England saved with a notwithstandingEngland saved vvith a notwithstanding

Quest. But suppose it be so, That the Lord hath saved us with a Notwithstanding, for his own Names sake, out of his mercy, and free love: What is our Duty that doth flow from hence?

Quest. But suppose it be so, That the Lord hath saved us with a Notwithstanding, for his owne Names sake, out of his mercy, and free love: What is our Duty that doth flow from hence?

Duty. 1 First, if the Lord doth save us with a Notwithstanding, for his own Names sake, out of mere grace; Then, what mighty engagements are upon us all, to become gracious; to repent of, and turn from our former sins, notwithstanding which he hath saved us. An ungracious heart may possibly mourn for Sin that it may be pardoned; but an ingenuous, gracious heart, will mourn for sin because it is pardoned. Yea, and the more he apprehends that his Sin is pardoned, the more he will, and doth mourn for it.

Duty. 1 First, if the Lord doth save us with a Notwithstanding, for his owne Names sake, out of meere grace; Then, what mighty ingagements are upon us all, to become gracious; to repent of, and turne from our former sins, nothwithstanding which he hath saved us. An ungracious heart may possibly mourn for Sin that it may be pardon'd; but an ingenuous, gracious heart, wil mourn for sin because it is pardoned. Yea, and the more he apprehends that his Sin is pardoned, the more he will, and doth mourn for it.

We read of David, that he had sinned greatly, and he lay long ⟨p. 9⟩therein without testimony of repentance; at the last, he breaks out into a Penitential Psalm, the 51. Psal. and there he melts, and breaks all to pieces in Repentance. When was that Psalm made? the Title tells us, A Psalm of David — when Nathan the Prophet came unto him, that is, after Nathan the Prophet had come. And what did Nathan say to him, but thy Sin is forgiven thee? whereupon he did melt into that Repentance. So now, when a person doth truly consider, how many Notwithstandings the Lord doth carry his Conversion through, then he doth melt indeed, if there be ingenuity in him. Oh! (says he) I was a poor, Ignorant man, a Drunkard, a Swearer, an Opposer, and a Jeerer at goodness, and good men; yet the Lord saved me, showed mercy to me Notwithstanding all this: and therefore, what infinite cause have I to be humbled for Sin committed? here he breaks, and melts. And if ye look into the 9. of Ezra, ye shall find, that nothing did so melt, and break his heart as this, That the people sinned against the free love of God. ver. 6. O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: For now for a little space grace hath been showed from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place. ver. 10. And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments. ver. 13. And after all that is come upon us, for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less then our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this: Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? O Lord our God, thou art righteous, for we remain yet escaped: behold we are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee, because of this. So say I, Hath the Lord showed mercy to us with a Notwithstanding all our Sins? and shall we sin against him Notwithstanding all his Mercies? how shall we stand before him because of this? Surely, the latter end will be sad, and smart. Ye read of the children of Israel's unbelief, and that therefore they fell, and died in the Wilderness: They had sinned greatly in Unbelief on the other side the water, before they came through the Red sea, but God pardoned that: