Meditations and Discourses on the Glory of Christ

2. WITH others he deals after another manner. By various means he seduceth them into a careless Security wherein they promise Peace unto themselves without any diligent search into these things. Hereon they live in a general presumption that they shall be saved by Christ, although they know not how. This makes the Apostle so earnest in pressing the Duty of self-examination on all Christians, 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith: prove your own selves: know you not your own selves that Christ is in you, except you be reprobates? The Rule of Self-judging prescribed by him, is whether Christ be in us or no; and in us he cannot be, unless he be received by that Faith wherewith we behold his Glory. For by Faith we receive him, and by Faith he dwelleth in our hearts. Joh. 1. 12. Eph. 3. 17.

THIS is the principal way of his prevailing in the World. Multitudes by his Seduction live in great security under the utmost neglect of these things. Security is granted to be an Evil destructive of the Souls of Men; but then it is supposed to consist only in Impenitency for great and open Sins; but to be neglective of endeavouring an experience of the Power and Grace of the Gospel in our own Souls, under a Profession of Religion, is no less destructive and pernicious, than impenitency in any course of sin.

THESE and the like Obstructions unto Faith in its Operations being added unto its own imperfections, are another cause whence our View of the Glory of Christ in ⟨p. 186⟩