Christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest

RULE. VI.

Sixthly, Take heed of all kind of discouragements and hinderances in your coming to Christ, but then take heed especially of all determinations, take heed of ensnaring your Souls by determining against your selves, as saying, surely the Lord will never show mercy to me, the time is past, the Lord hath forsaken me, I have used so much means so long time, and God is not yet come to me, No, The Lord never intends good to me, Oh! Take heed of these determinations, for they are sinful, wherever they are, there can be no just cause in thy Heart, be it as vile as it will, for such determinations as these are: and know, when thou givest way to such determinations as these, thou dost but ensnare and fetter thy Legs by this, and then thou sayest, thou canst not come to Christ; Christ calls to thee, and thou art infettered with thy own thoughts, for so, one may lay fetters upon ones own Legs, by ones own thoughts, to hinder this spiritual coming to Christ. As if a man should tie fetters about his Legs, and say, when he is called to come to such a place, I cannot come. Do not sit down and say, I shall never have Mercy, and I am one that belongs not to the election of Grace, and I shall never come to ⟨p. 150⟩Christ, take off such thoughts when thou art about coming to Jesus Christ.

Sixthly, Take heed of all kind of discouragements and hinderances in your coming to Christ, but then take heed especially of all determinations, take heed of insnaring your Souls by determining against your selves, as saying, surely the Lord will never shew mercy to me, the time is past, the Lord hath forsaken me, I have used so much meanes so long time, and God is not yet come to me, No, The Lord never intends good to me, Oh! Take heed of these determinations, for they are sinful, wherever they are, there can be no just cause in thy Heart, be it as vile as it will, for such determinations as these are: and know, when thou givest way to such determinations as these, thou dost but insnare and fetter thy Legs by this, and then thou sayest, thou canst not come to Christ; Christ calls to thee, and thou art infettered with thy own thoughts, for so, one may lay fetters upon ones own Legs, by ones own thoughts, to hinder this spiritual coming to Christ. As if a man should tie fetters about his Legs, and say, when he is called to come to such a place, I cannot come. Do not sit down and say, I shall never have Mercy, and I am one that belongs not to the election of Grace, and I shall never come to