dost thou not tremble as Felix? If the _keepers shook, and became as dead men_, when they saw _the angel come and roll back the stone from Christ's sepulcher_; how canst thou think of living in hell with Devils, till thou hast got some well-grounded assurance that thou shalt escape it? Thy bed is very soft, or thy heart is very hard, if thou canst sleep soundly in this uncertain case. § 3. If this general uncertainty of the world about their salvation were remediless, then must it be born as other unavoidable miseries. But, alas! the common cause is wilful negligence. Men will not be persuaded to use the remedy. The great means to conquer this uncertainty is self-examination, or the serious and diligent trying of a man's heart and state by the rule of Scripture. Either men understand not the nature and use of this duty, or else they will not be at the pains to try. Go through a congregation of a thousand men, and how few of them shall you meet with, that ever bestowed one hour in all their lives in a close examination of their title to heaven? Ask thy own conscience, Reader, when was the time, and where was the place, that ever thou solemnly tookest thy heart to task, as in the sight of God, and didst examine it by Scripture, whether it be renewed or not? Whether it be holy or not? Whether it be set most on God or the creatures, on heaven or earth? And when didst thou follow on this examination till thou hadst discovered thy condition, and passed sentence on thyself accordingly? But became this is a work of so high importance, and so commonly neglected, I will therefore shew,—that it is possible by trying to come to certainty;—what hinders men from trying and knowing their state;—then offer motives to examine;—and directions;—together with some marks out of Scripture, by which you may try, and certainly know, whether you are the people of God or not. § 4. (1.) Scripture shews, that certainty of salvation may be attained; and ought to be labored for: when it tells us so frequently, that the saints before us have known their justification and future salvation: When it declares, that _whosoever believeth in Christ shall not perish, but have everlasting life_; which it would be in vain to declare, if we cannot know ourselves to be believers or not: When it makes such a wide difference between the children of God, and the children of the Devil: When it bids us _give diligence to make our calling and election sure_; and earnestly urges us to _examine, prove, know our own selves, whether we be in the faith_ and whether _Jesus Christ be in us, except we be reprobates_: Also when its precepts require us to _rejoice always_, to call _God our father_, to _live in his praises_, to _love Christ's appearing_, to wish that he may _come quickly_, and to _comfort ourselves with_ the mention of _it_. But who can do any of these heartily, that is not in some measure sure that he is the child of God?