The saints everlasting rest

That before his ascension he gave charge to his apostles to preach the gospel to all nations and persons, and to offer Christ, and mercy, and life, to every one without exception, and to entreat and persuade them to receive him, and that he gave them authority to send forth others on the same message, and to baptize, and to gather churches, and confirm, and order them, and settle a course for the succession of ministers and ordinances to the end of the world. 15. That he also gave them power to work frequent and evident miracles for the confirmation of their doctrine; and to annex their ⟨p. 260⟩writings to the rest of the scriptures, and so to finish and seal them up, and deliver them to the world as his infallible word, which none must dare to alter, and which all must observe. 16. That for all his free grace is offered to the world, yet the heart is by nature so desperately wicked, that no man will believe and entertain Christ sincerely, except by an almighty power he be changed and born again; and therefore doth Christ send forth his spirit with his word, which worketh holiness in our hearts, drawing us to GOD and the Redeemer. 17. That the means by which Christ worketh and preserveth this grace, is the word read and preached, together with frequent fervent prayer, meditation, sacraments, and gracious conference; and it is much furthered also by special providences keeping us from temptation; sitting occurrences to our advantage, drawing us by mercies, and driving us by afflictions; and therefore it must be the great and daily care of every christian to use faithfully all the ordinances, and improve all providences. 18. That though the new law or covenant be an easy yoke, and there is nothing grievous in Christ's commands, yet so bad are our hearts, and so strong our temptations, and so diligent our enemies, that whosoever will be saved, must strive, and watch, and bestow his utmost care and pains, and deny his flesh, and forsake all that would draw him from Christ, and herein continue to the end, and overcome: and because this cannot be done without continual supplies of grace, whereof Christ is the only fountain, therefore we must live in continual dependence on him by faith, and know that our life is hid with God in him. 19.

That before his ascension he gave charge to his apostles to preach the gospel to all nations and persons, and to offer Christ, and mercy, and life, to every one without exception, and to entreat and persuade them to receive him, and that he gave them authority to send forth others on the same message, and to baptize, and to gather churches, and confirm, and order them, and settle a course for the succession of ministers and ordinances to the end of the world. 15. That he also gave them power to work frequent and evident miracles for the confirmation of their doctrine; and to annex their