compassion"-were a further inducement to republish this little volume, which seems happily suited to prevent the growth of such misconceptions, whereby (Ezek. xiii. 22.) "the hearts of the righ teous are made sad, whom God has not made sad;" whereby too the bright lustre of that pure and undefiled religion they profess, has been greatly diminished in the eye of those, who are not the friends of evangelical truth. Among other immaterial alterations, the editor has taken the liberty of inserting common phrases in the room of obsolete ones; he has also

added

added a few notes, which are distinguished by by an asterism (*).

IV. U.

Mra

ENQUIRY

INTO THE

STATE OF HIS SOUL.

HIS INTRODUCTION.

IN order to peace of conscience, and assurance of my good estate towards God, it must in reason be supposed, that I may rightly understand the marks of sincerity set down in God's word; as also the ruling inclination and motions of my own soul; and that I may be so far assured of my

right

right understanding of the things aforesaid, as to have no reasonable ground for doubting thereof. For I have no other ordinary way to know my sincerity, in order to the said peace and assurance, but to examine it according to my best understanding, by the marks thereof set down in God's word.

In this self-examination, it is requisite that I use all diligence, and impartiality, with constancy: and that I earnestly pray for God's assistance in it, and heartily offer myself to his search, as David did, Psal. cxxxix. 23.

Wherefore if upon the most impartial and diligent search

that

that I can make, according to the best of my understanding, together with earnest and constant prayer to God to assist me therein, as in my greatest concern: it doth most rationally appear to me, that the ruling inclination and motions of my soul are agreeable to the marks of sincerity set down in God's word, then my conscience doing its office aright, is to judge for me accordingly, viz. that I am sincere. And in this judgment I acquiesce, because it is the judgment of God's agent and minister, which he hath set up within me to judge under him of my eternal state, according to his