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

The wicked saith, I am the Righteous, and therefore it sh•ll go well with me: the Righteous saith, I am the wicked, and therefore it shall go ill with me: The Unbeliever saith, I am a Believer, and therefore am justified; The Believer saith, I am […] Unbeliever▪ •nd therefore am condemned: nay▪ ⟨p. 396⟩it is not only the loss of our preaching, but we oft do them much harm: for they are hardened that should be humbled; and they are wounded more that should be healed A Minister now must needs tell them, who he means by the Believer, and who by the Unbeliever, who by the Righteous, and who by the wicked: and yet when he hath done it as accurately, and as cautiously as he can, misapplying souls will wrong themselves by it: so that because people cannot see the distinguishing line, it therefore comes to pass that few are comforted, but when Ministers preach nothing else but comfort: and few humbled, but where Ministers bend almost all their endeavours that way, that people can feel almost nothing else from him: But for him that equally would divide to each their portion, each one snatcheth up the part of another, and he oft misseth of profiting either: And yet this is the course that we must take.

The wicked saith, I am the Righteous, and therefore it sh•ll go well with me: the Righteous saith, I am the wicked, and therefore it shall go ill with me: The Unbeliever saith, I am a Believer, and therefore am justif••d; The Believer saith, I am 〈…〉 Ʋnbeliever▪ •nd therefore am condemned: nay▪ ⟨p. 396⟩it is not onely the loss of our preaching, but we oft do them much harm: for they are hardened that should be humbled; and they are wounded more that should be healed A Minister now must needs tell them, who he means by the Believer, and who by the Unbeliever, who by the Righteous, and who by the wicked: and yet when he hath done it as accurately, and as cautelously as he can, misapplying souls will wrong themselves by it: so that because people cannot see the distinguishing line, it therefore comes to pass that few are comforted, but when Ministers preach nothing else but comfort: and few humbled, but where Ministers bend almost all their endeavors that way, that people can feel almost nothing else from him: But for him that equally would divide to each their portion, each one snatcheth up the part of another, and he oft misseth of profiting either: And yet this is the course that we must take.