'Chap. 34 about comfortingaffliged con fèience.t. thee : To which the diflreffed party would anfwer : Chria died indeed for I him if he could receive him: but he byhis finnes bath cut himfelfe off from 1 him , and forfaken him , fo that the benefit of his death will do him no good. Quefl. what then is the right way of adminiftrirg comfort to fuck-? 14nfw. Firf+, confider the grounds whereby a man that belongs toGod may be brought within the Covenant. Secondly, the right way whereby they mull be ufcd and applied. Quell. what are thofc grounds ? Anfw. Firfl, recourfemuff notbe had to all graces , and all degreesof grace; but only fuch as a troubled confcience may reachunto : which are Faith, Re- pentance, and the love of God : and that there may be no miflake about rhefe, enquiry muff be made, what be the feeds , and firfl beginnings of them all. As, I. The fir(l ground of grace is this. A delire to repent, and believe in a touched heart , is faith, repentance it felf ; though nor in its nature , yet in Gods acceptation. Quell. Howmar that beproved ? Anfw.All grant that in them that have grace, God accepts of the will for the deed, as, a Cor.8.t z. z. Cod bath annexed a promife of bleffednefs to the trueand unfeigned de- fire of grace, Matrh. 5. 6. Key. 21. 6. fo he promifes, `Pfalme Ió. 17. and 1.19. B Oble45&: at the defre of good things is natural, therefore God will not re- ward it? Anfw. Delires are of two forts. 1. Some be offuch cnings as by the light of nature we know to be good, as ofwifdom, learning, honour, happinefs, &c. and thefe indeed nature can delire : But then z. Others be above nature : as the delireof the pardon of fin , reconciliation, and fan&ification : and they tohich have a fetious delire of thefe , have a promife of bleffèdneffe. Secondly, a godly forrow, whereby a man is forry for finne as finne , is the beginning of repentance, and indeed repentance it felfe, for the fub- fiance : Hence , z Cor. 7.9. Paul rejoyced , becaufe it was wrought in the Corinthians. Qge 1. But how may this forrow be known ? 4nfw. If the heart of him in whom it is, is fo affe&ed, that though there were neither confcience, nor devil to accufe, nor Hell topunish, yet would he be grie- ved , becaufe God is offended by his fin. quefi. But what if a swan cannot reach tofuch a forrow ? Anfw. Art thou grieved for the hardneffe ofthy heart , becaufe thou canif not fogrieve, thou.mayfl then conclude thatthou haft fome meafureofgodly forrow; for nature cannot grieve for hardneffe ofheart. Thirdly, a fettled purpofe, and willingneffe to forfake all fin , is a good be- ginning of converlion, and true repentance : So inDavid,Pfal. 32.5. and the prodigal, Luke 15. 17, t8. Fourthly, To love a man becaufehe is a childe of God is a certaine ligne that a man is a partaker of the true loveof God in Chrifl, 1 john 3. 24. Mat. To. 41. Onely remember that thefe deliresmuff not be fleeting , but confiant , and encreafing. Quell. Having heard thegrounds , what is then the way , whereby the party that- is in -dif refjrntay be brought within the eomp l? of the promife of ,falvation ? Yy 2 .4,:f1.9. 347 II. IIL IV.
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