368 'A S4tnt er 4 Brs;te~ Part II.' time exce\let~ ~heirs in degrees of. grace; amd I think the greater care that Chn{hans have of thetr hearts, and of inward recti– tude, and communion with God, and their fuller apprehenfions of the life to come, and fo of thcirgreateft hopes and dangers, is one great caufe. But yet there are worfe concurring caufes. The Love of God, and his readinefs to !hew mercy, !hould not be more qBefl:ioned now, when it is fo abundantly revealed by Chrifl:, then it was in times of darker revelation. The fervanrs of God did formerly conceive, that nothing but ftn could make man miferable ; and therefore when they had finned, they re– pented; and infiead of continuing dou~tsand fears, they hem their re[olutions againfl: theirfins; and having eaft away theirgrof.t and "ftJi/fu/ fins, and Continuing the Confiicr againfl: their Un~VGidab/e infirmities, which they-hated, they knew that the door of mercy ·was fiill open to them; and that if any man (in, we hav111n advo– ·Cilte with the Father, Wh11 is the propitiation. The ti,me that is n_ow fpent in doHbting and complaining, and asking How !hall I know that I fincerely repent, was then fpent in Repenting, and rtform~ ing, and u!ing the means that God hath appointed for the con– querindof fin ; and then trufl:ing to his grace and Covenant in the bltod of Chrifl: for parclon. And it would be htter with us ifwe did thm. Judgenow by all thefe Scriptur~s, and by the courfe of former Saints, how God would have you behave your felves. Do you not read an hundred rimes of their joy, and rhankf,and praifingGed,ancl calling upon others to pnife him, for once [hat they perplexedly q~efl:ion their fincerity? But perhaps you~le fay, that your ftrength is [o Weak,, ~tnd your fi1Js and enemies fo ftrong, and all your dut) fo imperfeil and unworth], that ha1:1ing (ucb continu.tl caufe of trouble,yo/4 cannot chcofe but Waik._·in heavinef.r) and in fears. I anfwer you, I. But why do you not tell what you have, as well as what you 'Want ? Have ~·ou not greater caufe to fay [My fins being mortified at the root, and all forgiven, and my foul renewed, and reconciled unto God, Z~nd I being made an heir of Heavew, how can I choofe but live in . ~ J . JOY . . 2. Are you heartily willing to for fake your fins, and over– come the things ,of which you fo compl~in ? or are you not? If you are not, why do you complain of them ? and wby will you not conftnt to let them go ? and ufe Gods means to c,wer... come
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