The truly blessed man

USE I. Learn hence their folly who promise themselves, when once pardoned, never to be troubled with Guilt more. There are such as entertain themselves with such a fond opinion as this; if once they can get the evidence of their forgiveness, Guilt of Sin will never again distress them, nor the fears of hell terrify them: but this is both a groundless and a dangerous mistake; they pretend, if a man be forgiven, he is Justified, and his state is secured, if therefore he knows that he is pardoned, he thereby is assured how it shall be with him for ever. Again, peace with God follows upon pardon of sin, Rom. 5.1. And the fruit of that is peace in Conscience, and because the peace ⟨p. 154⟩with God is settled, what should disturb the mans peace within, who knows this? but all this will not do, for though the Covenant of peace be firm, yet,

1. There may be peace with God, and yet not so resented as to quiet the Conscience. A man may have this peace in title, and yet doubt whether he hath it or no; and so far as he doubts of it, he will be disquieted about it; and it is no infrequent thing for Godly men to have awful fears in this respect, we read of some, Heb. 2.15. That go in fear of death all their life.

2. They may have had the resentment of this, and yet lose it again in great measures. Gods Children have their frequent turns on this account; now they walk in the Light, and anon they are beclouded by the hiding of Gods face away from them; it was so with David,