Of Perfveránce: I . Q. 7. Tell me then, what is it that now keepeth you froaí thofe forrowswhich would befall you , if fuch a thingfhould be? C. " The great hope that Ihave that it will never be, B. Whatare the Reafonsof thofeyour hopes? C. r. " Becaufe Iknow that God isGoodandmerciful inhimfelf. 2. And "he deal'eth with manupon terms ofGrace. 3. Andhe bath given me expe- " rience of his mercy to my felf. 4. AndI have his general promifes that «Hewill not fail menorforfaiteme : which though they afire me not that Fall not fall , yet they affure me that he will notfo far forfaitemet "withoutfameheinous neglei of his Grace. $. And I feel in my feff a " prefent deteflation offilch heinousfns, anda fixed judgment andHeroin- " tion againft them : And though I have not power of my felf to avoid " mutation, andbackEliding; yet Ihalve reafòn toMN himforthe keeping "of this Grace, whofreely gave it me. .And the truth is , though man be " mutable, he isnot apt to fear the change of hisown mind , when he. is " confciousThat it is refolved on foundand unqueliionable reafon. 6. And " it is notnothing, that I havebeen keptfromallfuchfin till now. 7. And " that it is a rare thingfor anyfaithfulperfon; fo tofall : And why fhould T " fear that which not one of a multitude everfalleth into. B. And why may not all thefe reafons comfort Others, that are un- certain of their Perfeverance in a Bate of Grace (Allówing but the difference of thedegrees of the dangers.) Q` 8. Doyou think that your Wife or Children are certain that you will not Murther them. C. "No : they cannot be certain. B. Q 9. Would it not make their lives forrowful if they knew that you would do it ? C. Yes, no doubt. B. Q so. What keepeth them from ever tatting of loch forrows at all? C. K0 such reafons as Ibefore named toyou. They know that 1am aHue- " band and father, andhave natural affeïlions, not mad, nor'wicked, but " abhorfilch a thing, andthey know that my love daily caufeth me to do " themall thegood I can 3 and theyfeenothing to make them fear the con- trary and fetch a Yillany is not heard ofin many Kingdoms in an " Age. B. But they are as uncertain that they (hall not by force heinous crime (even the.feekingof yourdeath) provoke you. C. "Men fearnot that which their `Judgments andWills are fo averfe to " and refolvedagainfi, as that there is noprobability ofa Change. B. You fee then upon what terms theancient Fathers, (evenAug:,(line himfelf that denyed certainly of Salvation)' and the Martyrs and other Chriftians of their times , and the molt of the Chriftians now in the world , do hold their comforts : And that uncertainty of Perfeverance ovetthroweth notall folid peace. Q. r I. But doth not the exclufionof Certainty ofprefentfncerity and Jaflifzcation, much more exclude Comfort, than doth the exclufion of Perfeverance alone. C. "Tes, no doubt : For to before that I amat prefent in a fide of LEOa.Gerbdrds " life, andto have veryftrongprobabilities that I(hallfo live anddye, muji cr 3de Peccar.att "be much more b than comfortable a to e uncertain whether I now am or ever Ì Alert.&Vin.a peaat. "was in afiate of life. B. If therefore not one of many fcore or hundreds have a certain knowledge of their fincerity and Jufkification; who are of your own opinions, are you fit tocry outof others as the, dettroyers of Chriftian comfort, on the forefaidaccount ? E e 2 C. "They
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