Crown, and yet many wil\ run ~ho it be to uncertain;~ but faith he in endeavou– ring alter Salvation in the Go rpel, of which he there I peaks; if you will but crt~ doavol!r tO run a> you ought, with your urmof\ might, you fiJall be fir te to attain; as many as will take pains to do ii1, and ufe all means, as he fpcal<s there; fome indeed fall filMt through lazy runnmg, but fays he, Su rzm tb,Jtye may alt<Iin, that is, there is a Running and a !eeking, which will certainly obtain,! therefore fo run, and fo running fhall obtain : Not as uncertain)y, but fo as I !hall be fure to win the Prize. And fo Chrtfl alfo bath fatd, J'uk mJd )'' fba!lfi,.J, K nock, and 11 )hallbe opnud tJiilo)'Oil; and he backs tlr is by a{lrong convincing Demon– ttration, to allure us of it, Luke.n. )· If ohe comes loa (rie11d at mid111ght 1 and dejires jome ntcefJary tbi11g of him, thu he be o11e 11/ho htltb 110 11{/ to rzfe, v . 7· norregardedthere/ationof jnf1ldjhrp ata!lmrt,ver.8. BtlfJ'IJs, hehtU ,,/1 hi< Chitdrm already i116ed wrth him, ver. 7· Jfl for hiS rmportunitte's {ake ht would rife i11 the md. Then I (ay.rmto you, lays Chr.f\, Kt10ck and rt./ballbt opened, tho the door feems !hut agarnfl thee? rho thou {houldel\ d11nk, God in– tended not friendlhtp to thee, and had (as Jt were,) all hrs Inends about him already, yet he would hear in the end; and ver. 10. he confirms it by experi– ence, that there was never yet any turn'd away, But every o11e th,ll Mketh"" ceiveth, a11d thatfuketh findeth. There wa• never any yet that did fo, and was turn'd away empty. And indeed if you ufe the means, and feek conflantly, Who lhould hinder you? Or how is it poflible you lhould come to mifs of it? Neither God the Father, nor God the Son, who yet are the parties through whofe hands R.econ• ciliation runs. '· Not God the Father; for he having committed the word of Reconciliation to us, to make it known to every man indifferently; wuh commrmdfrom him, ytt, with earntf/6e(eeching to perff!Jade men to be rrcmmtedto him, 2 (or. i· 20. If any foul upon this news comes, and hath a mind to prove, is taken with his friendlhip, can never be quiet without it, and ufeth all means to attain it; God is as truly bound to difpence peace to that Soul, as if he ltad named him from Heaven, For wt do aO this i11 Godsj/tad; as 2 Cor.) .20. and a• Embaffadors, do in his!lead befeech you; and herein we are lawful Embaffadors;fo as it is,asifGod by us did befeech you, and we exceeding not our Commiilion; God will make it good, as Ktngs ufe tt> do the Treaties of their Emba!Tadors in the like, when they do things in their names and according to their inflruCl:iorls. God the Fathers Warrant we have to go to his Son, and he condemns us if we do not. And 2. Jefus Chrifl will not be your hindrance; for he bath fa id JohJI. 6. l7• Whofotvercomethmitomt, I will i1mowi(e cafl ottt. And we have reafon to think him willing, for it wastheend of his death , Th,Jt ht.might fee his feed and befatisfied; Chritl needed not have purchafed it for himfelf, who was and is God 6tef[tdfor ever; and therefore is noi detirous to keep it to himrelf, it is no profit to him to have it Jy by him; he had rather it lhould be put out, and that others fhould !hare in it. Ami who lhould? The good Angels have no need of it, and the bad ones are incapable; therefore for us poor Sons of men it is or– dained, called therefore Mans R.ighteoufnefs. And betides, he was G~d's ~rvant, (as was faid,) in that great work. When therefore I come to htm wtth hts Fathers Warrant and comwand, ( which you heard, you have,) it is as if you lhould come to the Lord Trealurer with a Ticket from the King for fo much Money; he mufi difpenfe it, for it is the Kings Money, as this God's Righteou{iufs; and fo called, and he is but the King• Sorvant, as Chrifi alto was. And it is alto his Office; for why elfe was he ap– pointed Priefl; (as {he faid, why <lrt thou a Ki1rg, if thou wilt 11ot do mt .1u– flice?) For He6.). l· If o11t brottght aSacrrjice to the Prirfl, he wtU bowld t o offrr it 6y the L ,,w; otherwife he failed in his Office; and fo is Chrift to prefent thee to his Father, if thou come!\ to him, ]uh11 10 . he fays, His fhup he m11{1 bri11g; he looks at it as his duty, · R z Only
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