\ chap.s.s~a 1. ~df4rpal. when I acted faith, ahd found'inyEvidences clear. Oh how fweet was my God! _ _May 17 . This day in the morning, I meditated on the love ofChnjf,wherein Chrill: appeared and melted my heart mmany fweet paffages: In the Evenmg I medtt.,ted on Eeemiey: of hell, and on eternity of Heaven, wherein the Lord both melted, and cheered, and warmed, and refrelhed my fouL Surely the touches of Gods Spirit are as fcnfible as any outward touches. AllcluJah. M •y 19 . In theformer part of this day I cxcrcifed the life ofFaith, when the Lord' frrengthcned me to atl: Faith on feveral Promifes, both tcmporal,fpiritual, and,crernal;' 1 had then fwcet, refrclhmg, and cncouragmg Impreffions on my foul agalmt all the fearful, finful, and doubtful dreams I had the night or two before dreamed. In the Evening I confidered the Duty of Prayer, obferved feme workings of Gods Spiiit in my pcru!ing the Rules, and afterw~rds in the practice of this Duty. Bleffed be God. May 20 . In the Morning l fell on Reading the Word, perufcd the directions, and then fearched into the CommorJ places and1t[e.J of my corruptiow in.nature and , radit·e; ()f my comforts againjl the burthens of my daily itijlrmaies ; of ejlablijhing my heart agan]f thef ear offallmg away ; of dtreUtons mmy callmg ; ofcomforts agaenjl O~<tward uojfcs; of my pmJtledges in Chrejl above all the wick_:d in the world: In every of thefe Chrift appeared in fome meafure fuitably to my fou L In the Evening I pro~eed in the Cemmon places and u(es ofJiveet pajfagen l1'at melted my heart ; ofjenjible comf orts, ana •f places hard to beunder/food: In the firfr my heart was fweetly melted, in the fccond cheered; in the conclufion the Lord llruck me with a reverence of his Majelty and prefence, filled my foul with fpiritual refrelhings, enlarged my heart with praifcs of him, and defires to live unto him, who hath given me in thi's tiine of love fo many , fw!"et vifits, and kJJ!es of his mouth. Allelujah. May 22. Occafionally, though not in courfe, I fell on feme parts of the D uty of felf-o1enyal: The Lord in mercy wrought in my foul feme fuitablenefs to that fpiritual Gofpcl-Duty; Lord keep this fire up in a flame llilL Oh it is a fwcet, but a very hard !elfon. May 3r _ I practifed (as the Lord enabled) the Duty of Sainti-{ifferings; Into which condition as I was cail:, fo the Lord gave me to fee my fin and to bcwaile it,and to prayfor the contrary, grace and Gods favour. The Lord was fweet to me in the preparations to, but efpecially in the improving of, Sujfermgs. Now the Spirit left m 10y foul a fweet fccnt an,d favour behind ir, Alldujah. Amen. A men. I had proceeded tf/ th!J Dtary, bttt that I doubt whether the k,ztowledge ofmanyJuch particulars ma:J not prove•Jfenfiveeuher to the weak__or Wilful. A 11d I lVvitld not l~tllmgfy {)Ccafio'!' any matter of vjfcnce to rhoft that are within or rvithout the Ch1trt:h. Th!!s m.m:h ( onlyfor cdijiL'Iltion ~nd imitAtion) I have written. A ·td though >Vith David, I declare 1vhat Cod hath dont for myfoul, yet mth Paul I ever defire to correct my[elf· I live,yet not I, bitt Chrift liveth in me. ' '' ' C' HA P. y. Of the Natu're of Self-denyaL -. Pfal. 66. 1';. Gal. 2. 20. F any man >vi/! come after me (faith Chrifr) let him deny himfelf. The Word in the or;ginal is aGompound,notlng more than a fingle,ordina- !"•tth. I6.'4· ry Seif-denyal. It lignifies to deny utterly, totally, not at all to fpare, ;,:;!~";,:: or regard a mansfolf: Irimpdrts a perfect, or univerfal Self-denyal; Ah"'l" (i} Itisas much as to reject and ca!loffa mans fclf, asa mandotha omnino n•·ger/ gracelelfc fon whom he will not own any more for liis. From the Leigh Cri1ic• Word opened we may difcover the nature of it)'which diverfe giveirr; J;::'"- . . . though With feme vanety, as thus. To deny a mans(elf (fay fome) it P ·[.egct, & H to (or[akj the motions ofour ow.n corrupt rc4[on and will;· which is thi:: very. fame with- ~~:1y;~~fft ., ~ortifymg of the old man, and crucifying the flelh. 'To deny amamfclf (fly qthers} it Abdi"rfriP{•m to refufe to beJirbjeCl to, or ro work..for a mansfelf, flS if it >Verc our Maftrr: And this B<zt. - defcfipti<-.n. '
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