Heaven upon earth in the serene tranquillity and calm composure, in the sweet peace…

A Second mark of this, is; There is always in such a Conscience, an un-distinctness, as to the ground whence the mans consolation floweth, or there is much more supposed peace, comfort, joy and satisfaction, then he can give any solid reason for: And they are hugely disproportioned to the foundation they are built upon, ask an hypocrite, what is the ground of his so firm persuasion, and of the comfort and joy resulting there from? He will readily answer, I think it is so, or I hope it is so, or, if he come to be somewhat more particular, in the account he gives, it will very readily be to this, or some such purpose, God hath been very good and kind to me in such, and such Providences, he hath bestowed on me such and such Gifts and Benefits, which yet are but things external and common; or he will, it may be, say, I prayed to God in such and such a strait, and he heard, and delivered me, and I take that for an earnest that he will hear me also for heaven and eternal Life; as if Achabs deliverance from a temporary judgement on his humiliation▪ had been to him indeed the earnest of heaven: Or, it may be he will further say, God hath kept me from many sins, and bestowed many blessings on me, (which he may do unto, and often doth to mere natural men) and therefore he will be merciful to me; such conclusions are broader then the Premises, and the Superstructures then the Foundations; and yet, alas! the persuasion of many is built upon such sandy Foundations, and is therefore but a delusion, since it hath no solid bottom: Thus some who are carried away with an error, ⟨p. 61⟩will say they cannot defend, nor debate for such a thing, but they are persuaded of it, as if a well grounded persuasion could be without all reason.

A Second mark of this, is; There is alwayes in such a Conscience, an un-distinctness, as to the ground whence the mans consolation floweth, or there is much more supposed peace, comfort, joy and satisfaction, then he can give any solid reason for: And they are hugely disproportioned to the foundation they are built upon, ask an hypocrite, what is the ground of his so firm perswasion, and of the comfort and joy resulting there from? He will readily answer, I think it is so, or I hope it is so, or, if he come to be somewhat more particular, in the account he gives, it will very readily be to this, or some such purpose, God hath been very good and kind to me in such, and such Providences, he hath bestowed on me such and such Gifts and Benefits, which yet are but things external and common; or he will, it may be, say, I prayed to God in such and such a strait, and he heard, and delivered me, and I take that for an earnest that he will hear me also for heaven and eternal Life; as if Achabs deliverance from a temporary judgement on his humiliation had been to him indeed the earnest of heaven: Or, it may be he will further say, God hath keeped me from many sins, and bestowed many blessings on me, (which he may do unto, and often doth to meer natural men) and therefore he will be merciful to me; such conclusions are broader then the Premises, and the Superstructures then the Foundations; and yet, alace! the perswasion of many is built upon such sandy Foundations, and is therefore but a delusion, since it hath no solid bottom: Thus some who are carried away with an error,