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on many other such like accounts, whereby wicked men may be induced to love the godly. But happy they, who can love them for naked grace in them; for their heavenborn temper and disposition; who can pick this pearl out of a dung-hill of infirmities in and about them; lay hold on it, and love them for it. (2.) It is a love that will be given to all, in whom the grace of God appears. They that love one saint, because he is a saint, will have love to all the saints, Eph. i. 15. They will love all who, to their discerning, bear the image of God. They that cannot love a gracious person in rags, but confine their love to those of them who wear gay cloathing, have not this love to the brethren in them. Those who can confine their love to a party, to whom God has not confined his grace, are souls too narrow to be put among the children. In what points soever men differ from us, in their judgment or way, yet if they appear to agree with us, in love to God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, and in bearing his image; we will love them as brethren, if we ourselves be of the heavenly family. And, (3.) If this love be in us, the more grace any person appears to be possessed of, he will be the more beloved by us. The more vehemently the holy fire of grace doth flame in any, the hearts of true Christians will be the more warmed in love to them. It is not with the saints as with many other men, who make themselves the standard for others; and love them so far as they think they are like themselves. But, if they seem to out-shine and darken them, their love is turned to hatred and envy; and they endeavour to detract from the due praise of their exemplary piety; because nothing relisheth with them in the practice of religion, that goes beyond their own measure. What of the life and power of religion appears in others, serves only to raise the serpentine grudge in their Pharisaical hearts. But, as for them that are born again, their love and affection to the brethren bears proportion to the degrees of the divine image they discern in them.

Now, if ye would improve these things to the knowledge of your state, I would advise you, (I.) To set apart some time, when ye are at home, for a review of your case, and try your state, by what has been said. Many have comfort and clearness as to their state, at a sermon,

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who in a little time lose it again; because, while they hear the word preached, they make application of it; but do not consider of these things more deliberately and leisurely when alone. The action is too sudden and short, to give lasting comfort. And it is often so indeliberate, that it has bad consequences. Therefore, set about this work at home, after earnest and serious prayer to God, for his help in it. Complain not of your want of time, while the night follows the busy day; or of place, while the fields and out-houses are to be got. (2.) Renew your repentance before the Lord. Guilt lying on the conscience, unrepented of, may darken all your evidences and marks of grace. It provokes the Spirit of grace to depart; and when he goes, our light ceases. It is not fit time for a saint to read his evidences, when the candle is blown out by some conscience-wounding guilt. Lastly, Exert the powers of the new nature; let the graces of the divine Spirit in you discover themselves by action. If ye would know whether there is a sacred fire in your breast or not, ye must blow the coal; for although it be a live-coal, yet if it be under the ashes, it will give you no light. Settle in your hearts a firm purpose, through the grace that is in Christ Jesus, to comply with every known duty, and watch against every known sin; having a readiness of mind, to be instructed in what ye know not. If gracious souls would thus manage their inqui ries into their state, it is likely they would have a com- · fortable issue. And if others would take such a solemn review, and make trial of their state impartially, sisting themselves before the tribunal of their own consciences, they might have a timely discovery of their own naughtiness: But the neglect of self-examination leaves most men under sad delusions, as to their state; and deprives many saints of the comfortable sight of the grace of God

in them.

But that I may afford some further help to true Christians, in their inquiries in their state, I shall propose, and briefly answer, some cases or doubts, which may pos sibly hinder some persons from the comfortable view of their happy state. The children's bread must not be with-held, though while it is reached to them, the dogs should snatch at it.

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Case 1. I doubt if I be regenerate, because I know not the precise time of my conversion; nor can I trace the particular steps, in the way in which it was brought to pass. Ans. Though it is very desirable to be able to give an account of the beginning, and the gradual advances of the Lord's work upon our souls, as some saints can distinctly do; howbeit, the manner of the Spirit's working is still a mystery; yet this is not necessary to evidence the truth of grace. Happy he that can say, in this case, as the blind man in the gospel, “One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see." Like as when we see flames, we know there is fire, though we know not how or when it began; so the truth of grace in us may be discerned, though we know not how, or, when, it was dropped into our hearts. If thou canst perceive the happy change, which is wrought on thy soul; if thou findest thy mind is enlightened, thy will inclined to comply with the will of God in all things, especially to fall in with the divine plan of salvation through a crucified Redeemer; in vain dost thou trouble thyself, and refuse comfort, because thou knowest not, how and what way it was brought about.

Case 2. If I were a new creature, sin could not prevail against me as it doth.-Ans. Though we must not lay pillows for hypocrites to rest their heads upon, who indulge themselves in their sins, and make the doctrine of God's grace subservient to their lusts, lying down contentedly in the bond of iniquity, like men that are fond of golden chains; yet it must be owned, the just man falleth seven times a-day, and iniquity may prevail against the children of God. But if thou art groaning under the weight of the body of death, the corruption of thy nature; loathing thyself for the sins of thy heart and life; striving to mortify thy lusts; fleeing daily to the blood of Christ for pardon; and looking to his Spirit for sanctification; though thou mayest be obliged to say with the Psalmist," Iniquities prevail against me:" Yet thou mayest add with him, "As for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away," Psal. lxv. 3. The new creature doth not yet possess the house alone; it dwells beside an ill neighbour; namely, remaining corruption, the relicts of depraved nature. These struggle together

gracious heart, than love to any creature enjoyment whatsoever; as appears when competition arises in such a manner, that the one or the other is to be foregone. Would you then know your case? Retire into your own hearts, and there lay the two in the balance, and try which of them weighs down the other. Ask thyself, as in the sight of God, whether thou wouldst part with Christ for the creature, or part with the creature for Christ, if thou wert left to thy choice in the matter? If you find your heart disposed to part with what is dearest to you in the world for Christ, at his call, you have no reason to conclude, you love the creature more than God; but, on the contrary, that you love God more than the creature; albeit you do not feel such violent motions in the love of God, as in the love of some created thing, Matth. x. 37. "He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me." Luke xiv. 26. "If any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother, he cannot be my disciple." From which texts compared, we may infer, that he who hates, i. e. is ready to part with, father and mother for Christ, is, in our Lord's account, one that loves them less than him; and not one who loves father and mother more than him. Moreover, ye are to consider, there is a twofold love to Christ. (1.) There is a sensible love to him, which is felt as a dart in the heart; and makes a holy love-sickness in the soul, arising either from want of enjoyment, as in the case of the spouse, Cant. v. 8. “I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love;" or else from the fullness of it, as in that case, Cant. ii. 5. "Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples; for I am sick of love." These glowings of affections are usually wrought in young converts, who are ordinarily made to sing in the days of their youth, Hos. ii. 14. While the fire-edge is on the young convert, he looks on others reputed to be godly, and not finding them in such a temper and disposition as himself, he is ready to censure them; and think there is far less religion in the world than indeed there is. But when his own cup comes to settle below the brim, and he finds that in himself, which made him question the state of others, he is more humbled, and feels more

and more the necessity of daily recourse to the blood of Christ for pardon, and to the Spirit of Christ for sanctification; and thus grows downwards in humiliation, selfloathing, and self-denial. (2.) There is a rational love to Christ, which, without these sensible emotions felt in the former case, evidences itself by a dutiful regard to the divine authority and command. When one bears such a love to Christ, though the vehement stirrings of affection be wanting, yet he is truly tender of offending a gracious God; endeavours to walk before him unto all-pleasing; and grieved at the heart, for what is displeasing unto him, 1 John v. S. "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments." Now, although that sensible love doth not always continue with you, ye have no reason to account in a hypocritical fit, while the rational love remains with you, more than a faithful and loving wife needs question her love to her husband, when her fondness is abated.

Case 5. The attainments of hypocrites and apostates are a terror to me, and come like a shaking storm on me, when I am about to conclude from the marks of grace which I seem to find in myself, that I am in the state of grace. Ans. These things should indeed stir us up to a most serious and impartial examination of ourselves; but ought not to keep us in a continued suspense as to our state. Sirs, ye see the outside of hypocrites, their duties, their gifts, their tears, &c. but ye see not their inside; ye do not discern their hearts, the bias of their spirits. Upon what ye see of them, ye found a judgment of charity, as to their state; and ye do well to judge charitably in such a case, because ye cannot know the secret springs of their acting But ye are speaking, and ought to have a judgment of certainty, as to your own state; and, therefore, are to look in to that part of religion, which none in the world but yourselves can discern in you, and which as little see in others. An hypocrite's religion may appear far greater than that of a sincere soul; but, that which makes the greatest figure in the eyes of men, is often least worth before God. I would rather utter one of those groans the Apostle speaks of, Rom. viii. 26. than shed Esau's tears, have Balaam's prophetic spirit, or the joy of the stony-ground hearers. The fire that shall

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