Certain sermons, first preached, and after published at several times, by M. Thomas Gataker…Certaine sermons, first preached, and after published at severall times, by M. Thomas Gataker…

A man may so do, encouraged thereunto by this gracious offer and the condition to it annexed, yea many an one so doth, and yet partly out of the sight and consideration of his own unworthiness, partly out of a kind of timorousness and pusillanimity of Spirit, partly by reason of some strong melancholic imagination, and partly also through some powerful delusion of Satan, not be able possibly to persuade himself that Christ is yet his, or that he hath interest in him, hath his sins pardoned for him, and shall live eternally by him. Yea the very mistaking of the true Nature of saving Faith, and supposing the very essence of it to consist in this particular persuasion, (which yet is only an effect and a fruit, yea such a fruit of it, as doth not necessarily always spring from it,^p nor is at all times of the year ever constantly found on it,) and that therefore he doth not trust in Christ so long as he wanteth it, is a main means to keep many from it, and from the comfort of it, which yet have true Faith, and do unfeignedly trust in Christ for all that: As by many other sound and undoubted Arguments, which if they be questioned with and urged to it, not daring to deny them, lest they should lie against their own Conscience, may be drawn from their own confessions and answers concerning themselves, (when there is no fear of Hypocrisy, lest they should therein dissemble, being more prone to charge than to clear, and to allege matter against themselves, than to produce any thing for themselves;) will evidently appear. Among which Arguments also even this, though it come last, yet is none of the least, if their Conscience unfeignedly can testify for them, that though they have not yet such a persuasion and assurance of Gods mercy toward them in Christ for the remission of their sins and the salvation of their souls, yet they^q unfeignedly desire, and^r labour instantly for it, and though they cannot yet attain to it, yet they^s love the Lord Jesus heartily, and ^this members for his sake, and ^u