V E CJJ.'D; IY. What thcn~Think not that I incourage you to doubt more; bur perfwade you not to A be di!couragcd with doubting. All uncertainty is comfortleffe: thofe that teach me to conjcClureand fmbid to refolve,reade lcCluresofmifcry. Thofedoubts are bun makeway for affurance;as the oft lhaking ofthe tree,fa!!cns it more at the root.'\'o are fure ofGod,but you are afraidc ofyour felfe.The doubt is not in his promife,but your application. Looke into your owne heart. How know you that you know any thing, that you beleeve,that you will,that you approve,that you affeCl any thing~ Ifa man, like your felfe, promifc youought, you know whether you tru!! him, whether you relye your felfe on his fidelity.Why can you not know it in him that is God and man~ The difference is not in the aCl, but the objeCl. But ifthefe habits (bccaufeof their inward and ambiguous nature) fccmc hard ro he defcried; turne your eyesto thofe open marks that cannot beguile you. How many have bragged ofthcir Faith, B when they have embraced nothing but avainc cloud of prefuriiption~ Every manrepeats his Creed, fewfeele it, few praClife it. Take two boughs in thedead ofwinter; how like is onewood to another~ how hardly difcerned ~ Afterwards, BJ thtirfr•it tn•.u,,.,.,w,.,n. That faith, whofe nature was obfcure, is evident in his effeCls. bucthehandofthefoule~ Whatischeduty ofthehand, but either to worke ~This hand then holds Chri!!, works obedience and holindfc: and if ofapprebcnfion be as fccrer, as the caufe; fince the clofed hand hideth !!ill what it holdeth1 fee the hand offaith open; fee what it worketh,and compare it wit!\' your own proofe. ;Deny ifyou can (yet I hadratherappeale to any Judge, then your prejudiced felfe) that in all your needs you can !!ep boldly totheThrone of Heaven; and freely powre our your enlarged heart eo your God, and crave ofhim, whether to receive what you want, orthatyou may want what you have, and would nor. Be alfuredfrom God,this canbe done by no powcr,but(chat you feare to miffc)offaith. God, as hcisnot, fohe is not called a father withoutthis. In vaine doth he pray, chat cannot call God Father: No father withoutthc fpicit ofadoption; no fpirit,without faith :without this you may babble, you cannot pray. A!fume you that youcan pray, I dare conclude upon my foule, T•• htltt'llt. As little as you love yourfelfe, deny if you can that you love God. Say that your Saviour from heaven lhould aske you Pt· ters que!!ion,could your foule retucne anyother anfwer, then LDrd th•• kno~t~ej/I IIIVt thee? Why are you elfe inCuch awe to offend, that a world cannot bribe youto /in~ Why in fuch deep griefewhen you have finned, that no mirth can refrelh you~ Why in fuch ferventdefireofenjoying his prefence ~Why in fuch agony when you en- D it not! neither doth God love you, neither can you love God without faith. Yet more: doe youwillingly noucilh any one fin in your brei!; doeyou not repent of all~ Doeyou not hate all, though you cannot leave all~ Doe you not complaine that you bate them no more~ Doe you not,as for life, wifi1 for holincff<,1nd endeavourir~ Nothing but faith can thus cleanfe the heart; that, like agood houfe.wife,fweeps all the foule cornersof the fonle,and will not leave fo muchas oneweb in this roomy houfe. Tcurt to it, you cannot hate fin for itownefake, and forfakc it for Gods fake,without faith; the faithlcffe hath had fame remorfe and feares, never repentance. Lallly, doe you not love a good man for goodnelfe, and delight in Gods Saints~ Doth not your love lead you to compaffion ; your compaffion to relcefc ~ An hmt truly faithful! cannot but have an hand chri!!ianly bountifull :Charity and Faith make up one per- E feCI pairc ofCompalfes, that can take the true latitude of aChritlian heart: Faith is the one foot,pitcht in the centre unmoveably, while Charitywalks about in aperfell circle ofbeneficence: thefe two never did, neither can goe afunder : Warrant you your love, I dare warrant your faith :What need I fay more~ This heat ofouraffel!li- · ons, and this light ofyour workes, will evince again!! all the gates of hdl, that you fire of Faith :let your foule then warme it felfe with thefe fwcet and cocdiagain!!all thofe cold defpaires, whercto youare tempted : fay, L~rd, I t.e. I will give you leave !!ill to adde, Htlp "'J on6tlttft. To
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