the encouragement Of loft (inners, that would fain be at (Thrift for pardon and peace : For, aslong as the blood of Chrift bath efficacy and worth, and as far as the pro. !Wife extends itfelf, as long and as far may the believer reach his faith for coming up to boldnefs and confidence Altho' for his humiliation, and keeping humble, he may poffibly never win at, nor recover, his former .confidence and boldnefs ; yet, looking to the grounds of faith and hope, he may and ought to ftudy to ((retch his faith to the attaining of it. 4thly, He may and flioúld thus endeavour confidently to draw near to God, when chal- lenges are quick and very (harp ; yea, when the chal- lenges of Confidence are íharpeft and mat piercing: Tho' challenges were as fo many troops of horfes milling in on him, and the Con( fence were like a lion rampant, ftand- ing with his claws ready to tear, he may and fhould (humbly taking with guilt) ftep to confidently, and make application of the blood of fprinkiing : And indeed this is the very time when in a fpecial manner he fhould do it ; as it was in the cafe of the man Mayer, when he was molt hotly purfued by the avenger of blood, that was the very time when he was called to flee, and with greateft fpeed, to the city of refuge. And the allufion is made to this purpofe, Pleb. 6. 18. hat by two immutable things (lays the apoftle) wherein it was impo1ble for God to lie, we might have gong corfolation, who are fled for refuge to lay bold on the hope fet before us. When may they have coil_ folatïon and Itrong confolation ? Even when they are flee ing with the greateff hafte to the city of refuge ; 'cis then that the gates of the city are caft widcft open to them. When was it that David made his molt earneft and humor bly confident addrefs to God for the joy of his falvation ? Sven when blood-gultinefs was (taring him in the face,and, when his very bones were in a manner broken, and when, to his own fenfe, his grate was very much, if not altoge- ther gone ; and when he had (as it were) forfeited his right to confolation : Yet, even then, he comes for- ward, draws near to God, humbly inaintaints his intereft in him, and pleads for former rnanifeftations upan the grounds Of grace. 5thly, The believer may and ought thus to make
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