Discourses on various important subjects, nearly concerning the great affair of the soul's eternal…

and he that is diligent and painful in all Duty, probably won't be so long, before he finds the Sensibleness of his Heart, and Earnestness of his Spirit greatly increased.

Object. 2. Some may object that if they are earnest, and take a great Deal of Pains, they shall be in Danger of trusting to what they do; they are afraid of doing their Duty for Fear of making a Righteousness of it.

Ans There is ordinarily no Kind of Seekers that trust so much to what they do, as slack and dull Seekers. Though all that are seeking Salvation, that have never been the Subjects of a thorough Humiliation, do trust in their own Righteousness; yet some do it much more fully than others. Some tho' they trust in their own Righteousness, yet be not quiet in it. And those that are most disturbed in their Self-Confidence, and are therefore in the likeliest Way to be wholly brought off from it, are not those that go on in a remiss Way of Seeking, but those that are most earnest and thoroughly engaged; partly because in such a Way Conscience i• kept more sensible. A more awakened Conscience won't rest so quietly in moral and religious Duties, […] one that is less awakened. A dull Seeker's Conscience will be in a great Measure satisfied and quieted with his own Works and Performances; but one that is thoroughly awakened can't be stilled or pacified with such Things as ⟨p. 146⟩these. And, partly, because in this Way Persons gain much more Knowledge of themselves, and Acquaintance with their own Hearts, than in a negligent slighty Way of Seeking; for they have a great Deal more Experience of themselves. 'Tis Experience of our selves, and finding what we are, that God commonly makes Use of as the Means of bringing us off from all Dependence on our selves: But Men never get Acquaintance with themselves so fast, as in the most earnest Way of Seeking. They that are in this Way, have more to engage them to think of their Sins, and strictly to observe themselves, and have much more to do with their own Hearts than others. Such an one has much more Experience of his own Weakness, than another that don't put forth, and try his Strength; and will therefore sooner see himself dead in Sin: Such an one, though he hath a Disposition continually to be flying to his own Righteousness, yet finds Rest in nothing; he wanders about from one Thing to another, seeking something to ease his disquieted Conscience; he is driven from one Refuge to another, goes from Mountain to Hill, seeking Rest and finding none; and therefore will the sooner prove that there is no Rest to be found, nor Trust to be put, in any Creature Confidence whatsoever.