art become heir of the righteoufnefs which is by faith, (Heb. xi. 7.): wherefore, coming finner, be content. He that cometh to Jefus Christ believeth too that he is willing to fhew mercy to, and have compaffion apon him (though unworthy) that comes to him for life. And therefore thy foul heth not only under a special intuition to come, but under a promise too of being accepted and forgiven, Matth. xi. 28.

All these particular parts and qualities of faith are in that foul that comes to Jefus Chrift for life, as is evident to any indifferent judgment.

For, will he that believeth not the testimony of Christ concerning the baseness of fin, and the infufficiency of the righteoufnefs of the world, come to Chrift for life? No..

He that believeth not the teftimony of the word, comes not: He that believeth that there is life any where elfe, comes not: He that queftions whether the Father hath given Chrift power to forgive, comes not He that thinketh that there is more in fin, in the law, in death, and the devil, to destroy, than there is in Chrift to fave, comes not He alfo that questions his faithful management of his priesthood for the falvation of finners, comes

not..

Thou then that art indeed the coming finner, believeft thou this? True, perhaps, thou dost not believe with that full affurance, nor haft thou lei. fure to take notice of thy faith as to thefe diftinct: acts of it; but yet all this faith is in him coming. to Chrift for life. And the faith that thus work. eth is the faith of the heft and pureft kind, be cause this man comes alone as a finner, and as feeing that life is to be had only in Jefus Chrift.

Before I conclude my answer to this objection, take into thy confideration these two things a

ift, That the cities of refuge were erected for those that were dead in the law, and that yet would live by grace, even for those that were to> fly thither for life from the avenger of blood that pursueth after them. And it is worth your noting, that those that were upon their flight thither, are in a peculiar manner called the people of God. • Cast ye up, cast ye up, (saith God) prepare ye

the way; take up the stumbling-block out of "the way of my people,' Ifa. Ivii. 14. This is meant of preparing the way to the city of refuge, that the flayers might escape thither; which flying flayers are here, by way of fpeciality, called the people of God, even those of them that escaped thither for life.

2dly, Confider that of Ahab, when Benhadad fent to him for life, faying, Thus faith thy fer

vant Benhadad, I pray thee, let me live.'Though Berhadad had fought the crown, kingdom, yea, and alfo the life of Ahab, yet how effectually doth Benhadad prevail with him! • Benhadad yet alive? (faid Ahab) he is my brother; yea, go ye, bring him to me: fo he made him ride in his chariot,' Kings, xx.

Is

Coming finner, what thinkeft thou? If Jefus Christ had as little goodness in him as Ahab, he might grant an humble Benhadad life; thou neither beggeft of him his crown.nor dignity; life, eternal life will ferve thy turn. How much more then fhalt thou have it, fince thou haft to deal with him who is goodness and mercy itself! yea, thou art alfo called upon, yea, greatly encouraged by a promise of life, to come unto him for life! Read alfo thefe fcriptures, Numb. xxxv. 11,14,15. Jofh. xx. 1, 6. Heb. vi. 16, 21.

Obj. 2. When I fay I only feek myself, I mean I do not find that I do defign God's glory in mine

own falvation by Christ, and that makes me fear L do not come aright.

Anf. Where doth Chrif Jefus require fuch a qualification of those that are coming to him for life? Come thou for life, and trouble not thy head with fuch objections against thyfelf, and let God and Christ alone to glorify themselves in the falva. tion of fuch a worm as thou art. The Father faith to the Son, Thou art my servant, O Ifrael, • in whom I will be glorified.' God propoundeth life to finners as the argument to prevail with them to come to him for life; and Chrift fays plainly, "I am come that ye might have life,' John xii. 10.› He hath no need of any defigns, though thou haft› need of his eternal life, pardon of fia, and deliverance from wrath to come, Chrift popounds to thee, and these be the things that thou haft need of: befides, God will be gracious and merciful to worthless, undeferving wretches; come, then, as fuch an one, and lay no stumbling-biock in the way to him, but come to him for life, and live,' John v. 34.x. 10. iii. 36. Matth. i. 21. Prov. viii. 36, 37.1 Theff, xi. John xi. 25, 26.

When the gaoler faid, Sirs, What must I de to be saved? Paul did not so much as once ask him, what is your end in this question? do you defign: the glory of God, in the falvation of your foul 2 He had more wit; he knew that fuch questions as thefe would have been what fools babble about, inftead of a fufficient falve to fo weighty a question. as this. Wherefore, fince this poor wretch lacketh salvation by Jesus Christ, I mean to be, faved from hell and death, which he knew (now) was due to him for the fins that he had cominitted ; Paul bids him, like a poor condemned finner as he was, to proceed ftill in this his way of felf feeking, faying, Believe on the Lord Jefus Christ, aud thou shalt be faved,' Acts xvi. 30, 31, 32.

know that afterwards thou fhalt defire to glorify, Chrift by walking in the way of his precepts ; but at prefent thou wauteft life: the avenger of blood is behind thee, and the devil, like a roaring lion, is behind thee. Well, come now; and. obtain life from thefe; and when thou haft obtained fome comfortable perfuafion that thou art made par-taker of life by Chrift, then, and not till then, thou wilt fay, Blefs the Lord, O my foul, and all that is within me blefs his holy name. Blefs the 'Lord, O my foul, and forget not all his benefits; ' who forgiveth all thine, iniquities, and healeth; all thy difeafes; who redeemeth thy life from de.. ftruction, and crowneth thee with loving kind-nefs and tender mercies,' Pfalm ciii. 1-6.

Obj. 3. But I cannot believe that I am come to Christ aright, because fometimes I am apt to question his very being and office to fave.

Thus to do is horrible; but mayit thou not/ judge amifs in this matter?

How can I judge amifs, when I judge as I feel?· Pour foul! Thou mayft judge amifs for all that. Why, faith the fianer, I think that thefe queftionings come from my heart.

Anf. Let me aufwer, That which comes from thy heart comes from thy will and affections, from thy understanding, judgment, and confcience, forthese must acquiefce in thy questioning, if thy queftioning be with thy heart. And how fayft. thou, (for to name no more) doft. thou with the affection and confcience thus question ?

Anf. No, my confcience trembles when fuch thoughts come into my mind; and my affections are otherwife inclined.c

Then I conclude, that these things are fuddenly injected by the devil, or elfe are the fruits of that body of fin and death that yet dwells within thee, or perhaps from both together.

If they come wholly from the devil, as they feem, because thy confcience and affections are against them, or if they come from that body of death that is in thee, (and be not thou curious in enquiring from whether of them they come; the fafest way is to lay enough' at thy own door) nothing of this should hinder thy coming, nor make thee conclude thou comest not aright.

And before I leave thee, let me a little query with thee about this matter.

*1ft; Doft thou like these wicked blafphemies ? Anf. No, no; their prefence and working kill

me.

2dly, Doft thou mourn for them, pray against them, and hate thy felf because of them?

Anf. Yes, yes; but that which afflicts me is, I do not prevail against them.

3dly, Doft thou fincerely choose (mightest thou have thy choice) that thy heart might be affected and taken with the things that are best, most heavenly, and holy?

Anf. With all my heart, and death the next hour, if it were God's will, rather than thus to fin against him..

Well then, thy not liking of them, thy mourning for them, thy praying against them, and thy loathing thy felf because of them, with thy fincere chooling of those thoughts for thy delectation that are heavenly and holy, clearly declare, that these things are not countenanced either with thy will, affections, understanding, judgment, or confcience; and fo, that thy heart is uot in them, but that rather they come immediately from the devil, or arife from the body of death that is in thy flesh, of which thou oughtest thus to fay, Now then it is no more I that doth it, but fin that dwells in me,' Rom. vii. 16, 17.