1. Because all those that do thoroughly believe this, will immediately venture themselves upon Christ: as there is no persuading of men before to come to Christ, so there can be no keeping of them from Christ after they are convinced of this: the assurance of the truth of the Gospel is ever accompanied with a powerful operation of it upon the heart, • Thess 1.5. God teacheth men the truth of the Gospel, and thereby prevails with them to come to Christ: in that way it is the Father puts forth his drawing power, Joh. 6.44, 45. the Gospel always works effectually where it is believed and received as the truth of God, 1 Thess. 2.13. God carries on all his works upon the hearts of his Elect in a way of conviction: the devils way of working is by blinding of man, by prejudice and false reasons: but Gods way of working is by teaching of men; thus God carries on preparatory work, and thus he carries on saving work: God deals with men as with rational creatures, and prevails upon their hearts in a way suitable to those natures; though he put forth acts of power yet not of violence on the Will: but he gains the consent of that by the discovering of those reasons that are of sufficient weight to sway it; indeed the understanding and will in man being faculties of the same soul and really one and the same thing, the same act of God upon the Soul that puts light into the understanding, does also suitably incline the will: God works all holy inclinations in the will by convincing us, and making us believe those truths that are the grounds of them: we believe and love, believe and repent, believe and fear, believe and submit, believe and so venture on Christ: God convinces us of the truth of the Gospel, and that there is sufficient righteousness for us in Christ, and so ⟨p. 7⟩we come to him, John 16.10. and therefore all those that are assured of the truth of the Gospel, do close with Christ and are regenerated: and this leads us to the interpretation of several passages of Scripture: where such Men as assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel are said to be in a good condition, Rom. 10.9. If shou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe with thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: 1 Joh. 4.15. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he is in God: 1 Joh. 5.1.
1. Because all those that do thorowly believe this, will immediately venture themselves upon Christ: as there is no perswading of men before to come to Christ, so there can be no keeping of them from Christ after they are convinced of this: the assurance of the truth of the Gospel is ever accompanied with a powerful operation of it upon the heart, • Thess 1.5. God teacheth men the truth of the Gospel, and thereby prevails with them to come to Christ: in that way it is the Father puts forth his drawing power, Joh. 6.44, 45. the Gospel alwayes works effectually where it is believed and received as the truth of God, 1 Thess. 2.13. God carries on all his works upon the hearts of his Elect in a way of conviction: the devils way of working is by blinding of man, by prejudice and false reasons: but Gods way of working is by teaching of men; thus God carries on preparatory work, and thus he carries on saving work: God deals with men as with rational creatures, and prevails upon their hearts in a way suitable to those natures; though he put forth acts of power yet not of violence on the Will: but he gains the consent of that by the discovering of those reasons that are of sufficient weight to sway it; indeed the understanding and will in man being faculties of the same soul and really one and the same thing, the same act of God upon the Soul that puts light into the understanding, does also suitably incline the will: God works all holy inclinations in the will by convincing us, and making us believe those truths that are the grounds of them: we believe and love, believe and repent, believe and fear, believe and submit, believe and so venture on Christ: God convinces us of the truth of the Gospel, and that there is sufficient righteousness for us in Christ, and so ⟨p. 7⟩we come to him, John 16.10. and therefore all those that are assured of the truth of the Gospel, do close with Christ and are regenerated: and this leads us to the interpretation of several passages of Scripture: where such Men as assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel are said to be in a good condition, Rom. 10.9. If shou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe with thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: 1 Joh. 4.15. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he is in God:
