in three formes in this section First v. 17. he came not to destroy the law and the Prophets i. e. the doctrine designed and taught by them and it would be a very dangerous errour very noxious to practice to thinke he did thinke not c. Secondly v 18. He affirmes with an asseveration that the least letter or title of the law shall not be destroyed i. e. loose its obligingnesse till all be fulfilled we read it is till all things be done i. e. till the world be at an end or which is the same at the beginning of the verse though in other words till heaven and earth i. e. this present world passe away or is dissolved 3ly v. 19. He pronounces clearely that he that affirmes any the least commandement of the law to be now out-dated that not onely breakes them himselfe but teaches others that they are not obliged to keepe them he shall be called the least in the Kingdome of Heaven i. e. shall not be accounted a Christian for so the Kingdom of heaven frequently signifies in the Scripture S. What is the second thing C. That Christ hath perfected the law and set it higher then any the most studied Doctor did thinke himselfe obliged by it formerly And this is affirmed here also by two phrases First v. 17. I came not to destroy the law but to perfect it The Greeke word which we render perfect is answerable to an Hebrew which signifies not onely to performe but to perfect to fill up as well as to fullfill and so is rendred sometimes by one and sometimes by tother And the Greeke it selfe is so used in like manner When it referres to a word or a prophecy then 't is to performe to fullfill 2 Chron. 36. 22. 1 Mac. 2. 55. In other cases 't is to fill up to compleate to perfect Eccl. 33. 16. 39. 12. 2 Chron. 24. 10. And that 't is so in this place may appeare by the antient Greeke fathers which expresse it by two similitudes 1. Of a vessell that had some water in it before but now is filled up to the brim 2. Of a picture that is first drawne rudely the limbs onely and lineaments with a cole or the like But when the hand of the Painter comes to draw it in colours to the life then 't is said to be filled up 2. That except your righteousnesse i. e. Christian actions and performances exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees i. e. goe higher then that strictest sect of the Jewes the Doctors among them thought themselves obliged to or taught others that they were they shall not passe for Christians here or prove Saints hereafter In which words sure he doth not pitch on the name of Scribes and Pharisees peculiarly as those that were the greatest evacuators of the law by their owne hypocriticall practices or false glosses in some particulars but the Pharisees as the most exact sectamong the Jewes Act. 26. 5. and the Scribes as the Doctors of the law and those that knew better what belonged to it then other men and both together those that sate in Moses chaire and taught there truly though they practiced not they say but doe not the doctrine of the Mosaicall law in that manner as others were obliged to performe it Mat. 23. 2. This same truth is also farther proved in the remainder of this Chapter by induction of severall particulars of the law first barely set downe by Christ and then with Christ's improvement added to them in this forme of Speech but I say unto you And though this be no new doctrine but affirmed distinctly by most of the ancient especially the Greeke writers before Saint Austines time and thus farre acknowledged by all parts that Christ required more of his Disciples i. e. of Christians now then the Jewes by any cleare revelation had beene convinced to be necessary before which is in effect as much as I shall desire to have granted Yet I have thought good to confirme it yet farther to you because it is the foundation of a great weighty superstructure by two things 1. By one other remarkeable place of Scripture 2. By some reasons which the Fathers have given for the doing of it S. What is that remarkeable place of Scripture C. In the first Epistle of Saint John c. 1. prefaced and brought in with more magnificent ceremony then any one passage of Scripture That which was in the beginning c. v. 1. That which we have seene and heard c. v. 3. and These things write we v. 4. This then is the message c. v. 5. all which are remarkeable characters set upon that which followes shewing it to be the summe of the whole Gospell or doctrine of Christ and 't is this That God is light and in him is no darkenesse at all v. 5. Which words so usher'd in you will easily beleive have somewhat more in them then at the first sound taken alone they would seeme to have and this sure it is that now under the Gospell Christ this light appeares without any mixture of darkenesse Light is the state doctrine of Christianity darkenesse of sinne and imperfection and such as was before among Jewes and Heathens which is referred to by the phrase If we walke in darkenesse v. 6. i. e. live like Jewes or Heathens and therefore to be light without all mixture of darkenesse is to be perfect without all mixture of imperfection which you will not thinke fit to affirme of God or Christ under the Gospell in respect to himself for that were to conceive that he had not beene so before but in respect of his Law and Commandements that they had before some mixture of imperfection but now have none had before some vacuities in them which now are filled up by Christ S. What reasons doe the fathers give for this C. These especially Because 1. Christ under the Gospell gives either higher or plainer promises then he did before the promises of eternall life are now as cleare as those of a temporall Canaan had beene before to the Iewes 2. Because he gives more grace now to performe them then before he had done The law given by Moses was a carnall law i. e. weake unnaccompanied with strength to performe what it requires but the Gospell of Christ is the administration of the spirit i. e. A meanes to administer the spirit to our hearts to enable to doe what he commands to doe and then as the Father said Lord give me strength to doe what thou commandest and command what thou listest S. If this be true that Christ now requires more then under nature or Moses had beene formerly required at least fully revealed to be required How then is our Christian burthen lighter then the Jewish formerly was In these things it is heavier rather C. It is made lighter by Christ in taking oâ—â— that unprofitable burthen of ceremonies that had nothing good in them and yet were
is whether his sorrow bring forth fruits of amendment if so this is not the sinne of Desperation yet he hath the Grace of Hope which brings forth fruits of Hope though it be so clouded over with a melancholy vapour that it be not discernible even to himselfe But if this trouble of minde set him a sinning farther like Judas who had sorrow but then hanged himselfe this is Despaire indeed S. I shall sollicite you no farther in this point but for your prayers that God will keepe me from all premature perswasion of my being in Christ that he will give me that Hope that may set me a purifying and not suffer me to go on presumptuously or desperately in any course Onely upon occasion of this Grace of Hope give me leave to aske you whether he that now lives in sinne and hopes he shall one day repent and go to Heaven this Repentance and that Heaven being a future good and so the object of Hope may be said to have the Grace of Hope in any kind C. By no meanes Because God hath made no such promise that he shall repent nor without Repentance that any man shall have Heaven This is a ground-worke of carnall security and no degree of the Grace of Hope S. Once more may he that hath gone on in a continued course of sinne and at last is overtaken with Gods judgments and seeing Hell gates open upon him doth greive for his former wicked life and upon that hopes for mercy be conceived to be saved by that Hope C. I list not to passe sentence on any particular because I cannot throughly discerne his state onely I can say in generall I know no promise of pardon in Scripture to a bare death-bed sorrow because indeed none to any sorrow at any time but that which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Godly sorrow which worketh Repentance which Repentance as it is available if true though never so late so is seldome true when it is late nor can well be knowne to be true but by persevering fruits which require time And though a serious purpose of amendment and true acts of Contrition before or without the habit may be accepted by God to my salvation yet in this case there is no sure judgment whether this purpose be serious or these acts true acts of Contrition And so in this case there is no foundation for his Hope and then a groundlesse Hope or a bare Hope without the other conditions to which the promises belong will never be able to save any S. Shall we now proceed to the third Grace that of Love or Charity C. Most willingly it is a precious Grace and that which Saint Paul preferres before Hope and Faith S. But is any Grace to be prefer'd before that of Faith I thought that had beene the most necessary Gospell-grace C. It is most certaine there is Faith being taken in that notion which I told you belongs to that place because Saint Paul hath affirmed it that Charity is the greatest of the three 1 Cor. 13. 13. And it is as sure that no other Scripture hath contradicted this and although very great things are said of Faith as of the onely condition of Justification and Salvation yet 1. This is when it is in conjunction with Charity Faith consummate by love And 2. 'T is observable that the most imperfect things are alwaies the most necessary and consequently the great necessity of Faith is no argument of it's dignity in comparison of this other Grace For indeed Faith is necessary so as without which Charity cannot be had but then this alone is unsufficient to save any if Charity be not added to it Faith is the foundation which though it be the most necessary part of the building yet is it the lowest and most imperfect Charity the superstruction which is never firmely built but when grounded in Faith and when 't is so 't is farre more excellent then it's foundation Besides Charity is a Grace not out-dated in Heaven as Faith and Hope are S. But what is Charity C. The sincere love of God and of our neighbour for his sake S. Wherein doth the love of God consist C. As love in its latitude is of two sorts of Freindship and of Desire the first betwixt freinds the second betwixt lovers the first a rationall the second a sensitive love so our love of God consists of two parts 1. Esteeming prizing valuing of God 2. Desiring of him S. How shall I know whether I doe Esteeme God as I ought to doe C. If you would be content to doe any thing or suffer any thing rather then loose his favour rather then displease him If you love me saith he keepe my Commandements And therefore loving him and obeying him love and workes to wit Evangelicall workes are taken for the same thing in Scripture S. How must this love be qualified C. The speciall qualification or rather indeed essentiall property of Charity is the sincerity of it as that is opposite to hypocrisy or a double heart or divided love or joining any rivall or competitor in our hearts with him The loving God above all and all other for his sake this is set downe both by Moses and Christ in these words Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy mind with all thy strength The Heart as I conceive signifying the Affections The Soule the Will or elective faculty The Minde the Understanding or rationall faculty And the Strength the powers of the body for action and all foure together making up the whole man and the word All affixt to each not to exclude all other things from any inferiour part in my love but onely from an equall or superiour to exclude a partiall or a halfe love S. What are the motives that may stirre up this love in my heart C. 1. The consideration of Gods infinite essence And 2. Of his most glorious Attributes And 3. Of his bounteous actions towards us in creating redeeming preserving and providing such rewards for those that love him S. What is that other part of love which you call the Desiring of him C. The actuall appetition or fastening our affections on him desiring to enjoy him 1. His Grace or sanctifying Spirit here And 2. The perpetuall vision of him hereafter The former part of this is called hungering and thirsting after righteousnesse A hatred and impatience of sinne a desiring to be out of that polluted condition and to be made like unto God in holinesse and purity and you may know the sincerity of that 1. By assiduity and frequency and fervency in prayer that way of conversing and communing with God a most infallible concomitant of this kind of love 2. By loving and seeking the meanes 1. of resisting sin and 2. of receiving and 3. of improving of Grace that one principall desire of Davids That he might dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of his
not onely to be praised but rewarded also S. I conceive you have now gone through the first of the three things and fully satisfied all my scruples God grant my obedience and practice and observation of your directions may be as perfectly compleate and universall I shall call upon you now to the second beginning at the fifth and extended to the 16th verse In all which I expect what you will observe unto me C. § 2 The same generall parts that before A Duty supposed and a double Caution interposed The Duty supposed is prayer that great prime branch of the worship of God required of all that acknowledge God to be God and most reasonable for all that acknowledge 1. The world to be ruled by his providence 2. Themselves to have any need of his grace or pardon Or 3. That hope for any reward from him in another world S. I shall desire your direction in divers particulars concerning this duty And 1. How many sorts of prayer are there C. 1. Prayer of the heart when the soule sighs out it's desires unto God and of the tongue added to that which is then vocall prayer 2. Either publicke or private Publicke of two sorts 1. In the Church or meeting together of all that will joine with us called together by tolling of a bell c. which is very usefull and necessary 1. For the publicke testimony of our piety 2. For the stirring up and enflaming of others 3. For the making of those common publicke requests wherein all that meete are concerned as for all men the whole Church the Rulers and Magistrates of that Community wherein we live for pardon of sinnes gift of grace preservation from danger and all other things that as Fellow-members of a Church or State we may stand in need of 4. For the prevailing with God the union of so many hearta being most likely to prevaile and the presence of some godly to bring downe mercies on those others whose prayers have no promise to be heard especially if performed by a consecrated person whose office it is to draw nigh unto God i. e. to offer up prayers c. to him and to be the Embassadour and Messenger betweene God and Man Gods Embassadour to the people in Gods stead beseeching them to be reconciled and the peoples Embassadour to God to offer up our requests for grace pardon mercies to him 2. In the family which is a lesser Congregation the Master or Father of which is to supply the place of the Preist and to provide this spirituall food for all that are under his power and charge as well as their corporall food and aske those things which in that relation of members of the same family are most acknowledged to be needfull for all there present And then private prayer of two sorts againe either of husband and wife together who are as it were one flesh and have many relations comnon to one another and yet distinct and peculiar from all others Or of eveey man or woman single and private from all others in the closet or retirednesse S. Having mentioned the sorts you will please also to mention the parts of prayer C. Those are set downe by Saint Paul 1 Tim. 2. 1. Supplications prayers intercessions giving of thankes The first seemeth to referre to Confession and acknowledgement of and beseeching pardon for sinne A necessary dayly duty both in publike and private for our selves and others only in private fit to be more distinct and particular by way of enumeration of the kinds and acts and aggravating circumstances of sinne The second is the petitioning or requesting of all things necessary for our bodies or soules in all our capacities either as single or double persons as members of families of Kingdomes of Christendome of mankind it selfe The third is the interceding or mediating for others offering up prayers for freinds for enemies for all men especially for our lawfull Governours Kings and all that be in authority spirituall or civill The fourth is the returning our acknowledgements to God for all benefits received by us or others being bound by the rule of gratitude to be mindfull of what we have received of piety to acknowledge God's hand in bestowing them of charity to be sensible of what ever good any part of mankind hath beene partaker of from that great spring of goodnesse as well as our selves and by all these to expresse all in our prayers and addresses to heaven S. My next inquiry must be how often this duty must be performed C. This great duty consisting of these so many parts must be performed frequently by all and every Christian without any slacking or intermitting of it but how frequently there is no precept in this place or any other of scripture which argues that though the substance of the duty be under particular precept yet the frequency is left after the manner of other free-will-offerings to every mans owne conscience and prudence as occasions and circumstances shall direct Yet from the commands and examples of Scripture some speciall directions we may take with us As 1. that one day in seven is to be set apart for this purpose though not to be all spent in the performance of this one duty yet for this duty to be carefully performed both in the Church the familie and in private and that with more solemnity then ordinary 2. That other times taken notice of by the Church either by way of commemoration of partticular passages in the story of Christ of his Saints c. or by way of commemoration of some notable benefits received or on occasion of particular urgencies c. be by us solemnely observed also according to the rule of the Church wherein we live in like manner as the Jewes observed their dayes appointed them by law 3. that no man omit to performe this duty at least morning and evening every day this being solemnely required of the people of God directed by the law of piety to begin and close all with prayer which the very heathens could judge necessary and being the least that can be meant by that precept of the Apostle of praying without ceasing or continually which is thought by many to extend no farther then in proportion to the dayly sacrifices among the Jewes which were constantly every morning and evening but by none interpreted or conceived interpretable to any lower proportion But then 4. the examples of holy men in scripture do adde unto this number some more some lesse David in one place specifies the addition of a third at morning and at evening and at noone day will I pray and that instantly i. e. in a set solemne intense earnest addresse Ps 55. 17. and so Daniel c. 6. 10. and this of noon-day is the same with the sixth houre which is a time of prayer Act. 10. 9. used by Saint Peter Others againe observed the ninth hour i. e. about three of the clocke in the afternoone
into the story of Melchizedek meeting Abraham Gen. 14. 18 19. S. What is there said of him C. It is said that Melchizedek King of Salem brought forth bread and wine i. e. treated and entertained Abraham as a King and he was the Preist of the most high God and he blessed him and said Blessed be Abraham of the most high God which hath delivered thine enemies into thine hand S. Which of these kinde of Preists was Christ to be C. Christ being considered in the whole purpose of God concerning him was to undertake both these offices of Preisthood to be an Aaronicall Preist first and then for ever after a Melchizedekian Preist he was appointed first to offer up sacrifice for the sinnes of the world which he performed once for all upon the crosse and therein exercised the office of an Aaronicall Preist and withall completed and perfected that whole worke of satisfaction for sinne to which all the old legall sacrifices referred and that being done he was to enter upon his other office of Melchizedekian Preisthood and exercise that continually from that time to the end of the world and is therefore called a Preist for ever after the order of Melchizedek And this second kind of Preist-hood is that which the Scripture of the New Testament especially the Epistle to the Hebrews doth mainly referre to when it speaks of Christ and is to be conceived to speake of that whensoever it indefinitely mentions Christs Preist-hood S. But what then is not Christ a Preist ofter the order of Aaron C. I told you that he was but now I tell you that he is not he was once in his death but never was to repeate any act of that afterwards and so now all the Preist-hood that belongs to him is the Melchizedekian I will set this downe more plainely It is most truly said and resolved that Christs death was a voluntary offering and sacrifice of himselfe once for us and that will serve to denominate him an Aaronicall Preist in his death or rather to conclude that his death was the completion of all the rites ceremonies such as the sacrifices of the Aaronicall Preisthood But this being but one act never to be repeated againe is not the thing that Christs eternall Preisthood denoted especially by his unction or Chrisme referres to but that other Melchizedek-Preisthood that he was to exercise for ever Besides it may be said that this sacrifice at his death may under that notion of an Aaronicall sacrifice passe for the rite and ceremony before his consecration or at the consecrating him to be our eternall high preist For such sacrifices we find mentioned Lev. 8. 22. the ram the ram of consecration and of this nature I conceive the death of Christ to be a previous or preparatory rite to Christs consecration to his great eternall preist-hood after the order of Melchizedek whereupon 't is said that it became God to consecrate the Captaine of our salvation by sufferings Heb. 2. 10. for so the word signifies which we render to make perfect To which purpose you may observe two things 1 that Christs preist-hood is said to be an eternall preisthood thou art a preist for ever and a preisthood not transitive but for ever fastened in the person of Christ Heb. 7. 24. after the power of an indissoluble life v. 16. which cannot appertaine to that one single finite unrepeated sacrifice of himselfe upon the Crosse 2 that Christ was not inaugurated to this his preisthood till after his Resurrection as may appeare by Heb. 5. 5. Christ glorified not himselfe to be made an high preist but he that said unto him thou art my sonne this day have I begotten thee Which words denoting the time of Gods inaugurating him to his preisthood may by the sound seem to belong to his birth but being compared with Act. 13. 33. and Ps 110. 14. it plainely appeares that they belong to the resurrection of Christ and Act. 3. 26. 't is clearely said God having raised up his sonne Jesus sent him to blesse you which is a denotation of this preisthood as I told you and anon if you remember me I will more largely shew you S. Will not this derogate something from the suffering of Christ or satisfaction wrought by it C. No nothing at all but rather demonstrate that this death of his was necessary in a double respect 1 as an act of an Aaronicall Priest and a completion of all those legall rites which vanished at the presence of this great sacrifice 2 that in respect of the satisfaction wrought by it it was necessary to make him our eternall Preist or to make us capable of the benefits of that Preist-hood of his S. Well then I shall acknowledge those plaine words of Scripture that Christ is now to us and ever shall be a preist of Melchizedeks Order and not strive to phansie him still an Aaronicall preist that sacrifice being offered up once for all because I have no ground now for such phansie But then I beseech you wherein lies the parallel betwixt Melchizedecks preist-hood and Christs Is it in offering of bread and wine which we read of Melchizedeck or in any thing answerable to that C. No that is the Papists phansy caused by a great mistake of theirs they conceive that Melchizedek offered up Bread and Wine to God and that in that respect he is called a Preist or that he was sacrificing or did sacrifice but in this there are two mistakes for first Melchizedek brought forth this bread and Wine and presented it to Abraham did not offer it to God and therefore Philo a Jew well seene in that story sets it as an act of hospitality in Melchizedek contrary to the crabbed niggardlinesse of Amelek he would not allow water but Melchizedek brought forth bread and wine Secondly this he did as a King and so Christ as a King may perhaps be said to entertaine and feed us in the Sacrament with bread wine the spiritu all food annexed to or represented by it the giving of grace and pardon being a donative of his Kingly Office but the Preistly acts of Melchizedek are those that follow Wherein onely Christs Eternall or Melchizedek Preisthood consists S. What are they C. 1. Blessing us 2. Blessing God for us S. What is the meaning of Christs blessing us C. You will see that by reviewing the place even now cited Act. 3. 26. God having raised up his sonne Jesus sent him to blesse us which now you perceive is a denotation of his Preistly office the Melchizedek-Preisthood being to blesse S. I doe so but how doth that shew me what that blessing is C. Yes there are words that immediately follow which clearely describe wherein this blessing consists in turning away every one of you from his iniquities S. Be pleased then to make use of that key for me and shew me clearely wherein that part of Christs Preisthood his blessing of us consists C.
rejoice in them as in benigne auspicious signes that in another world there is a reward for the righteous because in this life the contrary rather So Rom. 12. 12. Rejoycing in Hope and patient in tribulation are joined together 2. Time of temptation when some present delight is ready to invite to sin or present bitternesse to deterre from the waies of God then the Hope of future joies to be exchanged for that bitternesse and to outvy and preponderate that pleasure comes in seasonably 3. The Time of mourning for the dead which the assured Hope of a Resurrection will moderate and alleviate S. You told me the ground of Christian Hope was the promises I pray is a man to hope for nothing but that for which he hath some promise in Scripture C. He may perhaps lawfully hope for some things for which there is no promise so there be nothing to the contrary but then this is not the grace of Hope but a good naturall assurance or confidence which Aristotle observes young men to be full of and old men not so inclined to But if it be for any spirituall matter it is if it be not grounded on some promise but presumption S. There is no promise in Scripture for every particular mans eternall salvation yet sure every man is bound to hope he shall be saved C. This is the misprision I desired to anticipate and forestall in you and now I must be faine to cure seeing I could not prevent it To which purpose you must againe remember that Gods promises being the grounds of Hope and those promises being but seldome absolute most what conditionate the Hope if it be the Christian Grace of Hope must be proportioned and attemperate to the promise and if it exceed that temper and proportion it becomes a tumour and tympany of Hope For example that there shall be another state or life after the end of this both for just and unjust there is an absolute promise and therefore every man may iustly hope for that though to the ungodly it be matter rather of feare then Hope but for a happy or joyfull Resurrection to life a blessed future state there is no absolute unlimited but conditionall limited promise to the true penitent beleever and none else for to all others God hath sworne they shall not enter into his rest And then he that is such may no more hope for his part in the Resurrection of the just then for the most impossible thing or if he doe hope that Hope will stand him in no steed will never make that true by hoping it which was otherwise false The Hope of the Hypocrite shall perish saith Job and so the carnall impenitent his Hope shall perish also sure never be able to keepe him from perishing S. What then is the Christian Hope in this particular C. It is an assurance 1. That though my sinnes be never so great they may be pardoned me if the condition to obtaine that pardon be not neglected 2. To hope chearefully and confidently upon the observation of those meanes 3. which is the prime act and evidence of the Christian Hope to set industriously and piously to the performance of that condition on which the promise is made as Saint John saith Every man that hath this hope purifies And 4. upon view of the sincerity of that performance of mine to hope comfortably and chearefully for Gods performance In breife the Hypocrite or unreformed sinner may have some roome for Hope suppositively if he doe change and repent the honest penitent may hope positively The former may hope as for a future possibility the latter at the present as for a certainty But the latter of these is the onely Christian Hope For by this you shall know a Christian Hope from all other that he that hath it purifies himselfe The Hypocrite or carnall man hopes and is the wickeder for hoping he feares nothing and so discernes not the necessity of mending The best way to reforme such a man is to robbe him of his Hope to bring him to a sence of his danger that he may get out of it to conduct him by the gates of Hell to a possibility of Heaven But the Scripture Hope the this Hope as Saint John calls it i. e. the Hope of seeing God 1 Joh. 3. 2. being grounded on conditionall promises and that condition being purity holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord sets presently to performing that condition that is to purifying according as you shall see the practice of it in Saint Paul 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having therefore these promises what promises conditionall promises c. 6. 17. let us purifie our selves c. S. But is not Despaire a sinne and doth not that consist in not hoping for Heaven C. The want of the Christian Hope is a sinfull despaire but not the want of all kind of Hope the thinking it impossible his sinnes should be forgiven though he should be never so truly penitent is a sinne but that rather of infidelity then despaire it being the dis-beleeving an eternall truth of Gods A consequent of this indeed may be desperation as on the contrary Hope is a consequent superstructed on faith to wit when he that beleeves himselfe uncapable of Pardon goes on without any care or thought of reforming such an one we vulgarly call a desperate person and that sure is a most damning sinne but for him that lives an impenitent sinner not to hope for mercy as long as he doth so is sure no sinne superadded to his impenitence his impenitence is a sinne but that being supposed his not hoping is but duty and justice the contrary would be a greater sinne and a more desperate signe So that not every not hoping for Heaven is the sinne of Despaire but rather the peremptory contempt of the condition which is the ground of Hope The going on not onely in terrours and amazement of conscience but also boldly hopingly confidently in wilfull habits of sinne which therefore is called desperatenesse also and the more bold thus the more desperate S. But what if a godly penitent man should either doubt of his salvation or not at all hope for it C. If that doubting or not hoping be onely grounded in a false judgment of his owne repentance and sincerity in conceiting too meanly of himselfe in thinking himselfe no true penitent when he is this will not be the sinne of Despaire no nor infidelity neither because if he could beleive his penitence sincere the want of which beleife is not the dis-beleeving of any part of Gods word because that saith nothing of him particularly he would assuredly hope and now that onely his humility makes him so comfortlesse there is certainly no sinne in that S. But what if a sinner be so overwhelmed with sorrow as not to lay hold on the promises at all is not this the sinne of Despaire C. The triall of him will be by examining whether he purifie or no that