word of God, and which is very far from it, after this Manner ; they have fome Text of Scripture coming to their Minds, in a fudden and extraordinary Manner, immediately de- claring to them ( as they fuppofe ) that their Sins are forgiven or that God loves them, and w;ll lave them ; and it may be have a Chain of Scriptures coming one after another; to the fame Purpofe ; and they are convinced that it is Truth ; i. e. they are confident that it is certainly fo, that their Sins are forgiven, and God does love them, &c - --; they fay they know it is fo ; and when the Words of Scripture are fuggefled to 'em, and as they fuppofe immediately fpo- ken to 'em by God, in this Meaning, they are ready to cry out, Truth, Truth ! 'Tís certainly fo ! The Word of God is true ! And this they call a Seeing the Truth of the Word of God. Whereas the Whole of their Faith amounts to no more, than only a ftrong Con- fidence of their own good Eflate, and fo a Confidence that thole Words are true, which they fuppofe tell 'em they are in a good E- flate : When indeed (as was fhown before) there is no Scripture which declares that any Perfon is in a good Eflate directly, or any other Way than by Confequence. So that this, inflead of being a real Sight of the Word of God, is a Sight of nothing but a Phantom, and is all over a Delufion. Truly to fee the Truth of the Word of God, is to fee the Truth of the Gofpel ; which is the glorious Doc- trine the Word of God contains, concerning God, and Jefus Chrift, and the Way of Salvation by him, and the World of Glory that he is entered into, and purchafed for all them who believe ; and not a Revelation that fuch and fuch particular Perfons are true Chriftians, and (hail go to Heaven. Therefore thofeAffedlions which arife from no other Perfwafion of the Truth of the Word of God than this, a- rife
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