A little cabinet richly stored with all sorts of heavenly varieties, and soul-reviving influences.: Wherein there is a remedy for every malady, viz. milk for babes, and meat for strong men, and the ready way for both to obtain and retain assurance of salvation: being an abridgement of the sum and substance of the true Christian religion; wherein the cause of our salvation, the way, the guide, the rule, the evidence, the seals, &c. and the connection of these points together, and dependancy of them one upon another: this I have endeavoured to do orderly, exactly, methodically, with much plainness and clearness. / By Robert Purnell.

The evil of doubting, or want of assurance.

WE cannot in any one thing more gratifie Satan, and wrong our own souls, then to live in a state of doubting; we wrong our selves in point of comfort and content, and in point of peace, and in point of boldness; a man that lives without assu∣rance, leaves his soul open to many blows and knocks, frowns and wounds, from God, from the world, from carnal friends, and from Satan: besides, if we live and dye in unbelief, John 3. 18. He that believeth not, is condemned already: by the Law, and the Gospel, and by your own conscience; all

these have passed the sentence of condemnation up∣on that state already: the sin of unbelief is a great sin, and it is our sin to give way to it. We nourish a snake in our bosom, that will sting us to death; to doubt and to despair of mercy, is to make the God of truth a lyar, 1 John 5. 10. Doubting makes the countenance sad, and the hands to hang down, and the knees feeble, and the heart full of fears and trembling; besides, the time of doubting is a bar∣ren time, there is no praying nor praising, nor growing, nor any vigorous acting. Surely, this state comes not from God, he bids us make our cal∣ling and election sure; neither doth it come from Christ, he speaks and gives peace to his flock, they come not from the holy Spirit of God, for he is the great and most sweet comforter, revealing and ap∣plying the love of God unto the soul; consider these Scriptures, Mat. 14. 31. O thou of little faith, where∣fore didst thou doubt? Luk. 12. 29. Neither be ye of doubtful minds, 1 Thes. 2. 8. I will that men pray every where, lifting up pure hands without wrath, and doubting. But whilst we live in the want of assurance, we live in a state of doubt∣ing.