SECT. III. Fa1 [ee Signs tif G ace. 197 Of grace as they pretend to ; neither do we lay a foundation of defpair in this, for we fay, this grace doth truly belongro every one that believethand repenteth; And theArminian cannot go further, hectare not tày, This grace belongs to you whether you believe or not, repent ornot: fo that we are as univerfal in pouring ofoil into wounded fouls, as they are. Thirdly,Salvation is thought eafie,Becaufe ofa mifdakeaboutfaith : Ohfay they, 3. ifaman do but believe, then heavenis his, Chrifd is his: as to him that believeth not condemnation belongeth. Now all naturali men think it a vey eafie thing to believe, What, to trufo in Chtifiwith all thy heart ? how ready is every um; regenerate man to fay he doth it ? Arid upon this it is that the Papifts charge us as making it inch an eafie pleating way togo to Heaven ; It's but be- lieving ( fay they ) and thenall is well. But all this is a mifoake about faith ; be that faith, Faith is eafie, never knewwhat it is tobelieve : To prefume is ea- fie, to be fecure and fell-flattering is eafie ; but outof the true fenfeof finne and deep humiliation for it to relie on Gods grace ; this the godly heart findes not to be done without many conflitts and fpiritual agonies; faith therefore is made thework of Gods Spirit,and it is that which thedevil doch moft oppofe,becaufe that doth molt withfand him. Laftly , Therefore men »take it eafie to goe to Heaven , They mayfeek that in 4. the laß place, Live in all jollity , and then to cry , Lord have mercy in me at the lafdgulp ti enough, betan/e they wholly mitake What true Godlinefji and Re. pentane is. What godlinelle is they ünderfoand not; they think not of be- ing borne again, of the pangs and travail the foul commonly is in before it is thus formed; They confider not the way to Heaven is a graft Way , and fete that enter therein; if they did, could they be fo filly, as to think fuch vicious lives as they live , fuch formality and morality they continue in, were theway to Heaven ? Certainly if this be fo, then the Scripture fpeaks fahly,Straitti the Way,Mat.y r3,t4.No,broad is theway,large are the paths, and few miffe them ; You therefore think it calk to be Paved, becaufe you take copper for gold, counterfeits for pearls ; and thusa man may think himfelf ve- ry rich, when he is indeed very poor. Again, they mifoake about repentance, for they think all kinde of forrow for finne, every Lord have mercy upon them, efpecially if this be with tears, a true Repentance; but if this be fo we may cry out contrary to the Dileiples Who Will not be Paved ? Then bleffed Ahab , godly `7haraoh, holy Judas, for all thefe more or !elk ac- knowledged their finne, and begged for pardon; But if thou examine Scri- pture, and fee how much goeth to godly forrow, what principleit muff come from, what motives muff produce it, what effelts flow from it ; Thou wilt be amazed, and fay, OLord, I doubt I never truly repented, my tears are too fait to come from a contrite heart in a gracious manner. Now doe but ob- ferve all thofe men who are fecure and confident about their falvation, you may as foon perfwade them a Blackmore is white, as they beginne to have the leaft doubt and fufpition about themfelves; andyou )hall fee its one ofthefe pillars they leanupon, if this theirfoundationwere razed all their hopes were gone. Could you drive them out of this refuge then they would cry out, Men andbrethren, What (hall we do to be Paved? Let us therefore in the next place confider, why upon Scripture-grounds, Wh) it is im- it will appear fuch an impoflïbility without Gods wonderful! grace ; for a pofiible with- man , yea a godly man to be faved ; fo that of all miracles, it willbe the g d reat- fds won- race cil, to fee a godly man palling all the Rocks here, and fafely lodged in for Heaven. be Paved. And firft it appeareth a wonder, Ifyou confider that grace in a mans a. heart is not in its natural foyl. It's like an Herb tranfplanted and put into fomeground it doth not agree with. Now it's a wonder this herb of Grace doch not wither, alas the foil helps nothing to it. God gave command at &sit to Cc 3 the
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