I. Scripture-light the most sure light ... delivered in three sermons on 2 Pet.…

Therefore if God be in Covenant with a man, he shall never lie under wrath again; for though the World sin, the World shall never be drowned again; and so, though he do sin he shall never lie under wrath again. Now as for the People of God, they are all in Covenant with God, they are under this gracious Covenant, and therefore though the Mountains may be removed, Gods Mercy shall never be removed from them; and though the great Hills may be thrown into the Sea, the People of God, once in Covenant with God, shall never be thrown into Hell: and tell me then, Have you that are the People of God, any just cause or reason to be cast down, or to be discouraged?

Therefore if God be in Covenant with a man, he shall never lie under wrath again; for though the World sin, the World shall never be drowned again; and so, though he do sin he shall never lie under wrath again. Now as for the People of God, they are all in Covenant with God, they are under this gracious Covenant, and therefore though the Mountains may be removed, Gods Mercy shal never be removed from them; and though the great Hills may be thrown into the Sea, the People of God, once in Covenant with God, shal never be thrown into Hell: and tell me then, Have you that are the People of God, any just cause or reason to be cast down, or to be discouraged?

Answ. 3 Thirdly, If the very sins of Gods People, through the over-ruling hand of Grace, shall be an occasion of more Grace and Comfort to them than ever they had in all their lives before; then surely they have no reason to be discouraged in this respect. Now mark it, and you shall find, That God doth never suffer his People ⟨p. 63⟩to fall into any sin, but he intends to make that sin an in-let unto further Grace and Comfort to them. This ye see in the first great Sin that ever was committed by the Children of Men, the Fall of Adam, the Lord himself came and preached the Gospel, preached Christ unto fallen Man; and surely when God himself preached the Gospel, we are to think the man was converted: Now the greatest Blessing that ever the World saw, was the Righteousness of Jesus Christ; but how came that about? God suffers man to fall, and mans Unrighteousness, must usher in Christs Righteousness. The Scripture tells us, that the Lord suffered Hezekiah to fall, that Hezekiah might know all that was in his heart; he did not know his own heart before, and therefore the Lord let him fall that he might know his own heart. But if you look into the Romans, Chap. 11. you shall find in so many words, what I am now speaking, verse 32. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief; Why? That he might have mercy upon all. O! what a blessed design upon Unbelief is here! Therefore God concludes all under Unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all: Sin gets not, but is a loser by every fall of the Godly. And if ye look into the Scripture, ye shall observe, That when the People of God fall, usually they fail in that Grace, wherein they do most excel; and wherein they did most excel, therein they did most miscarry. Abraham did most excel in Faith, and therein he did most miscarry: Moses did most excel in Meekness, and therein he did most miscarry; we read of no other sin concerning Moses, but his Anger: Job did most excel in Patience, and therein he did most miscarry: Peter did most excel in Zeal, and Resolution for Christ (Though all the World for sake thee, yet will not I) and therein he did most miscarry: denying Christ at the voice of a Damzel. I say ye shall observe this, That the Saints fell, and failed in that Grace wherein they did most excel; and they did most excel, wherein they did most miscarry: what's the Reason of this?