An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…

It is wonderful to consider, ¹how little a matter will serve for an evidence of Grace, (after all their talk of Sanctification) when they come to administer comfort to distressed consciences. Oh, saith the Soul, I find sin prevail,² and how can I be comforted! (not by Sanctification ⟨p. 550⟩sure.) Answ. I will subdue your iniquities, and cast your sins into the midst of the Sea. Obj. But the Devil will be busy with me. Ans. God will tread him down. Obj. But I cannot go to God by Prayer, to fetch comfort. (Comfort! what hast thou to do with comfort? get quit of thy sins first, and then it is time enough for comfort.) Ans. Though it be so, yet believe and thou shall have thy desire. (But I doubt the Soul that cannot pray, cannot believe neither.) Obj. But I am afraid I shall fall away from God. (Afraid of it! thou art fallen from God already, if sin prevail so much, for sin is the great Apostasy from God.) Answer. None can pluck thee out of Christs hands, neither sin nor the Devil. (But how if they be not in Christs hands yet, sin I doubt may keep them out; if God cut off barren Branches, there is some danger of putrid ones.) God hath said, I have made an everlasting Covenant with thee, I will not turn away from thee. Obj. This is good news, had I a right to the promise; but alas! I cannot believe, and take a naked promise. Ans. Doest thou desire to believe and to have Christ, and say thus, If it were possible for Christ and Heaven to be ⟨p. 551⟩separated, I would rather desire Christ without Heaven, than Heaven without Christ. Obj. But this is a hard matter; I cannot say, I desire Christ on such terms as I should. (This saying is the best sign of Grace I have met with; he is an honest Man, who will not contradict the natural sense of his mind, and say, he can do that which is impossible to be done: It is an odd proposal in order to comfort a poor Soul, that he must be willing to be damned with Christ, before he must take comfort in hopes of being saved by him.) Ans. But is it the grief of thy heart, that thou canst not deny thy self? Desirest thou to close with Christ upon any terms? Obj. Alas! I cannot grieve and mourn for sin. (Certainly they are at cross purposes, their Objections and Answers do so ill agree.) Ans. Hast thou any will to it? Art thou willing to part with thy sins? But the poor Soul saith, I fear I shall never do this.