SECTION II.

Reafons why fo few come to the clear knowledge of their Interest in CHRIST.

THE Fourth thing to be premised is, Although the matter of a man's interest in Christ be of fo great importance, and the way to attain to the knowledge of it fo plainly held forth in the Scriptures, yet there be but few who reach the diftinct knowledge of it. And that this may not difcourage any perfon from attempting it, I fhall hint fome few reafons why fo few come to the clear knowledge of it; which will alfo prepare the way for what is to be spoken afterwards.

The first thing which doth hinder many from the knowledge of their intereft in Chrift, is their ignorance of fome special principles of religion : as (1.) That it was free love in God's bofom, and nothing in man, that moved him to fend a Saviour to perfect the work of redemption, "God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotton Son." Men are ftill feeking fome ground for that bufinefs in themselves, which leads away from fuitable and high apprehenfions of the first spring and rife of God's covenant-favor to his people, which hath no reason, cause, or motive in us; and fo they cannot come to the knowledge of their interest.

(2.) They are ignorant how that love doth effectually difcover itfelf to a man's heart, fo as he hath ground to lay claim to it, viz. That ordinarily it doth, 1st, discover his broken state in himself, because of fin and corruption defiling the whole man, and any thing in him that might be called a righteousness; "All these things are lofs and dung." 2dly, It difcovereth Chrift as the full and fatisfying treasure above all things; "The man finds a treasure, for which with joy he felleth all.”— 3dly, It determineth the heart, and caufeth it to approach unto a living God in the ordinances: "Bleffed is the man whom thou chufeft, and caufeft to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts," and caufeth

the heart to wait upon him, and him alone;"My foul, wait thou only upon God." Thus having dropped in the feed of God in the heart, and formed Chrift there, the heart is changed and made new in the forefaid work, and God's law is fo ftamped upon the heart in that change, that the whole yoke of Chrift is commended to the man without exception; the law is acknowledged good, holy, juft, and fpiritual. Upon all which, from that new principle of life, there flow out acts of a new life," faith worketh by love ;" and the man becometh' "a fervant of righteoufnefs unto God," which doth efpecially appear in the fpirituality of worship; men then "ferve God in fpirit and truth; and in the newness of the fpirit, and not in the oldness of the letter;" and tenderness in all manner of converfation; the man then "exercifeth himself how to keep a confcience void of offence towards God and towards men.' Now this way doth the love of God difcover itself unto man, and acteth on him, so as he hath ground of laying fome good claim to it; fo as he may juftly-think that the love which fent a Saviour had respect to fuch a man as hath found these things made out unto him. Surely ignorance in this doth hinder many from the knowledge of their intereft in Chrift; for if a man know not how God worketh with a perfon, fo as he may juftly lay claim to his love, which was from eternity, he will wander in the dark, and not come to the knowledge of an intereft in him.

(3.) Many are alfo ignorant of this, that God alone is the hope of his people: he is called the Hope of Ifrael; although inherent qualifications are evidences of it, yet the ftaying of the heart upon him as a full bleffing and fatisfying portion is faith; "the faith and hope must be in God;" and the only proper condition which giveth right to the faving bleflings of the covenant ;— "to him that worketh not, but believeth-faith is counted for righteoufnefs." Indeed, if any perfon take liberty here, and turn grace into wantonnefs, there is without doubt in fo far a delufion; fince there "is mer cy with him, upon condition that it conciliate fear to

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him " Yea, hardly can any man, who hath found the forefaid expreffions of God's love made out upon him, make a cloak of the covenant for finful liberty without fome measure of a fpiritual conflict; in this refpect, "he that is born of God doth not fin ;" and, "he who doth fo fin hath not feen God;" I fay, God is the hope of his people, and not their own holinefs. If they intend honefty, and long feriously to be like unto him, many failings fhould not weaken their hope and confidence, for it is in him "who changeth not "" and if any man finneth, he hath an advocate." Now, when men place their hope in any other thing befide the Lord, it is no wonder they be kept in a ftaggering condition, according to the changes of the thing which they make the ground of their hope, fince they give not to God the glory due to his name, and which he will not give to another."They who know thy name will put their trust in thee," My glory will I not give to another: I am the Lord, that is my name."

(4.) Many are ignorant of the different ways and degrees of God's working with his people, and this doth much darken their knowledge, and reflex acts of their intereft in him. This ignorance doth run mainly on three heads. (1.) They are ignorant of the different degrees and ways of that law-work which ordinarily dealeth with men, and of the different ways how the Lord bringeth home people at firft to Chrift. They confider not that the Jailor is not kept an hour in bondage; Paul is kept in fufpenfe three days, Zaccheus not one moment.~ (2.) They are ignorant of, at leaft they do not confider, how different the degrees of fanctification are in the faints, and the honorable appearings thereof before men in fome; and the fad blemishings thereof in others. Some are very blamelefs, and more free of grofs out-breakings, adorning their profeffion much, as Job, chap. i. and Zacharias, Luke i. These are faid to be "perfect and upright, fearing God, and efchewing evil; righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelefs :" others were fubject to

very grofs and fad evils, as Solomon, Afa, &c. (3.) They are ignorant of the different communications of God's face, and expreffions of his prefence. Some do walk much in the light of God's countenance, and are much in fenfible fellowship with him, as David was; others are "all their days kept in bondage thro' fear of death." Surely the ignorance of the different ways of God's working and dealing with his people doth very much darken the knowledge of their interest in him, whilst they ufually ftint the Lord to one way of working, which he doth not keep, as we have fhewed in the former examples.

The fecond thing which doth darken men about their interest in Chrift is, there is one thing or other wherein their heart in fome refpect doth condemn them, as dealing deceitfully and guilefully with God. It is not to be expected that thefe can come to clearness about their intereft whofe heart doth condemn them for keeping up fome known tranfgreffion againft the Lord, which they will not let go, neither are ufing the means which they know to be appointed by God for delivering them from it neither can thefe come to clearnefs who know fome pofitive duty commanded them in their ftations, which they deceitfully fhift and fhun, not clofing cheerfully with it, or not willing to be led into it: thefe are alfo, in fome respect, condemned of their own heart, as the former fort; and in that cafe it is difficult to come to a diftinct knowledge of their ftate. "If our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God." It is fuppofed there, that a felf-condemning heart maketh void a man's confidence proportionally before God.

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I do not deny but that men may on good grounds plead an intereft in Chrift in the cafe of prevailing iniquity. Iniquities prevail against me; as for our tranf greffions thou fhalt purge them away." "I fee another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of fin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am, who fhall deliver me from the body of this death! I thank God through Jefus Christ our Lord. So then,

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with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of fin." But it is hard to be attained, if at all attainable, when the heart is dealing deceitfully, and entertaining known guile in a particular: therefore let people clear themselves of the particular which they know too welk It is the thing which doth meet them, marring their confidence and accefs in all their approaches unto God; fee Judg. x. 10, 13-the idolatries of the people are caft up to them by the Lord, and their fuit rejected thereupon. That which draweth away the heart first in the morning, and last at night, like “ ven heated at night, and it burneth as a flaming fire in the morning," fpoken of the wicked, and taketh up their thoughts often on their bed; as it is faid of fome," He devifeth mischief upon his bed," &c. That which doth lead away the heart in time of religious duty ordinarily, and the remembrance of which hath power to enliven and quicken the fpirits more than the remembrance of God, fo as "their heart is after the heart of fome deteftable thing;" that which withstandeth men when they would gripe the promife, as God cafteth up men's fins to them who are meddling with his covenant; "What haft thou to do to declare my ftatutes, or that thou fhouldft take my covenant in thy mouth ?" that is the thing which doth mar the knowledge of a gracious ftate; let it go, and it will be more eafy to reach the knowledge of an interest in Christ.

The third thing which hindereth the knowledge of an intereft in Chrift is, a fpirit of floth and careless negligence in many. They complain that they know not whether they be in Chrift or not: but as few take pains to be in him, fo few take pains to try if they be in him. It is a work and bufinefs which cannot be done fleeping, "Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith; prove your own felves: know ye not your own felves." The feveral words used there, viz. Examine, prove, know, -fay that there is a labour in it; "diligence muft be ufed to make our calling and election fure." It is a bufinefs above flesh and blood; the "holy anointing