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us with certain criteria, whereby we may diftinguish the children of God from the children of the devil, and fincere chriftians from hypocrites; fo that if men will but be at the pains of trying themselves by those characters which are therein given of the one fort and of the other, it is fcarce poffible for them not to know which class they ought to refer themfelves unto. The fcripture tells us plainly, that every one who doth righteousness is born of God; I John II. 29. but that whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God; neither be who loveth not his brother; chap. III. 10. that he who dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him; chap. IV. 16. but that he who loveth not, knoweth not God, ver. 8. that he who commiteth fin is of the devil; for the devil finneth from the beginning, chap. III. 8. but that whofoever is born of God finneth not; but he who is begotten of God, keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not; chap. V. 18. Our bleffed Saviour teacheth us, that he who hath his commandments and keepeth them, be it is that loveth him; John XIV. 21. And he gives us to understand, that the bearing of much fruit is an evidence of being his difci

ples,

ples; John XV. ver. 8. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, fo Shall ye be my difciples. The apoftle Paul tells us, that if any man be in Chrift, there is a new creation, old things are paffed away, behold all things are become new; 2 Cor. V. 17. and that they who are Chrift's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lufts; Gal. V. 24.

Therefore let me advise these doubting christians to try themselves by these fcripture rules. Ask yourselves whether you do righteousness, and love your chriftian brethren; whether you are branches in Chrift, bearing fruit; whether ye have put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lufts, and are renewed in the Spirit of your mind, and have put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. You must needs know whether these things are true concerning you, or not; for what man knoweth the things of a man fave the fpirit of man which is in him?

And if you can with fincerity answer these questions in the affirmative; then do not perplex yourselves any longer, but reft affured that you are the children of God, and the difciples of Christ,

and take the comfort of it. But it is to be feared, that these doubting fits are owing to fome decays of holiness; for we feldom find that ftedfaft and refolute christians, and fuch as maintain a close walk with God, are troubled with them. On the contrary, they are commonly fuch as are fickle and inconftant in their obedience; who, at fome feasons, are very watchful and circumfpect, and at other times very careless and fecure. And where this is the cafe, we need not wonder if there be a defect of spiritual comfort and joy; for there is no place for these in a foul that is conscious of guilt. It is natural to fuppofe, that a child who hath been difobedient to his father, will have fome fufpicion and diftruft of his father's love towards him, and be afraid left he fhould caft him out of his favour, and difown him for a fon fo when a chriftian hath been guilty of a breach of the divine law, it will naturally beget in him a diffidence of the love of God towards him, and fears of his vengeance. There is one thing therefore which I would earnestly recommend to fuch chriftians as are under fpiritual dejection: and that is this; that they would make diligent

fearch

fearch into their own hearts and lives, and fee if there be not fomething amiss there. It is to be feared that there is fome darling fin, fome unmortified luft which lies at the bottom of all this difquiet, and is the ground of it. If it is, I beseech you cherish it no longer; but confefs it before God, and break off all correfpondence with it; for till you do, you will never have any true enjoyment of yourselves. There can be no fpiritual comfort while any luft is indulged, let it be ever fo fecret, or ever fo fmall. But when once you have overcome your lufts, you will overcome your doubts alfo: when once you yield an even and uniform obedience, you will feel an even and uniform joy; God will lift up the light of his countenance upon you, and manifest himself unto you in another manner than he doth manifeft himself unto the world. The Lord will speak peace unto his people and to his faints; but then they must take heed that they do not turn again to folly; Pfalm LXXXV.

8.

II. I will address myself to wicked and unregenerate men. I cannot flatter you

fo

fo far as to fay, that the counsel given in the text is fuitable for you. It is fo far from being your duty to rejoice evermore, that it doth not become you to rejoice at all. No verily; it becomes you rather to weep and bowl for your miferies that fhall come upon you. Your condition is most unhappy: for it is quite the reverse of what hath been represented to be the condition of chriftians. Your tranfgreffions are not forgiven, neither are your fins covered: but the Lord will impute iniquity unto you. You have no intereft in the love of God, nor can with a juft confidence call him father. You are indeed his offspring by creation; and fo are the very devils themselves. But what will it avail you to have him for your father in this fenfe? fince he that made you will not have mercy upon you, and he that formed you will fhew you no favour. Ye have fet at nought all his counsel, and would none of his reproof; therefore he will laugh at your calamity, he will mock when your fear cometh. What hath been faid of the happiness of good men in a future ftate, belongs not to you for fince you bear no refemblance to God upon earth, you can

not

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