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

Least I should make sad any soul that God would not have sad, let me desire you to observe, 1. That I say but of most Professors, not all: For I doubt not but God may hide his face for some time from some of the holiest and wisest of Believers, for several and great reasons. 2. Do but well observe most of the humble obedient Christians that you know to lie under any long and sad distress of mind, and you will find that they are generally of one of the two forementioned sorts: either so ignorant as not to know well what faith is, or what the conditions of the Covenant are, or what is the extent of the promise, or the full sufficiency of Christs satisfaction for all sinners, or what are the evidences by which they may try themselves: Or else they are Melancholy persons whose fancy is still molested with these perturbing vapours and their understandings so clouded and distempered, that Reason is not free▪ And so common is this later, that in my observation, of all the Christians that have lived in any long and deep distress of mind, six if not ten for one have been deeply Melancholy; except those that feed their troubles by disobedience. So that besides these ignorant and Melancholy ⟨p. 286⟩persons, and disorderly declining Christians, the number of wounded spirits I think is very small, in comparison of the rest. Indeed it is usual for many at or shortly after their first change to be under trouble and deep fears: But that is but while the sense of former sin is fresh upon their hearts. The sudden discovery of so deep a guilt, and so great a danger, which a man did never know before, must needs amaze and affright the soul: and if that fear remain long where right means are either not known or not used, for the cure, it is no wonder: and sometimes it will be long if the rightest means be used. But for those that have been long in the Profession of holiness, and yet lye, or fall again, under troubles of soul (except those before excepted) I would have them make a diligent search, whether God do not observe either some fleshly interest encroach upon his Right; or some actual sin to be cherished in their hearts or conversations?

Least I should make sad any soul that God would not have sad, let me desire you to observe, 1. That I say but of most Professors, not all: For I doubt not but God may hide his face for some time from some of the holiest and wisest of Believers, for several and great reasons. 2. Do but well observe most of the humble obedient Christians that you know to lie under any long and sad distress of minde, and you will finde that they are generally of one of the two forementioned sorts: either so ignorant as not to know well what faith is, or what the conditions of the Covenant are, or what is the extent of the promise, or the full sufficiency of Christs satisfaction for all sinners, or what are the evidences by which they may try themselves: Or else they are Melancholy persons whose fancy is still molested with these perturbing vapours and their understandings so clouded and distempered, that Reason is not free And so common is this later, that in my observation, of all the Christians that have lived in any long and deep distress of minde, six if not ten for one have been deeply Melancholy; except those that feed their troubles by disobedience. So that besides these ignorant and Melancholy