2.  Concerning ourselves.  Supposing ourselves to be born again and reconciled to God, when yet we are living in black nature:  And who so bold and confident that they are right, as they that are furthest out of the way?  Or, on the other hand, supposing ourselves to be in a bad state, and in nature and darkness, when the day-star from on high hath visited us, and brought our souls from death unto life.  And who more ready to complain than such as have least cause?  Or supposing ourselves in a good condition; lively, active, diligent, watchful, &c, when it is just otherwise with us:  Or, on the contrary, complaining of deadness, formality, upsitting, fainting, heartlessness in the ways of God, when it is not so.  Or, in questioned matters, taking truth to be error, and error to be truth.

3.  Concerning others.  How ready are we to run either to the one extremity or the other in judging their persons and actions?

Oh! where is the faith of this natural condition? where is the real conviction of it?  Sure there is but little real believing of this when,

(1.) There are so many that never so much as suspect themselves or question either their state or condition, at one time or other; never once imagine that their blinded hearts may deceive them; never once dream of a possibility of mistaking, and of dying with a lie in their right hand.

(2.) And so many that are not lamenting and bewailing this their condition, nor crying out and complaining of a false, deceitful, and desperately wicked heart.

(3.) And so few that are indeed humbled under the sense of this, and made therefore to walk more watchfully and soberly with an eye always upon their treacherous and deceiving hearts.

(4.) And so few, crying for help from God against this deceitful adversary, through daily experience of the atheism, hypocrisy, ignorance, misconceptions of God and of his ways, and deceitfulness of our hearts, might sufficiently put it out of doubt with us.

Next, How miserable must their condition be, who are yet strangers to Christ; for they are living in darkness, lying in darkness, walking in darkness, yea, very darkness itself, a mass of error, mistakes, ignorance, and misconceptions of all things that are good; and still wandering out of the way.

Finally, Should not this preach out to, and convince us all of a necessity of having more acquaintance with truth, with Jesus Christ, who is the truth, that we may be delivered from this woful and wretched condition; for truth only can set us free therefrom.

II.  The second general thing to be noticed here is, that all other ways and courses, which we can take or follow, that we may obtain life, beside Christ, are but lies, false and deceitful ways,—­there is no truth in them:  For he only is the truth; no other whatsoever can bear this epithet:  For,

1.  He only can satisfy the soul in all points otherways; whatever we can imagine and dream can yield no true satisfaction in this matter.