his own salvation and eternal
things, and in regard of all things that befalleth in time; the first is,
when the conscience is sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ, and
getteth a good answer to all the challenges and accusations of conscience,
and of the law and justice, 1 Pet. iii. 21; when the Spirit of God shines
into the soul, with a new light to discover these things that are freely
given, 1 Cor. ii. 12. And this is the sealing of the Spirit after
believing, Eph. i. 13. When a soul hath put to its seal by believing God's
word, and hath acknowledged God's truth and faithfulness in his word, the
Spirit sealeth mutually the believer's faith, both by more holiness and
the knowledge of it; and how great peace is this, when a soul can look
upon all its iniquities when they compass about a man, and outward trouble
sharpeneth and setteth on edge inward challenges, and yet the soul will
not fear,--it hath answers to them all in Christ's blood, Psalm xlix. 5.
This is a greater word than all the world can say. Many men's fearlessness
proceedeth from ignorance of sin, their iniquities were never set in order
before them; but if once they compassed them about, and wrath, like a
fiery wall, compass them about also, so that there were no escaping, O it
would be more terrible than all the armies of the world! Ye would account
little of a kingdom, ye would exchange it for such a word as David hath
upon good grounds.

Now, I say again, the soul that hath thus committed itself to him as a
faithful keeper, may have peace in all estates and conditions; and this
peace floweth from that other peace. There is a peace which guards the
heart and mind, Phil. iv. 6, 7, opposed to carefulness and anxiety; and
this Paul is exemplary for, "I have learned in every estate, therewith to
be content, to want and abound," &c. ver. 11. The soul of a believer may
be in an equal even tenor and disposition in all conditions; it may
possess itself in patience. Impatience and anxiety make a man not his own
man; he is not himself, he enjoys not himself; he is a burden to himself,
and is his own tormentor; but if souls were stayed upon God, certainly
they would possess themselves, dwell securely within their own breasts. We
may find that the most part of men are exposed to all the floods and waves
of the times. They move inwardly, as things are troubled outwardly; every
thing addeth moment to their grief or joy; any dispensation casteth the
balance, and e