Saved from hell fire, and to be pardoned, and to have fuch a heaven as he hath framed a pleasing imagina

tion of.

3. And therefore he maketh him up a Religion of so much of Christianity as will stand with his pleafures, profits and reputation in the world, that fo he may not be. left in defpair of being faved, when he muft leave the world that he muft loved. The cheap and the, afie parts of Christianity, and thofe that are most in credit in the world, and that flesh and blood have. leaft against, thefe he will cull out from among the reft, and make him a Religion of, paffing by the dearer,and more difficult, and fpiritual parts.

4. Having gone thus far, he perfwadeth his own heart, that this kind of Religion which he hath patcht up and framed to himself, the true Religion, the Faith, the Hope

Hope, the Charity, the Repentance, the Obedience, to which Salvation is promifed. And that he is a true Chriftian, notwithstanding his defects; and that his fpots are but fuch as are confiftent with grace, and that his fins are but pardoned infirmities: and that he hath part in Christ, and the promifes of life, and shall be faved, though he be not of the precifer ftrain. When he committeth' any fin, he confidently imagineth, that his confeffion and his wishing it were undone again (when he hath had all the pleasure that fin can give him) is true repentance: and that as a penitent he fhall be forgiven. And thus while he thinketh himfelf fomething, when he is nothing," he deceiveth himfelf, Gal. 6. 3. He hath a counterfeit of every grace of God. A counterfeit Faith, and Hope, and Love, and Repentance, and Zeal, and Humility, and Pa

tience,

:

tience, and Perfeverance and thefe he will needs take to be the very life and image of Chrift, and the graces themfelves that accompany falvation.

5. Having got this Carkafs of Religion without the foul, he makes ufe of all thofe things to confirm him in his deceit, which are appointed to confirm true Chriftians in their Faith and Hope. When he reads or thinks of the infinite Goodness, Love and Mercy of God, he thinks God could not be fo good and merciful, if he should refufe to fave all fuch as he. When he readeth of the undertaking and Sacrifice of Chrift, and how he is a propitiation for the fins of the whole world, he confidently hence concludeth, that a Saviour fo gracious, that hath done and fuffered fo much for finners, cannot condemn all fuch as be. When he readeth of the extent and freeness of Grace,

in the promises of the Gospel, he concludeth that thefe promifes belong to him, and that Grace could not be fo free and fo extenfive, if it did fhut out all fuch as be. When he obferveth the Mercies of God upon bis body, in his friends, and health, and credit, and profperity, he concludeth, that furely God loveth him as a child, in that he dealet fo Fatherly with him. If he fuffer adverfity, he thinks that it is the Fatherly chaftifement of God, and therefore proveth him. to be his for, and that he shall have his good things in the world to come, because he had his evils. here. If he fuffer any thing for a good caufe,(or a caufe that he tak eth to be good) he taketh himfelf to be a Confeffor, and marked out for life eternal. If he give any confiderable alms, he applyeth all the promises to himself that are made to thofe that are truly chan

ritable,

ritable, though he giveth but the leavings of the flesh, and giveth but 'on common compaffions, or for applaufe, or for fome common end, and not as to Chrift whom he honoureth in his members, as one that hath refigned all unto him. If be pray from the lips only, or only for pardon and fuch other mercies as flesh it felf would be glad to have, without the unexpreffable groans of the fpirit, for spiritual mercies (Rom. 8. 26) he prefently applyeth all the promises to himfelf that are made to the upright. that call upon God. And thus Love, Mercy, and Christ himself are abused by him to this damning work of felf-deceit.

*

6. Moreover, he makes ufe of all the ordinances of God, to the de-· ceiving of his own heart. The out-`, ward part of Baptifm, perfwades him that he is inwardly regenerate. He receiveth the Lords fupper, that!

he