Spiritual desertions discovered and remedied. Being the substance of divers sermons preached for the…

1. This makes them to call their state into question: There is an Assurance which is the basis of a believers consolation▪ and according to the degrees of it, such is his comfort in it; this is helped by Gods enabling of him to read his own evidences, and to judge of the reality of them, and by his co-witnessing with them. When therefore God withholds this, he is left in the dark about is; and the proper result of it is to be afraid whether ever any thing was right in him, whether he hath not all this while deceived himself, and built on a false hope; out of doubt this fear stirred in David, when he put up that petition, in Psal. 51.11. Cast me not away from thy presence.

1. This makes them to call their state into question: There is an Assurance which is the basis of a believers consolation▪ and according to the degrees of it, such is his comfort in it; this is helped by Gods enabling of him to read his own evidences, and to judge of the reality of them, and by his co-witnessing with them. When therefore God witholds this, he is left in the dark about is; and the proper result of it is to be afraid whether ever any thing was right in him, whether he hath not all this while deceived himself, and built on a false hope; out of doubt this fear stirred in David, when he put up that petition, in Psal. 51.11. Cast me not away from thy presence.

2. Hence it fills him with terrible thoughts about the issue. What shall become of him at last? if he hath hitherto deceived his own soul; if he hath boasted of a false gift; if he hath arrogated to himself the title of a Child of God, and there be no such thing, what shall he do? how shall he appear? he thinks of the terrible day of accounts▪ ⟨p. 64⟩