The Life ofFaith. 2 55 co cxpc6 to be forgiven his particular lins; And fo in all the tefi of the Promifee. Diret`;f, 25. But be fure thatyou afcribe no more to your felves, for perf,rming any condition of a Promife, than God doib, A conditionas fuck is no caufe at ail of the performance of the Promife; either natural or onorai: only the nonperfar- mance of the condition is a caufe of the non performance of the Promife : For the true nature of a condition as hob, is only to fuffend the benefit. Though naturally a condition may be me- ritorious among men; and for their own commodity (which God is not capable of) they ordinarily make only meritorious adds to be conditions : As God altodoth only fuch as as are pleating to him, and fuited to their proper ends. But this is nothing to a condition formally, which is but to jtfpeotd the benefit till it be donc. Dire& 26. When youfind a Promife to be common or uni- verfal, apply it as boldly as ifyour name were written in it ; and aífo whenyoufind that any particular Promife to a Saint is but a branch of that univerfal Promife to all Saints ; or to all that are in the fame cafe, andfind that the cafe and reafon of the Prontife provetb the fenfe of it to belong toyou as well as them,. If it be Paid, that tnhofoever believeth [hall not peri1h, but have everlaifinl life, John 3. r 6. You may apply it as boldly as if it were laid, Ifthou John, or Thomas be a Believer, thou [halt notperilh, but have everlaffing life. As I may apply the abfolute Promife of the Refurreelion to my fclf as boldly, as Wag name were in it, bccaufe it is all that hhall be railed ( john 5. 22, 24, 25.) I Cor, 15. So may I all the conditional promifes of pardonand glory conditionally [if I repent and believe.] And you may abfofutely thence conclude your certain interca in the benefit, fo far as you are certain taut you repent and be- lieve,: And when you read that Chrili promifeth his twelve Apofiles, to be with them, and to reward their labours, and to fee that they deall be no loftrs by him, if they lofe their lives, &c. You mr,y believe that he will do fa by you allo.. For though your workbe not altogether the fame with theirs yet this is but a branch of the common Promife to all the faithful, who mutt all follow him on the fame tcrn s - -oE Eelsdenial, L,*s,
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