Discourses on various important subjects, nearly concerning the great affair of the soul's eternal…

And whatever Minister has the like Occasion to deal ⟨p. 28⟩with Souls, in a Flock under such Circumstances as this was in the last Year, I can't but think he will soon find himself under a Necessity, greatly to insist upon it with them, that God is under no manner of Obligation to show Mercy to any natural Man, whose Heart is not turned to God: and that a Man can challenge nothing, either in absolute Justice, or by free Promise, from any Thing he does before he has believed on Jesus Christ, or has true Repentance begun in him. It appears to me, that if I had taught those that came to me under Trouble, any other Doctrine, I should have taken a most direct Course utterly to have undone them; I should have directly crossed what was plainly the Drift of the Spirit of God in his Influence upon them; for if they had believed what I said, it would either have promoted Self-flattery and Carelessness, and so put an End to their Awakenings; or cherished and established their Contention and Strife with God, concerning his Dealings with them and others, and blocked up their Way to that Humiliation before the Sovereign Disposer of Life and Death, whereby God is wont to prepare them for his Consolations. And yet those that have been under Awakenings, have oftentimes plainly stood in need of being encouraged, by being told of the infinite and all-sufficient Mercy of God in Christ; and that 'tis God's Manner to succeed Diligence, and to bless his own Means, that so Awakenings and Encouragements, Fear and Hope may be duly mixed, and proportioned to preserve their Minds in a just Medium between the two Extremes of Self-flattery and Despondence, both which tend to Slackness, and Negligence, and in the End to Security. I think I have found that no Discourses have been more remarkably blessed, than those in which the Doctrine of God's absolute Sovereignty with Regard to the Salvation of Sinners, and his just Liberty, with Regard to his answering the Prayers, or succeeding the Pains of natural Men, continuing such, have been insisted on. I never found so much immediate saving Fruit, in any Measure, of any Discourses I have offered to my Congregation, as some from those Words, Rom. 3. 19. That every Mouth may ⟨p. 29⟩be stopped; endeavouring to show from thence, that it would be just with God for ever to reject and cast off mere natural […].