rntt. Part If~ of Heaven by the}r deceits! Could ·you but ask many thoufands that are now m mtfery, [How c11me you to chGofc fo unhappy a w~y?] they wou_ld tell you [ fVe were deceived bJ the words of 'WJ-C~ed men ! The cavt!J ana /corns of ignorant {inners have cheatedus of. our S..t!v~tiGn.J The very calling a diligent fer. vane of Ch:nfi by the na~e of a Purit~tn or Preci{i~tn, ha rh kept tnany a thoufand even mEngland, -from the fear ancl diligent ferving of the Lord. · And furely this is a filly argument. And are thefe Hrmeft men that are the factors of Satan the . great deceiver , in cheating themfelves and others imo Hell ? But rhe Godly deal plainly with thernfelves and others. They are willing to know the truth of their condition, and noc to m;tke themfelves believe that which God never made them be– lieve. They prornife not falvation to themfelves OR any lower terms then God bath promifed it" They have no hope of being faved without Holinefs. Tbey fee not Gods mercy againfi his' Truth, nor the Merits of Chrifi againft his Covenanr. They know that God is better acquainted with the ways and effects of his own mercies then w~ are. Ancl therefore though they hope to be f.1Ved by Gods mercy, it is by his fontlijjing mrrcy, and not co be faved without fiinUiftcatirm, rhat is, without fal– vation it felf and the neceffary means. They know that it is abundant mercy ro be fa ved in a way of H{)/inef.;, and defire no other faving Mercy. Yea they know that {llnCfijicatiou and ulorificationb()th, arc greater mercy then Glorificatim 11/one, if it ~ere pr;ffib!e to be al@nc. This is the doUrine that the Godly do believe, an~ this the~· prafli[e, and thiJ they teach others, · and this they ha.~1= learnt of God : and therefore !hey are no deceivers. - 9. Moreover, do ·you think that he is an Honeft man that is an enemy to the puh!i~e Good? or rather he that is a CfJmmon bene– faElor? The befl: of the Heathens thought it one of the higheft parrs of virtue, to ·be ferviceabl~ to many, and devote our felves to the eQmmon good. But wicked men are the veryplague-s of a land. For their fak_.es it is that judgeme~rs come upon us. It is they that would let in the plague of fin wh1ch would un~oe lils. He that fets fire co the thatch, do.rh do no worfe a~amfi: your towns, rhen wicke~ men that would :kindle the _fire of the wrathof God by their crying fins. · Rea~ the Scnptures and · · \ ke
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