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

This being so, you may see great reason, why a Turk or a Heathen may be zealous for his Religion without Gods Spirit, or any true Sanctification, when yet you cannot be so truly zealous for yours without it. Indeed the speculative part of our Religion, separated from the Practical, or from the hard and self denying part of the Practical, many a wicked man may be zealous for: as to maintain the Godhead, or that God is merciful, &c. or to maintain against the Jews that Jesus is the Christ, or against the Turks that he is the only Redeemer and Teacher of the Church, or against the Papists that all the Christians in the world are Christs Church as well as the Romans; and against the Socinians and Arians, that Christ is God, &c. But this is but a small part of our Religion: nor doth this, or any heathenish Zeal, sanctify the heart, or truly mortify the flesh, or overcome the world. They may contemn Life and cast it away for their Pride and Vain-glory: but not for the hopes of a holy and blessed Life with God. This is but the prevalency of one corruption against another, or rather of vice against nature. There is a common Grace of God that goeth along with common Truths, and according to the measure of their obedience to the Truth, such was the change it wrought; which was ⟨p. 420⟩done by common Truths, and common Grace together, but not by their false mixtures at all. But God hath annexed his special Grace only to the special Truths of the Gospel or Christian-Religion. If therefore God do by common Grace work a great change on a Heathen by the means of common Truths, and do by his special Grace work a greater and special change on you, by the means of the special truths of the Gospel, have you any reason hereupon to suspect your condition? or should you not rather both admire that providence and common Grace which is manifested without the Church, and humbly, rejoicingly and thankfully embrace that special saving Grace which is manifested to your self above them?

This being so, you may see great reason, why a Turk or a Heathen may be zealous for his Religion without Gods Spirit, or any true Sanctification, when yet you cannot be so truly zealous for yours without it. Indeed the speculative part of our Religion, separated from the Practical, or from the hard and self denying part of the Practical, many a wicked man may be zealous for: as to maintain the Godhead, or that God is merciful, &c. or to maintain against the Jews that Jesus is the Christ, or against the Turks that he is the only Redeemer and Teacher of the Church, or against the Papists that all the Christians in the world are Christs Church as well as the Romans; and against the Socinians and Arrians, that Christ is God, &c. But this is but a smal part of our Religion: nor doth this, or any heathenish Zeal, sanctifie the heart, or truly mortifie the flesh, or overcome the world. They may contemn Life and cast it away for their Pride and Vain-glory: but not for the hopes of a holy and blessed Life with God. This is but the prevalency of one corruption against another, or rather of vice against nature. There is a common Grace of God that goeth along with common Truths, and according to the measure of their obedience to the Truth, such was the change it wrought; which was