t of our acceptation. And for souls to go about to seek preparations
for a time, resolving not at all to consider the promise of the gospel,
till they have found them, and satisfaction in them, is nothing else but
to go about to establish their own righteousness, being ignorant of the
righteousness of Christ."(57)

Binning, however, it will be found, did not give his sanction to the views
of those who confounded faith in Christ and the assurance of salvation.
This was one of the numerous errors of the day. It was prevalent in
England, and along with other heresies, it had no doubt insinuated itself,
by means of the parliamentary soldiers, into some parts of Scotland. So
far from the assurance of salvation being of the essence of faith, or a
constant attendant upon it, there are some sincere Christians, we have
reason to believe, who are all their lifetime strangers to it; while they
who have attained to it, from discovering in themselves the fruits and
evidences of faith, have it oftentimes clouded and suspended. This is
consistent with the personal experience of many humble and pious persons,
and with what we read in the Diaries of many, whose life when upon the
earth was the best of all proofs that the Spirit of God dwelt in them. It
is likewise confirmed by the recorded experience of the man according to
God's own heart. If he was at one time elevated with hope, he was at
another time depressed by fear. If, when meditating upon the divine love
and mercy, he was on some occasions filled with peace and joy, he was on
other occasions, when contemplating his own guilt and unworthiness, a prey
to grief and perplexity. If he was heard to exclaim, "Thou, Lord, hast
made me glad through thy work, I will triumph in the works of thy hands,"
he was also heard to cry out, "Will the Lord cast off for ever? And will
he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? Doth his
promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in
anger shut up his tender mercies?" A man who believes Christ to be the Son
of God and the Saviour of the world, if he has searched the scriptures,
has been made acquainted with the deceitfulness of the human heart, and
the devices of our great adversary. It is on this account he does not
always feel assured of his salvation. He is afraid that he may be
deceiving himself, and be thinking more highly of himself then he ought to
think. He has learned, from the parable of the sower, t