Direct. I. See that no error in religion be the cause of your distress: especially understand well the covenant of grace, and the riches of mercy manifested in Christ. Among others, it will be useful to you to understand these following truths.
Special truths to be known for preventing causeless troubles.
1. That our thoughts of the infinite goodness of God, should bear proportion with our thoughts concerning his infinite power and wisdom.
2. That the mercy of God hath provided for all mankind so sufficient a Saviour, that no sinner shall perish for want of a sufficient satisfaction made for his sins by Christ, nor is it made the condition of any man's salvation or pardon, that he satisfy for his own sins.
3. That Christ hath in his gospel covenant (which is an act of oblivion) made over himself with pardon and salvation, to all that will penitently and believingly accept the offer. And that none perish that hear the gospel, but the final, obstinate refusers of Christ and life.
4. That he that so far believeth the truth of the gospel, as to consent to the covenant of grace, even that God the Father be his Lord and reconciled Father, and Christ his Saviour, and the Holy Ghost his Sanctifier, hath true, saving faith, and right to the blessing of the covenant.
5. That the day of grace is so far commensurate or equal to our lifetime, that whosoever truly repenteth and consenteth to the covenant of grace, before his death, is certainly pardoned, and in a state of life: and that it is every man's duty so to do, that pardon may be theirs.
6. That Satan's temptations are none of our sins, but only our yielding to them.
7. That the effects of natural sickness or diseasedness, are not (in themselves) sins.
8. That those are the smallest sins (formally) and least like to condemn us, which we are most unwilling of, and are least in love or liking of.