ous and deep Examination of himself, he cannot find that these fad and frightful Thoughts, which infeft him, proceed from any fuch Caufe, as fome wilful and notorious Sin, but that the fincefe and earnest Defire of his Soul is always to please God, and to keep a true Conformity to all his Laws, and Commands, Then

Secondly, The next Remedy against thefe black and defpairing Thoughts, is the Confideration of the tranfcendent Goodnefs of God. This is a proper means to fortify our Minds against them. Why fhall I think that I am caft off of God, and forfaken of him? What Argument can there be for Defperation? Why is my heart fo difmal? my thoughts fo troubled? my fears fo tempeftuous? Is it because I am a great Sinner? Truly that is a fufficient caufe for me to be forrowful, and humbled to the very duft; and floods of Tears are not enough to bewail the guilt of my Sin. But yet, O confider the Goodnefs of God! He is the moft loving and merciful Being; a compaffionate and forgiving Father. He is more our Father than our Earthly Parents can be. He is effentially good in himself, and good and gracious to his Creatures. He is ready, and willing to receive every penitent Sinner, be his Sins never fo great, Luke xv. Nay,

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the lovingly invites him to come to him. Mat. xi. 28. And this is a Confideration, which fhould be a means to make thee grieve with fuch a Sorrow, as will bring thee to him, and not drive thee from him: Such a Sorrow as may prompt thee to the Performance of all that thou knoweft to be thy Duty: And not fuch a Sorrow as totally incapacitates thee for it; and fo is both a Dishonour to God, and a very great Injury to thy own Soul. And therefore thou haft all imaginable Reason to thrust out all black, difmal, or despairing Thoughts.

Cast thine Eyes abroad into the World. See! This noble Structure was the Effect of God's Goodness; and all the Beauties and Riches of it, befpeak his Kindness, and Benignity. Behold this ample Theatre of Praife! wherein every thing fhews forth his Goodness! And then look in upon thyself, and thou wilt find thy own felf another World of the Divine Goodness! What Inftances of God's Goodness canft thou discover in thyfelf? What Particulars of his Patience, and numerous Acts of his Loving-kindness?

III. This therefore in the third Place, is also another Confideration, which would be a proper Remedy against this kind of evil Thoughts before us.

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Confider then your own Experiences of God's Goodness. When thou art at any time haunted with any dreadful, killing, defpairing Thoughts, as if thou wert reprobated of God, and confign'd to eternal Damnation, call to mind how much of the Forbearance, and Bounty, and Goodnefs of God thou haft experimented; and then thou wilt fee how little Reafon thou haft to yield to fuch Confounding Thoughts. Nay, he doth not only spare thee, and extend his Patience towards thee, but is multiplying his other Mercies upon thee; and fo gives thee all the convincing Proofs that can be, that he defireth not the Death of any Sinner; but is the great Lover of Souls, and Would have all Men to be faved, and to come to the Knowledge of the Truth. 1 Tim. ii. 4.

How many Dangers and Evils hath he delivered thee from? Nay, hath he not delivered thee from hurting thy own self? And by fome ftrange Providence or other baffl'd thy wicked Intentions? In a Word, what large Experience haft thou had of the Goodness of God, both to thy Soul and Body? How then can't thou be tempted to think that God hath rejected thee, when thou feeleft irrefragable Arguments to the contrary in thyfelf; when thou tafteth and feeft, and haft Demonftration, how good,

good, and how gracious the Lord is. No, it is the Devil's Suggeftion, to torment and difquiet thee. For he will not fail to perfecute those whom he cannot kill, and terrify thofe whom he is not able to deftroy. 'Tis the Stratagem of the accurfed Enemy of our Peace, who takes. Advantage (perhaps) of the Weakness, and Tenderness of thy Spirits, caus'd by fome Bodily Indifpofition or other, to inject dreadful Thoughts; reprefenting Almighty God as an implacable Judge, endeavouring to make him feem the fame to us, that he is to himself. We are not ignorant of his Devices, and of his reftlefs Malice, 2 Cor. ii. 11. If those poor Creatures, who are afflicted with this kind of evil Thoughts, could but be brought to entertain this Confideration, viz. what Experience they have had of the Goodnefs of the Lord, and argue as this Particular teacheth them, they would ('tis hop'd) find much Eafe and Relief, and I be convinc'd, that their defponding Thoughts are very abfurd, and unreafonable; and moreover, a Dishonour, and a Reflection upon the Divine Goodnefs.

IV. Art thou at any time afflicted with any melancholy, difmal or defpairing Thoughts? As a Remedy against them, confider on the Mystery of Man's Redcmption

demption by Chrift Jefus. And there thou wilt find fuch Arguments against Thoughts of this Nature, as fhould (one would think) be able entirely to fubdue and conquer them. How great, how incomprehentible is that Goodnefs, that not only gave a Being to the World, and enrich'd all Creatures with his Beneficence, but fent down the Eternal Son of God, to redeem undone Man? Who can Form a Thought worthy of fuch Goodness? O Chriftians, think with your utmost Intention, how great the Dignity of that Perfon is, who was our Saviour. And then think seriously on what he did to redeem us! What Tongue can exprefs, or Mind conceive, the Agonies that he endured, when he became the Propitiation and Attonement? The Wrath that lay upon him, when he interpos'd between an angry God, and finful Man? His Sufferings were vaftly above the reach of our Thoughts; and our Ideas of his Sorrow, are all faint and imperfect. Good God! How can we chufe but ftand amaz'd at the great Mystery of Man's Salvation! admire the Contrivance of the infinite Wisdom therein, and adore the Divine Philanthropy ? Who can despair of Mercy from him, who hath given us his own Son? How can we think he will reject