Of EleClion. ~guided , as to be kept from being Stranded, where many others have been !looK V. before you ; you may alfo have the advantage of a Wind more fair a \.~more direct Gale; whereas others have but a fmall Side·wind , a li;tle · Breath to further them; which make~ their Voyage II\Pre leng and tedi– ous. In Faith there are two things to be brought about, and both of them with much dliliculty. ( Firfi , To convince the Underfianding of the Truth of the Promifes • that God is in earnefi, and fo ferious in them as he is , and that. is in: deed to fave Sinners ; and that Chrifi Dyed to that end and purpofe, and is mofi hearty and real m It: And 'to bring the Underftanding to a full Perfwalion of tlus, ts a great work, and of a• trying difficulty; and there– fore the more Arguments can be brought to confirm this , the bet– ter. The Second , is to bring the Will off, to caft it fclf upon Chrift, and Perfonolly to come in .unto him. And for that, the more hopes and Per~ fonal Encouragements you can give the Party, that God may intend him, the more you further this Act of Faith, (as by the more Arguments that other) the more ycu quicken his Endeavours , and the more chearfully sod flrongly, and with the fuller Sail will that Soul come in, and cafr it ftlf upon Chri(J: , .and wholly refrgn up it fclf unto him. Now it is this latter which moft flick fo much at through difcouragemenu, by reafon of the Uncertainties, and improbabilities, and utter unlikelihoods 'that God may, intend them. Wherefore the .nearer the Promifes can be brought unto auy, by 'p<rfwading them that God may mean them rather than any other in the World 1 that Ad: of Faith muft needs come off the more ea· fily, and roundly. You know, that that which at firft draws in any ones Soul, to pft it fel( upon Chrift , is the indefinitenefs of the Promife,that \ they are not excluded : God means fame Body , and what know I, but 1 1 1 that he may intend me, as well as another? As in that 4· of He6rewr, . verft 6. and I I. compared; Seeing fomt mufl enttr in-let tu thrrefort Ja6o11r to enter illlo thaz rrfl. And look how much more or lefsindefinite the Promife is , and how much more or lcfs exprefs and particular; the more or lefs hope and encouragements are given : And the more or lefs hopes are given, the more or lefs eafy, or difficult is the work of Faith made in this refp,d:. Now the Promifes upon which others of the Eled: come in, of how vafl an indefiniten•fs and compafs are they, how wide doth G0d fpeak in them? As in thofe [good wiO to Jv!m;. Chrifl camr to jerve Simurs, &c, J when as he whom God means, t.s ( It may be) one of an hundred thoufand. And therefore they yield but tar off hopes, and a remote [ it may be J yet are they fuch as carry a jufr ground with them to put any one upon the venture. ln a Race ( fays the Apoflle) thot~gh but 011e o61ains, yet alt rtm ; 1 Cor. g. 2-4- They for a corruptible Crown ~enture thus: how much more thouId we for an incorruptible l Though it bnopoo. to ene,yet it is worth it,and a juft ground to move, and draw on the Soul to it: Even toput his mo111h itt the duj/tf (o be thtrt may Nt hope; as Lament. l• 29. If there be never fo remote an (it may be]ifthere be but a [ what knowejl thou ] or never fo dubious a conjecture ; you fee it is mode aju(J: ground ol endeavouring to fave an mher;as • Cor. ].Vtr[t I6. therefore how much more of venturing, and cafting ones felf upon Chrift for a mans own Salvation?But what a ilender flill Gale, what a fmall and poor Breath of Hope cloth thus afford to help the Soul forward ? Such are helped but with a little help, as 'lJovid. fays in another Cafe. But the Promifes which are made to you are who are the Children of godly Parents, al– though they be but indefinite fiill; yet they are fo exprefs, and limited to (o narrow a Compafs, that they bring the hopes of Salvation a thou– fand times more near to you: It being fo near an Univerfal (as you h•ve heard) it is not One of a Thoufand , but Two to One. l may as Chrifi faid
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