A sermon preached to the Honourable House of Commons at their late solemn fast,…A sermon preached to the Honourable House of Commons at their late solemne fast,…

2. Assertion. Gods Decree of Election, or his intention to save me, is not the proper object of my Faith, but rather of my sense and feeling: we go mightily beside the line, in the method of believing, when we go to believe at first Gods intention to save me: The order is, being humbled for sin, we are to adhere to the goodness of the promise, not to look to his intention to persons, but to his complacency and tenderness of heart to all humble sinners: So Paul, 1 Tim. 1. 15. embraceth by all means that good and faithful saying, Jesus Christ came to save sinners; before he put himself in as the first of these sinners, as the condemned man believeth first the Kings grace and clemency to all humbled supplicants, ⟨p. 29⟩who sueth for grace, before he believe grace to himself; and if this were not, the method of applying Christ were unreasonable. The woman diseased with the bloody issue, heard of Jesus, and therefore came and touched the hem of his garment: What had she heard? nothing of his exorable kindness and tender mercy towards her self, but towards others, and upon this believed; so a Rope is cast down in the Sea to a multitude of drowned men, and all are bidden, for their life, lay hold on the Rope, that they may be saved; it were unseasonable and foolish curiosity for any of these poor men, now upon death and life, commanded to hold fast the Rope, to dispute whether did the man, who cast down the Rope, intend and purpose to save me, or not, and while my mind be at a point in that, I will not put out one finger to touch the Rope: but fool, dispute with hands and arms, and lay hold on the remedy, and do not thou begin a plea with Christ, and leave that question to another time. A Prince proclaimeth a free market of gold, moneys, fine linen, rich garments, and all precious Jewels, to a number of poor men, upon a purpose to enrich some few men, whom of grace he purposeth to make honourable Courtiers and Officers of Estate; all these men are now not to dispute the Kings secret purpose, but to repair to the market, and to improve their Princes grace, and buy without money. Christ holdeth forth his Rope to drowned and lost sinners, and layeth out an open market of the rich treasures of heaven;

2. Assertion. Gods Decree of Election, or his intention to save me, is not the proper object of my Faith, but rather of my sense and feeling: wee goe mightily beside the line, in the method of beleeving, when we goe to beleeve at first Gods intention to save me: The order is, being humbled for sinne, wee are to adhere to the goodnesse of the promise, not to looke to his intention to persons, but to his complacencie and tendernesse of heart to all humble sinners: So Paul,