To come therefore to a Word of Application.

IS it ſo, that they that are coming to Jeſus Chriſt, are often heartily afraid that Jeſus Chriſt will not receive t[gap] [gap] Then thi[gap] teach [gap] theſe Things.

Firſt, That Faith and Doubting, may at the [gap]ne time have their Reſidence in the ſame [gap]ul? O thou of little Faith, wherefore didſt [gap]ou Doubt, Matthew 14.31. He ſays not Oh! [gap]ou of no Faith; but Oh! thou of little Faith; [gap]cauſe He had a little Faith in the midſt of his [gap]any Doubts. And the ſame is True, even of [gap]any that are coming to Jeſus Chriſt. They [gap]me and Fear they come not, and Doubt they [gap]ome not. When They look upon the Promiſe, [gap] a Word of Encouragement by Faith, then they [gap]ome; but when they look upon themſelves, or [gap] D[gap]fficulties that lay before 'em, then they doubt. Bid me come, ſaid Peter; Come, ſaith Chriſt So He went down out of the Ship to [gap]o to Jeſus; but his Hap was to go to Him upon [gap]he Water; There was the Tryal, So it is with [gap]he poor, deſiring Soul; Bid me come, ſays the [gap]innner. Come, ſays Chriſt, and I will in no wiſe [gap]aſt thee out. So He comes, but his Hap is to [gap]ome upon the Water; upon Drowning Difficul [gap]ies: If therefore the Wind of Temptation blow, [gap]he Waves of Doubts and Fears will preſently [gap]ife; and this coming Sinner will preſently ſink, [gap]f He has but little Faith.

But you ſhall find here, in Peter's little Faith [gap] Tow fold Act; to wit, Coming, and Crying: Little Faith cannot come all the way without Crying. So long as its holy boldneſs laſts, ſo [gap]ong it cannot come in Peace; but when 'its ſo, [gap] can come no farther; it will go the reſt of [gap]he way with Crying. Peter went as far as his little Faith would carry him: He alſo cry'd [gap]s far as his little Faith would help, Lord Save me, I periſh! And ſo with coming and Crying, [gap]e was kept from ſinking, though he had but a little Faith Jeſus ſtreched forth his Hand, and

caught him, and ſaid unto him, Oh! Thou little Faith wherefore didſt thou doubt?

Secondly, Is it ſo▪ That they that are comin[gap] to Jeſus Chriſt are oft times heartily afraid th[gap] Jeſus Chriſt will not recieve them? Then th[gap] ſhews us a reaſ[gap]n of that Dejection, and tha[gap] caſting down that ve[gap]y oft [gap] [gap]erceive to [gap] in them tha[gap] are c[gap]m[gap]ng [gap] Jeſus Chriſt Why [gap] is becauſe they are a[gap]aid th[gap] Jeſus Chriſt wi[gap] not receive them. The poor World they mo[gap] us becauſe we are a dejected People; I me[gap] becauſe we are ſometimes ſo; but they do no[gap] know the cauſe of our Dejections. Could we b[gap] perſwaded, even then, when we are dejected, th[gap] Jeſus Chriſt would indeed receive us, it would make us fly over their Heads, & would put mo[gap] gladneſs into our Hearts, then in the time [gap] which their Corn, Wine & Oyl increaſes. Pſa. 46.7

Thirdly, Is it ſo. That they that are coming t[gap] Jeſus Chriſt are oft times heartily afraid that h[gap] will not receive them? Then this ſhews, that they that are coming to Jeſus Chriſt, are an awakened, ſenſible conſidering People: For Fe[gap] cometh from Senſe, & Conſideration of things They are ſenſible of Sin, ſenſible of the Curſ[gap] due thereto; they are alſo ſenſible of the glorious Majeſty of God, and of what a bleſſed thing it is to be received of Jeſus Chriſt: The Glory of Heaven, and the Evil of Sin; the[gap] things they conſider, and are ſenſible of; Wh[gap] I remember, I am afraid; when I conſider, I am [gap] afraid, Job 21.6.

Theſe things daſh their Spirits, being awake and ſenſible. Were th[gap] Dead, like other Men. they would not be affl[gap]cted with Fear as they are: f[gap] Dead Men fear not, [gap]eel not, care not, but the living and ſenſible Man, he it is that is often heart[gap]

afraid that Jeſus Chriſt will not receive him. I [gap] the Dead and Senſeleſs are not diſtreſſed. They ſame, they are groundleſly confident. Who ſo hold Wind Bayard? Theſe indeed, ſhould fear and be a [gap]d, becauſe they are not coming to Jeſus Chriſt, the Hell, the Fire, the Pit, the Wrath of God and [gap]rments of Hell, that are prepar'd for poor ne [gap]cting Sinners! How ſhall we eſcape if we neglect great Salvation! Heb 2.3. But they want ſenſe of [gap]ings, and ſo cannot fear.

Fourthly, Is it ſo, That they that are coming to [gap]ſus Chriſt are often heartily afraid that he will [gap]ot receive them. Then this ſhould teach old Chriſ[gap]ians to pity and pray for young Comers! You now the Heart of a Stranger, for you your ſelves [gap]ere Strangers in the Land of Egypt. You know [gap]he Fears and Doubts and Terrors, that take hold [gap]f them; for that they ſometimes took hold [gap]f you; wherefore pity them, pray for them, en [gap]ourage them, they need all that. Guilt hath ove [gap]en them Perhaps they are within the fight [gap] [gap]ell-Fire, and the Fear of going thither, is burning [gap]ot within their Hearts. You may know how [gap]rangely Satan is ſuggeſting his Deviliſh Doubts [gap]nto them, if poſſible he may ſink & drown them, with the multitude and weight of them. Old Chri [gap]tians mend up the Path for them, take the Stumbling Blocks out of the way, leſt that which is feeble [gap] weak be turned aſide, but let it rather be healed.