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

The 3d. is▪ That in the self same action, a Christian may, and readily will have both a challenge and a testimony; ⟨p. 261⟩a challenge for something wrong and a testimony for something right therein; according to that word of Nehemiah, chap. 1. Hear the prayer of thy Servant, and of thy servants who desire to fear thy name; He, no doubt wanted not challenges for short-comings, yet he had a Testimony from his desire to fear Gods name; And Heb. 13. 18. The Apostle sayeth, we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly, and yet there was so much corruption remaining in the eminently holy man, as to raise challenges on him, as we see, Rom. 7. But he severs what is right in his own condition, from what is wrong; we would not therefore think, that we cannot have a good Testimony from our Conscience, except there be absolute purity in the duty, or action; This were, as if a man should say, I have no faith, because I have a mixture of unbelief with it; or I have no sincerity, because I have a mixture of hypocrisy with it: we know that Saints use to distinguish, and put a difference betwixt these, as that poor man did, who says, Mark 9. I believe, Lord, help my unbelief; as another may say, I have much hypocrisy, yet I have some […] with it; as David doth on the matter, Psal. 51.

The 3d. is▪ That in the self same action, a Christian may, and readily will have both a challenge and a testimony; ⟨p. 261⟩a challenge for something wrong and a testimony for something right therein; according to that word of Nehemiah, chap. 1. Hear the prayer of thy Servant, and of thy servants who desire to fear thy name; He, no doubt wanted not challenges for short-comings, yet he had a Testimony from his desire to fear Gods name; And