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 doth flame in any, grace 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 outshine 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.

The action is And it is often Therefore, set

Now, if ye would improve these things to the knowledge of your state, I would advise you, (1.) 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, 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. too sudden and short to give lasting comfort. so indeliberate, that it has bad consequences. 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 breasts, or not, ye must blow the coal: for although it be, and 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 du

ty, 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 inquiries into their state, it is likely they would have a comfortable issue. And if others would take such a solemn review and make trial of their state impartially, citing 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 inquires into their state, I shall propose, and briefly answer some cases or doubts, which may possibly hinder some persons from the comfortable view of their happy state. The children's bread must not be withheld; though while it is reached to them, the dogs should snatch at it.

CASE I. "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." Answer, 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 the 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 dropt 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 iudulge 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 relics of depraved nature. These struggle together for the mastery: "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh," Gal. v. 17. And sometimes corruption prevails, bringing the child of God "into captivity to the law of sin," Rom. vii. 23. Let not, therefore, the prevailing of corruption make thee, in this case, conclude thou art none of God's children; but let it humble thee to be the more watchful, and to thirst the more intensely after Jesus Christ, his blood and Spirit; and that very disposition will evidence a principle of grace in thee which seeks the destruction of sin, that prevails so often against thee.

CASE 3. "I find the motions of sin in my heart more violent since the Lord began his work on my soul, than they were before that time. Can this consist with a change of my nature?" Ans. Dreadful is the case of many who, after God has had a remarkable dealing with their souls, tending to their reformation, have thrown off all bonds; and have become grossly and openly immoral and profane; as if the devil had returned into their hearts with seven spirits worse than himself. All I shall say to such persons, is, that their state is exceeding dangerous; they are in danger of sinning against the Holy Ghost; therefore, let them repent, before it be too late. But, if it be not thus with you, though corruption be bestirring itself more violently than formerly, as if all the forces of hell were raised, to hold fast, or bring back a fugitive, I say, these stirrings, may consist with a change of your nature. When the restraint of grace is newly laid upon corruption, it is no wonder if this last acts more vigorously than before, "warring against the law of the mind," Rom. vii. 23. The motions of sin may really be most violent, when a new principle is brought in, to cast it out. And, as the sun, sending its beams through the window, discovers the motes in the house, and their motions, which were not seen before: so the light of grace may discover the risings and actings of corruption, in another manner than ever the man saw them before; though they really

do not rise nor act more vigorously. Sin is not quite dead in the regenerate soul, it is but dying, and dying a lingering death; being crucified, no wonder there be great fightings, when it is sick at the heart, and death is at the door. Besides temptations may be more in number, and stronger, while Satan is striving to bring you back who are escaped, than while he endeavoured only to retain you. "After ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions," says the Apostle to the Hebrews, chap. x. 32. But, "cast not away your con

fidence," ver. 34. Remember his " grace is sufficient for you: and the God of peace will bruise Satan under your feet shortly." Pharaoh and his Egyptians never made such a formidable appearance against the Israelites, as at the Red Sea, after they were brought out of Egypt; but then were the pursuers nearest to a total overthrow, Exod. xiv. Let not this case therefore make you raze your foundations; but be ye emptied of yourselves, and strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might; and ye shall come off victorious.

CASE 4. "But when I compare my love to God, with my love to some created enjoyments, I find the pulse of my affections beat stronger to the creature than the Creator. How then can I call him Father? Nay, alas! these turnings of heart within me, and glowings of affection to him, which sometimes I had, are gone; so that I fear, all the love I ever had to the Lord, has been but a fit and flash of affection, such as hypocrites often have." Ans. It cannot be denied, that the predominant love of the world, is a certain mark of an unregenerate state, 1 John ii. 15, "If a man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." Nevertheless, these are not always the strongest affections, which are most violent. A man's affection may be more moved on some occasions by an object that is little regarded, than by another, that is exceedingly beloved; even as a little brook sometimes makes a greater noise than a great river. The strength of our affections is to be measured by the firmness and fixedness of the root: not by the violence of their actings. Suppose a person meeting with a friend who has been long abroad, finds his affection more vehemently acting toward his friend on that occasion, than towards his own wife and children; will he therefore say that he loves his friend more than them? Surely no. Even so, although the Christain may find himself more moved in his love to the creature, than in his love to God: yet he is not therefore to be said to love the creature more than God; seeing love to God is always more firmly rooted in a gracious heart, than love to any created 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 wouldest 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 fulness 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. 15. While the fire-edge is upon the young convert, he looks upon 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, self-loathing, 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 well