But suppose the worst, that you see no Grace in your self: yet you cannot be sure you have none: For it may be there, and you not see it. Yea suppose the worst, that you were sure that you had no true▪ Grace at all, yet remember that you have still abundant cause of Comfort in Gods General Grace. Do you think you must needs Despair, or ⟨p. 495⟩give up all Hope and Comfort, or conclude your self irrecoverably lost, because you are Graceless? why be it known to you there is that ground of Consolation in general Grace that may make the hearts of the very wicked to leap for joy. Do I need to prove that to you? You know that the Gospel is called Glad tidings of salvation, and the Preachers of it are to tell those to whom they preach it. Behold we bring you tidings of great Joy, and glad tidings to all People. And you know before the Gospel comes to men they are miserable. If then it be glad tidings and tidings of great joy to all the unconverted where it comes, why should it not be so to you? and where is your great joy? If you be Graceless, is it nothing to know that God is exceeding merciful, slow to anger, ready to forgive, pardoning iniquity, transgression and sin? loving mankind? Is it nothing to know that the Lord hath brought Infinite Mercy and Goodness down into humane flesh? and hath taken on him the most blessed office of Reconciling, and is become the Lamb of God? Is it nothing to you, that all your sins have a sufficient Sacrifice paid for them, so that you are certain not to perish for want of a Ransom? Is it nothing to you, that God hath made such an universal Grant of Pardon and Salvation to all that will Believe: and ⟨p. 496⟩that you are not on the terms of the mere Law of Works, to be judged for not obeying in perfection? Suppose you are never so certainly Graceless, is it not a Ground of unspeakable Comfort, that you may be certain that nothing can condemn you, but a flat refusal or unwillingness to have Christ and his Salvation. This is a certain truth, which may comfort a man as yet unsanctified, that sin merely as sin shall not Condemn him; nor any thing in the World, but the final obstinate Refusal of the Remedy, which thereby leaveth all other sin unpardoned.
But suppose the worst, that you see no Grace in your self: yet you cannot be sure you have none: For it may be there, and you not see it. Yea suppose the worst, that you were sure that you had no true▪ Grace at all, yet remember that you have still abundant cause of Comfort in Gods General Grace. Do you think you must needs Despair, or ⟨p. 495⟩give up all Hope and Comfort, or conclude your self irrecoverably lost, because you are Graceless? why be it known to you there is that ground of Consolation in general Grace that may make the hearts of the very wicked to leap for joy. Do I need to prove that to you? You know that the Gospel is called Glad tidings of salvation, and the Preachers of it are to tell those to whom they preach it. Behold we bring you tidings of great Joy, and glad tidings to all People. And you know before the Gospel comes to men they are miserable. If then it be glad tidings and tidings of great joy to all the unconverted where it comes, why should it not be so to you? and where is your great joy? If you be Graceless, is it nothing to know that God is exceeding merciful, slow to anger, ready to forgive, pardoning iniquity, transgression and sin? loving mankinde? Is it nothing to know that the Lord hath brought Infinite Mercy and Goodness down into humane flesh? and hath taken on him the most blessed office of Reconciling, and is become the Lamb of God? Is it nothing to you, that all your sins have a sufficient Sacrifice paid for them, so that you are certain not to perish for want of a Ransom? Is it nothing to you, that God hath made such an universal Grant of Pardon and Salvation to all that will Believe: and ⟨p. 496⟩that you are not on the terms of the meer Law of Works, to be judged for not obeying in perfection? Suppose you are never so certainly Graceless, is it not a Ground of unspeakable Comfort, that you may be certain that nothing can condemn you, but a flat refusal or unwillingness to have Christ and his Salvation. This is a certain truth, which may comfort a man as yet unsanctified, that sin meerly as sin shall not Condemn him; nor any thing in the World, but the final obstinate Refusal of the Remedy, which thereby leaveth all other sin unpardoned.
