The blessedness of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /The blessednesse of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /

But why yet shouldst thou imagine so sad an issue as that after thine utmost endeavours▪ ⟨p. 285⟩grace should be with-held, and leave thee to perish; because God hath not bound himself by promise to thee? what promise have the Ravens to be heard when they cry? But thou art a sinner. True, otherwise thou wert not without promise; the promises of the first Covenant would, at least, belong to thee. Yet experience tells the world his unpromised mercies freely flow every where; The whole earth is full of his goodness; yea, but his special grace is conveyed by promise only; and that only through Christ; and how can it be communicated [through him] to any but those that are in him? What then is the first inbeing in Christ no special grace? or is there any being in him before the first, that should be the ground of that gracious communication? things are plain enough, if we make them not intricate, or entangle our selves by foolish subtleties. God promises sinners indefinitely pardon, and eternal life for the sake of Christ, on condition that they believe on him. He gives of his good pleasure that grace whereby he draws any to Christ, without promise directly made to them, whether absolute, or conditional; though he give it for the sake of Christ also. His discovery of his purpose to give such grace to some▪ indefinitely, amounts not to a promise claimable by any, for if it be said to be an absolute promise, to particular persons, who are they? whose duty is it to believe it made to him? If conditional, what are the conditions upon which the first grace is certainly promised? who can be able to assign them?

But why yet should'st thou imagine so sad an issue as that after thine utmost endeavours▪ ⟨p. 285⟩grace should be with-held, and leave thee to perish; because God hath not bound himself by promise to thee? what promise have the Ravens to be heard when they cry? But thou art a sinner. True, otherwise thou wert not without promise; the promises of the first Covenant would, at least, belong to thee. Yet experience tells the world his unpromised mercies freely flow every where; The whole earth is full of his goodness; yea, but his special grace is convey'd by promise onely; and that onely through Christ; and how can it be communicated [thrugh him] to any but those that are in him? What then is the first inbeing in Christ no special grace? or is there any being in him before the first, that should be the ground of that gracius communication? things are plain enough, if we make them not intricate, or intangle our selves by foolish subtilties. God promises sinners indefinitely pardon, and eternal life for the sake of Christ, on condition that they believe on him. He gives of his good pleasure that grace whereby he draws any to Christ, without promise directly made to them, whether absolute, or conditional; though he give it for the sake of Christ also. His discovery of his purpose to give such grace to some indifinitely, amounts not to a promise claimable by any, for if it be said to be an absolute promise, to particular persons, who are they? whose duty is it to believe it made to him? If conditional, what are the conditions upon which the first grace is certainly promised? who can be able to assign them?