the Lord bless all the means that you enjoy, for his blessing is all in all. Give me leave to deal plainly, and to come yet a little closer to you, for I love your soul so well, that I cannot bear the thoughts of the loss of it. Know this, that there is such a thing as the New birth, and except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; Gods favour is not to be recovered without it. This New birth hath its Foundation laid in a sense of sin, and a godly sorrow for it, and a heart set against it; without this there can be no Salvation. Look well about you, and see into your self, and thou wilt see that thou art at Hells mouth without this first step, and nothing but Free Grace, ⟨p. 20⟩and pure Mercy is between you and the state of the Devils. The Lord deliver us from a secure careless heart! Here you see a natural mans condition; How darest thou then lye down in security? O look about for your Souls sake. What shall I say, what shall I do to awaken your poor Soul! I say again, without repentance there is no remission; and repentance it self may lose its labour if it be not in the right manner. Then tears, and groans, and prayers will not do without Christ; most when they are convinced of sin, and are under fears of Hell, run to duty, and reform something; and thus the wound is healed, and by this thousands fall short of Heaven. For if we be not brought off from our selves, and our righteousness, as well as our sins, we are never like to be saved. We must see an absolute need of a Christ, and give our selves up to him, and count all but dung and dross in comparison of Christs righteousness. Look therefore for mercy only in Christ, for his sake rely upon Gods mercy. The terms of the Gospel are repent and believe, gracious terms! Mercy for fetching, nay mercy for desiring, nay for nothing but receiving. Dost thou desire mercy and grace, I know thou dost; even this is the gift of God to desire, hunger after Christ; let desires put you upon endeavour, the work it self is sweet; yea, repentance and mourning it self hath more sweetness in it, than all the Worlds comforts. Upon repentance and believing comes Justification, after this Sanctification, by the Spirit dwelling in us. By this we come to be the Children of God, to ⟨p. 21⟩be made partakers of the Divine Nature, to lead new lives, to have a suitableness to God.
the Lord bless all the means that you enjoy, for his blessing is all in all. Give me leave to deal plainly, and to come yet a little closer to you, for I love your soul so well, that I cannot bear the thoughts of the loss of it. Know this, that there is such a thing as the New birth, and except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; Gods favour is not to be recovered without it. This New birth hath its Foundation laid in a sense of sin, and a godly sorrow for it, and a heart set against it; without this there can be no Salvation. Look well about you, and see into your self, and thou wilt see that thou art at Hells mouth without this first step, and nothing but Free Grace, ⟨p. 20⟩and pure Mercy is between you and the state of the Devils. The Lord deliver us from a secure careless heart! Here you see a natural mans condition; How darest thou then lye down in security? O look about for your Souls sake. What shall I say, what shall I do to awaken your poor Soul! I say again, without repentance there is no remission; and repentance it self may lose its labour if it be not in the right manner. Then tears, and groans, and prayers will not do without Christ; most when they are convinced of sin, and are under fears of Hell, run to duty, and reform something; and thus the wound is healed, and by this thousands fall short of Heaven. For if we be not brought off from our selves, and our righteousness, as well as our sins, we are never like to be saved. We must see an absolute need of a Christ, and give our selves up to him, and count all but dung and dross in comparison of Christs righteousness. Look therefore for mercy only in Christ, for his sake relye upon Gods mercy. The terms of the Gospel are repent and believe, gracious terms! Mercy for fetching, nay mercy for desiring, nay for nothing but receiving. Dost thou desire mercy and grace, I know thou dost; even this is the gift of God to desire, hunger after Christ; let desires put you upon endeavour, the work it self is sweet; yea, repentance and mourning it self hath more sweetness in it, than all the Worlds comforts. Vpon repentance and believing comes Justification, after this Sanctification, by the Spirit dwelling in us. By this we come to be the Children of God, to ⟨p. 21⟩be made partakers of the Divine Nature, to lead new lives, to have a suitableness to God.
