comes from heaven to call thee he dies for thee he sends messengers to invite thee he hath washed as filthy wretches as thou art If he hath not yet he can he never shewed the utmost of his free-grace he hath as much reason to save thee as ever he had to save any of his Saints for themselves He never took penny-worth of merit with any He shall have the more glory by how much thou art more unworthy Free-grace shall more shew it self Thou if once forgiven wilt love him the more Other great sinners will be ready to trust in him from thy example Come now turn beleeve eschew evill do good Though your sins were as scarlet they shall be as snow Though as crimson they shall be white as wooll SERM. V. LUKE 17. 5. Lord increase our Faith I Am come now to Sathans last block that he ordinarily layes for the beleever to stumble upon in the way of beleeving when he cannot perswade them to despair of their interest in Gods hidden decree nor yet in regard of the hardnesse of their own heart nor yet in respect of their unworthinesse But the poor soul looks above all these to the Lord Jesus Christ then he shoots his last arrow by suggesting to the foul such thoughts as these But what if I have sinned against the Holy-ghost That generall rule Mat. 12. 31. All sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven hath a particular exception But whosoever blaspemes the Holy-ghost shall never be forgiven And if I be within that I have nothing to do with the generall promise Now Sathan having here to do with a poor credulous soul that is far easier to beleeve evill then any good of it self hath the fuller blow at it and followes on while the iron is hot he knows if he can but juggle the soul into this perswasion beleeving is at an end And as there are very many whom he either first or last batters with this engine of death so in regard of the weaknesse and ignorance of the most of Christians especially in the beginning of their conversion there are not a few that are wounded with this dart and will hardly be beaten out of that groundlesse conceit that they have really and indeed sinned that unpardonable sin against the Holy-ghost which occasions possibly many a dayes sadnesse and dejection groundlessely Now in regard that this temptation is entertained ordinarily through a defect of knowledge and understanding of what ingredients that compounded wickednesse is made off I shall in speaking to the satisfaction of a poor soul under this complaint Speak something concerning the nature of that sin which if once truely understood will be enough of it self to let such poor souls see how groundlessely they have yielded to that temptation of Sathan Cap. 5. How to satisfie a poor soul that conceives that it hath sinned the sin against the Holy-ghost and therefore ought not may not beleeve ALas saith a poor Christian Why do you tell me of beleeving The Complainant I know sir there is a fulnesse and freenesse of mercy in Iesus Christ for poor sinners yea though their sins have been many and great But I am sure the sin against the Holy-ghost shall never be forgiven and I and confident that very sin have I committed I have sinned against light and knowledge I have had blasphemous thoughts and have in heart denied Christ and been tempted to deny the truth of Iesus Christ c. Now to the satisfaction of a poor soul under this perplexity of spirit let me speak something First By way of premise Secondly By way of consideration First By way of Premise It is a truth that there is such a sin may be committed as is the sin against the Holy-ghost and being committed it is unpardonable That such a sin there is is plain from severall places of Scripture Mat. 12. 31. Mat. 12. 31. But the blasphemy against the Holy-ghost shall never be forgiven men Mark and Luke both make mention of the same passage of truth from our Saviours mouth Mar. 3. 28. Mar. 3. 28. Lu. 12. 10. The Apostle Iohn makes also mention of it Lu. 12. 10. 1 Ioh. 5. 16. There is a sin to the death 1 Ioh. 5. 16. And the Apostle to the Hebrews in two Chapters makes a more full and specifical discovery Heb. 6. 4 5 6. and 10. 26 27. Heb. 6. 4 5 6 7. and 10. 26 27. It is called the sin against the Holy ghost not that it is onely against the third person in the Trinity Vsher who is the Holy-spirit Vrsia for the sin is against the whole Trinity Pareus the three persons making but one divine Essence but because it is a direct opposition and resistance of the light of knowledge with which the Holy-ghost hath enlightned the heart of him that hath committed it 〈◊〉 Trinitatis ad extra lunt indivisa for although the work of enlightning be a work of the God-head without it self and so a work of all the three persons jointly according to the known rule of Divinity yet it is a worke which in the order of working is ordinarily attributed to the third person in Trinity There is such a sin called by Christ Blasphemy against the Holy-ghost he being that Person whose office it is in the order of the God-heads working to enlighten the mindes with knowledge of the truth Eph. 1. 17 18. Eph. 1. 17 18. Heb. 6. 4. Secondly This sin once committed is unpardonable Heb. 6. 4. this is also directly proved from those forementioned places in the Gospel Mat. 12. 31. 1 Ioh. 5. 16. c. Heb. 6. 4. and therefore is called by the Apostle Iohn The sin unto death In respect of the end and punishment of it Secondly It is as true that the elect ones cannot commit this sin Ioh. 10. 28. or ever be guilty of it Christ hath said He hath given unto them eternall life and they shall not perish 2 Tim. 2. 19 The foundation of God standeth sure 2 Tim. 2. 19. They shall be kept through the power of God unto salvation 1 Pet. 1. 5. 1 Pet. 1. 5. They that fall away were never in nor ever of the number of the elect for if they had been of them they would no doubt have continued with them But in that they go out and fall away it is that they might be made manifest they were not of them 1 Epist of Iohn 2. 19. Who so sin First Can never be saved Christ hath said These shall never perish Secondly They can never repent and beleeve Christ hath ordained that the elect shall repent and beleeve and although they may slip and fall yet he hath ordained they shall rise again and by repentance be recovered These things being premised Let me come in the next place to propound some considerations that being seriously meditated and made use of may serve to stay and comfort and settle the
what nature it must be in one to argue him at sinner against the Holy Ghost p. 99. 100. P Perswasion how farre it comes into the definition and nature of justifying Faith Perswasions differ p. 206. 207. 208. A perswasion and a full Perswasion p. 208 A difference betwixt a Perswasion â—ying the future or the present p. 208. What manner of Perswasion there is and is not in all true Faith p. 208. We must Pray though we find an indisposition to the duty Reasons for it p. 245. 246. Promises of Christ are made to humbled Saints p. 17. 18. They require conditions p. 48. But no other then otherwhere they engage to give p. 48. They nowhere require a limited measure of what they require as conditions p. 49. Promises of first grace are absolute p. 49. Those for temporall things harder to bee rested upon then those for Spirituals p. 168. 169. Why Ibid. No good reason why we should not rest upon Promises made for Spirituals p. 169. Particular appropriating oâ— the Promises not absolutely necessary to true Faith p. 180. Promises distinguished p. 180. Why some are called temporall 181. True faith may not sometimes be able particularly to rest oâ— Temporall Promises p. 181. Promises if particular are to be generally applyed p. 184. True Faith in dark times may not be able to peculiarize conditionall Promises p. 18â— Promises must be clearly understood by the soule that would particularly apply them p. 189. Generall Promises must bee particularly applyed p. 190. 191. 192. 193. If made to the Church of God of old they belong to it now p. 193. They were made to the Iewes under the notion of God's people p. 194. They are branches of the Covenant made with Christ p. 195. Some Promises were made to Christ's person what they were p. 196. 197. Conditionall Promises require not of us a fulfilling in our own strength p. 197. 198. Q Qualifications irregularly eyed hinder the gâ—â—wth of Faith p. 11. They hinder not Graces freenesse being rightly required and urged p. 22. R Repentance whither it goes before Faith or no how the termes are to bee taken in that Question p. 12. 13. c. How it is the effect of Faith p. 19. There is as much Reason on the Creatures part why the Lord should save the greatest sinner as well as the holiest Saint p. 82. 83. Reliance upon Christ it the work and proper act of justifying faith what it is it may bee true though not alwayes alike p. 165. Though not equall on all the Promises p. 166. 167. It may consist with trembling p. 170. 171. 172. 173. A Christian may truly Rely upon Christ and yet not believe hâ— doth but think he doth not and question whither he doth or no p. 157. 158. 159. 160. It is harder to Rely upon Temporall then upon Spirituall Promises why p. 167. S Scruples must be removed if wee would encrease Faith p. 9. Sinne the greatnesse of it should not hinder us from believing why p. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. There 's at much reason in the Creature why God should save the greatest Sinner at any of his Saints p. 82. Sinners not received for their pâ—rt on p. 83. Great Sinners bring God great glory three wayes p. 84. 85. A great sinner converted by Iohn the Apostle a Story out of Eusebius applyed against despaire p. 85. 86. The Sinne against the Holy Ghost a case of conscience about it opened and spake to at large 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 102. c. There is such a sinne p. 9â— Why it is so called p. 90. It is unpardonable p. 91. The Elect cannot commit it 91. It is incertain what it is p. 92. The Papist's opinion and their six species of it p. 92. How many wayes sinne against the Holy Ghost may be committed p. 93. 94. They must have great knowledge that are guilty of it p. 94. What ingredients must be in it 94. 95. Who have not sin'd it 94. It must be more then an heart-heart-sin p. 96. Twelve Considerations concerning it p. 94. 95. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105. 106. S. August opinion of it p. 101. It must be accompanied with finall impenitency p. 101. How it is not and how it is unpardonable p. 102. 103. The conceit that we have sinned the Sinne against the Holy Ghost cannot excuse us from the duty of believing we are not excused if wee have â—ired it p. 103. None can knâ—w till his dying 〈◊〉 whâ—ther he hath â—ired this â—ire or 〈…〉 he hath indeed â—â—red it p. 103. A large 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 sâ—rre p. 104. 105 Wee may bee strengtheâ—ed to duties though we do not feele it p 235. Gods strength in us 〈◊〉 to be discerned by the â—â—ffects p. 235. It may bee seen in us when it is not seene nor selt by us p. 241. T Temptations to doubt how they may foure wayes be distinguished from reall doubtings p. 141. 142. 143. They are ordinarily but Querie and disputations not determinations p. 141. Christ tempted to doubt of the truth of the Scriptures p. 140. Atheisticall and blasphemâ—ns thoughts when they are ours and when the Devils temptations p. 141. 142. 143. 144. The Doctrine of the Trinity 〈◊〉 understood by some 〈◊〉 Believers p. 127. 128. Trembling is 〈◊〉 with true faith The severall causes of it when so it is usually a companion of true Faith in the begining 〈◊〉 conversion and afterwards in â— Christians 〈◊〉 p. 171. 172. 173. 174. 175. 176. 177. V Unbeliefe not the chiefe principle of the Saints doubtings p. 250. 251. What it meanes in Rom. 4. 20. p. 251. Unbelievers doubt Gods truth p. 253. Their doubts are occasioned by despaire p. 254. They make God the object of their doubts how and why p. 254. 255. 256. They doubt continually p. 257. 259. W Weaknesses may consist with true faith in the act of osseâ—t p. 137. 138. 139. 140. 141. 142 c. They must not bee cherished p. 152. There are also weaknesses consistent with true faith in its act of adherence p. 155. 156. 157. 158. 159. 160. The causes of such weaknesses p. 162. 163. 164. 165. Will enough in God to save the greatest sinners p. 76. Will in God to save sinners declared in eleven particulars p. 77. 78. 79. Wilfulnesse in Christians oftentimes a great cause of soule-trouble p. 164. FINIS
Master Shepheard Ib. Severall directions given by Doctor Preston in this case Ib. 3. Directions given in this case p. 53 1. Consider the nature of thy sinne in 6 particulars Ib. 2. Consider the mercy of God in 3 particulars Ib. 3. Fly to God by Prayer p. 53 54 SERM. III. CHAP. III. HOw to satisfie such Christians as thinke they ought not to beleeve because they doe not know they are elected The Complaint of the troubled soule p. 56 Something spoken to it by way of promise p. 57 The truth concerning Election premised in 5 Conclusions Papists and Arminians wound truth to heale conscience by lying charmes Ib. 8. Considerations propounded for soules thus troubled p. 58 59 c. 1. Consid Faith is not an apprehension of particular Election but an application of generall promises p. 59 60 61 62 2. Consid That thy faith only can discover to thee thy Election p. 62 The Covenant is only shewed by God to his Saints p. 62 63 3. Consider the phrase of Scripture expounding how our Election may be made knowne to us p. 63 4. Thou hast no ground to conclude against thy Election but thy unbeliefe p. 64 65 5. Cons Those that God elects to the end he elects to the means p. 65 66 We must have a sense of faith before we can have a sense of our Election p. 66 6. By this stumbling as we perplexe our selves so we call Gods wisdome in question a wayes and slander the charters of free grace p. 67 7. If we will beleeve Gods decrees cannot hinder us of heaven p. 68 8. Heaven and glory are worth an adventure whether we be elected or no. p. 68 69 Sâ—RM IV. CHAP. IV. HOw to comfort poore soules that dare not beleeve because of their unworthinesse in respect of their many and great sins 7. Considerations to comfort the soule under this affliction p. 72 73 c. 1. Gods grace is full enough of heighth and length and depth and breadth Christ cannot be brought to pant for breath of free grace p. 72 73 74 75 2. Consid There 's no defect of will in God to save the highest or greatest sinners p. 76 77 78 79 There is not only power but eagernesse in Christs will to save the greatest sinners p. 77 75 Christs eagernesse to save sinners proved by 12 particulars p. 77 78 79 1. He speaks 2. He sweares 3. He pleads 4. He expostulates with us upon denyals 5. He appeales 6. He wishes 7. He professeth he knowes not how to destroy them 8. He weeps 9. He invites 10. He comes from heaven to earth on this errand 11. He dyes for great sinners 12. He sends messengers to treat and parly with great sinners p. 77 78 79 3. Consid God hath pardoned and Christ hath washed as great sinners as thou art that were so either actually or habitually p. 80 4. Consid Infinite mercy never did its utmost yet God can pardon greater sinners then he hath pardoned p. 81 82 5. Consid There is as much reason on thy part why Christ should pardon thee as there was in any of the Saints why he pardoned them p. 83 6. Consid God never married any for a portion nor refused any for want of one p. 84 7. Consid Christ shall attaine his designe in pardoning sinners more fully by how much the greater sinner thou art p. 84 85 Christ gets most glory by pardoning great sinners p. 85 1. He glorifies his power and patience and riches of mercy p. 84 2. He gets glory from them They will love much p. 85 3. Others by their example will be perswaded to turne Ib. The whole case concluded with a story out of Eusebius p. 86 87 SERM. V. CHAP. V. HOw to satisfie a soule doubting that it hath sinned the sinne against the Holy-Ghost The complaint stated 89. Something spoken to it by way of premise 90. 1. There is such a sin 90. Why it is called the sinne against the Holy-Ghost 90. 2. It is unpardonable 91. 3. Elect ones cannot commit it p. 91 This scruple proceeds from ignorance p. 91 92 12. Considerations tending to comfort the soule under this wound and to informe us concerning the nature of this sinne p. 92 93 94 95 c. 1 Consid None could ever tell what this sinne was p. 9â— Various opinions of it 92. The Schoolmen and Papists opinion of it 92 Their 6 species of it disproved p. 92 93 How bsasphemy against the Holy-Ghost may be taken p. 93 How far we may discover what this sinne is p. 94 2. Consid None can be guilty of it but such as have had a great measure of knowledge p. 94 95 3. Consid It must be a setled sinne of our owne continued in without repentance not a transient suggested thought for which we grieve p. 96 97 4. Consid Every sin against knowledge is not this sin p. 97 What manner of sinning against knowledge it must be Ib. 5. Consid A bare deniall of the truth of God with which we are enlightened and the grace of God infused into us is not this unpardonable sin p. 98 What manner of deniall of truth is an ingredient into this sin Ib. 6. Consid Every envy at and hatred of our brethren and their goodnesse is not this sin p. 99 What manner of envy and hatred is an ingredient into this sin p. 100 7. Consid It must be joyned with a totall falling away from the truth Religion and profession of Jesus Christ Ib. 8. Consid Others would complaine of it as well as thy self if thou hadst sinned this sin p. 101 9 Consid Thy complaining and grieving for it is a signe thou art not guilty of it Ib. 10. Consid The sin against the Holy-Ghost is not unpardonable in respect of Gods mercy or its greatnesse p. 102 How and why it is said to be unpardonable Ib. 11. Consid It cannot be a block for thee in the way of beleevingly because though it doth take away from thee the power yet it doth not excuse thee from the duty of believing 103 12. Thou canst not conclude thy selfe to have sinn'd this sin if thou hast sinn'd it before thy dying houre Ib. The conclusion of the Case With a generall description of the sinne against the Holy-Ghost p. 104 105 SERM. VI. CHAP. VI. HOw to satisfie such poore soules as are conceited they doe not believe when they indeed doe 2 Causes of such Complaints 1. A mistake in the nature and Acts of faith p. 108 2. A misjudging of the effects of faith Ib. 2 Things propounded in order to satisfaction to such scruples as arise from the first cause Ib. 1 Thing viz. That there are many acts and degrees of faith and every act is not required to justifying faith Ib. 2 Thing That true faith is of so good a nature that it will consist in a soule with many doubts and weaknesses Ib. Various opinions concerning the justifying act of faith Knowledge is supposed to faith no
sinned against knowledge Thirdly Therefore consider This sin which is the unpardonable sin must be a setled sin of thy own continued in without repentance and will be more then a sin of thy heart That it is first begot in the heart as all other sin is is a truth but it goeth out of it blasphemy is properly committed with the tongue without question the heart and tongue and hand have all a portion in this sin unpardonable but it is not in the thought onely Besides 2. It may be thy blasphemous thoughts which thou hast in thy heart are none of thine own for such thoughts there are oft times in a Christian that are meerly cast in by Sathan into the soul neither bred in nor nursed by the soul nor delighted in but are like the childe that was dead laid by the true mother by another womans side It is a little question whether these thoughts be sins or no if spurned out and rejected by thee whether they shall be put upon thine or upon Sathans score The contrary is determined by most of our divines to answer for It is by all granted that if they be sins they are the least of sins as suppose I should have a thought in my heart that there is no Christ but he whom the Gospel speaks of were an impostor I know not how this thought came there I have a suggestion to beleeve it but my heart rises against it cries avoid Sathan I pray against it humble my self that my base heart should ever have such a guest for my part I make a great question whether these thoughts be a souls sins any more then if a strumpet should come and lay a childe in an open porch or entry of an honest woman it would prove that the honest woman were the mother because the bastard lay in her entry or house unlesse the law so adjudged it in regard the door or entry was open So unlesse you will say that the heart sins by being no better shut then to let such a thought be thrust in questionlesse the very thought as a formall sinfull thought or motion is not the souls but Sathans But however if it be thy sin for which thou hast cause to be humbled Yet it is far from this sin this must be a constant owner and possessor of thy heart and a sin of a far higher nature then ten thousand such thoughts are Fourthly Thou sayest O but I have sinned many times against knowledge against the light of my conscience Consider therefore That though this sin be a sin aginst knowledge yet every sin against knowledge is not this sin Without question Iacob â—inned against knowledge in saying he was his fathers son His very son Esau and David in committing murther and adultery and Peter in denying his Master All these were sins against knowledge and yet none of them sins against the Holy-ghost It must be a sin against the knowledge 1. Of a divine Truth 2. Of some fundamentall truth of the Gospel 3. Distinctly made known to thee This is plain from the sixth of the Heb. 4 5 6. and 10. 26. And from the Pharisees commission of this sin Mat. 12. 31. They were â—onvinced of it as a truth that Jesus Christ was the 〈◊〉 of God and did those miracles he did by the power of the Divine Nature yet sinned in their saying before the people This man casteth out Devils by Beelzebâ—â— the Prince of Devils Sins of knowledge against the law directly are far from this sin also the sin of our first parents it is a sin against the enlightening grace of the spirit of God yea though thou hast denied some truth not fundamentall c. Indeed for all such sins as these are thou hast very great cause to be humbled Christian and to â—it down and mourn bitterly that these wickednesses may be forgiven and doing so thou needst not despair of the pardon of them But alas saith a poor Christian I have in a passion or sicknesse when I knew it was the hand of God blasphemed God or I have at such a time for fear of threats of death denied the work of God and the truth of God c. Fifthly Therefore consider That though the deniall of thy knowledge and the truth of God be a great piece of this sin yet it is not enough to constitute it and besides it must be another manner of deniall then that which thou complainest of It must be a deliberate and advised deniall not rash and sudden It is not enough to constitute this sin for there must be a blasphemy Secondly An opposition to it Secondly It is true that deniall is an ingredient in this unpardonable â—in But it must be 1. A wilfull deniall free not arising from fear Peter so denied his Master and many of the Martyrs denied yea and abjured the Faith But either First Sathan by his temptations Secondly Or the weaknesse of their flesh occasioned it for they at the same time loved Christ and the truth of Christ 2. It must be a deniall on purpose to discredit the truth out of a venome and malice of heart to it I may deny a fundamentall truth in an argument and disputation to see how another can prove it yet I have not sinned the sin against the Holy-ghost I hope 3. It must be a constant deniall If they shall fall away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies falls all in shatters so as an old rotten house not well at first put together Comfort thy self therefore Christian thou hast not sinned the sin against the Holy-ghost though thou hast possibly inadvisedly spake with thy lips yea though through the violence of Sathans temptations and wickednesse or weaknesse of thy heart for fear thou hast denied thy Saviour and his truth onely go out and weep bitterly renew thy love regain thy favour confesse him before men Thus many of the Martyrs did rending their recantations or abjurations and suffring Martyrdom gloriously But yet will some poor Christian say Alas yet I fear I have sinned this sin I have hated such a godly man envied that goodnesse which I saw in him I could hardly endure such a man whom I am confident is the Saint of God c. Consider therefore in the sixth place Sixthly That the hatred and envy of every godly man nor every envy of his goodnesse or every opposition against him for it doth not make thee guilty of this unpardonable sin It is possible thou mayest hate a man that is a godly man for some civill injury he hath done thee or thy friend possibly thou mayeâ—â— do it ignorantly verily thinking he is nought possibly thy envy of him may be an emulation not being sorry that the truth lives in him but angry to see the graces of Gods spirit live in him and not thee these now are far from unpardonable sins nor is every opposition of the truth of Jesus Christ or the professors of the truth an opposition
of the water of life freely with many such more not as if man could fulfill these conditions in the soule and prepare his owne heart No we abhorre that Popish doctrine though some falsly charge us with it But because Christ wil fulfill them before he bestowes those higher degrees of mercy and favour upon them he will make the soul hunger and thirst before hee will let it know it shall live Is 55 1. and give it power to come unto him Mat. 11. 9. hee will make the soule weary and heavie laden with sin before he will give the soule power to rely upon him comfortably for salvation â—zek 11. 19. He will take away the heart of stone out of the soule and give it an heart of flesh before he will give it power to walk in his statutes and keep his ordinances and do them before he will let it know that he is its God and that it is Gods chosen vessell And thus I have shewed you the distinction of promises and what we shall conclude from hence for our purpose I will shew you by and by when I have done with the distinction of times which I come to The Soule hath its winter and summer 2 Distinction its cloudy and black dayes and its lightsome and glaring dayes First it hath its lightsome summer Sun shine dayes when it is not conscious 1. Of any great sinne committed against knowledge such as Tertullian calls Peccata devorantia salutem Sinnes that swallow up heaven and salvation in the soule 2. When it hath no naturall distempers of body no cloudy melancholy vapours for the soule being to act through the body doth something suffer by it and as it is with a man that looks at the reflection of his face in a glasse if there be a wetnesse or dust upon the glasse he cannot see clearly So the soule if there be a mist or dust of melancholy oppresses the body the soule cannot see and act clearly Or 3. When the body is not under some harsh affliction for the soule sympathiâ—eth with the body and in its acting through the organs of it shewes the affection that it hath with the bodies sufferings and so also there are black and dark dayes for as it is summer time with the soule and day-light when it is not sad and darkned with desertion and when the body is not oppressed with melancholly or affliction or persecution So on the contrary it is winter and a dark time with the soule when the soule hath sinned some great sinne for which the soule looks up trembling to God and looks upon him as an angry revengefull God or when the body is heavy and oppressed with melancholy vapours stopping the passages of the soule or under heavy and grievous affliction that it is born down even to a back-breaking under them even as it is with a fountaine that runs through Conduit-pipes of lead c. or wood into any house if the fountaine be dirty and muddy in it self dirty water comes into the house or if the Conduit-pipes through which it passeth be dirty and tainted the water bringeth the pollution and tang of bitternesse c. that was in the pipe into the house otherwise if both the fountaine be cleare and sweet and the Conduit-pipes be not stopped nor tainted nor dirty then 〈◊〉 water runs sweetly into the place to which the Pipes lead it So it is with the soule that is the fountaine that runs into acts but through the Conduit-pipes of the body if the pipes be stopt or oppressed or muddy or cleare such is the actings of the soule And thus I have shewed you the distinctions both of times and promises now I shall conclude the truth of this proposition in some four or five Conclusions First of all Particular promises must not be expected to be peculiarized we may not expect that those promises which were made to the people of the Jewes in particular should be made good to us because they had promises to be delivered out of Babylon and Egypt at such a prefixt time it were madnesse in us to beleeve that the Church of God should be now delivered just after 70. years or 400. years and so likewise what promises were made to any particular persons amongst the Jewes as for any now to apply that promise made to Hezekiah I will adde to thy life 15. years I think we have a rule here in Land That if an inheritance be intailed by name it cannot be translated to any other these promises were entail'd by name these thou canst not nay oughtst not to apply they are not a portion by thy father design'd for thee Secondly It may possibly be that in some times thou mayest not be able to appropriate the temporall promises that God hath made to his children amongst which thou art included 1. In the darke time of want and penury to beleeve for bread to eate when I see none like to come O it is hard feeding upon Scripture leaves I shewed you this the last day 't is nothing to doe it or at least to think we doe it in times of prosperity Habakuks faith Hab. 3. 17. was an hard faith though it were a strong and precious one 2. In the dark time of desertions It is hard as I shall shew you by and by to apply those promises that are of neerest concernment to our salvation much more those which are at so remote a distance 3. In a time when melancholy dark cloudy vapours of the body cast a wist before the soules eye and will not give it leave to act clearly 4. In a time when the soule hath sinned thou mayest not fully rely and be so confident as before To peculiarize these promises I shewed you the ground of this before because though God hath promised that his Saints shall never eternally fall out of his favour yet he hath and will punish his Saints for sinne with the substraction of temporall favors as I shewed you before in the case of David and I take that to be an old Antinomian errour instead of a new truth That God doth not with temporall afflictions correctively punish his best servants for sin Lastly It doth not argue a nullity of faith and true saving faith at any time not to be able to appropriate outward temporall promises for although it is our duty to rely and depend upon all the promises yet if wee through infirmity be not able to rely upon these I conceive it doth not null the verity of our faith salvation being not the thing promised in these Thirdly For those that are conditionall promises in dark times the soule may not be able clearly and fully to apply them rest upon them and particularly apply them and yet at the same time truly dwell and rest upon them What spirituall promises are made conditionally in Scripture I have shewed you before now it may possibly be that even these though of great concernment to the soule