2 2 The Gorpel-Myflery Direa. xiir. felves upon their fick -bed, or before the receiving of the Lord's flapper, though they have found them- felves ftark naught, and do not depend on Chrift, to make them better, but on .their own deceitful pur- pofes and refolutions. Think not that you mutt be- gin-this work with doubting whether God will ex. tend mercy to you, and fave you ; and that you mulls leave this a queftion wholly under debate, until you have found out how to refolve it by felfrexamination. This is á common and very pernicious error in the very 'foundation of this work, which is hereby laid in the great fin of unbelief; which, as loon as it pre. vaileth, doth, by its great influence, daft) and obscure all inward gracious qualifications of peace, hope, joya love to God and his people, before they be at all tri- ed, whether they can give any good evidence for their falvatien. And it males people willing to think their "own qualifications better than they are, left they fhould fall into an utter defpair of their fal- vation ; and thus it wholly marreth the good work of feifexamination, and maketh it detru6live to our fouls ; for to them that are defiled and unbelieving, there is nothing pure, Tit. i. ì S. You fhould rather begiu the work with much affurance of faith, that though you' may at prefent find your heart never fo wicked and reprobate, (as many of God's choiceft fervants have found,) yet the door of mercy is open for you, and that God will Certainly fave you for e- ver, if you put your truft in his grace through Chrift. I have formerly fhewed, that this confident perfua lion is of the nature of faving faith, and that we have fufficient ground for it in the free promifes of the gofpel, when we walk in darknefs, and can fee no light fhining forth in our gracious qualifications. If we begin the work with this confidence, it will make us impartial, and rot afraid to find out the worft of ourfelves, and willin T. to judge, that our hearts are deceitful above all things, and defperately wicked., beyond what we can find out, Jer. xvii. q.. And, if
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