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you cannot delight in wicked men, because of their wickedness, but dislike them? Psa. xv. 4. Whereas, otherwise their parts and conditions are such, that you could much desire their company, Psa. xvi. 4. Do you love those that fear the Lord, and that delight in goodness, because you think they are good and are beloved of God? 1 John iii. 14; Psa. xvi. 3.

5. Can you endure to have your soul ripped up, and your beloved sin smitten by a searching minister, approving that ministry, and liking that minister so much the more? And do you, with David, desire that the righteous should reprove you? Psa. cxli. 5. And would you have an obedient ear to a wise reprover? Prov. xxv. 12.

6. Lastly, Though you have not always that feeling sense of your good estate, which is the certainty of evidence; nay, say you have it but seldom, or it may be, you can scarcely tell whether you have it at all; do you yet resolve, or is it your desire, and will you, as you are able, resolve to cleave to God, and depend upon Christ, and upon God's merciful promises made to you in him, seeking salvation in Christ by faith, and by none other, nor by any other means?

If you can answer, Yea, to all, or any one of these, you may assure yourselves that you are in God's favour, and in a state of grace. What though you cannot feel in yourselves, that you have this so sure as you would, by a full certainty of evidence, but it is your fault that you have it not so; yet you have it sure by the best certainty, namely, by a true faith in Christ, and an upright cleaving unto God. For when you are resolved not to sin wilfully and allowedly against God, and not to depart from him, whatever becomes of you; and it is your longing desire to please him; when I say, you stand thus resolved, and thus affected, then certainly God and you are joined together by an inseparable bond. When you hate what God hates, and love what God loves, and will what God wills; are not God and you at peace? Are you not nearly and firmly united one to another? What though this bond be somewhat secret and un-