Answer.  True, reason saith so, and so doth the law itself, Rom. 10:5; but God we know is above them both, and he in the covenant of grace saith otherwise, to wit, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised hint from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Let reason then hold its tongue; yea, let the law with all its wisdom subject itself to him that made it; let it look for sin where God hath laid it; let it approve the righteousness which God approveth:  yea, though it be not that of the law, but that by faith of Jesus Christ.

God hath made him our righteousness; God hath made him our sin; God hath made him our curse; God hath made him our blessing:  methinks this word, God hath made it so, should silence all the world.

I shall leave the obstinate where I found him, and shall say to him that is willing to be saved, “Sinner, thou hast the advantage of thy neighbor, not only because thou art willing to live, but because there are those that are willing thou shouldst, to wit, those unto whom the issues of death belong; and they are the Father and the Son, to whom be glory with the blessed Spirit of grace.”

I have seen some, that have promised nothing at first setting out to be pilgrims, and that one would have thought could not have lived another day, that have yet proved very good pilgrims.

Objection.  I am afraid the day of grace is past, and if it should be, what shall I do then?

Answer.  With some men indeed, the day of grace is past before their lives are at an end:  or thus, the day of grace is past before the day of death is come; as Christ saith, “If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace,” the word of grace or reconciliation; “but now they are hid from thine eyes.”  Luke 19:42.  But for thy better satisfaction, let me ask, Doth the Lord knock still at the door of thy heart, by his word and Spirit?  If so, then the day of grace is not passed with thy soul; for where he doth so knock, there he doth also proffer and promise to come in and sup, that is, to communicate of his love unto them; which he would not do were the day of grace passed with the soul.  Rev 3:20.

Objection.  But how shall I know whether Christ doth so knock at my heart as to be desirous to come in, that I may know also whether the day of grace be passed with me or not?

Answer.  Doth the Lord make thee sensible of thy miserable state without an interest in Jesus Christ; and that naturally thou hast no share in him, no faith in him, no communion with him, no delight in him, or the least love to him?  If he hath, and is doing this, he is knocking at thy heart.  Doth he, together with this, put into thy heart an earnest desire after communion with him, with holy resolutions not to be satisfied without it?  Doth he sometimes give thee some secret persuasions, though