Qeffions,dndCafes ofCon f ience Amp,. Therein three rules are to be obferved. 1. The party muff difclofe (if he know it) the caufe ofhis particular diftrefs, that the remedy may the better be applied : and indeed thevery opening of the caufe is a great eafe to the mindc. 2. If the caufe can, and may be made known , rhen you muff fee whether the party be fit to receive comfort : and that is, if he be humbled for his finnes , pray for pardon, and delires amendment : without this the word of comfort willbe mifapplied to him. ue(}, hat what ifwe de not finde him humbled ? Anfw. Your firf}and principal care mull be to work in him force degree of humiliation for whichend you muff labour to convince himofínne and then Whew him the neceffity of grief for it, at leaf+, for force of his principa fins ; and herein two things muff be remembred. t. That their worldly forrowmull be turned into a godly forrow : as when onebleeds at nofe , they open a veine to turn the courfe of it : fo when men are troubled with world',y forrow , chew them that they muff grieve , not for worldly refpee}s, nor meetly for fear ofpuniihment,but principally for the difho- nour that redounds to Godby th it finnes. 2. Take care that this furrow be not a confufed forrow, becaufe he is a firmer as other men are ; but a difline6 forrow for this , or that particular fanne : and then he that is grieved for one fin truly,and unfeignedly, will proportionably be grieved for all the fins that he knows tobe in himfelf. Minifler and applycomfort to him that thus confeffeth his finnes, and is truly humbled for them. lea. 11 ow muß tl;ss comfort be admin:fired ? Anfiv. It may be done by bringing the party within the compaffe of the promife of life : and there be two wayes ofdoing this : the one falfe, the other true. Quefl. what are the falfe wayes ? e/infw. Firf}, Tome think that men may be brought within the Covenant, by the doc}rine ofuniverfal grace and redemption. But this way is both falfe and unfit. Quef+. Why is it falfe ? Anfw. Becaufe all the promifes ofthe Gofpel are limicred with the condition ofFaith, andRepentance, and arenot univerfally made toall. Ob ;;e&. But God would have all men to befaved, iTim .2.q. Anfw. The Apofile who is the bell expounder of himfelf faith , Aar 17. 3o. The time of ignorance Godregarded not, but now he warns all men to repent. Now, i.e. after the coming of Chrif} in the flefh: but it mull not be enlarged to all Adams poflerity : So in that of Timothy , God would have all men to be favcd , i. e. Now in this laf+age of the world. So, 2 Cor. 6.2. Now is the ac- ceptable time , fTc. Col. r. 16. Rom. 16. 26. Again , All men, 1, e. not all particulat men; but Tome of all forts, and kindest So all is taken, r Tim. 2. t. Object}. But Paul faith , a Cor. 5.18. God was in Chrifl reconciling the World to himfelf ; therefore thepromife in Chrift belongs to thewhole world, and to everyparticular perfon ? Anfw. `Paulanfwers it himfelf, Rom. 11. t 5. the ca.fbino- away of the fewer is the reconciling of theworld, i.e. of the Gentiles in the tall age of the world : and fo mull that place to the Corinth$ be underftood,viz.not of all,and everyman that lived in all ages, and dines, but of them that were under the Gofpel, to be called out of all Nations,&c. Secondly, this wayof applying is unfit : For the argument mull be framed thus : Chri(l died for all men , but thou art a man , therefore Chrill died for thee Chap. 14f
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