The true doctrine of justification asserted and vindicated, from the errors of Papists, Arminians,…The true doctrine of justification asserted and vindicated, from the errours of Papists, Arminians,…

And if a believer enter into this consideration, how will it overwhelm him! So often as God hath preserved thee from such and such sins, which thy own heart, or temptations would have inclined thee to, God hath virtually given thee so many pardons. That God preserved David from killing Nabal and his Family, here was interpretatively as great mercy, as in the express forgiving of the murder of Uriah. It is a rule of Divines, Plures sunt gratiae privativae, quàm positivae. There are more preventing graces then positive. The keeping of evils from us, is more then the good he bestoweth on us. Therefore Austin observed well, that as Paul said, By the grace of God I am what I am: So he might also have said, By the grace of God I am not what I am not. Though therefore we are not so sensible of preventing mercies, as of positive, yet a due and right consideration of Gods love in this matter might much inflame our hearts: Say therefore, O Lord, I bless thee, not only for the pardon of those sins I have committed, but also for thy goodness in preserving me from those many thousands, I was prone to fall into, which is in effect, the pardon of so many.

And if a believer enter into this consideration, how will it overwhelm him! So often as God hath preserved thee from such and such sins, which thy own heart, or temptations would have inclined thee to, God hath virtually given thee so many pardons. That God preserved David from killing Nabal and his Family, here was interpretatively as great mercy, as in the expresse forgiving of the murder of Ʋriah. It is a rule of Divines, Plures sunt gratiae privativae, quàm positivae. There are more preventing graces then positive. The keeping of evils from us, is more then the good he bestoweth on us. Therefore Austin observed well, that as Paul said, By the grace of God I am what I am: So he might also have said, By the grace of God I am not what I am not. Though therefore we are not so sensible of preventing mercies, as of positive, yet a due and right consideration of Gods love in this matter might much inflame our hearts: Say therefore, O Lord, I blesse thee, not onely for the pardon of those sins I have committed, but also for thy goodnesse in preserving me from those many thousands, I was prone to fall into, which is in effect, the pardon of so many.