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

for he will but cure one disease with another, and a lesser with a far greater. If he can so cure your fears and doubtings as to bring you into ⟨p. 219⟩carnal security and presumption, he will lose nothing by the cure, and you will get nothing. If he can turn a poor doubting troubled Christian, to be a secure Antinomian, he hath cured the smart of a cut finger by casting them into a Lethargy, or stupefaction by his opium. To go to Antinomian receipts to cure a troubled soul, is as going to a Witch to cure the body. 3. I would have you sensible of Gods goodness to you in these very troubles that you have so long lain under. Your blessed Physician knew your disease, and the temperature of your soul. Perhaps he saw that you were in some danger of being carried away with the Honours, Profits or Pleasures of this world; and would have been entangled in either covetousness, pride, voluptuousness or some such desperate sin: And now by these constant and extraordinary apprehensions of your danger, these sins have been much kept under, temptations weakened, and your danger prevented. If you have found no such inclinations in your self, yet God might find them. Had it not been far worse for you to have lain so many years in pride, sensuality and forgetfulness of God, and utter neglect of the […] of your soul, then to have lain so long as ⟨p. 220⟩you have done in apprehensions of your danger? O love and admire your wise Physician! Little do you know now what he hath been doing for you: Nor shall you ever fully know it in this life: but hereafter you shall know it, when your sanctification, and consolation, and his praises shall be perfected together. 4. If you should for the time to come expect or desire that God should set you out of all apprehension of danger, you know not what it is that you desire: It were to desire your own undoing. Only see that you apprehend not your danger to be greater then it is; nor so apprehend it as to increase it, by driving you from Christ, but as to prevent it by driving you to him. Entertain not fancies and dreams of danger in stead of right apprehensions. Apprehend your happiness and grounds of hope and comfort, and safety in Christ, and let these quite exceed your apprehensions of the danger. Look not on it as a remediless danger, or as greater then the remedy. Do not conclude that you shall perish in it, and it will swallow you up:

for he will but cure one disease with another, and a lesser with a far greater. If he can so cure your fears and doubtings as to bring you into