Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume /

The main Reason is this, and I will insist upon no other, viz. Because they mistake a formal Profession of Faith, for real believing; this undo's thousands, who because they are qualified as National Protestants, for all worldly preferments, here they rest, and make no other use of their Religion, as if the Articles of their Faith obliged them to nothing. A formal Profession is general, takes up Religion in gross, but is not concerned in any one point of it. But real Believing is particular, brings down every Gospel Truth to our selves, shows us our concernments in it: Save thy self, saith Faith, and work out thy own Salvation, see you neglect it no longer; no Man can save another Mans Soul by his Faith, his own he may; Faith busies it self about our own Salvation, shows us what we must do to be saved; were there more of this Faith among Professors, we should every one have work enough upon our hands, and not find it so easy a matter to secure our Souls into eternity. General Professors carry it as if they had nothing to do, were sure of Heaven already; at this rate we may count it an easy matter to believe, but when we come to die we shall not find it so: any Faith may serve some Mens turns to live by, but every Faith will not serve our turns to die by; when we are dying in good earnest, a feigned Faith signifies little to our comfort, we see through it, and sink under it.

The main Reason is this, and I will insist upon no other, viz. Because they mistake a formal Profession of Faith, for real believing; this undo's thousands, who because they are qualified as National Protestants, for all worldly preferments, here they rest, and make no other use of their Religion, as if the Articles of their Faith obliged them to nothing. A formal Profession is general, takes up Religion in gross, but is not concerned in any one point of it. But real Believing is particular, brings down every Gospel Truth to our selves, shews us our concernments in it: Save thy self, saith Faith, and work out thy own Salvation, see you neglect it no longer; no Man can save another Mans Soul by his Faith, his own he may; Faith busies it self about our own Salvation, shews us what we must do to be saved; were there more of this Faith among Professors, we should every one have work enough upon our hands, and not find it so easie a matter to secure our Souls into eternity. General Professors carry it as if they had nothing to do, were sure of Heaven already; at this rate we may count it an easie matter to believe, but when we come to die we shall not find it so: any Faith may serve some Mens turns to live by, but every Faith will not serve our turns to die by; when we are dying in good earnest, a feigned Faith signifies little to our comfort, we see thorow it, and sink under it.