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

But some tender, and exercised Soul will, belike here, Object, and say; Is it not presumption for me, to comfort my self under challenges for sin? I answer, no, Thou taking with the challenge, and being humbled for the sin that is the ground of it, and betaking thy self to this blood of sprinkling, for pardon and purging; because the Apostle commands thee to comfort thy self, and sure he commands none to presume; To whom, I pray is it that he speaks here? Is it not to them that have an evil conscience, at least in part? and what says he to them? Let us draw near in full assurance of faith, and on what ground, Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience: When the Conscience through guilt challengeth▪ we are called to flee to this blood, and having sprinkled it there with, we have warrant, to draw near, and it is not presumption to do so; nay resting on Christ, and comforting our selves in him, under challenges taken with, argues strong faith, wherein he hath great complacency, and whereby he is much glorified; for presumption will never stand before an evil Conscience, nor credit Christ, when Conscience sharply challengeth: So that if ye come by this new and living way, it is not presumption to lean to Christ; but that is presumption to lean to any other thing; nay the more humble boldness and confidence there be under challenges, it argues (as I just now said) the more and the stronger faith; because its the more sickerly founded on the covenant of God, and on the blood of Christ; and it gives God most glory, when the difficulty is greatest: It is no great practic to calm the Conscience, when there is no storm, but then indeed it is so, when there are many waves and billows of challenges and discouragements, rising and swelling high in the way, to ⟨p. 372⟩go over all these, and to grip hard to this rope cast out by him, and confidently, though humbly, and in fear to make use of this remedy, which he hath graciously proposed: It will never be accounted presumption by him, for serious souls to take to themselves Gods allowance on them, which is strong consolation to them who are hotly pursued, and fly to this city of refuge; but it may very readily be accounted presumption to cast at his allowance; he knows well (who hath the tongue of the learned) when to give a word of consolation, and to whom; and we are not to be wi•er then he.

But some tender, and exercised Soul will, belike here, Object, and say; Is it not presumption for me, to comfort my self under challenges for sin? I answer, no, Thou taking with the challenge, and being humbled for the sin that is the ground of it, and betaking thy self to this blood of sprinkling, for pardon and purging; because the Apostle commands thee to comfort thy self, and sure he commands none to presume; To whom, I pray is it that he speaks here? Is it not to them that have an evil conscience, at least in part? and what sayes he to them? Let us draw near in full assurance of faith, and on what ground, Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience: When the Conscience through guilt challengeth we are called to flee to this blood, and having sprinkled it there with, we have warrand, to draw near, and it is not presumption to do so; nay resting on Christ, and comforting our selves in him, under challenges taken with, argues strong faith, wherein he hath great complacency, and whereby he is much glorified; for presumption will never stand before an evil Conscience, nor credit Christ, when Conscience sharply challengeth: So that if ye come by this new and living way, it is not presumption to lean to Christ; but that is presumption to lean to any other thing; nay the more humble boldness and confidence there be under challenges, it argues (as I just now said) the more and the stronger faith; because its the more sickerly founded on the covenant of God, and on the blood of Christ; and it gives God most glory, when the difficulty is greatest: It is no great practique to calm the Conscience, when there is no storm, but then indeed it is so, when there are many waves and billows of challenges and discouragements, rising and swelling high in the way, to