Christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest

Answ. To that I answer, We have in the Gospel, absolute promises, as well as conditional promises: there is some promises that depend upon no condition at all but only believing, as that promise where the Lord saith, I will take away the heart of stone and give a heart of flesh, what condition is there? does God say, that if you first repent, and perform such and such duties that I require of you, then I will take away your ⟨p. 275⟩heart of stone? No that is an absolute promise. And so likewise that promise▪ I will put my fear into your heart, that you shall not depart from me: God doth not make this promise with condition. You will say, Why then hath not all their stony hearts been taken from them because the promise is absolute? I answer, it is absolute from any precedent condition, but yet God would have us come to the promise, and close with the promises and cast our souls upon it, he does not promise to do such and such things upon condition, that if you will do such and such things before, then I will do this and that for you: no, but only this, do you cast your soul upon the promise and depend upon it: and when thy soul is at a loss in regard of conditional promises, when thy heart misgives thee, and tells thee, that thou hast not performed the condition of such & such promises, & that therefore they do not belong to thee and thou canst not for the present have comfort in the conditional promises, then make use of absolute promises, and cast thy soul upon them, and they will bring in the conditional promises; and know this, that all conditional promises depend upon absolute promises in the Gospel: and as when thou canst not make use of conditional promises thou mayest go to absolute promises; so when thou makest use of absolute promises, thou shalt be enabled to do what is required of thee in conditional promises. And here is the difference between the Law and the Gospel; the Law requires, and doth not give strength to enable to do what it requires, but the Gospel requires, and gives strength to perform what it requires.

Answ. To that I answer, We have in the Gospel, absolute promises, as wel as conditional promises: there is some promises that depend upon no condition at al but only beleeving, as that promise where the Lord saith, I wil take away the heart of stone and give a heart of flesh, what condition is there? does God say, that if you first repent, and performe such and such duties that I require of you, then I wil take away your