think of turning to him again. Thy Way, I fay, is open to him, as is the Way of the other Sorts of Comers; as appears by what follows.

First, Because the Text makes no Exception against thee: It doth not fay, And any him, but a Back-flider; any him but him. The Text doth not thus object, but indefinitely openeth wide its golden Arms to every coming Soul, without the leaft Exception: Therefore thou may'st come. And take Heed that thou shut not that Door against thy Soul by Unbelief, which God has opened by his Grace.

Secondly, Nay, the Text is fo far from ex-cepting against thy coming, that it ftrongly fuggefteth, that thou art one of the Souls intended, O thou coming Back-flider; else what Need that Claufe have been fo inferted, I will in no wise caft out: As who should fay, Though those that come now, are fuch as have. formerly backfliden: I will in no wife caft away the Fornicator, the Covetous, the Railer, the Drunkard, or other common Sinners, nor yet the Backflider neither.

Thirdly, That the Backflider is intended, is evident.

First, For that he is fent to by Name, Go, tell bis Difciples and Peter, Mark 16. 7. But Peter was a godly Man. True, but he was alfo a Backflider, yea, a desperate Backslider: He had denied his Mafter once, twice, thrice, curfing and fwearing, that he knew him not. If this was not Backfliding, if this was not an high and eminent Backfliding, yea, a higher Backfliding than thou art capable of, I have thought amife. Again, when David had backflidden, and had committed Adultery and Murder in his Back

fliding,

fliding, he must be fent to by Name. And, faith the Text, The Lord fent Nathan to David. And he fent him to tell him, after he had brought him to unfeigned Acknowledgment, The Lord hath alfo put away or forgiven thy Sins, 2 Sam.

12. J.

This Man alfo was far gone: He took a Man's Wife, and killed her Husband, and endeavoured to cover all with wicked Diffimulation. He did this, I fay, after God had exalted him, and shewed him great Favour: Wherefore his Tranfgreffion was greatned alfo by the Prophet with mighty Aggravations: Yet he was accepted, and that with Gladness, at the firft Step he took in his returning to Chrift; for the firft Step of the Backflider's Return, is to fay, fenfibly and unfeignedly, I have finned: But he had no fooner faid thus, but a Pardon was produced, yea, thrust into his Bofom. And Nathan faid unto David, the Lord hath also put away thy Sin.

Secondly, As the Perfon of the Backflider is mentioned by Name, fo alfo is his Sin, that if poffible, thy Objections against thy returning to Chrift, may be taken out of the Way; I fay, thy Sin alfo is mentioned by Name, and mixed, as mentioned, with Words of Grace and Favour., I will heal their Backfliding, and love them freely, (Hof. 14. 4) What fay't thou now, Backflider.

Thirdly, Nay farther, thou art not only mentioned by Name, and thy Sin by the Nature of it; but thou thyfelf, who art a returning BackAlider, put,

First, Among God's Ifrael, Return, O Back fliding Ifrael, faith the Lord, and I will not caufe mine Anger to fall upon you; for I am merciful,

faith the Lord, and will not keep Anger for ever, Jer. 3. 12.

Secondly, Thou art put among his Children; among his Children to whom he is married. Turn, O Backfliding Children, for I am married unto you, verfe 14.

Thirdly, Yea, after all this, as if his Heart was fo full of Grace for them, that he was preffed until he had uttered it before them; he adds, Return, ye Backfliding Children, and I will hea your Backfliding.

Fourthly, Nay farther, the Lord hath confidered, that the fhame of thy Sin hath stopped thy Mouth, and made thee almost a prayerlefs Man; and therefore he faith unto thee, Take with you Words and turn unto the Lord, and say unto him, Take away all Iniquity, and receive us graciously: See his Grace, that himself should put Words of Encouragement into the Heart of a Backflider; as he faith in another Place, I taught Ephraim to go, taking him by the Arms. This is teaching him to go indeed, to hold him up by the Arms, by the Chin, as we fay, Hof. 14. 1, 2, 3, 4. Chap. 11. 3.

From what hath been faid, I conclude, even as I faid before, that the him in the Text, and bim that cometh, includeth both these Sorts of Sinners, and therefore both should freely come.

Quef. But where doth Jefus Chrift, in all the Words of the New Teftament, exprefly speak to a returning Backflider with Words of Grace and Peace? For what you have urged as yet, from the New Teftament, is nothing but Confequences drawn from this Text. Indeed it is a full Text / for carnal ignorant Sinners that come, but to

me

me who am a Backflider, it yieldeth but little Relief.

Anf. First, How! but little Encouragement from the Text, when it is faid, I will in no wise caft out. What more could have been faid? What is here omitted that might have been inferted, to make the Promife more full and free? Nay, take all the Promifes in the Bible, all the freeft Promises, with all the Variety of Expreffions of what Nature or Extent foever, and they can but amount to the Expreffions of this very Promife, I will in no wife caft out:" will for nothing, by no Means, upon no Account, however they have finned, however they have backflidden, however they have provoked, caft out the coming Sinner, But,

Secondly, Thou fay'ft, Where doth Jefus Chrift, in all the Words of the New Teftament, fpeak to a returning Backflider with Words of Grace and Peace ? that is, under the Name of a Backflider?

Anfw. Where there is fuch Plenty of Examples in receiving Backfliders, there is the lefs Need for exprefs Words to that Intent: One Promife, as the Text is, with those Examples that are annexed, are inftead of many Promises. And befides, I reckon that the Act of receiving is of as much, if not of more Encouragement, than a bare Promife to receive; for receiving is as the Promife, and the fulfilling of it too: So that in the Old Testament thou haft the Promife, and in the New, the fulfilling of it; and that in divers Examples.

Firft, In Peter. Peter denied his Mafter, once, twice, thrice, and that with an open Oath; yet Chrift receives him again without any the leaft Hefitation

Hefitation or Stick. Yea, he flips, ftumbles, falls again, in down-right Diffimulation, and that to the Hurt and Fall of many others; but neither of this doth Chrift make a Bar to his Salvation, but receives him again at his Return, as if he knew nothing of the Fault, Gal. 2.

Secondly, The reft of his Difciples, even all of them, did Backflide and leave the Lord Jefus in his greatest Straights: "Then all the Difciples forfook him, and fled; they returned (as he had foretold) every one to his own, and left him alone;" but this alfo he paffes over as a very light Matter: Not that it was fo indeed in itfelf, but the Abundance of Grace that was in him did lightly roll it away; for after his Refurrection, when firft he appeared unto them, he gives them not the leaft Check for their perfidious Dealings with him, but falutes them with Words of Grace, faying, "All hail, be not afraid, Peace be to you; All Power in Heaven and Earth is given unto me." True, he rebuked them for their Unbelief, for the which alfo thou deferveft the fame: For it is Unbelief that alone puts Chrift and his Benefits from us, ' Mat. 26. 56. John 16. 52. Mat. 28. 9, 10, 11. Luke 24. 39. Mark 16. 14.

Thirdly, The Man that after a large Profeffion, lay with his Father's Wife, committed a high Tranfgreffion, even fuch an one that at that Day was not heard of, no, not among the Gentiles. Wherefore this was a defperate Backfliding; yet, at his Return he was received, and accepted again to Mercy, 1 Cor. 5. 1, 2. 2 Cor. 2. 6,

8.

Fourthly, The Thief that stole was bid to steal no more; not at all doubting, but that Chrift

was