shall not stand. That man's expectation shall perish; he hath kindled
sparks of his own,--a wild-fire, and walketh not in the true light of the
word, and so must lie down in sorrow. Many of you deceive yourselves, and
none can persuade you that ye do deceive yourselves, such is the strength
of that delusion and dream. It is the great part of the heart's
deceitfulness, to flatter itself in its own eyes: to make a man conceive
well of himself and his heart. I beseech you, do not venture your soul's
salvation on such groundless opinions; never to question the matter, is to
leave it always uncertain. If you would judge yourselves according to the
Scriptures, many of you have the marks and characters of those who are
kept without the city, and are to have their part in the lake of fire. Is
there no condemnation for you, who have never condemned yourselves?
Certainly the more you are averse to condemn yourselves, this sticks the
closer to you. You are not all in Christ; "they are not all Israel which
are of Israel." Many (nay the most part) are but said Christians; have no
real union with Christ, or principle of life from him. The love you carry
to yourselves, makes you easily believe well of yourselves; know, that
self-love can blind the eyes, and make you apprehend that God loves you
also. Nay, every one readily fancies that to be, which he desires to be. I
beseech you, consider if you have any ground for your hopes and
confidences, but such as those that will not bear out always. It would be
no disadvantage to you, to have your hope shaken, that instead of a vain
presumption, you may have the anchor of hope, which shall be fixed within
the vail. I think one thing keeps men far from the kingdom of God,--because
they know not that they believe not in him. We had gained much ground on
you by the word, if we could persuade you that ye believe not, and have
not believed from the womb. We might then say to you, as Christ to his
disciples, "Ye believe in God, believe also in me." Ye have given credit
to God the judge and lawgiver, pronouncing a curse on you, and a sentence
that ye have hearts desperately wicked,--now, believe also in me, the
Redeemer. Ye have believed God in the law, in as far as ye have judged
yourselves under sin and wrath; now, believe me in the gospel, that brings
a ransom from wrath, and a remedy for sin. It is this very unbelief, that
is the original of the world's perishing,--unbelief of the law. Ye do not
c