234 Forgivenefs' believed by few. Pfal. 13a, that it never colt them an hours labour prayer or meditation about it. Have they had fecret reafonings and contendings in their hearts about it ? N,; Have they confidered how the Ob- i lii.7ns that lye againf it tri y be removed ? Not at all , But is it fo indeed that this p*rfwaf "n is thus bred in you, you know not how ? Are the corrupted Natures of men, and the Gof e1 fo fuited, fo complying ? Is the NewCovenant grown fo cannattsral to flefh and blood ? Is the greateft fecret that eüer was revealed from the bofom of the Father, become fofamiliar- and eafie to the wifdomof the flefh ? Is that which was folly to the wife Greeks, and a (fumbling block to the Wonder- gazing .7errs , become on a fuddain Wifdom , and a pain path to the fame principles that were in them ? But the truth of this matter is, that fuch men have a general, ufeléfs, barren notion ofPardon; which Satan, Prefumption, Tradition, Common Reports, and the Cuffomary bearing of the Word have furniGhed them withal ; But for that GoJpel difcovery of forgive- nefs whereof we have been (peaking, they are utterly igno- rant of it, and unacquainted with it. Toconvince fuch poor creatures of the folly of their prefumption, I would but delire them to go to fome real Believers, that are or may be known unto them ; Let them be asked whether they came fo eafily by their Faith, and Apprehenfions of foogivenefs, or no ? Alas, faith One, thefe twenty years have I been following after God, and yet I have not arrivedunto an abiding Cheating perfwafion of its I know what it colt me, what tryals , difficulties, temptations I wrelfled with, and went through withal before I. obtained it, faith another. What I have attained unto, bath been of unfpeakable !bercy. And it is my daily prayer, that I may be preferved in it ; by the exceeding greatnefs of the Power of God ; for I continually wreak with forms that are ready to drive me from my Anchor. A little of this difcourfe may be fufficient to convince poor, dark, car- ,nal creatures of the folly and vanityof their confidence. 4. There are certain Means whereby the Revelation and dif- covery of this MyWerie is made unto the fouls of men. By thefe they do obtain it, or they obtain it nor. The myfferie it felt was a fieret, hidden in the Counfel of God fromEternity nor
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