Spiritual Peace and Comfort. toy believe there is no father or mother that bathchil- dren togovern, but they know by experience, that there is a neceffityof frowns and rods for the more difobedient ; and that rewards and Imites are rib cure for ftubbornefs or contempt. a z Laílly, Do bût well confider, what a foleecifm in Government it would be, and what delperate inconveniences it would have brought into the world, ifGod (hould but have fet fuch a punaual land-mark between his Kingdom and the Kingdom ofSatan, as we are rea- dy to dream of : If God fhould have laid in his Word, jail fo oft a man may be drunk, or may murder, orcommit adultery, or flea! , or forfwear himfelf, and get be a true Chriflian and be faved I Or juíl fo far a man may go in nelefting duty to God and man, and in cherifhing his flefh, hidinghis fin, crc. and yet be a true believer and be faved.This would I. Embolden men in finning, and make them think, I may yet venture, for I handon fate ground 2. And it would hinder Repentance : Indeed it would be the way to rob God ofhis honour ; and multiply provocations againft him , and keep his children in difobedíence, and hinder their growth its holinefs, and caufe a deformity in Chrifts body, and a fhame to his Religion and facredname. As for thofe that fay, Àfurance never encouraged) men in fin, brit tends to de%Zroy it. I anfwer, It is true of Gods Affurance, feafonably given to thofe that are fit for it, and ufed by them accordingly : But if God íhould have told all the world, juíl how far theymay fin, and yet be certain of falvation, this would have bred Affurance in thofe that were unfit for it, and it would have been but the puttingof new
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=