26 The MORTIFICATION doth he meet with men. God often hews men by the fword of his word inthat ordinance ; Bikes direftly on their bofom, beloved lull ; ftartles the framer, makes him engage into the mortification and reliuquifhment of the evil of his heart. Now if his tuft have taken fucli hold on him, as to enforce him to break theft bonds of the Lord, and to call thefe cords from him ; if it overcomes thefe con- viftions, and gets again into its old pofture ; if it can cure the wounds it fo re- ceives, that foul isin a fad condition. Thefe and many other evidences are there of a tuft that is dangerous, if not mortal. As our Saviour faid of the evil Spi- rit, This kind, goes not out bat by falling and prayer, fo fay I, of tufts of this kind; an ordinary courfe of mortification will not doit, extraordinary ways mull be fixed on. This is the fife particular direction ; confider 'whether the tuft or fin, you are contending wit#, hath any of thefe dangerousfymptoms attending of it. lseftire I proceed, I muff give one caution by the way, left any be deceived by what bath been fpoken. Whereas, I fay, the things and evils above-mentioned may befall true believers, let not any that finds the fame things in himfelf, thence or from thence conclude, that he is a true believer. There are the evils that believers may fall into, and be enfnared withal, not the things that conftitute a believer - A man may as well conclude that he is a believer, becaufe hé is an adulterer ; becaufe David that was fo, fell into Adultery ; as conclude it from the frgns foregoing ; which are the evils of fin and fatan in the hearts of believers. The 7th chapter of the Romans contains,the defcription of a regenerate man. He that (hall confider what is fpoken of his dark fide, of his unregenerate part, of the indwelling power and violenceof fire remahaing in him, and becaufe he finds the like in himfelf; conclude that he is a regenerate man, will be deceived in his reckoning. It is all one as if you Ihould argue, A wife marl may be fick and wounded, yea do force things foolifhly, therefore every one, who is lick and wounded, and does things foolifhly, is a wife man. Or as if a filly deformed creature hearing one fpeaking of a beautiful perforo, fhould fay that he had a mark or a fear that much disfigured him, lhoüld conclude that becaufe he hash himfelf fcars, and moles and warts, that he alto is beautiful. If you will have evidences of your being believers, it mull be from thfe things, that conßitute men believers. He that hath theft things in himfelf; may fafely conclude; If I am a believer, Tama moll mi ferable one. But that any man is fo, he muff look for other evidences, if he will have peace. #iß4kßa.aß'Ya:ßiß44ßY':}4:ß44444 i49í- 4444ß:!kaña4a4444444aßß4Y4Y444ßiß44'f7k kA &,r',&, ,&A,&&&,&A TVV`rI`rz TWVVVV'T ßas aßaR'.ií.i£íïNíad,kßo--0ìtíß4'áisaß ka?Sítieí}.4 ßo-ßaá3aakaßaéfiiíak"pf:o-ai-i+hcefY..éhko*4.ëf:No- CHAP X. The fecond particular diretiian. Get a clear fenfe of. i. The guilt of the fin perplexing. Confederations for help therein propofed. 2. The danger of it. This danger manifold. (i.) Hardening. (2.) Temporal córretli- on. (3.) Lofs ofpeace and llrength. (4.) Eternal deffrrtlion.. Rules: for this management ofthe confederation. 3. The evil ofit. (1.) In griev- ing the Spirit. (2.) Wounding.the new creature. INHE fecond diretlion is this, get a clear and abiding fenfe upon thy 4- k'a * mind and confcience of the guilt, danger, and evil, of that fin, Ot ft8 wherewith thou art perplexed. ß4 i. Of the guilt of it. It is one of the deceits -of a prevailing left; - a%-%ìf to extenuate its own guilt. Is it not a little one? When Igo and bow myfelt in the houfe of Rimmon, Godbe merciful tomein this thing. Though this
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