that we are not capable, or competent judges of ourselves; nor are ever the better for thinking well of ourselves; since, as St. Paul tells us again, he is not approved that commends himself, but whom the Lord commendeth:' for that, delicta sua quis intelligit? who can thoroughly understand and scan his own errors?' Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am purged of my sin?" Who can know, (if the psalmist implieth that he could not,) until God hath searched him and discovers it, whether there be any secret way of wickedness in him;' whether he be sufficiently grieved for having offended God, fully humbled under the sense of his sins, thoroughly resolved to amend his life? However, it often happens that true faith and sincere repentance are in degree very defective; in which case we may, without prejudicing the truth of our faith, suspect the worst; yea, I conceive it is more safe and com mendable so to do: if in any, then chiefly, I suppose, in thismost important and critical affair, the wise man's sentence doth hold, Blessed is he that feareth always;' so feareth as thereby to become more solicitous and watchful over his heart and ways; more careful and studious of securing his salvation finally, to render his calling and election in the event more firm, and in his apprehension more hopeful. I dare say, of two persons otherwise alike qualified, he that on this ground (fearing his own unworthiness, or the defect of his performances) is most doubtful of his state, doth stand really on better terms with God; as the pharisee, who justified himself, and took himself to be in a very good condition, was indeed less justified (somewhat the less for that conceit of his) than the poor publican, who was sensible of his own unworthiness, and condemned himself in his own opinion: the great danger lies on that hand of being presumptuous, arrogant, and self-conceited, which God hates; and on this hand there usually lies humility, modesty, and poverty of spirit, which God loves. As 'every high thing (every elevation of mind) is abominable in God's sight,' and he depresseth him that exalteth himself;' so lowly thoughts are gracious in God's regard: he raiseth him that humbleth himself, and is lowly in his own eyes' he hath an especial respect to him that is of a poor and contrite heart, and trembleth at his word.' It is a property of good men,

(being such as often reflect on their own hearts and ways, and thence discern the defects in them,) with Jacob, to think themselves less than the least of God's mercies:' with David, to be afraid of God's judgments:' it is their duty to pass the time of their sojourning here in fear,' to work out their salvation with fear and trembling.' I may add, that sometime a person much loving God, and much beloved of him, may be like ' a pelican of the wilderness, and an owl of the desert;' from an apprehension of God's anger, may have no soundness in his flesh, nor rest in his bones, by reason of his sin;' may have his 'spirit overwhelmed, and his heart within him desolate;' may fear that his sins have separated between him and his God;' and that he is forsaken of God; God hiding his face, and withdrawing the light of his countenance," he may be troubled, may have his soul cast down, and disquieted within him;' may be ready to say, I am cut off from before thine eyes :' even such a man, in such a state of distress and doubt, may continue a believer; he retaining honorable thoughts of God, (in which the worth and virtue of true faith consisteth,) although dejected by the conscience of his own infirmities, by suspicion of his own indispositions, and consequently by the fear of God's displeasure.

Farther, that this faith doth not essentially include a respect to such particular propositions, or does not (as many in these two latter ages have deemed and taught) consist in our being persuaded that our sins are pardoned, or our persons just in God's esteem; that we are acceptable to God, and stand possessed of his favor, it appears from hence, that faith is in holy Scripture represented in nature precedaneous to God's benevolence, (especial I mean, not general benevolence, for that prevents all acts and dispositions of us, or in us,) to his conferring remission of sins, accepting and justifying our persons; it is a previous condition, without which (as the Apostle teaches us) it is impossible to please God;' it is a reason of God's love, ('The Father,' saith our Lord, loves you, because ye have loved me, and believed that I came from God;') it is a ground of Divine acceptation and good-will, (Abraham believed God,' saith St. James, and it was accounted unto him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of God;') it is a

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mean, or instrument, (so it is constantly represented,) by which we are justified, obtain God's favor, and the remission of our sins; and therefore is in order of nature previous and prerequisite thereto; it is therefore required before baptism, in which remission of sins is consigned: God justifies, accepts, and pardons him, that hath been impious, but not him that is an infidel. This is the method plainly declared in Scripture; wherefore if faith implies a persuasion that God hath remitted our sins, it must imply an antecedent faith, (even a justifying faith, antecedent to itself,) or that we believe before we believe, and are justified before we are justified. I add, that by this notion many, or most (I will not, after the council of Trent, say all) humble and modest Christians are excluded from being believers; even all those who are not confident of their own sincerity and sanctity, and consequently cannot be assured of their standing in God's favor: and on the other side, the most presumptuous and fanatical sort of people are most certainly the truest and strongest believers, as most partaking of the most essential property thereof, according to that notion; for of all men living, such are wont to be most assured of God's especial love unto them, and confident that their sins are pardoned: experience sufficiently shows this to be true, and consequently that such a notion of faith cannot be good.

Much less is that notion of faith right, which defines faith to be a firm and certain knowlege of God's eternal good-will toward us particularly, and that we shall be saved;* which notion (taught in the beginning of the Reformation, by a man of greatest name and authority) was thus lately expressed by the professors of Leyden in their Synopsis purioris Theologiæ : ' Faith (they say in their definition thereof) is a firm assent-by which every believer, with a certain trust resting in God, is persuaded not only that remission of sins is in general promised to them who believe, but is granted to himself particularly, and eternal righteousness, and from it life, by the mercy of God,' &c. Which notion seems to be very uncomfortable, as rejecting every man from the company of believers, who is either ignorant or doubtful, not only concerning his present, but his final state;

* Calv. Inst. lib. vii. §. 7. et 28. compar.

who hath not, not only a good opinion, but a certain knowlege of his present sincerity and sanctity; yea, not only of this, but of his future constant perseverance therein: so that if a man be not sure he hath repented, he is (according to this notion) sure that he hath not repented, and is no believer. How many good people must this doctrine discourage and perplex! To remove it, we may consider, 1. that it altogether inverts and confounds the order of things declared in Scripture, wherein faith (as we observed before) is set before obtaining God's good-will, as a prerequisite condition thereto; and is made a means of salvation, (without faith it is impossible to please God:' By grace we are saved, through faith.') And if we must believe before God loves us, (with such a love as we speak of,) and before we can be saved; then must we know that we believe, before we can know that God loves us, or that we shall be saved; aud consequently we must indeed believe before we can know that God loves us, or that we shall be saved. But this doctrine makes the knowlege of God's love and of salvation in nature antecedent to faith, as being an essential ingredient into it; which is preposterous. Consider this circle of discourse: a

man cannot know that he believes, without he does believe; this is certain: a man cannot know that he shall be saved, without knowing he doth believe; this is also certain for on what ground, from what evidence can he know his salvation, but by knowing his faith? But again backward: a man, say they, cannot believe (and consequently not know that he believes) without being assured of his salvation. What an inextricable maze and confusion is here! This doctrine indeed doth make the knowlege of a future event to be the cause of its being future; it supposes God to become our friend (as Abraham was by his faith) by our knowing that he is our friend; it makes us to obtain a reward by knowing that we shall obtain it; it supposes the assurance of our coming to a journey's end, to be the way of getting thither; which who can conceive intelligible or true? Our Saviour doth indeed tell us that it is the way to life everlasting (or conducible to the attaining it) to know (that is, to believe, as it is interpreted in the 8th verse of that chapter; for what on good grounds we are persuaded of, or judge true, we may be said to know) the true God, and

Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent :' but he doth not say, it is life everlasting (or conducible to the obtaining it) to know that we shall have life everlasting; that were somewhat strange to say. St. Peter exhorts us to use diligence to make our calling and election sure,' (or firm and stable ;) but he doth not bid us know it to be sure. If we did know it to be so, what need should we have to make it so? yea, how could we make it so? He doth not enjoin us to be sure of it in our opinion, but to secure it in the event by sincere obedience and a holy life; by so impressing this persuasion on our minds, so rooting the love of God and his truth in our hearts, that no temptation may be able to subvert our faith, or to pluck out our charity.

2. This notion plainly supposes the truth of that doctrine, that no man being once in God's favor can ever quite lose it; the truth of which I shall not contest now, (nor allege the many clear passages of Scripture, nor the whole tenor of the gospel, nor the unanimous consent of all Christendom for fifteen hundred years against it,) but shall only take notice, that their notion of faith necessarily presupposing the truth of this doctrine, is yet thereby everted: for it follows thence, that no man, who doth not assent to that doctrine, is or can be a believer; for he that is not assured of the truth of that opinion (although we suppose him assured of his present sincerity, and being in a state of grace) cannot know that he shall be saved : so that only such as agree with them in that opinion can be believers, which is somewhat hard, or rather very absurd. And to aggravate this inconvenience, I adjoin, 3. that, according to their notion, scarce any man, (except some have had an especial revelation concerning their salvation,) before the late alterations in Christendom, was a believer; for before that time it hardly appears that any man did believe, as they do, that a man cannot fall from grace; and therefore scarce any man could be assured that he should be saved; and therefore scarce any man could be a believer in their sense.

St. Augustine himself (whose supposed patronage stands them in so much stead on other occasions) hath often affirmed that divers have had given them that faith, that charity, that

* De Corr. et Gr. cap. 9. et 13. De bon. Persev. cap. viii. 13.