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Apoftle fpeaks, Gal.3. (that is). fo convinced on all fides concerning thy natural felf, that thou art faine to fall down and cry out, O Lord, I am unclean, I am uncleane, Fam uncleane, a milerable wretch, a loft perfon for ever, unleffe thou fhew great compaffion to my poor foul; This condition is deadly and barren, I am full of finne and without strength; and this condition is to fearful, that verily I will not reft in it, Men and brethren what fball I do to be faved? Is there no balm in Gilead for a wounded foul? no City of refuge for a distreffed finner?no Rock of safen ty for a fhipwrackt perlon? no hope of falvation yet left for

me ?

2. Then study the hope; of a finful foul. Why; though thou haft been very wicked, and haft exceeded in tranfgreffions, yet there may be hope. The Gospel;it is the cape of good bope, it is that which thrufts out fome fight of land to a toffed finner; It is a meffage from heaven, proclaiming both the hope and poffibility, and alfo the way and method of falvation for a finful perfon: Look, as the Law points out a way of falvation for a righteous and innocent man, fo the Gofpel doth for an offending and finful man. Therefore ftudy it much, take fome accurate paines to be throughly and really informemed and convinced, what Gods difpofitions are therein revealed towards finners,

Now here are two things which I would commend.

1. One is the study of Chrift: Study him all over, perhaps thou mayeft fee that in him, which may anfwer many, yea all thy feares. Perhaps thou mayeft fee fo much in him as may win much upon thy heart, to come in and accept of him by faith.

Therefore perufe him well. First, that he is God and man, and as fo, a Mediator, and because so, therefore an Almighty, and a compaffionate Redeemer. Secondly, that it proceeds from the love and Counsel of God to give him to be the Saviour of finners: God did fee the fallen ftate and great mifery of men, and his abfolute infufficiency to recover himself, and therefore his own love moved him to give his own Sonne in whom he did ordain the falvation of finners. Thirdly, that Chrift Was willing to become a Mediator, yea, he did freely give his life to make peace and procure falvation;and this facrifice of

his was both acceptable and effectual. Fourthly, that God would have thee to come unto him for life, and that Chrift is the furety, and Mediator, and only bope of finners. Fifthly, that Chrift bath in him all, and enough to make up thy state, and to reconcile thee and God, and to get full pardon, and to prefent thee righteous, and to procure for thee eternal life. Sixthly, that Chrift feeks even after thee by the Ministry of the Gofpel, and both offers himself with all his purchase unto thee, and hath, and yet doth beseech thee to accept of him: I fay ftudy these things; who knows how the great ftudies of Chrift may be at length bleffed with faith in Chrift? This I am fure of, that the ignorance of the nature, and offices, and works, and benefits, and alfufficiency, and marvellous affections, and readi neffes in Chrift is a notable ftrength to unbeliefe; Ergo, on the contrary, the knowledge of them is a good means for faith.

2. Another is the study of the new Covenant: Why, whats mayeft thou not there fee to draw on thy foul to Chrift? yea, what arguments doth God there fill thy mouth with to conquer himself? He gives thee in that Covenant, ample and prevailing grounds by which thou mayeft with an humble confidence even plead with him for Chrift and faith: Thou shalt fee there all by good fet freely open, that God ftands not for this, nor for that, and it matters not what thou hast been, there. is mercy enough for what is paft, and there is grace to renew thy heart for the prefent, and ftrength for the future, and. thou mayeft fue out the Lord for this faith (of which we now fpeak and he will furely give it unto thee,

3.Study the main hinderances of diftance 'twixt Chrift, and the· Covenant, and thy foul. There is one thing (above all the reft); which keeps thee off, and that is unbelief:For God doth not require any other thing of thee in the entrance of Chrift,but on ly to accept of him. He doth not fay, if thou hadft never offended me, then I would have beftowed my Sonne on thee; or, if. thou hadst not offended me fo much, or if thou canst bring any fingular nature, and excellent qualities of thine own, then. I will give my Sonne unto thee, or then I will give thee leave; No, but all that he requires is this, Beleeve and accept of my Sonne to be thy Lord and Saviour, and I will in him give thes pardon. A a 3

Why

Obj.

Sol.

Why, now brethren, this is the laft and fore check of the match, our hearts are unbelieving, we will not condescend to. this condition, but fly hovering after fome unknown and devifed method of our own.

4 study much the finfulnesse of unbelief: that it is a finne, and a great finne, and that in thee: What! after all tenfe of mifery to hold off from remedy; not to clofe with Gods great love, as if God were not wife enough to fhew thee the way of falvation, or as if he were not true, that thou dareft not to venture and faften thy foule and ftate upon his Word..

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5. Study well wherein the nature of faith doth confift: Many persons feeme to complaine that they have no faith, and cannot believe: Why? they are not right in the doctrinal part of faith, they mistake faith exceedingly, thinking it to confift in a full affurance, and in a fenfible taste of Gods love in Chrift, and in a fenfible and clear perfwafion that their fins are pardoned, which, because as yet they never had, they therefore perplex themselves much about faith.

Therefore inform thy felf what faith in Chrift is; It is the hearty accepting of Christ upon his own conditions; if thy heart and foul are willing to accept of Chrift as the only Lord to rule thee, and as the only Redeemer to fave thee, and to cleave unto him for better for worse, through all the changes which may befal thee for Chrifts fake, why this is faith, viz, An accept ing of his perfon, and a repofing of the foul upon him for its (afety, and a cleaving to him upon all states. If thou canst finde thus much, that there is no one finne which fhall rule thee, to the love and obedience of which thou wilt refigne thy felfe, but Chrift is he whom thou chooseft for to be thy Lord; And there is no Name in heaven and earth upon which thou wilt put confidence for thy righteoufneffe and difcharge, and falvation, but only in Christ. And upon him thy foul entirely and unfainedly defires to reft jt felf, thou haft true faith.

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6. Know this and convince thy felf of it, that thou shale never hurt thy felf, nor offend God if thou couldeft believe; wherefore hath God given Chrift? and wherefore hath Chrift given himselfe? and wherefore is he now offered to finners? and wherefore are we commanded to beleeve, if

yet

yet to beleeve (that is) to accept of Chrift, to consent to the acceptance of his perfon upon his own condition were a finne?

7. Withal this beg fervently of God, that he would perfwade thy heart to beleeve (that is) to accept of Chrift to be thy Lord and Saviour, and to reft thy foul upon him: No man comes to me (faith Chrift) except the Father draw kim, Now then, O Lord draw me, and I sball runne after thee, O fubdue this unbeleeving heart, and give unto me the Spirit of faith, and love, and obedience.

Laftly, look for this gift of faith to be wrought in thee by the Spirit of Chrift in the Ordinances, and wait upon God there continually. Thou shalt in time (perhaps fooner, perhaps later) finde thy foule touched, and thy feares aníwered, and thy foulè made exceedingly willing to accept of Christ as thy Lord, and to put it felf upon him as thy Savi

our.

Yes, bold on in waiting and feeking,and thou shalt not only have Chrift formed in thee, and faith formed in thee, but thou shalt come to know him, whom thou haft accepted and trufted.

This is a fweet and fafe courfe for a fenfible finner, viz.

1. To prefent up his requeft unto God in the Name of Chrift, earnestly befeeching him to declare this Almighty working of his Spirit in cauling the heart to beleeve,

2.Then to stand in the mayes of grant, and come to the Ordi nances wherein God doth reveale his arme, and give faich, and fo enclines and unites the foul with Chrift. What thou doeft earneftly feek in a private way, that God doth ordinarily answer and bestow in apublick.

3. Then wait and expect, not to limit God juft to this time, nor to this preacher, nor to caft off all confidence of answer, upon prefent denials, but to look up from day to day, from week to week, if at length God will give thee faith. I never reade or heard of any whole hearts were thus fet, but God hath found a time to give unto them the defit es of their fouls: He hath replenished their fouls with his tagation and loving kindneffe: Therefore, go on cheerfully in! the use of thele

means.

meanes whatsoever befals thee, yet it fhall be well with thee; He that hath found Christ, cannot but fay, that this way is good, and be who is thus feeking of him thall fay, it was not in vaine to follow it.

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SECT. IV.

Fourthly, The Objections.

Ndo entangle the foul of a finful finner, and hinder him from

Ow I proceed to the refolution of thofe Scruples which

beleeving, which beget extream fears and doubts, that he may not lay hold on Chrift, and that God will never beftow Chrift on him, neither would he take it well of the foul to be fo bufie and forward.

Obj. 1. Why; faith the fenfible finner, my finnings have been fo great, and tranfgreffions fo mighty, that I may never look up with any confidence upon the rock of falvation; nay, it is not Satan onely, but my own conscience which doth teftifie agains me, the manifold numbers, and the high exceedings of my rebellions. I tell you, you would tremble to think of fuch lewdneffe whereof I have been and now do ftand guilty, and the fenfible consideration of them makes my heart to fink, and checks me with fhame and blushing, when I think of laying hold on Chrift.

Sol. For the affoyling of this Obje&tion, confider these particulars.

First, the greatneffe of finning fhould be a strong reafon to compel in the foul to Chrift:Great finnings are never eased, either by difpaire, or by unbelief: But two things they fhould caufe. 1. One is great humblings, and forrow. 2. Another is great defires, and beseechings for Chrift. Suppofe a man owed his whole eftate, his only way was to beg a whole discharges suppose a man had many wounds, and deep ones too, for this reafon fhould he go to the Chyrurgion.

Why Brethren! what would you alone do with great fin

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