Some select cases resolved. Specially, tending to the right ordering of the heart, that…

Now reflect upon this act, and see if you may not find some conditional promise annexed unto it; which surely you may, and I will name you but two, Isa. 40.29, 30, 31; and Isa. 64.4. And if the conditional promise belongs to such a Soul, you may easily conclude the absolute promises are your own: and the chiefest use you are to make of them when you know them that they are your own, is to press God to make them good daily to you; and to believe as verily and really, as if you had the performance of them, that they shall. It may be you will ask me, How shall I know whether I have these conditions truly in me? I answer, sincerity is a very witnessing grace; the frequent meditation of the Scripture will give you much light, to judge of the sincerity of them, and that which Saint Paul speaks, 1. Cor. 2.12, I say unto you, We have not received the spirit of the World, but of God, whereby we know, (or may know) the things that are freely given to us of God.

3. If he be out of the covenant, but yet God begins to work with some common work of his grace upon him; all that I would say to him, and all the use he can make of such absolute promises, consists in these things;

1. Let him consider the Freeness of God's promise, whereby he may be stirred up to conceive some hope it may be made good to him in ⟨p. 38⟩time. For the promise is very free and large, excluding none (except those that sin unpardonably) be their sins and natures never so vile before God; and yet not including any by name, for that is in the conditional promise: And hence such an one is to make this use of it; Who knows but the Lord may have pity upon me in time? and so hang thy hope upon him.