Looking unto 1efl#. Book II. 109 nefre then God will crown thee with perfeverance , and a £leadfail: c~ntinuance in that way of grace thou waft firfr fet in: final apoil:afie, and total-back-fliding from the wayes ofGod can never befal thofe that are thus chofen ; they went from tu , be- 1 John z, 19;_ caufe they are not of m, faid the Apofrle; and if it were pof ftble they jhould dmive the very elr:Cf , faid Chrifr; but it is Matth.z4.z4; certainly impoffible,and why? I will put my fearJn theirhearts, Jet ~ 40 that they fhall never depart/rom me. Oh what a blelfed mer- '3 ' · ' cy is this, when therearefo many hours of temptation in· the world fo many blufiering fiormes and tempefrs that are a-ble to raif~ up the very roots, did not that immortal fecdpreferve- . them. Of this figne we are fure ifany of the former belongs to· us , but to this we cannot adually feale till the end of our life. Come now, are thefe, 0 my foul, the grounds of thy liopes? hath Gods word come with.power on thy heart? hath -the Lord fo effectually called thee-, that thou haft left all to follow Chrift? doft thou beleeve on the Lord Jefusfor life and for falvation? art thou holy ? is thy life-holy ? doft thou walk eKat'l:ly, as the grace, 6fGod which bringeth t-o falvation teacheth? Canft thou with enlarged thankfulnelfe amplifie the love and grace ofGod in thy eleCtion ? Surely thefe effects are the very fueil of hope, they are the blelfed and clear evidences ·of thy fouls eleCtion; and therefore hope well, take itrong confolation , it is deare as. the · Sunne , that God hath predeftinated thee to life , and that· thy name is written in the book of life , and tha~r : none in heaven, or on earth , or in hell , £hall be able to blot it out again. A· way with all fad, dumpifh, dejected thoughts.: look_ unto 'frfm: hope in Chrift, th·at;that very falvation concerning which that great tranfaB:ion was betwixt God and Chrift, belongs eveh to, th~e, and that o~e day·thou.fhaltfee it, and enjoy the.happineffi: : ~f 1t ~~ all etermty, · SECT;. ' ·. .f ..
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=