3. Let me next therefore entreat you to take the Comfort of your Probabilities of Grace and Salvation. Your horse or dog knoweth not how you will use them Certainly; yet will they lovingly follow you, and put their heads to your hand, and trust you with their lives without fear, and love to be in your company; because they have found you kind to them, and have tried that you do them no hurt, but good: yea though you do strike them sometimes, yet they find that they have their food from you, and your favour doth sustain them. Yea your little children have no Certainty how you will use them; and yet finding that you have always used them kindly, and expressed Love to them, though you whip them sometimes, yet are glad of your company, and desire to be in your lap, and can trust themselves in your hands, without tormenting themselves with such doubts as these, I am uncertain how my mother will use me, whether she will wound me, or kill me, or turn me out of doors and let me perish. Nature persuades us not to be too distrustful of those that have always befriended us, and especially whose Nature is Merciful and Compassionate: Nor to be too suspicious of evil from them that have always done us good: Every man knows ⟨p. 176⟩that the Good will do good, and the Evil will do evil: and accordingly we expect that they should do to us. Naturally we all fear a Toad, a Serpent, an Adder, a mad Dog, a wicked Man, a mad Man, a cruel blood thirsty Tyrant, and the Devil: But no one fears a Dove, a Lamb, a good Man, a merciful compassionate Governor, except only the Rebels or notorious offenders that know he is bound in justice to destroy or punish them. And none should fear distrustfully the wrath of a gracious God, but they who Will not submit to his Mercy, and Will not have Christ to reign over them, and therefore may know that he is bound in Justice, if they come not in, to destroy them. But for you that would be Obedient and Reformed, and are troubled that you are no better, and beg of God to make you better, and have no sin, but what you would be glad to be rid of, may not you, at least, see a strong Probability that it shall go well with you? O make use therefore of this Probability: and if you have but Hopes that God will do you good, rejoice in those Hopes, till you can come to rejoice in Assurance.
3. Let me next therefore intreat you to take the Comfort of your Probabilities of Grace and Salvation. Your horse or dog knoweth not how you will use them Certainly; yet will they lovingly follow you, and put their heads to your hand, and trust you with their lives without fear, and love to be in your company; because they have found you kinde to them, and have tried that you do them no hurt, but good: yea though you do strike them sometimes, yet they finde that they have their food from you, and your favour doth sustain them. Yea your little children have no Certainty how you will use them; and yet finding that you have alwaies used them kindly, and expressed Love to them, though you whip them sometimes, yet are glad of your company, and desire to be in your lap, and can trust themselves in your hands, without tormenting themselves with such doubts as these, I am uncertain how my mother will use me, whether she will wound me, or kill me, or turn me out of doors and let me perish. Nature perswades us not to be too distrustfull of those that have alwaies befriended us, and especially whose Nature is Mercifull and Compassionate: Nor to be too suspitious of evil from them that have alwaies done us good: Every man knows ⟨p. 176⟩that the Good will do good, and the Evil will do evil: and accordingly we expect that they should do to us. Naturally we all fear a Toad, a Serpent, an Adder, a mad Dog, a wicked Man, a mad Man, a cruel blood thirsty Tyrant, and the Devil: But no one fears a Dove, a Lamb, a good Man, a mercifull compassionate Governour, except only the Rebels or notorious offenders that know he is bound in justice to destroy or punish them. And none should fear distrustfully the wrath of a gracious God, but they who Will not submit to his Mercy, and Will not have Christ to reign over them, and therefore may know that he is bound in Justice, if they come not in, to destroy them. But for you that would be Obedient and Reformed, and are troubled that you are no better, and beg of God to make you better, and have no sin, but what you would be glad to be rid of, may not you, at least, see a strong Probability that it shall go well with you? O make use therefore of this Probability: and if you have but Hopes that God will do you good, rejoice in those Hopes, till you can come to rejoyce in Assurance.
