The poor doubting Christian drawn to Christ. Wherein the main hindrances, which keep men…

Do not content yourselves in this, that you see a Need of a Saviour, because your Minds are enlightened therein, and your Reason persuaded thereof; when in the mean Time you place a kind of Confidence in the Duty performed and Service discharged, and think thereby to bring Christ at your Beck, and you in the mean while do what you please: This is a wonderful cunning Craft of Satan. This I say then, a Man may see a Need of a Saviour; but do not quiet thy Soul because thou knowest it must be so, and because thou findest by Experience thou canst not help thy self, the Guilt of Sin still sticks upon thee, and therefore a Saviour now must help thee: I say content not thy self with the mere Notion of it, to say, I see it should be so, and it must be so, and rest thy self contented in the Performance of Services, and think to bring a Saviour at thy Beck, to do what thou wilt for thy Soul; this is a Slight that Satan has pinned to thy Soul. Many think to have a sovereign Authority over Christ, when they have performed Duties: So that he does not use the Means to be led to Christ, but he takes up his Duties to be commanders of Christ, and that he may dispose of Christ for his own Turn; so that he makes Christ an Abetter of his own Wickedness, not a Subduer of his Corruptions. This is a marvellous Deceit, when Men rest in their own Abilities, and so abuse Christ. And this will appear in these Particulars.

Do not content yourselves in this, that you see a Need of a Saviour, because your Minds are enlightned therein, and your Reason perswaded thereof; when in the mean Time you place a kind of Confidence in the Duty performed and Service discharged, and think thereby to bring Christ at your Beck, and you in the mean while do what you please: This is a wonderful cunning Craft of Satan. This I say then, a Man may see a Need of a Saviour; but do not quiet thy Soul because thou knowest it must be so, and because thou findest by Experience thou canst not help thy self, the Guilt of Sin still sticks upon thee, and therefore a Saviour now must help thee: I say content not thy self with the meer Notion of it, to say, I see it should be so, and it must be so, and rest thy self contented in the Performance of Services, and think to bring a Saviour at thy Beck, to do what thou wilt for thy Soul; this is a Slight that Satan has pinn'd to thy Soul. Many think to have a sovereign Authority over Christ, when they have performed Duties: So that he does not use the Means to be led to Christ, but he takes up his Duties to be commanders of Christ, and that he may dispose of Christ for his own Turn; so that he makes Christ an Abetter of his own Wickedness, not a Subduer of his Corruptions. This is a marvellous Deceit, when Men rest in their own Abilities, and so abuse Christ. And this will appear in these Particulars.