The law unsealed

3. We may instance the breach of this Commandment in what is opposite to Hope; namely, Desperation and Presumption, or vain Confidence; and because every Grace has many opposite Vices, ye may see it is the easier to fail in obedience to this Commandment: Desperation wrongeth many Graces; it is twofold, either total from want of Faith, or partial from weakness of Faith: There is also a Desperation and Diffidence that is good, Eccles. 2. 20. which is when we despair in our selves, or from any thing in our selves or in the World to attain happiness, or what is promised; that holy Self-despair is good, but that is not it which is meant here, for it is not absolute despairing, but such as hath still a reservation with it. If he help me not, which implieth hope. Presumption runneth on the other extreme, looking for what is promised, without taking Gods way to attain it, and it differeth from native and true Confidence, which with peace and boldness resteth on his Word, and in his way expecteth the thing promised; the fault of Presumption is not that it accounteth Gods mercy too great, or expecteth too much from him, but that it accounteth him to have no Justice, nor hath it respect to his Holiness and Greatness; even as Desperation faileth not in attributing to him too much Justice, but in making it inconsistent with his Mercy and Promises, and extending sin, wants, and unworthiness beyond his mercy and help, as Judas and Cain did▪

3. We may instance the breach of this Commandment in what is opposite to Hope; namely, Desperation and Presumption, or vain Confidence; and because every Grace has many opposite Vices, ye may see it is the easier to fail in obedience to this Commandment: Desperation wrongeth many Graces; it is twofold, either total from want of Faith, or partial from weakness of Faith: There is also a Desperation and Diffidence that is good, Eccles. 2. 20. which is when we despair in our selves, or from any thing in our selves or in the World to attain happiness, or what is promised; that holy Self-despair is good, but that is not it which is meaned here, for it is not absolute despairing, but such as hath still a reservation with it. If he help me not, which implieth hope. Presumption runneth on the other extreme, looking for what is promised, without taking Gods way to attain it, and it differeth from native and true Confidence, which with peace and boldness resteth on his Word, and in his way expecteth the thing promised; the fault of Presumption is not that it accounteth Gods mercy too great, or expecteth too much from him, but that it accounteth him to have no Justice, nor hath it respect to his Holiness and Greatness; even as Desperation faileth not in attributing to him too much Justice, but in making it inconsistent with his Mercy and Promises, and extending sin, wants, and unworthiness beyond his mercy and help, as Judas and Cain did