The signs or An essay concerning the assurance of Gods love, and mans salvation…The signes or An essay concerning the assurance of Gods loue, and mans saluation…

Lets,

The attainment of the sense, power, & comfort of this assurance is exceedingly hindered in all sorts of people. §1First, For many can never attain it, because they are forestalled with evil opinions about it, they think it ⟨p. 9⟩is impossible to be had, or it is needless, or it is presumption to seek it, or it would prove a nurse to security if it were had. Secondly, in §2the most, common hope serves the turn and supplies presumptuously the room of this sacred gift, Thirdly,§3 many hear & profess, and go far in the opinion of others, and yet get not assurance; because they take not a sound course for the mortification of the body of sins that are passed, whereas it ⟨p. 10⟩is certain assurance can never be had, till there be some sound course taken, in the acknowledgement, bewailing, and reformation of §4them. Fourthly, besides a barren life is an uncomfortable and unsettled life,¹ and contrariwise to abound in Gods work, hath steadfastness, and a secret rest of heart, as an unspeakable companion §5of it. Fifthly, Melancholy also (that is terrors and griefs, of which a man can yield no true reason) is in divers ⟨p. 11⟩a mighty let to the settled assurance they might have. They are so eaten up with those strong conceits that all the comfort is propounded most anend, proves as water spilt upon the ground: especially when this humour is nourished by some extraordinary distemper of the body; Physic, not arguments of Scripture must here be used, or rather both of them. Sixthly, the love of earthly things is another great impediment: many professors