jections of satan, with which the soul is greatly perplexed; or, lastly, from God's silence, and seeming denial of its long dépending suits and prayers.

These are the common grounds of those sad conclusions. Now, in order to the establishment and support of the heart in this condition, it will be necessary,

1, That you be acquainted with some general truths, which have a tendency to the settlement of a trembling and doubting soul.

2, That you be rightly instructed about the forementioned particulars, which are the grounds of your doubting.

The general truths requisite for poor. doubting souls to be acquainted with, are these,

1, That every working and appearance of hypocrisy doth not presently prove the person in whom it is to be an hypocrite, You must carefully distinguish between the presence and predominancy of hypocrisy : there are remains of deceitfulness in the best hearts; David and Peter had sad experience of it; yet, the standing frame and general bent of the heart being upright, it did not denominate them hypocrites.

2, That we ought as well to hear what can be said for us, as against us. It

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is the sin of upright hearts, sometimes to use an over rigid and merciless severity against themselves: they do not indifferently consider the case of their own souls. It is in this case, as Solomon. speaks in another, Prov. xii. 7. There is that maketh himself rich, and yet hath' nothing; and there is that maketh himself poor, and yet hath great riches. It Is the damning sin of the self flattering hypocrite, to make his condition better than it is and it is the sin and folly of some upright ones to make their condition worse than indeed it is. Why should you be such enemies to your own peace, to read over the evidences of God's love to your souls, ás a man doth a' book, which he intends to confute? Why do you study to find evasions to turn off those comforts which are due to you? It is said of Joseph, that he was minded to put away his espoused Mary, not knowing that that holy thing which was conceived in her, was by the Holy Ghost: and this A third truth may be your case.

is this,

3 That many a saint hath charged and condemned himself for that, which God will never charge him with, nor condemn him for. Why hast thou hardened our hearts from thy tear? (saith the church)

Isa. Ixiii. 17. and yet the verse before mana ifests, that their hearts were not so hardened. Godly Bradford wrote himself an hypocrite, a painted sepulchre yet doubtless God acquitted him of that charge.

4, Every thing which is a ground of grief to the people of God, is not a sufficient ground of questioning their sincerity. There are many more things to trouble you, than there are to stumble you if, upon every slip and failing through infirmity, you should question all ever that was wrought upon you, your life must be made up of doubtings and fears; you can never attain a settled peace, nor live that life of praise and thankfulness, the gospel calls for.

5, The soul is not at all times fit to pass judgment upon its own condition. To be sure, in the dark day of deseration, when the soul is benighted; and in the stormy day of temptation, when the soul is in a hurry; it is utterly unfit to judge its estate examine your hearts upon your beds, and be still, Psal. iv. This is rather a season for watching and resisting, than for judging and determining.

6, That every breach of peace with God, is not a breach of covenant with God. The wife hath many weaknesses

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and failings, often grieves and displeases her husband; yet in the main is faithful, and truly loves him: these failings may cause him to alter his carriage, but not to withdraw his love, or deny his rela tion. Return, O backsliding Israel, for I am married unto you.

7, Lastly, Whatever our sin, or trouble be, it should rather drive us to God, than from God. Pardon my sin; for it is great, Psal. xxv. 11. Suppose it be true, that thou hast so and so sinned, that thou art thus long and sadly deserted; yet it is a false inference, that there fore thou shouldst be discouraged, as if there were no help for thee in thy God. When you have well digested these seven established truths, if still the doubt remain, then consider what may be replied to the particular grounds of those doubts;

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1, You doubt, and are ready to conclude, the Lord hath no regard or love for your souls, because of some extraor dinary affliction which is come upon you: but I would not have thy soul so to conclude, till thou be able satisfactorily to answer these three questions.

Quest. 1. If great troubles and afflic tions be marks of God's hatred, why should not impunity and constant pros

perity be tokens of his love? Of contras ry things there is a contrary reason and consequence. But is this so indeed? or saith not the scripture quite otherwise? . Prov. i. 32. The prosperity of fools des. troy them. So, Psal. Ixxiii. 5.

Quest. 2. Dare I draw the same conclusion upon all others that have been as much, yea more, afflicted than myself? If this argument conclude against thee, then so it doth against every one in thy condition; yea, the greater the affliction of any child of God hath been, the more strongly the argument still concludes: and then woe to David, Job, Heman, Paul, and all that have been afflicted as they were.

Quest. 3. Had God exempted you only from those troubles which all other his

people feel, would not that have been a greater ground of doubting to you than this? especially since the scripture saith, Heb. xii. 8. If ye be without chastnings, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Oh how is our Father put to it by froward children! If he afflicts, then one cries, he loves me not if he exempt from affliction, others question his love upon that ground. Surely, you have other work to do, under the rod, than thi