For we =eye. them good. Surely God will have fomething for the fweat, yea, lives of his fervants which were worne out in ftrivingmith fuch rebellious ones. May be yet,finners, your firmament is clear, no cloud to be feen that portends a florme ; but know (as you ufe to fay) winter does not in the clouds, you fhall have it at !aft: every threatening which your faithful Minifters have de nounced againft youout of the Word, God is bound to make good. He confirmeth the Word of his fervant, and perforrneth the La 44,' cossnrel of his me:flingers, and that in judgement againfl finners, confirming the threateni ngs, as well as in mercy performing the yromifes, which they declare as the portion of his children. But it will be time enough to ask fuch on a lick-bed, or a dying houre, whether the words of the Lord delivered by their faithful Preachers have not taken holdof them. Some havecon- feffed withhorrour they have, as the jewes, Zech. 1. 6. Like as the Lord of hofis thought to do onto fo bath he dealt with Secondly, the Spirit ftrives with men more immediately, when he makes his inward approaches to the confciences of men, deba- ting in their ownbofoms the cafe with them;one while he thews them their fins in their bloody colours, and whether they will Surely bring them, if not look't to timely, which he doth con- vincingly, that the creature fmells fometimes the very fire and brimflone about him, and is at prefent in a temporary hell ; an- other while he falls a parlying and treating with them, making gracious overtures to the finner, if he will return at his reproof, prefents the grace of the Gofpel, and opens a door of hope for his recovery, yea, falls a wooing and befeechingof him to throw down his rebellious armes, and come to Chrift for life, whore heart is in a indent difpofition to receive and embrace the firft motion the returning finner makes for mercy. Now when the Spirit ofGod follows the firmer from place to place, and time to time, fuggefling fuch motions, and renewing his old fuit,and the creature fhall fling out of the Spirits hands thus 'hiving with him reinfeWt, as far from renouncing his lufts, or taking any liking to Chrift as ever : This is to refill the Spirit to his face, and it carries fo much malignity in it, that (even where it bath not been final) poor humbled foules have been fo over-I-et with the horrour of it, that they could not for a long time be per- fwaded, but that it was the unpardonable fin. Take heed there fore
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