pleasing; and is grieved at the heart, for what is displeasing unto him, 1 John v. 3, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments." Now, although that the sensible love doth not always continue with you: yet ye have no reason to account it 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 charitable in such a case, because ye cannot know the secret springs of their actings; but ye are seeking, and ought to have a judgment of certainty, as to your own state; and therefore are to look into that part of religion, which none in the world, but yourselves, can discern in you; and which ye can as little see in others. A 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 try every man's work, will try, not of what bulk it is, but of what sort it is, 1 Cor. iii. 13. Now, ye may know what bulk of religion another has: and what though it be more bulky than your own, God doth not regard that: why then do you make such a matter of it? It is impossible for you, without divine revelation certainly to know of what sort another man's religion is; but ye may certainly know what sort your own is of, without extraordinary revelation; otherwise the Apostle would not exhort the saints to give diligence to make their calling and election sure, 2 Pet. i. 10. Therefore the attainments of hypocrites and apostates should not disturb you in your serious inquiry into your own state. But I will tell you two things wherein the meanest saints go beyond the most refined hypocrites. (1.) In denying themselves, renouncing all confidence in themselves and their own works; acquiescing in, being well pleased with, and venturing their souls upon, God's plan of salvation through

Jesus Christ, Matth. v. 3, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."-And chap. xi. 6, "Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me." Philip. iii. 3, "We are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." (2.) In a real hatred of all sin; being willing to part with every lust, without exception, and to comply with every duty the Lord makes, or shall make known to them, Psal. cxix. 6, “Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments." Try yourselves by these.

CASE 6. "I see myself fall so far short of the saints mentioned in the Sctiptures, and of several excellent persons of my own acquaintance, that when I look on them, I can hardly look on myself as one of the same family with them." Ans. It is indeed matter of humiliation, that we get not forward to that measure of grace and holiness, which we see is attainable in this life. This should make us more vigorously press towards the mark: but surely it is from the devil, that weak Christians make a rack for themselves of the attainments of the strong. And to yield to this temptation, is as unreasonable, as for a child to dispute away a relation to his father, because he is not of the same stature with his elder brethren. There are saints of several sizes in Christ's family; some fathers, some young men, and some little children, 1 John ii. 13. 14.

CASE 7. "I never read in the word of God, nor did I ever know of a child of God so tempted, and so left of God as I am; and therefore, no saint's case being like mine, I cannot but conclude I am none of their number." Ans. This objection arises to some from their unacquaintedness with the Scriptures, and with experienced Christians. It is profitable, in this case, to impart the matter to some experienced Christian friend, or to some godly minister. This has been a blessed mean of peace to some persons, while their case, which appeared to them to be singular, has been evinced to have been the case of other saints. The Scripture gives instances of very horrid temptations wherewith the saints have been assaulted: Job was tempted to blaspheme; this was the great thing the devil aimed at, in the case of that great saint, Job, i. 11, "He will curse the to thy face." Chap. 1, 9, "Curse God and die." Asaph was tempted to think it was vain to be religious; which was, in effect to throw of all religion, Psal. Ixxiii. 13, "Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain." Yea, Christ himself was tempted to cast himself down from a pinnacle of the temple, and to worship the devil, Matth. iv. 6, 9. And many of the children of God have not only been attacked with, but have actually yielded to very gross

temptations for a time. Peter denied Christ, and cursed and swore that he knew him not, Mark xiv. 71. Paul when a persecutor, compelled even saints to blaspheme, Acts xxvi. 10, 11. Many of the saints can, from their sad experience, bear witness to very gross temptations, which have astonished their spirits, made their very flesh to tremble, and sickened their bodies. Satan's fiery darts make terrible work; and will cost pains to quench them, by a vigorous managing of the shield of faith, Eph. vi. 16. Sometimes he makes such desperate attacks, that never was one more put to it, in running to and fro, without intermission, to quench the fire-balls incessantly thrown into his house by an enemy, designing to burn the house about him; than the poor tempted saint is, to repel Satanical injections. But these injections, these horrid temptations, though they are a dreadful affliction, they are not the sins of the tempted, unless they make them theirs by consenting to them. They will be charged upon the tempter alone, if they be not consented to; and will no more be laid to the charge of the tempted party, than a bastard's being laid down at a chaste man's door, will fix guilt upon him.

But, suppose neither minister nor private christian, to whom you go, can tell you of any who has been in your case: yet you ought not thence to infer, that your case certainly is singular; far less to give over hopes: for it is not to be thought, that every godly minister, or private Christian, has had the experience of all the cases a child God of may be in. And we need not doubt but some have had distresses known only to God, and their own consciences; and so to others these distresses are, as if they had never been. Yea, and though the Scriptures do contain suitable directions for every case a child of God can be in; and these illustrated with a sufficient number of examples: yet it is not to be imagined, that there are in the Scrptures perfect instances of every particular case incident to the saints. Therefore, howbeit you cannot find an instance of your case in the Scripture; yet bring your case to it, and you shall find suitable remedies prescribed there for it. And study rather to make use of Christ for your case, who has salve for all sores; than to know if ever any were in your case. Though one should show you an instance of your case in an undoubted saint; yet none could promise it would certainly give you ease; for a scrupulous conscience would readily find out some difference. And if nothing but a perfect conformity of another's case to yours, will satisfy, it will be hard, if not impossible to satisfy you. For it is with people's cases, as with their natural faces; though the faces of all men are of one make,

and some are so very like others, that, at first view, we are ready to take them for the same; yet, if you view them more accurately, you will see something in every face, distinguishing it from all others; though possibly you cannot tell what it is: wherefore, I conclude, that if you find in yourselves the marks of regeneration, proposed to you from the word, you ought to conclude, you are in the state of grace, though your case were singular, which is indeed unlikely.

CASE Last. "The afflictions I meet with, are strange and unusual: I doubt if ever a child of God was tried with such dispensations of Providence as I am." Ans. Much of what was said on the preceding case, may be helped in this. Holy Job was assaulted with this temptation, Job v. i, "To which of the saints wilt thou turn?" But he rejected it, and held fast his integrity. The Apostle supposeth Christians may be tempted to "think strange concerning the fiery trial," 1 Pet. iv. 12. But they have need of larger experience than Solomon's, who will venture to say, "See this is new," Eccl. i. 10. And what though, in respect of the outward dispensations of Providence, it happen to you according to the work of the wicked? You may be just notwithstanding; according to Solomon's observation, Eccl. viii. 14. Sometimes we travel in ways, where we cannot perceive the prints of the foot of man or beast; yet we cannot from thence conclude, that there was never any there before us: so, albeit thou canst not perceive the footsteps of the flock in the way of thine affliction; thou must not therefore conclude, thou art the first that ever travelled that road. But, what if it were so, that thou wert indeed the first? Some one saint or other behoved to be the first, in drinking of each bitter cup the rest have drunk of. What warrant have you or I, to limit the holy One of Isarel to a trodden path, in his dispensations toward us? "Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known," Psal. lxxvii. 19. If the Lord should carry you to heaven by some retired road, and let you in at a back-door, (so to speak) you would have no ground to complain. Learn to allow sovereignty a latitude; be at your duty; and let no affliction cast a vail over any evidences you otherwise have, for your being in the state of grace: for "no man knoweth either their love or hatred by all that is before them," Eccl. ix. 1.

USE II. Ye that are strangers to this new birth, be convinced of the absolute necessity of it. Are all in this state of grace born again? Then ye have neither part nor lot in it, who are not born again. I must tell you in the words of our Lord and Saviour, (and O that he would speak them to your hearts!)

And for your convic

"Ye must be born again," John iii. 7. And for tion consider these few things.

First, Regeneration is absolutely necessary to qualify you to do any thing really good and acceptable to God. While you are not born again, your best works are but glittering sins; for though the matter of them be good, they are quite marred in the making. Consider, (1.) That without regeneration there is no faith; and, "without faith it is impossible to please God," Heb. xi. 6. Faith is a vital act of the new-born soul. The Evangelist, showing the different entertainment our Lord Jesus had from different persons; some receiving him and some rejecting him; points at regenerating grace, as the true rise of that difference; without which, never one would have received him. He tells us, that as many as received him, were these which were born-of God, John i. 11, 12, 13. Unregenerate men may presume; but true faith they cannot have. Faith is a flower that grows not in the field of nature. As the tree cannot grow without a root, neither can a man believe without the new nature, whereof the principle of believing is a part. (2.) Without regeneration, a man's works are dead works. As is the principle, so must the effects be: if the lungs be rotten, the breath will be unsavoury: and he who, at best, is dead in sin, his works at best will be but dead works. "Unto them that are defiled and unbelieving,is nothing pure-being abominable, and disobedient; and unto every good work reprobate," Tit.i.15,16. Could we say of a man, that he is no more blameless in his life, than any other in the world; that he macerates his body with fasting; and has made his knees as horns with continual praying; but he is not born again: that exception would mar all. As if one should say, there is a well-proportioned body, but the soul is gone, it is but a dead lump. This is a melting consideration. Thou dost many things materially good; but God saith, All these things avail not, as long as I see the old nature reigning in the man. Gal. vi. 15, "For, in Jesus Christ, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature."

If thou art not born again, (1.) All thy reformation is naught in the sight of God. Thou hast shut the door, but the thief is still in the house. It may be thou art not what once thou wast, yet thou art not what thou must be, if ever thou seest heaven: for, "Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God," John iii. 3. (2.) Thy prayers are an abomination to the Lord, Prov. xv.8. It may be, others admire thy seriousness: thou criest as for thy life; but God accounts of the opening of thy mouth, as one would account of the opening of a grave R

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