igent, watchful, &c, when it is
just otherwise with us: Or, on the contrary, complaining of deadness,
formality, upsitting, fainting, heartlessness in the ways of God, when
it is not so. Or, in questioned matters, taking truth to be error, and
error to be truth.

3. Concerning others. How ready are we to run either to the one
extremity or the other in judging their persons and actions?

Oh! where is the faith of this natural condition? where is the real
conviction of it? Sure there is but little real believing of this when,

(1.) There are so many that never so much as suspect themselves or
question either their state or condition, at one time or other; never
once imagine that their blinded hearts may deceive them; never once
dream of a possibility of mistaking, and of dying with a lie in their
right hand.

(2.) And so many that are not lamenting and bewailing this their
condition, nor crying out and complaining of a false, deceitful, and
desperately wicked heart.

(3.) And so few that are indeed humbled under the sense of this, and
made therefore to walk more watchfully and soberly with an eye always
upon their treacherous and deceiving hearts.

(4.) And so few, crying for help from God against this deceitful
adversary, through daily experience of the atheism, hypocrisy,
ignorance, misconceptions of God and of his ways, and deceitfulness of
our hearts, might sufficiently put it out of doubt with us.

_Next,_ How miserable must their condition be, who are yet strangers to
Christ; for they are living in darkness, lying in darkness, walking in
darkness, yea, very darkness itself, a mass of error, mistakes,
ignorance, and misconceptions of all things that are good; and still
wandering out of the way.

_Finally,_ Should not this preach out to, and convince us all of a
necessity of having more acquaintance with truth, with Jesus Christ, who
is the truth, that we may be delivered from this woful and wretched
condition; for truth only can set us free therefrom.

II. The _second_ general thing to be noticed here is, that all other
ways and courses, which we can take or follow, that we may obtain life,
beside Christ, are but lies, false and deceitful ways,--there is no
truth in them: For he only is the truth; no other whatsoever can bear
this epithet: For,

1. He only can satisfy the soul in all points otherways; whatever we can
imagine and dream can yield no true satisfaction in this matter.

2. He only can secure