PART II. to difiinguifh Affe3iosas. 77 had Faith in an eminent Degree ; fome of which, Clrrift teaches, committed the unpardonable Sin againft the Holy Ghoft. TheScrip- ture reprefents Faith, as that by which Men are brought into a good Elate ; and therefore it can't be the fame Thing, as believing that they are already in a good Eilate. To fuppofe that Faith conffis iii Perfons believing that they are in a good Eftate, is in area the fame Thing, as to fuppofe that Faith confifis in a Per fon's believing that he has Faith, or in believing that he believes. Indeed Perfons doubting of their good Eftate, may in leverai Ref - pec`FF ar irefrom Unbelief. It may be fromUnbelief, or becaufe they have fo little Faith, that they have fo littleEvidence of their goodEitate If they had more Experience of the Adtings of Faith, and fo more Experience of the Exercife of Grace, they would have clearer Evi- dence that their State was good ; and fo their Doubts would be re- moved. And then their doubting of their State may be from Unbelief thus, When tho' there be many Things that are good Evidences of a Work of Grace in 'em, yet they doubt very much whether they are really in a State of Favour with God, becaufe it is they, thofe that are fo unworthy, and have done fo much to provoke God to Anger a- gainft them. Their Doubts in fuch a Cafe arife from Unbelief, as they arife from want of a fufficient Sent of, and reliance on the infi- nite Riches of God's Grace, and the Sufficiency of Chrift for the Chief of Sinners. They may air~) be from Unbelief, when they doubt of their State, becaufe of the Myftery of God's Dealings with them They are not able to reconcile fuch Difpenlations with God's Favour to them : Or when they doubt whether they have any Intereft in the Promifes, becaufe the Promifes from the AfpeCts of Providence, ap- pear fo unlikely to be fulfilled ; the Difficulties that are in the Way, are fo many and great.. Such Doubting arifes fromwant of Depen- dance upon God's Almighty Power, and his Knowledge andWi{dom, as infinitely above theirs-. But yet, in fuch Perfons, their Unbelief, and their Doubting of their State, are not the fame Thing ; tho' one arifes from the other. Perfons may be greatly to blame for doubting of their.State, on fuch Grounds as there Tait mentioned ; and they may be to Marne, that they have no more Grace, and no more of the prefent Exercifes. and Experiences of it, to be an Evidence to 'em of the Goodnefs of their State : Men are douhtlefs to blame for being in a dead carnal Frame ; but when they are in fuch a Frame, and have no fenfible Ex- perience of the Exercifes of Grace, but on the contrary, are; very much under the Prevalence of their, Lufis, and an unchriftian Spirit, they are not to blame for doubting of their State. 'Tis as impoflîble, in the Nature of Things, that a holy and chriflian Hope, fhould be kept alive, in its Clearnefs and Strength, in fuch Circumfiances, as it is to keep the Light in the Room, when the Candle is put out ; or to
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