him First Then Consider with thy self what it is thy heart most earnestly pursues if thou hast not truly found and sought Jesus Christ and life in him 't is certainly to compasse some such worldly design which may render thee esteemed in the world without dependance on other men estimation with men riches pleasures to make up as thou thinkest a full contentment these are the goodly pearls in the eyes of a naturall man consider then how empty and disquieted thy spirit is left after such a pursuit made good and presently the thoughts of some new one or else thy spirit will languish in the former and grow weary of it Secondly Consider the miserable uncertainty of all outward enjoyments how liable to spoil lose decay Pro. 23. they taken from thee or thou from them in a moment Much might be said to this Thirdly When thou hast compassed all thy designs so much earth thou canst call thy own thou must at last be content with just so much as will cover thy carkasse a feast for worms Now compare this with the salvation of a soul First What it is that is to be saved A Soul a precious darling Soul a Soul worth more then the whole world Luk. 9.25 Consider what a value God puts upon Souls the whole could not be a ransome for one Soul had the whole Creation been in mans power and he had offered it to God for the sin of his soul it had not been a valuable price No the bloud of the Son of God was the high price of Souls Ah consider the preciousnesse of a Soul and it will awake thee Secondly Compare this with what the Soul is doing till 't is ensafed in Christ 't is treasuring up wrath till the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgement of God as if not wrath enough in hell already 't is treasuring up more that wrath that made the holy Son of God cry out as 't was poured upon him the everlasting weight of wrath of the just avenging God all the judgements that ever thou heardst or readst of are but as mercy to this Now consider with deep thoughts of heart if all thy pursuits of outward enjoyments here will poize salvation from such such wrath Thirdly Compare it with what the full enjoyment of salvation is and here we are swallowed up the holy blessed full eternall rest of God with a weight of glory crowns of glory transformed to be made capable of enjoying it where we shall never be tempted to sin nor sin any more Oh to be in the bosome of Jesus Christ filled with the fullnesse of love continually satisfied and yet never nauseated pleasures peace rest joy glory God hlmseif whose presence thou shalt as fully enjoy as a glorified creature can possibly be able Now then I say consider if the salvation of such a precious Soul from such unsupportable wrath to such a fullnesse of glory with the infinite God be worth hazarding for disquieting earthly accomodations enjoyments to cause thee so securely to neglect such salvation Heb. 2.3 where mark 't is not said the open scorning the means of such salvation but the neglecting of it Yet a little further Consider 3. things as to this condition here below that thou maist not think thy good is all in expectation 1. That the least of Jesus Christ is better then all the world shouldst thou only suffer with Christ here more glory in it then in all the world The Spirit of God and of glory resteth upon thee 1 Peter 4.14 The reproach of Christ is better then the pleasures of Pharaohs house Heb. 11. how better that sweet and heavenly fellowship with him thou maiest here attain unto that thou maist be able to say Thou hadst rather have one hour with Jesus Christ then all the treasures of the world for ever Ah hadst thou one taste of his love how wouldest thou thirst after him though this be as a riddle to a dark carnall heart that knows and savors him not 2. Consider That all these restlesse desires affections and windings of thy heart shall be raised and refined and meet with that abundant satisfaction in Jesus Christ far above what thou canst propose to thy self in the pursuits of things here below solid and durable soul-contentment Prov. 8.18 though with some disturbances by reason of distempers from sinfull flesh yet 't is here The more of Christ the more composure of spirit sweetnesse rest which is not so in the more gain of earthly advantages these do only widen and enlarge but not satisfie desires 3. Consider that with Jesus Christ thou hast the promise of all other things best for thee Rom. 8. what wouldest thou have more unlesse thou wouldst be thy own carver in the world and not take in the wisedom of God to dispose them to thee Say Men of the world they would make as sure provision as they may for themselves and families and so contrive design eat the bread of carefullnesse but let thy purchase gain and interest thou aimest at be thy part in Jesus Christ Count but all things losse to win Christ and then thou gainest right to all things and so if thou wantest any outward mercy 't is not because God thinketh it too good for thee but not so fit for thee God seeth that mercy would haply lessen thee in the sweeter closer enjoyments of Jesus Christ why then consider if that be the reason why the Lord withholds such and such things from thee thou wilt consider now I have more of Jesus Christ for it and so no looser by the hand no need of repining of spirit in me but to want them chearfully and gladly yea this will be thy blessednesse that whereas now thou canst not misse such or such things but thy heart sinks within thee then thou wilt know how to answer all thy cares of spirit and see the wise hand of God ordering all for thy good So that here 's the way to provide all to unsafe all to sweeten all to have part in Jesus Christ to be earnest in the pursuit of him till he will say unto thy soul I am thine and a Covenant passed between thee and him and he is fairer then the children of men and all beauty and goodnesse in him then whereas others have meer creatures thou hast the love and goodness of God in them thou hast the not by common providence but by a covenant of love by Jesus Christ by promise the least mercy is sweet unto thee for the kindenesse of God is in it Take then these three together the least of Christ better then all the world all enjoyments which are promised in the creatures eminently in him with him the promise of all other things What can thy spirit be opened to more O wretched principle of Atheism and unbelief what hath sinne and devils done upon a poor worm that he should in the darknesse deadnesse emptinesse disquietness of the creatures be seeking light
perishing condition as I am to shew in the next Point To deny such preparations and qualifications not such I mean as of our selves but from the spirit is to reason against the method of the Spirit witnessed by Scripture and experience If the spirit of a sinner be naturally bound up in blindenesse hardness of heart insensiblenesse security peace then it will not make out for salvation by Christ till the Spirit of God comes upon that blindenesse c. and so causeth the Soul to discern its own condition and this as the rebellions of our hearts begin to be subdued by that spirit causeth a mutiny distemper some kinde of tempest in the whole inward man till the Spirit draweth vertue from Jesus Christ more and more to work some measure of serenity and composure upon it as we are to shew in the close 3. Say some This is a way to bring a Soul into bondage and tormenting fear No such matter 'T is the way to bring him out of it in order to the delivery from bondage that bondage must be first discovered to and owned by the captive which naturally he feels not as above To shew the captive his bondage in order to his suing for deliverance is the way for liberty this clear Rom. 8.17 Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of Adoption implying ye are not now under the Law and so in bondage again as once you were intimating they were so and felt themselves to be so and that the Spirit did reveal it and so brought them out of it and wrought forth and witnessed Christ to them whereby they cried Abba Father 4. How long is a Soul to lie in his bondage humbling himself Till he cast up an eye to Jesus Christ to seek liberty in in him Certainly though a Soul is to renew his humblings under his bondage ye not so to lie under it but presently to make in to Jesus Christ to be freed from the guilt condemnation bondage service of sin pleading his own gracious pdrposes to him as expressed 1. Joh. 3.8 't was his purpose to destroy the works of the devill as I will pursue in the third point And thus briefly I have opened what I here mean by this tempest in a poor soul seeking Christ and life and peace in him the way and lowest measure of it If Jesus Christ by his Word and Spirit doth thus awaken enlighten convince raise some kinde of tempest in a poor soul before it truly seeks out for life and peace in him Let me in the first place speak to the secure peacefull soul that perswades it self it hath hope enough for heaven good interest enough in Jesus Christ and yet is not acquainted in any measure with such workings of the spirit as this coming in with an awakning voice upon the naturall blindenesse and security and bondage thou art bound up in Let me tell thee Soul Better were the fiercest tempest upon thy spirit then such a calm 'T is sitting with folded arms under the shadow of death 'T is sinne in its power bondage peace upon thy spirit the strong man Satan keeping peace that thou maiest sleep the sleep of Death But you will say What will you disturb the peace of my conscience that I have enjoyed all the daies of my life Ah Soul miserable peace miserable calm none of Christs making Spare me a little let me then freely bespeak thee Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Eph. 5 Oh awake from thy deadly calm and peace Hear the voice of the Son of God and live Joh. 5. Sinner drowsie carelesse heartlesse sinner that hast been all thy life time subject to bondage Heb. 2.15 Hearken consider arise thy security safety and peace is the death of sin upon thy soul a captive in a dungeon of darknesse and with fetters about thee and seest it not this is thy temper thou hast been at ease from thy youth and setled on thy lees Jerem. 48.11 Thou hast heard the first work of the spirit is to awake to Christ and Heaven to hear the voice of God in thy Soul rushing in upon thy sinfull peace So Adam Gen. 3. when after his sinne he had thought to lie hid from God in peace covered with his fig-leaves he heard the voice of the Lord God in the Garden and then they were afraid and further saw their own nakednesse What voices of God were they Adam where art thou Hast thou eaten of the Tree I commanded thee not to eat of To the Woman What is this thou hast done v. 8 9 10. c. So the Lord speaks to a soul at first sometimes in an Ordinance sometimes in a sudden voice out of it Soul where art thou what is thy state and condition as to eternity what provision for heaven if thy soul should be now taken from thee What is this thou hast done so presumptuously and peaceably to sinne against thy God to side with the devil and the world against the peace of thy own soul What is this thou hast done to neglect the care of a desolate soul what will it profit thee to gain the whole world and lose thy own soul and to be a castaway a castaway from the holy blessed eternall rest of God into the company of devils in endlesse unredeemable torment What Soul what means thy eager pursuit of vanity and so heartlesse to the things of heaven and eternity With some such voices God speaks and then the soul is made awake for heaven and then it cries after God confesseth humbleth bemoaneth chargeth it self then the Lord directs that soul to means ordinarily whereby he will do it good and reveal the way of life in Christ unto it to destroy the power of sin in it and then though after back-slidings and much unsetlednesse and wavering many reasonings and temptations as shewd the soul settles in some good measure in the tastings of the power and love of Christ in it as I shall further shew Oh that such a voice or any of these might secretly glide in the soul of any poor creature that hath hitherto withstood it and might cause the deep thoughts of eternity to seize upon thee Let me reason with thee as in the counsel of God to raise a tempest in stead of that peace fear it not for I will shew thee a Christ to calm all to destroy sin to set at liberty to fill thy soul with joy and peace that shall never be taken away never fear to passe through such a tempest better go to harbour in a storm then perish becalmed in the sands Why then in thy most serious and retired thoughts be putting such Questions as I have mentioned to thy self if thou art moved and excited by these and such like then this is the voice of God in them if all that is within thee is stirred up to seek after Christ and our interest in
thoughts Christ-ward and have made resignment of my self unto him but I fear I am too much asleep as yet That may be Therefore be more awakened look back to the sins thy soul hath been divorced from but not so as to loosen the present hold thou hast on Christ but to humble and abase thee more and so cause thee to pursue and prize him more Haply thou art a soul whom Jesus Christ takes more gently to himself by degrees with a softer hand and so the tempest not so great But if the least of him be better then the best of all the world to thee a Covenant with him He is a chosen one and pearl to thee yea if it be thy daily mourning he is no more a pearl unto thee no more precious thy heart so dull and then thou callest to him to come and make a more powerfull and fuller abode in thy soul then be sure he is thine though a trembling jealousie upon thee to the contrary Now if the Lord in much mercy hath awakened thee by this or any other voice or more awakened thee then thou wast I would still keep thee company in this discourse till thou findest in Jesus Christ what I have here proposed to thee And so to shew thee yet further of the dealings of Christ to thee as thou comest as a way-faring soul to him in the next proposition Doct. 2. When a Soul comes savingly it comes in a perishing condition to Jesus Christ Lord save us we perish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are lost or are in a lost condition lost do thou save us This doth rightly answer to the heart of Christ and his purpose revealed in the Gospel I am come to seek and to save 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which was lost or ready to perish that really is so and that shall see it self to be so Luk. 19.10 So in that threefold Parable Luk. 15. to set forth such a sinner that Christ draws in to his salvation I have found my Sheep which was lost ver 6. Rejoyce with me I have found the piece that was lost vers 9. And so of the Prodigall Let us eat and rejoyce my Son was lost and is found ver 23 24. 'T is Christ's rejoycing to finde sinners lost in themselves To this purpose Paul Phil. 3.9 That I may be found in Christ implying he was lost in himself Now to open this how a soul is said to come to Christ in this lost and perishing condition First Perishing in sinne such a sight of sin as before is described if it stay in its sinne it must certainly perish Sinne cannot ensafe The least sinne is able to damn much more the multitudes of them that lie undischarged upon it Secondly A Soul that comes truly to Christ comes perishing in its own strength 'T is likely those who were ready to perish in the Ship with Christ in the tempest that they toiled long in their own strength rowed with their own oars with much painfulnesle till they saw all was in vain and then they throw down all Master save or we perish So a poor creature after some conviction and awakening 't is apt at first to be toyling in its own strength it s own naturall sufficiencies sets to repentance duties obedience in its own strength turns in the outward man from the grosser evils of his waies but then backslides again and all because he would be his own deliverer work for and by himself at least contribute something himself But to come weak and strengthlesse to Jesus Christ helplesse in it self this goes hard To acknowledge to the glory of God and our own shame That if any thing be left on our score to make good with God perish we must this goes to the quick indeed our pride and self-love is very unwilling to yeeld to this a creature would not be found to be at such a totall losse with God so farre to have spoiled and undone himself to be so wholly weakened and deadned by sin as not to be able to help the Lord Jesus one little in saving us but the whole stresse must be laid upon him yet thus it is when we were without strength Christ died Rom. 5.6 And so when Christ comes to give a soul the blessing of his death and to estate him in it It causeth the soul to know and feel that it is without strength and helplesse and then 't will be at his feet perishing in it self without him Nothing is more strongly setled upon the spirit of a sinner then this self-sufficiency and opinion of its own power He can pray repent hear the Word receive be just do all and acceptably enough to God as he deemeth and still on the lees of his own strength not knowing what belongs to the spirituall performance of any duty and so befools himself Now this is the first thing a soul coming into Christ is to perish in in all its own strength 3. It is to perish in all its own righteousnesse 'T was in vain for these poor men in the Ship to be hiding themselves In cabins of their own when the Ship was so tossed and shaken to lie nuzling in their own wares though never so precious No all the precious merchandise must over-board passe for nothing So when a soul comes to Christ for help all its own cabins of its own righteousnesse must be cast away All thy former service of hearing praying being just and sober if thou werst so which was thy cabin thy covert in the room of Christ must be lookt upon as thy sins as that which is but an abomination in the pure eyes of God Pro. 15.8 The prayer of the wicked that is of every person out of Christ is an abomination to the Lord As for thy publique worship that haply thou reposest most in What saith the Spirit of God of it Isa 1.13 vain oblatition abomination it is iniquity the solemn meeting they are a trouble to me I am weary to bear them And as for private praiers plainly saith he When you make them I will not hear them v. 15. And why because the sins of such a person are not pardoned his person not justified he is not in Christ he doth not sanctifie Gods Name in his services not directed to right ends and so hatefull to the pure and righteous God And yet fond man is apt to hide and secure himself in these things as Adam in his fig-leaves So he prays a little in a customary dead-hearted manner with some kinde of outward reverence so he gives alms goes to publique worship is righteous to men things good in themselves if aright and to right ends performed And if he slip a little repentance of his own added and Christ to make up what he wants this is the hold of the most and sends as many souls away empty from Christ as any thing whatsoever What formall professours I mean the common bulk of the people of this Nation reach so
at the very root 3. Consider that though thou hast not sensible comfort yet thou art supported of the Lord in thy present condition which thou maist indeed consider with comfort Psa 63.8 My soul followeth after thee and thy right hand upholdeth me So continue to follow hard after God and if thou findest his right hand his power sustaining thee thou maist conclude as David v. last of that Psalm But I shall rejoyce in God c. thou shalt be satisfied with his goodnesse yea if thou finde such promise breaking in upon thy spirit and thou gatherest support from it it may be an evidence a love-token to thee that God is in a way of love and comfort to thee 4. Consider that faith and sensible enjoyment of Gods love do not inseparably go together are not the same as some poor creatures be apt to fancy 't is faith and not sense therefore learn to live by faith and not by sense But yet may some poor Soul say This doth not come to the height of thy condition the very strength of this tempest in the conscience being upon thee Ah thou art a forlorn tempestuous soul indeed thou saist why now then I will particularly deal with thee Reade thy condition in Isa 54.8,9,10,11 c. 'T is spoken of the State of the Church but as truly applicable to thy condition v. 6. the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in Spirit yea v. 11. Oh thou afflicted tossed with tempest and not comforted that fits thee See v. 7 8. For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee In a little wrath I hid my face from thee but with everlasting kindenesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer A small moment and a little wrath but great and everlasting kindenesse But may not the Lord if he please reserve and withhold these from poor creatures that come thus afflicted and tossed with tempest I answer from ver 9 10. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee nor rebuke thee For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindenesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Here 's the Oath of God upon it and sooner shall the waters cover the earth again and the mountains remove themselves then the Lord rebuke and utterly cast off such a soul Neither shall the Covenant of his peace be removed that is as God tenders a new agreement and to be at peace with sinners contented he is yea infinitely desirous of it Can he then cast off a soul that comes tendring it self for peace with him that laies hold on his Covenant Isaiah 59.6 But yet further will a weak mis-giving heart be reasoning against God and it self I fear for all this that 't is in vain for me to seek my heart sinks within me Now mark what the Lord saith to this Isa 45.19 I have not spoken in secret in a dark place of the earth I said not unto the Seed of Jacob Seek me in vain I the Lord speak in righteousnesse and declare things that are right This the Lord doth not reserve as a secret but would have it proclaimed on the house top Let it be known to every poor weak soul that seeks me It shall not be in vain As if it were laid down on purpose as indeed it is to answer such a fond reasoning And further saith he I the Lord speak righteousnesse I do not trifle with and delude souls but speak in good earnest the things that are right and v. 22. I am a just God true to my word and therefore not to be reasoned against by men or devils Away then with such debates as thou dost foster in thy heart yea with such vile disputings against God as to say within thy self 'T is too late 'T is in vain my case is desperate God will not hear and therefore why should I seek To what purpose is it Is not this to belye the wise and holy and faithfull God so to adde abundantly to thy former iniquity In a word If thou dost seek and venture and try what God will do if thou art at last cast off thou canst but be damned And thy seeking if thou couldst fail will rather be a mitigation of thy torment then an encrease Well but yet further may a Soul object for the devil hath a world of Sophistry this way If I should be stirred up to seek upon these grounds how shall I be ascertain'd that these promises belong to me Why mark thou dost thou not say I am an afflicted soul disquieted tossed with tempest and in thy own thoughts forsaken And saist moreover that thou art contented to seek and wait seeing at worst thou canst be no looser by it why then by what plea art thou excluded what law or what caveat is put in against thee perhaps thou wilt say thy sinning with so high a hand against thy God with many grievous aggravating circumstances Why finful worm know 't is written as clear as the Sun if thou knowst any thing of the Gospel and minde of Christ that no sinner is excluded from acceptance from the greatnesse of sin but for want of coming to Christ that he might have life Joh. 5. as hath been shew'd The truth is thou art unwilling to be beholden to Christ or impatient to stay his leisure or else art resolved to beleeve the lies of the devil against him or else thou wouldst not thus parley against him Therefore bow thy self at his feet and pleade his own arguments that he hath left for thee in his word and do not stand asking whether these promises belong to thee for they are as much thine as any souls in the world if thou wilt pleade them But yet further may a poor soul complain Ah I have a dull dead heavy indisposed heart heartlesse am I to seek and cry c. I have shewed before that if thou wilt ask a heart I will give it thee saith the Lord and ask his Spirit to raise up thy heart above that indisposed distemper Nay Soul let me ask thee Canst thou truly complain of and feel such a distemper oh what a dull heavy dead indisposed heart have I 'T is of the spirit of life within thee or thou couldst not so complain And 't is an earnest of more of the spirit to be given unto thee from what hath been now and before said unto thee Soul maist thou be encouraged to seek and wait privately publikely be diligent in all means yea with some measure of contentednesse till the Lord shall speak and when thy spirit is so subdued usually comfort is not farre off But as to thy further encouragemen I will leade thee on
in the sight of thy meer naked condition make out for Christ as hath been before directed as if thou wert before a stranger to him 2. If true Faith may consist with so many fears and reasonings why then a word yet more to the convinced poor soul in its perishing condition in it self that hath got a view of Christ and is pressing after him but fears ah sad fears and mis-givings arise Why consider this well If it were not so thou mightst justly question all indeed whether any thing saving in thee Tell me Soul wouldest thou be again in the supposed safety thou wast once in when no such conflicts in thee No thou wilt say not fot a thousand worlds for then I was as a dead worm in sin and unbelief But thou wilt say yet I fear Ah finde it hard to beleeve and fasten upon and apply one promise so thou seest do all Gods children Reade of and ask of any the holiest and graciousest they will tell thee many a serious experience of this what travels the poor soul hath had through doubtings fears sinkings cloudings and yet all calmed sweetly calmed again as hath been shewed and am yet further to declare the staies and the props of a poor soul in this case have been opened But a word more Is it no further with thee then this then questioning of faith with the Lord help my unbelief know 't is impossile to cry after Christ with complaints of Unbelief without some truth of faith Canst thou reach but unto the power of Christ to give him the glory of being able to succour thee but doubtest of his willingnesse what his heart may be unto thee Ah thou sadly doubtest Is it with thee Lord if thou wilt still an If know Faith on the power of Christ as in the examples shewed may be saving Remember also Christs melting answers I will be thou clean Be it unto thee as thou wilt Go in peace And this to such souls who came beleeving in his power to save though trembling what his heart might be towards them I am now further to shew that such a weak pursuing Faith may engage Jesus Christ to succour which hath received some demonstration already but 't is further clear'd from these reasons 1. Faith though never so weak be it faith that is such that resolves the soul to venture all with Christ and pursue after him is a beam from Christ himself shed by his own spirit 'T is the spirit so enabling the soul to choose and follow Christ therefore Christ will own such a faith and 't will engage his whole heart to more 2. 'T is that grace by divine appointment which engageth all the priviledges and blessings of Christ to a soul Not from any worthinesse in it but by Gods own Ordination So that a Soul is not so much to reason thus Can such a poor weak faith engage Christ but he is to look to Gods Ordination and promise that it shall In a word Not to be poring upon the weaknesse of faith but to be eying and considering the free promise and so not to make an estimate of thy faith by present sensible enjoyment and feelings of comfort but by thy going out to Christ in the indefinite free invitement and promise to all humble comers for life and salvation and then say and reason within thy self The Soul that according to Christs own invitement command and promise renounceth all other and comes and follows him for life shall have and finde life in him But so doth this poor trembling soul of mine if I know any thing of my own heart renounce all other and flies to a powerfull free-hearted Jesus mighty to save Therefore I shall finde him yea I have him And this a true Scripturall spiritual reasoning grounded upon Christs own words Isa 55.1 Joh. 5.40 Joh. 6.37 Rev. 22.17 1 Tim. 1.15 But now if thou yet fearest and art jealous whether thy self-renouncing and coming to and closing with Chtist be full and entire The next and every time thou goest to him and pleadest with him and do it often protest against all other helps and now there is no witnesse but God and thy own conscience that thou dost perish in all opinion of thy self or any other all the strength and righteousnesse that thy self and all the world to help thee hath being but as dead water to thee and that thou dost protest against them and so make an entire close with the Lord Jesus alone that he may be thine and thou maist be his in Gospel terms and that thou art willing to take up his yoke and follow him Know also that such jealousies of thy self are a good argument of something sound within thee 3. Further If through thine unacquaintance with the Scriptures thou runst upon a mistake and conceivest that true faith consists in a full perswasion and assurance of salvation Thou must understand that it is not so for assurance is the height and excellency of faith such a degree that many gracious souls are long ere they attain to it yea have only some short glimpses of in this life And though some arrive to a greater measure of joy and assurance in the holy Ghost yet not enjoy'd by any in a constant renour while a bitter root of unbelief remains in us I do not here intend to give forth the consequent evidences and fruits of faith only a word or two as to the management of a weak faith while thou art thus in thy doubtings or if faith lie as it were dead and doth not act lively upon Christ Though in such a case thou art to be stirring up every grace yet do not stand poring upon such a heavy frame of heart nor do thou think to lift up the hand of faith by thy own power but go and lie before Christ go forth from thy own heart to him to requicken the habit of faith that thou maist draw new life from him and this follow him for And then though faith be even as a withered hand as sometimes it is Christ will speak to thy soul as to the man with a withered hand in the Gospel Mat. 12.10 Stretch forth thy hand and thou shalt do so and embrace Christ in thy arms and thine affections run forth lively upon him It may be objected Is it safe then to let doubtings and fears lie and be carelesse of them seeing thus mixing they do evidence truth of faith No but labour to get them supprest and subdued by the power and spirit of Christ Though it be not absolutely thy duty to have assurance yet 't is thy duty to labour and give all diligence to gain it 2 Pet. 1.10 But especially beware of such things which do deaden and stagger faith and some of those I will point out to thee as to the case of a young convert 1. After conviction enlightening and in some measure a self-emptying and renouncing as hath been shewed and so a sight of free-grace and Christ