endeavour to have more, and to do as well as you can; though you cannot do so well as you should? Then you have much faith, fear, and obedience. For to grieve for little faith, fear, and obedience, is an evident sign of much faith, fear, and obedience. For whence is this trouble and grief, but from God's saving grace? And to grieve for little, showeth that you long for and would have much.

Let this suffice for a full answer to the principal doubts, wherewith fearful hearts distress themselves continually. Never yield to your fears, wait on God still for resolution of your doubts in his best time, for it is not man that can, but it is God that both can and "will speak peace to his people," not only outward, but inward peace.

In the mean time, though you can have no feeling comfort in any of God's promises, yet consider God is the Lord, and that Christ is Lord of all, and you are his creature, owing to him all obedience, faith, and love; wherefore, you will, as much as you can, keep yourself from iniquity, and diligently strive to do his will, let him do with you as he pleaseth; yea, though he kill you, or though he give you no comfort till death, you will trust in him, and will obey him, and it is your desire to rest and hope in him as in your Redeemer; then, whether you know that God is yours or not, I am sure he knoweth you to be his: this is an argument of strong faith, and you are upon sure ground: "The foundation of God remaineth sure-The Lord knoweth his:" and who be they? Even all who, professing his name,"depart from iniquity." And whosoever in his heart would, he, in truth, doth depart from iniquity.

IX. Fears arising from manifold temptations, removed.

Something remaineth yet to be answered. Many say, that do what they can, they are assaulted still so thick with temptations, that they cannot have an hour's quiet.

What of that? Doth it hinder your peace with God, that the devil, the world, and your lusts, God's sworn enemies, are not at peace with you? So long as you have peace of sanctification in this degree, that the faculties of soul and body do not mutiny against God's holy will, but hold a good correspondence in joining together against the fleshly lusts, which fight against the soul, you are in good case; I mean, when the understanding, conscience, and affectious, are all willing to do their part against sin, their common enemy; not but that you will find a sensible warring and opposition in all these, while you live here, even when you have most peace in this kind-but how? The unsanctified part of the understanding is against the sanctified part of the understanding; and the unsanctified will against the sanctified will; and so in all other faculties of the soul, the flesh, in every part, lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit, in every part, lusteth against the flesh. Now, if your faculties and powers be ruled all by one Spirit, you have a good agreement and peace within you, notwithstanding that the flesh doth so violently war against the Spirit; for this warring of sin in your members against the Spirit, and the warring of the Spirit against sin, proveth clearly that you have peace with God, and this war continued, will, in time, beget perfect peace,

But let no man ever look to have peace of sanctification perfect in this life, for the best are sanctified but in part; wherefore let no man, professing Christ, think that he shall be freed from temptations and assaults arising from within, or coming from without, so long as he liveth in this world. Are not. Christians called to be soldiers? Wherefore, we must arm ourselves, that we may stand by the power of God's might, and "quit ourselves like men" against the assaults of our spiritual enemies.

Is it any other than the common case of all God's children? Was not Christ himself tempted, "that he might succour those that are tempted?" Have you not a promise not to be tempted above that you are able?”. It is but resisting and enduring a while, yea, a little while. Is there any temptation out of which God will not give a good issue? Hath not Christ prayed that "your faith fail not?"

Let us therefore keep peace in ourselves, that the whole man may be at agreement, and let us keep peace one with another, fighting against the common enemy, and the "God of peace shall tread Satan and all enemies under foot shortly;" and then, through Christ, "ye shall be more than conquerors." You shall not only hold what you have obtained, but shall possess all that Christ hath won for you. And the more battles you have fought, and in them, through Christ, have overcome, the greater triumph you shall have in glory.

XIII. The Christian's Ground of Hope and Confidence in God, against all kinds of Fear.

Now, as a surplusage to all that hath been said against groundless fears, which deprive poor souls of heavenly comfort; if any yet cannot be satisfied, but still fear that God is not at peace with them, I will propose a few questions, to which, if any soul can answer affirmatively, he may be assured of God's peace and love, and of his own salvation, whatsoever his fears or feelings may for the present be.

1. How stand you affected to sin? Are you afraid to offend God thereby? Is it so that you dare not wilfully sin? Is it your grief and burden that you cannot abstain from sin, get the victory over it, or deliver yourself from it so soon as you would, when you are fallen into it?

2. How stand you affected towards holiness and goodness, and unto the power of godliness?—Is it your hearty desire to know God's will, that you may do it? Do you desire to fear him, and please him in all things? And is it your grief and trouble when you fail in well-doing? And is it any joy to you to do well in any true measure?

3. How stand you affected to the church and religion of God?-Are you glad when things go well in the church, though it go ill with you in your own particular? And are you grieved when things go ill in the church, when it may happen to be with you, as it was with good Nehemiah, or Ichabod's mother, that all things go very well, or at least tolerably well, as to your own personal concern?

4. How stand you affected to men?—Is it so that you cannot delight in wicked men, because of their wickedness, but dislike them? Whereas, otherwise their parts and conditions are such, that you could much desire their company. Do you love those that fear the Lord, and that delight in goodness, because you think they are good and are beloved of God?

5. Can you endure to have your soul ripped up, and your beloved sin smitten by a searching minister, approving that ministry, and liking that minister so much the more? And do you, with David, desire that the righteous should reprove you? And would you have an obedient ear to a wise reprover?

6. Though you have not always that feeling sense of your good estate, which is the certainty of evidence; nay, say you have it but seldom, or it may be, you can scarcely tell whether you have it at all, do you yet resolve, or is it your desire, and will you, as you are able, resolve to cleave to God, and depend upon Christ, and upon God's merciful promises, made to you in him, seeking salvation in Christ by faith, and by none other, nor by any other means?

grace.

If you can answer yea to all or any one of these, you may assure yourselves that you are in God's favour, and in a state of What though you cannot feel in yourselves, that you have this so sure as you would, by a full certainty of evidence, (but it is your fault that you have it not so,) yet you have it sure by the best certainty, namely, by a true faith in Christ, and an upright cleaving unto God. when you are resolved not to sin wilfully and allow

For