Pat~eity of reall Saints. Pr4uppojitiom. CHAP. I. leg. J);mid~ Eptfrop.E?ift, ;~d Bonif. 1)ire8iom tO UllCOn1>erted grace!ep firmers, for tbe attairiir!g of . • Mogum. inter truejt~-1>mg Grace. Epln. Bonif. 67. de mttho– do coorenen- ---~--------------------------~~-di Pag:oos. · p .A(}{_T I. j . d H~fit wn d!· §. r. IF ungodly mifcrable !inners were as few, as the Devif'and thm {elf-love woul make flrrdti i<"/>!~ · them!Hves believe, I might forbear 1~11 port of my work as needlefs: For the whole need miilii, '''/f''– not the Phyfic10o, but the fick. If you go mto twcntJ Fam1hes, and ask th~.m all, ra&I<J!!'Im.o .-·whether, any of them :ne in ~n unfanCt:ified fiate, unrc~cwed and unpardoned, and_ u~~ ;;;;~~;~:t~:i der the wrath and Curfe of God? You w11l meet wuh few that w11l not tell you, they hope 1t 1S '"''h; rli~·.l" ber~er wirh·rhem than fo, and though they are finncrs as all are, yet that they are repmfing p~rdtJned t::li ttjt~J tJ:– finners. Nay, there is fcarce oneof many of the mafi wicked and notorioufiy ungodly) but hope wttc: Et cb they arc in a penitent pardcnrd fta'tt. Even thehattrs of God wi11 fay they lovt him; and the fcorne~J ;:~/_rg~~ .· t~t godlinefl will fay, that they are 1tot ungodly, and that it is bur IJ)•pocrifie and fingularity that _they de- fau:diw:V::~, ride : And it were well for them, if [aying fo would go for proof, and he that wiH be thm Judge clrfi<flici, '""" wou1d take their words. But God will not be deceived, though foolilh men arc wife enough to de- 111 1qut crdbem ceive themfelves. Wickednefs will be wickednds when it hath doathed it (elf with thefaird\ names : {~"·;"'~ A< God will condemn it ~hen it hath found out the mofi planfible pretences and excufi:s. t~ough ~he bz:, ~':mr:;~ Vngodly think to liear it out in pride and fcorn, and think to be faved by their hypocritical hp-femce, uf!i!fc <W as foon as the mof\ holy Worfhippers of the Lord, yetjhaU they bt li~ cl1ajf, which''" wind 4riveth temptfl~<i< iUi– away : tbt)• jhaU 11ot be able to jtand in jHdgcm£m, nor ji1metr in the Congreg~lion of the righteous; ~~~ Tf'~·t, .~ ... Pfal. I· 4, 5, 6. And if GoJ know betttr than foolifh men, then certainty the flock... is /iul~ to whom f;r:n~;:~a:;~ the Father wiU give the Kingdom, Luke 12· 32· And wide. Uthe gatt, and broad H_tbe Jl!'ay t/Jat leaJ· pers, itacu4fttt ttb to deftmtlion, and many thcrt be tb:~.t go in thtreat: btcaHfe flrdit ir tbe gate, aad narrowMthe way "l!triMU ac ,.bicb ltadetb unto lift, and few tbm bt t!Jal find it. Matth. 7· 13; When Chiil\ was asked,Lord •re J>fli!i.<~h•d:c tbtrt few tbat be favtd.? he anfwered, Strive to enttr in at tbe .fll'ait gate ; for m;;!_)i I fay unto jou, r.11J/d 'j,'/,-_. wiUjte~ toenter in, and jhaDnot be able. Luke 13. 23, 24. But alas, we need no other information ~~cri: j:,"ltu ut than commonC>tperience, to tell us whether the grut~ft part of men be Holy, and Heavenly ;) and tarims 1111,11 di– Selftlmying; that fe<k. firft the Kingdom ofGod and hn Ri}l.bt""foefr, and Love God above aU, and will ""' ~tftigi•m, forfak! aU they have for tiJe fok! ofChrijl: And undoubtedly none but jitcb are faved; as you may fee ~~,:::;:;;i,, Heb. 12. 14. Mauh. 6. 20, 21,33· Lu~ '4· 33• ;, f•p>·a d;a,, din"b:t~ appmat ; E::t,!ptiJ pd1«U, & valdt ptw~U, IJIIi ob ami/Fontm t.tllt~ mz/Jtirutlin:i, qu.e lf"~;a;~ pror.tt r11it a..1 t.t.UrJ, tll~?r':v~l<11 ~1;~;; l!.tGtl'_t•r, "! tiJ qu~11Vr1111fld-D_ 'tl!~erDifj, martr T;~'b]i*-· ill fiwu {Ho ru:~mb.•ift~J ~6>1 -vidta~, q_MJ fc/6J "Vi~"QJ PlioJ ha!Jt•t. ~c.um r.eq:ou "lfll lgTtgJ4111 ill$4.JJ oJM~IIol 4.d~111d11/mt, DtD1; 411MDJ/rtn Cdtftrt puw j {i qHa /JbmUI d! h:r, vnmo INg~fMtU1 tN/1UJ{o m2/011111S COI!:p:t/fitJ, qui ju;. 11iN1tt nufollm '!ltlltli, fed & diab~lo potizu qutmChripo. G1ld2s p.(mihi ) P4· . ·' . rm~~IR~as 1'yth4{,~«~'s faying ( which Ambl"oj' faith be had from the )ewes ) Commmum t'..!]N! 11jit.u2m po;:olo "lli.:trn , 11011 effi u~ §. 2. Seeing then theGodly arc fo fm, and the Vngodly fo many ; and that God wiil take nothing. for Holinefs that .is not fuch indeed ; and fecing it is fo terrible a thing to any man that hath his wits about him, to live one day in ail unconverted fiate, bccaufe he that dJ•etb fo, is Jofi for.ever : methinks it fhould be our wifdom to be[ujpicious of "" fclvu, and careful lcll we tie deceived i~ fo great a hufinefs, and diligent in {catching and examining our hearts, whether chey are truly lanel:dird or not; becaufe it can be no haxm to make fure work for our falvation ; whcre1s prefumptiOn, care.. lefuefs and negligence, may -bttray us to remedilefs rtiifery and delpair. 9· 3· I do not here fuppofe theReader to have any fuch- acquaintance ~ith his heart,- or care of his falvation, or obedient wi\\ingnefs to be taught and ruled by JefLlS Chril\, as is proper ro thofe that are truly fancrified: For it isV11godly perfons that now I am fpcaking to. And yet if I 11\'ould not fu~ft them to have fomt cap'<ityand difpojitioll to make ule of the Virtliin•i which I gi<ie them;· I m•ght as well p>fs them by, and fpare my labour. I tell thee therefore Reader what it is that I pre– foppo[t m thee, and expca from thee, ( and I thmk thou w1lt not JUdge me unreafonable in my·fuppo– fitions and expeCtations.) . 9· 4· ,. I fuppofe thee to be a M•n, and therefore that-thou haf\ Rtafo• and NJtsiral-ftu-r.iU, (that Prcf•??or,J . IS, the natural faculty of Chonjing and Refujill~ ; ) which fhould keep thy l<nlitive appetite in obedi- •· Th" •ho" ~~ce; and-that tliou art capable ofLoying and Snving thy Creator, and Enjoyi"ns-him jn Evtrlafiing ut ;~. man. L1fe.
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