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

No nor doth God expect that any man ⟨p. 203⟩should judge of himself better then he hath evidence to warrant such a judgement: But that every man should prove his own work that so he may have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For he that thinketh he is something when he is nothing, deceiveth himself, Gal. 6.3, 4, 5, 6. And no man should be a self-deceiver, especially in a case of such unexpressible consequence. It is therefore a most desperate doctrine of the Antinomians (as most of theirs are) that all men ought to believe Gods special Love to them, and their own Justification: and that they are justified by Believing that they were justified before: and that no man ought to question his faith (saith Saltmarsh, any more then to question Christ:) and that all fears of our Damnation, or not being Justified after this Believing, are sin: and those that persuade to them, are Preachers of the Law. (How punctually do the most profane ungodly people, hold most points of the Antinomian belief, though they never knew that Sect by name!) God commandeth no man to Believe more then is true: nor immediately to cast away their doubts and fears; but to overcome them in an orderly methodical ⟨p. 204⟩way: that is, using Gods means till their Graces become more discernible, and their understandings more clear and fit to discern them, that so we may have Assurance of their sincerity, and thereby, of our Justification, Adoption, and right to Glorification. Heb. 4.1. Let us therefore fear least a Promise being left of entering into his Rest, any of us should seem to come short of it. Psal. 2.11. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice before him with trembling. Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish. Phil. 2.12. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Not only 1. A reverent fear of Gods Majesty. 2. And a filial fear of offending him. 3. And an awful fear of his Judgements, when we see them executed on others, and hear them threatened. 4. And a filial fear of temporal chastisements; and lawful and our duty: but also 5. A fear of damnation exciting to most careful importunity to escape it; when ever we have so far obscured our evidences, as to see no strong probability of our sincerity in the faith, and so of our salvation. The sum of my speech therefore is this: Do not think that all your fears of Gods wrath are your sins: Much of them is your great duty.