greatest grief and uneasiness, that hereby he might give us occasion to conclude that we sin in persisting therein; and by all these temptations he endeavours to plunge us into the depths of despair. As to what concerns the purpose of God relating to the event of things: when we are led to determine that we are not elected, this is alleged without sufficient ground, and therein he deceives us, by pursuing the same false methods of reasoning, and puts us upon presuming to enter into those secret things which do not belong to us, because we deserve to be cast off by him for our sins, instead of giving diligence to make our calling and election sure. It is one thing not to be able to conclude that we are elected; and another thing to say that we are not so: the former of these is the consequence of our present doubts and desponding apprehensions concerning our state; the latter is plainly a temptation of Satan: this we are often subject to, when we have lost that assurance of our interest in Christ that we once enjoyed, (4.) A believer’s want of assurance is, for the most part, attended with, and arises from divine desertion; not that we are to suppose that God will cast off his people, whom he has foreknown, effectually called and preserved hitherto, so as to forsake them utterly; for that is inconsistent with his everlasting love, and the promises of the covenant of grace, which respect their salvation. But that which we understand by divine desertions, is God’s withdrawing his comforting presence, and withholding the witness of his Spirit to the work of grace in the soul, from whence arises those doubts and fears which attend the want thereof; as God says to his people, _For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee_, Isa. liv. 7. In this respect they are destitute of God’s comforting presence; though at the same time they may be favoured with his supporting presence, and those powerful influences which are necessary to maintain the work of grace; which, at present, appears to be very weak and languishing.