The right method for a settled peace of conscience, and spiritual comfort in 32…

and to fetch Comfort from their own Graces and Obedience, was to make it themselves in stead of Christ and the holy Ghost, and was a Legal way: No sooner was this Doctrine received, but the Receivers had Comfort at will, and all was sealed up to them presently by the Witness of the Spirit in their own Conceits: Whence this came, judge you: I told you my judgement before. Sure I am that the sudden looseness of their lives, answering their ignorant, loose, ungospel-like doctrine, did certify me that the Spirit of Comfort was not their Comforter: For he is also a Spirit of Holiness, and comforteth men by the means of a holy Gospel, which hath precepts and threatenings as well as Promises.

and to fetch Comfort from their own Graces and Obedience, was to make it themselves in stead of Christ and the holy Ghost, and was a Legal way: No sooner was this Doctrine received, but the Receivers had Comfort at will, and all was sealed up to them presently by the Witness of the Spirit in their own Conceits: Whence this came, judge you: I told you my judgement before. Sure I am that the sudden looseness of their lives, answering their ignorant, loose, ungospel-like doctrine, did certifie me that the Spirit of Comfort was not their Comforter: For he is also a Spirit of Holiness, and comforteth men by the means of a holy Gospel, which hath precepts and threatnings as well as Promises.

2. And as the experience of the state of Believers assureth us that few of them attain to Certainty; so experience of the imperfection of their understandings shows us that few of them are immediately capable of it. For how few Believers be there that understand well, what is a sound evidence, and what not? Nay how many Learned men have taught them, That the least unfeigned Desire of Grace, is the Grace it self (as some ⟨p. 156⟩say) or at least a certain evidence of it (as others say:) Whereas, alas, how many have unfeignedly desired many Graces, and yet have Desired the Glory and Profits of the world so much more, that they have miscarried and perished? How many have taught them that the least unfeigned Love to God, or to the Brethren, is a certain Mark of saving Grace? Whenas many a one hath unfeignedly loved God and the Brethren, who yet have loved house, land, credit, pleasure, and life so much more, that God hath been thrust as it were into a corner, and hath had but the worlds leavings; and the poor Saints have had little compassion or relief from them, nor would be looked on in times of danger and disgrace. As Austin and the Schoolmen use to say, Wicked men do Uti Deo & frui creaturis, Use God and enjoy the creatures: Godly men do Frui Deo, & uti creaturis, Enjoy God and use the creatures. The meaning is, Both Regenerate and Unregenerate have some Will or Love, both to God and to the Creature: But the wicked do Will or Love the Creature as their chief Good with their chiefest Love, and they only Love God as a Means to help them to the Creature, with a Love subordinate to their Love to the Creature: Whereas the Godly do Will or Love God as their chief Good,