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

Many a Man makes his Services his Saviours. For, he makes them the Bottom to bear up his Conscience: The Ground whereof is this: Haply he finds and feels by woeful Experience what the Fruits of Sin are: He sees the Venom of his Corruptions, and the lamentable Effects of all his sinful Practices: He thought it before, a fine Thing to swear, and lie, and drink, and follow base Company; but now they are Gravel to his Heart, and Gall to his Soul. His Conscience flieth in his Face, and he is ready to sink down to Hell under the Burden of his mis-ordered Life. Conscience saith, These be thy Sins, and these will be thy Damnation: They have been thy Delight, but they will prove thy Shame and Confusion in the End; and shortly thou shalt find the Smart of them: To Hell therefore, be packing, and gone.

Many a Man makes his Services his Saviours. For, he makes them the Bottom to bear up his Conscience: The Ground whereof is this: Haply he finds and feels by woful Experience what the Fruits of Sin are: He sees the Venom of his Corruptions, and the lamentable Effects of all his sinful Practices: He tho't it before, a fine Thing to swear, and lie, and drink, and follow base Company; but now they are Gravel to his Heart, and Gall to his Soul. His Conscience flieth in his Face, and he is ready to sink down to Hell under the Burden of his mis-order'd Life. Conscience saith, These be thy Sins, and these will be thy Damnation: They have been thy Delight, but they will prove thy Shame and Confusion in the End; and shortly thou shalt find the Smart of them: To Hell therefore, be packing, and gone.

Now this Man hath no other Cure for his Conscience in such a Case, but this; he entreats Conscience to be quiet. He confesseth he hath lived in base Courses, and his Condition to be very miserable; but now he will reform all. He hath neglected Prayer heretofore, but now he will pray: He hath hated God's Servants, but now he will love them: His Ways have been exceeding evil, but now he will reform them, and now he will turn over a new Leaf. This he saith, and this (he thinks) will serve his Turn. And thus many ⟨p. 19⟩poor Souls use the Means as Mediators, and so fall short of Christ. But a gracious Heart doth not only pray, and hear, and receive, and use all possible Means to obtain CHRIST, but is restless and unsatisfied 'till he enjoy and possess CHRIST in the Means. He rests not upon the bare Performance of any Duty, neither thinks by Virtue of any such his Endeavours to get into Christ.