Ho111 far De(pair is Jinful mid dangerous. 355 Tit. 10. DireElions againft finful Defpair (and Doubting.) §• 1 • DE[pair is the contrary toHope. There is a Dr{p.;ir that is aduty, and a Defp.;ir rhat is a fin, See more of and aDt{pair that is inditfcreni, as being but of natural and net of.Moral kind. De[paUt is a ~~~b~t~~.~'f duty, whm it is the contrary to the finful Hope before dtfcrib{d; that is, 1. when we dejpair of any cb. 1 s. ·1~m.l. thing which God hath told us fhall never come to pafs : t'or we arc: bound to believe his word : as that all the world fbould be Caved or conver1<d, or that our bodys lhould not dye and perilh, and many J h S fudr likr. 2• le is a duty to De[p.1ir of ever attaining a good end by mea111 ot upOn terms, which God ~cb.3r!.' ..;. hath told us it null never be attained by: And fo it is a great duty ,for an unrtgencrate per!On (Q difPair M.tnh. I !1. )· of ever being faved without regcneution, convc::dion and holinefs: and to d(fp.1ir of ever being par· Luk, t J· ~· . don~d or faved, if he live after the fldh and ~~ve not the fpirit ~f ~hrifi, a~d rtpcnr not unfeignedly of ~C~~~·i;~,~!· his hn, and be not a Hc~crealure, and cruc;.fie nm the fldh wah us affeChons and lulls. Such a de- G.a:. r. 1 ~. fpair is one of the tirll things nccdfary to Lhe convertion of a finner, bccaufe the f41fe hopes of being · pardoned and Caved without regeneration, is the preftnt hindrance to be rt:moved. 9· 2· Vr[p:~ir is a ji11, when it is conn.uy ro any Hope which God commanderh us : ( fo ir be net only a Negative dcfpair, or hue not·hopitrg, which in ilc::lpand orher times may be innocent, but a Po– fiti:;e dtjpJir which concludcth againjl Hope) As, r. Particular deffair of the btn~fir of fame }.Jrticular · promife, (as if I[rarl had defpaired of deliverance from Egypt, or Abrah•m of a Son , ) 2. Gtneral dr[pair of the fultilling of fome general promife; as if we delpaired of the Rtfunecrion or the King– dom of Chrifl in glory. 3• When by mifappEcation we drfpair of that pardJ)i and falvation 10 our felves, which yet we btlicve iliall be to othets. ~· ?· Yea Dcfpair is finful, fvmetimcs when it is not contrary ro any promife or commanded Hr~pr ~ For if God have not rcvealtd his will one way or other, it is no duty w cxpca rbe thing, and yer. it i~ a lin to conclude pofitively that ir will not be : t'or then we fhall fay more than we kno~ or "rlun God harh rtvealed. If H<'P' be taken for the com.fortth•t a,-ijith in"' from tlie apprehtnfion of a mw poffibi– /ity, then indeed it is a duty to h•pe for that Good which is po!Jible only: But if H pe be taken Ior a confident ci<peliation, than both fuch Hopt and alfo the contrary Dt[pair would be a Iin. We may ( fo) non-fperart but not Dt[pcrarc. Po!Jiblrs mull be taken bnt for po!Jibla, yet flill for fuch. §. 4• He that dt{p.Jireth but of {Ome common Mercy which he lhould not defpair of, ratione m:tle~ r!.e commirteth a fin of the {lnallcr fort : He that defp1ireth of agreat mercy to others (though not promifed), committeth a greater fin ratione m.Jttrie: (as if you defpair of the convufion of a bad child, or of the continuance of the Gofpcl to the Kingdom, &c.) But he thll defplireth of his own parMn and falvation finncth more periUoujly ralicne m.Jttri.e. . d · .·· ' 9· 5· The Dt[pairingof pardon and falvarion upo'l a Dt[pair of tbt truth of ihe Go[pel, er fl•ffiritn· f;{ ·" i""a,i cie uf Chrijl, is damnable and a cnrain mark of a wretched infidel, if it be prcdorn!nanr; Bur eo E!- by ~:(p~~;:ft litve aU the Gofptl to bt true, and dejire ChrYI and life"' bejl, and yet toDc[pair upon 100 b1d rhongh~s hc had no fuc~ of ones fclf, or through fOme othtr mi:tJke, this is a fin of infirmity, confiltcnt with gta-ce, ( unltfs R.~pcntlnc: •• the Dc[p•ir befo total and prtvalcnr, as 10 make the Iinner fer led ly cafi otTa godly life; and give up ~e~ewed h•• himfelf to a life of wickednefs. J The Scripture fpeaketh little of this humble for1 of dr[pJir, and no ~v~~~'J3where threatneth it as it doth Infidelity. · :and bo!ircfs. 9· 6. The commonefl Dc[pair ( Joke Spira's) which cometh immediately frcm invincible predomi– nant melancholy (though occatiom:d firH by fin ) is no orh~rwifc finful or dJng~rous, than the def~ pair or raving of a mad-man or one in a doting fcavcr is. It is the tOo-bumble DtjpoJir, throUgh p:rfonal mifapplication, and particular .mii\akes, that I 0"11 fpeak of in this.f.lace. . .. .. 9· 7• Direct. r. 1a~e bredof btil1g ignorant of, or mi{Underft..mding the 1h.ftt grt.1t gtnera} gro11nd1 of Vsrea. r. faith andHopt; t~at is, r. The infinite goodnefs 11f God, and his un~~[u,rablt Love and Mercy: 2· TIJe ·relatiOII of CIJrijf rffice to aU, and the [itjficiehcy of hi1 J{anfom ttnd Sacrifice for aU : 3•1bt univcTJjlity rf the prumi[t, or tiJt ACt of Oblivion or awJ of guift of free pardon and {alv..1tiun to aU on condili.~~~t of pet:iteHt brlitfand accrptanct, which isprocured and given b) Chrift, and contahitd in the GufPel. · If yOlf lniHake fo about any one ot rhefe as nor ro belie-ve or underlland them, or if you do not wdl confidc:r and improve thc:m, no wonder if you be left under conHnual doubtings and liable tOdefpair. ; 9· 8. Dirt:Ct. 2· Vndtrjfand weU tht true naturt of the Condition of tbii ,;nivrr[al prcmi[t; b.,wmflcb D~cl1. 2 • it confr}leth in the trill or Acctptance of Chrijf and Lift Moffered b) the Gofp,rl ~ or ~n ottr ¥tarty <;on{cnt ~~h· ;: ,'~:~~ to the Bapti{mal Covwant, that Gad. be oMt God and Father, our Sdviour and Sanllifier: And tb.Jt zn Gudt Rev. 2 _:.. 11 . . account the will ir the man, and be i1 a trut beli~ver antl bath, part in Chrift i!;at i1 truly rviUilig rf hjm .to ' Ioh s, 1,,11. the rnd1 of biJ nffice: and t!Jat he bath Tight to all the benefit/ of the Covt11:int of Gi-oice, r:Pbo dulh btardly 1°~·1· 4°··. confent to it. This is true faith : This is the co~dition of pardon ; and 0 1n thef~ t~rms Chiift .and life Lu · 1 9· ' 7 • is given : This is rhe infallible evidence of a fiate of gtaCe: If you knoW not. this, b,Ut. loo~ alter foinerhi~g elfe as nmffuy which is f<parab!e froin this, no wonder if ymi are perplexed, and indin<d 10 defpm. • §. 9·. Dir<Cl. 3• f!ndcrfla!td the eite~t of_ thi_Ip~tr_d~niiig Covtna,t Ji t~ the fi»_l -ahich _it j,.1rdmtth: tb.Jt i)~"f.· 3 ; Jt contatntth the forgJvenrfi of all fin wJtbom txctptton, to them tb.Jt ptrjcrm the conditi;m oj' it (that is, to ConfinterJ): So that direOly no fin is exceprtd hut the non·pci-fi'rmance of the conclitiun; bm confe· 1/Ulntly, oJU fin is excepted and none at all forgiven by it, to them that do not perform the condition~ Evtr,;Y condition:Jl srant doth exprc1ly except the no1t·ptrformancc rf the C01iditio11 by the ril;tking Of it t~ ~·
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