s7' Thepromifeof the Spirit, of milking S e c giftof God. So thenalthough internal Meanes ofobtaining Chrift, cannot by natural ftrengthbe performed, yet there are external Meanes, which who. foeverfhallrefufe,hedoth rejenthe counfel of God; and pronounceth himfelf unworthy ofSalvation. Therefore harbour no more fuchthoughts;iänlefs thou wilt violently throw thy felfinto the mouth of hell. But fecondly, It may be laid, If GodsPromife ofConverfronbe Abfolute,This i.. difcouraging andmay eafilycafi men into de(pair ; for though Idefire , and groan after Convection, yet f I be not inthis AbfolutePromife, I can never be parta ker of it. But firft confider , Though it be Abfolute, yet it is all() Indefinite, it doth not exclude any particular man ; So that no man in the world living under themeanes of Grace, can truely fay, he is not intended in this Promife, as well as others. Seeing therefore God hath no where excluded thee by .name, there is no claufe that thuts theeout; it is a grievous finne in thee to ihut thyPelf out. So then, Know thofe dejeaing and difcouraging thoughts they arife fromHell ; It is theDevil and thy own black heart, not this Do- nrine that difcourageth. If there were a Malefaftour among many others, and the Magiftrate fhould make an indefinite promife that he would (pare them and pardon them, and doth not by name exclude any man, would anybe foinjurious, to himfelf, as to quellion, whetherhe be intended in thepardon or no? No letteinjurious art thou to thy feff, in difputing againft this promife. 2. Secondly, If thou liveft under the means of Grace, andwhere theWordof, Life is tendered, then thou haft much morecaufe to hope that this Promife of Converfion Both belong to thee. Indeed all thofe who fie inHeathenifh darkneffe, to whom the Gofpcl was never yet made known, theyare a hopelefs people, while fo; there is no Promifewithout the Churchof God t But to thofe who have the graceof God tendered to them, they may plead this Argument, Lord, thou haft given us the outwardmeans, we have theMiniftery,that founds daily in our ears, Ohgiveus the inward Grace alto I S, Thirdly, Ifthou art one Who groanefi and dep.-eft after Converfion, and are afraid left Godbath excluded thee, be of good comfort, for thofefighsand pant - ings after Grace, are a fore fig's that thou art included, yea that this Work of a new heart, and a tender heart is already begunne in you. Where you hear a Sigh or a Groan in a man, it is a figne there is a natural) life; and fo where there are inward Groans and Affenions for this new heart, there are the beginnings, and the- foundation is already laid, God Will not breakthe brut /ed Reed, nor quench the fmoahing Flax. Even hunger and thirft bath a pro- mileof being fatisfied, Matrh.5. Thereforelet thisturn thy water into wine prefently. 4, Fourthly, Although the ` Prmife of Converfion be in a Well explained¡tuft Abfolute, yet there is no man damned that would have been converted, only he wanted the Promife, God Would net put hts name in there, and that it the caufe of his utter perifbing. No, this is a him truth, o Ifrael, thy deftrudlion isof thy[elf; And As Ilive, faith God, I Will not the death of a firmer, but rather that he should live. Turnye, turn ye, Why Will ye die ? This is a lure truth, Everymans Damnation is of his own Pelf; be doth wilfully and with delight go on in deftruftive wayes, he cannot fay, Lord, I would have been converted, but theAbfolutenets of thy Elenion, or thy Promife hindered, yea a mans own wilful lulls they deftroyhim : Inforouch that were it not for this Promife of God none at all would be converted : It is well we are not left to Free-will, for then not.one would be converted : And the Adverfaries`to this Opinion cannot inftance in oneHeathen ever time the world was made, that did ufehis Naturals fo well, thatGodvouchfafed Supernaturals; infomuch that abje8,z. Anfw.
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