S ac 196 Patti Signs ofGrace. r. III. into hell; we will therefore fuppofe a man in die{late ofgrace, yet, were it not that With Godall thingsarepoffible, this godly man would make fhipwrackofhis foul a thoufand times over erehe could get into that glorious haven. Thus Peter 1 Pet.4.18. The righteousúfcarcelyfaved, which although it beprincipally meant of temporal deliverance, yet fpiritual falvation is by neceffary confequence in- cluded. 3° Thirdly, Although this be true, yet it muff be acknowledged, that if we do refpea the grace of Chrift, and his fu(neffe, it is avery eafie thing to be faved ; for let fiñ abound in the guilt and powerofit, yet grace in the juftifyingand fan- tifying effefts ofit,doth much moreabound. Hence Godsmercy inpardoning is compared to the heavens,and our ins arebut like the earth a pun/lum incompari- fon,Ifa.g 5.9. or as a drop ofthe water to the Sun- beams, which is quickly dried up.In thelift of theRomans youhave anexcellent oppofition between the fecond and firft Adam, (hewing how muchmore potent Chriftis to fave, and grace to give life, thenAdam was to defiroy, or finne CO curie and condemn ; in which refpefl Chrift is laid togive life, and thatmoreabundantly; now this is to be marked by the dejefted, tempted heart, which feldom looks up tograce, but to all the difficulties thatare in heavens way. They cryout, Onever godly, never believing, nevercoming up to Scripture-principles; but they donot joyn Gods power and their infirmity, Gods grace, and their guilt together ; They do not fay, O Lord, hecaufe this is impoflible to me, Is it alto to thee ? Becaufe I have finned away my own grace, Have I alto finned away Chtifts ful- neffe? Therefore minds theftrift qualifications tomake theewalk humbly in fear and What Makes trembling, minds the graciousfulneffeofGods loveand power tomake thee full salvationCo ea- of hope and comfort. Put theCamels bunch and Godspower together. uatuala mans Thefe things premifed, let us confider what are thofe confiderations that make thoughts. falvation fo calk tdamans natural thoughts. a. And the firft is, 'A reprefentationof Godaltogetherpitifull andmercifull> without taking any notice ofhie purity and hisjuflice, that he is a God Who Will not acquit the guilty. Thishalfreprefentation of God untoa mans heart, makes him thus confident. Men argue, Howcanwe think God, who faith, He Would not the death of a'inner, who faith, Whywill yedie, O houfe of Ifrael; Who hath put pity into mens hearts, (hall not much more be a fountain when firearm are fo plentiful? This bath been aggravated fo much, that it bath been an opinion of fome, that at laft all men, yeaand devils allo (hall be faved: but the Scripture fpeaks of Gods fling as well ashis honey, of his fury as well as his pity ;; The Scripture fpeaketh of his rejoycing in thedeftruftionof thewicked, as well as pitying them ; Do notthou therefore deceivethy ownfoul, by minding Gods mercy meetly. Gods juftice is to finde out thofe, who.have abufedmercy, andht is a fire to confume as well as togive light: a. A fecond ground whichmakes falvation fo eafie, is thegeneral offer and tender of Godsgraceby hie Word, whereby none feem to beexempted e Nowif to this be ad- ded, a doftrinal opinion allo, whichdoth abound in thefe daies, viz. univerfal Grace, and univerfal Redemption, they now quickly perfwade themfelves the way to heaven isabroadway ; butthis Doctrine doth quite overthrow the Do- ¿teineofa particular Eleftion of force only to falvation, whichyet the Scripture manifeftly declareth, and it puts thewhole difcriminating'event of a mans fell fromothers, into the hands of free-will : for if7udas have as muchof thegrace ofGod, and as much by thedeath of Chrift, as Peter ; the onely reafon why Peter dothrepent and7udaonot, is meerly, becaufe the one improveth hispow- er well, and the other doth not. Therefore althoughgeneral tenders of grace . are enough to encourage thofe thatare hungry andthirfly after it, and fuch as are burdenedby fine ; yet they lay no foundation at all for inch an univerfality of
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