First, You should be willing to seek to God, and that earnestly, that he would never let you be at quiet in any false hope, be earnest with God in prayer: O Lord, I see that the matter of my salvation, is a matter of infinite consequence; if I should mistake, if I should miscarry in it, it had been better for me never to have been born; O Lord! therefore help me in this thing above all, that I may never rest my salvation upon any false hopes, that so I may not at the last be disappointed of my last hopes; be earnest thus with God, and be willing to know the worst of your selves; Lord, if ⟨p. 327⟩thou seest the work be not yet done let me know it, let me know it now, before it is too late; It is better to know that yet the work is to begin, while you have time to work, than to know it after when the time is gone: And then, be willing to examine your hopes, to lay them to the rule of the Scripture, and that very narrowly: And if you find your hopes cannot stand with the Word, then resolve thus with your selves, the work is yet to be done, the very laying of the foundation of that great work, of the saving of my soul, it is to begin: — I but you will say, God forbid this, we have not lived all this while, to begin to lay the work for the saving of our souls now, that were an ill thing indeed: — O I would to God it were not so! but this very thought that some have, that they are not now to begin the •aying of the foundation in saving their souls, is that that doth destroy them, whereas, though a man or woman have lived many years, yea though they have been Professors of Religion, yet if upon examination they can find that the saving work of God is not wrought in their hearts, and upon that can conclude, Lord it is to begin, for ought I know, I must begin the work again, and better it is to begin twice, than be damned once, therefore whatsoever becomes of me, I will begin again; this were a good sign: Suppose you should begin again, and it may be you thought too ill of your selves, for it may be there was some truth in your hopes, or hearts, that you could not see, yet there is no great danger in this, that that was good will hold, though you do not see it;
First, You should bee willing to seek to God, and that earnestly, that hee would never let you bee at quiet in any false hope, be earnest with God in prayer: O Lord, I see that the matter of my salvation, is a matter of infinite consequence; if I should mistake, if I should miscarry in it, it had been better for mee never to have been born; O Lord! therefore help mee in this thing above all, that I may never rest my salvation upon any false hopes, that so I may not at the last bee disappointed of my last hopes; bee earnest thus with God, and bee willing to know the worst of your selves; Lord, if ⟨p. 327⟩thou seest the work bee not yet done let mee know it, let mee know it now, before it is too late; It is better to know that yet the work is to begin, while you have time to work, than to know it after when the time is gone: And then, bee willing to examine your hopes, to lay them to the rule of the Scripture, and that very narrowly: And if you finde your hopes cannot stand with the Word, then resolve thus with your selves, the work is yet to bee done, the very laying of the foundation of that great work, of the saving of my soul, it is to begin: — I but you will say, God forbid this, wee have not lived all this while, to begin to lay the work for the saving of our souls now, that were an ill thing indeed: — O I would to God it were not so! but this very thought that some have, that they are not now to begin the •aying of the foundation in saving their souls, is that that doth destroy them, whereas, though a man or woman have lived many years, yea though they have been Professours of Religion, yet if upon examination they can finde that the saving work of God is not wrought in their hearts, and upon that can conclude, Lord it is to begin, for ought I know, I must begin the work again, and better it is to begin twice, than bee damned once, therefore whatsoever becomes of mee, I will begin again; this were a good sign: Suppose you should begin again, and it may bee you thought too ill of your selves, for it may bee there was some truth in your hopes, or hearts, that you could not see, yet there is no great danger in this, that that was good will hold, though you do not see it;
