And take notice throughout all the Scripture, whether you find the servants of God so much complaining of their want of assurance, and of their frequent doubtings of their own sincerity and his love. I think you will find this a very rare thing in the ancient Saints. They were sensible of sin as well as we; and they were as sensible of Gods afflicting hand, and oft (as Job, David, Hezekiah, &c.) complained under it, perhaps with some excess, and too much questioning Gods favour to them as if he had forsaken them. But (besides and without any such affliction) to live in ordinary trouble of mind through the doubting of their sincerity, and of Gods special love, and to be exercised in the complaining and disconsolate way as now abundance of Christians are, this I find little of the Scripture Saints. The reason was not because they had more holiness and less sin than many that now are thus cast down: For the Gospel ⟨p. 368⟩time excelleth theirs in degrees of grace; and I think the greater care that Christians have of their hearts, and of inward rectitude, and communion with God, and their fuller apprehensions of the life to come, and so of their greatest hopes and dangers, is one great cause. But yet there are worse concurring causes. The Love of God, and his readiness to show mercy, should not be more questioned now, when it is so abundantly revealed by Christ, then it was in times of darker revelation. The servants of God did formerly conceive, that nothing but sin could make man miserable; and therefore when they had sinned, they repented; and instead of continuing doubts and fears, they bent their resolutions against their sins; and having cast away their gross and wilful sins, and continuing the conflict against their unavoidable infirmities, which they hated, they knew that the door of mercy was still open to them; and that if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, who is the propitiation. The time that is now spent in doubting and complaining, and asking How shall I know that I sincerely repent, was then spent in Repenting, and reforming, and using the means that God hath appointed for the conquering of sin; and then trusting to his grace and Covenant in the blood of Christ for pardon. And it would be better with us if we did thus. Judge now by all these Scriptures, and by the course of former Saints, how God would have you behave your selves.
And take notice throughout all the Scripture, whether you find the servants of God so much complaining of their want of assurance, and of their frequent doubtings of their own sincerity and his love. I think you will find this a very rare thing in the ancient Saints. They were sensible of sin as well as we; and they were as sensible of Gods afflicting hand, and oft (as Job, David, Hezekiah, &c.) complained under it, perhaps with some excess, and too much questioning Gods favour to them as if he had forsaken them. But (besides and without any such affliction) to live in ordinary trouble of mind through the doubting of their sincerity, and of Gods special love, and to be exercised in the complaining and disconsolate way as now abundance of Christians are, this I find little of the Scripture Saints. The reason was not because they had more holiness and less sin than many that now are thus cast down: For the Gospel ⟨p. 368⟩time excelleth theirs in degrees of grace; and I think the greater care that Christians have of their hearts, and of inward rectitude, and communion with God, and their fuller apprehensions of the life to come, and so of their greatest hopes and dangers, is one great cause. But yet there are worse concurring causes. The Love of God, and his readiness to shew mercy, should not be more questioned now, when it is so abundantly revealed by Christ, then it was in times of darker revelation. The servants of God did formerly conceive, that nothing but sin could make man miserable; and therefore when they had sinned, they repented; and instead of continuing doubts and fears, they bent their resolutions against their sins; and having cast away their gross and wilful sins, and continuing the conflict against their unavoidable infirmities, which they hated, they knew that the door of mercy was still open to them; and that if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, who is the propitiation. The time that is now spent in doubting and complaining, and asking How shall I know that I sincerely repent, was then spent in Repenting, and reforming, and using the means that God hath appointed for the conquering of sin; and then trusting to his grace and Covenant in the blood of Christ for pardon. And it would be better with us if we did thus. Judge now by all these Scriptures, and by the course of former Saints, how God would have you behave your selves.
