Ambrose - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .A49 1674

univerfal obedience to my Saviour, andyet no comfort comes: it ma)r be fo ; but hall: thou l'raifed God for this work ofwonder, the new birrh \Vr'ollght in thee ? If ( 0 , then is there aQother duty expected from thee, nght preciouSand pleafing unto God, and that is wamng : yet I could wifh thee toaddreffe thy felf to thefc precious promrfcs: fettle thy foul on them with fixed medttatwn and fervent prayer, and where thou perceiveft the condition of the promifa to he by Gods grace formed in thee, thou mayell: fafely affurc thy felf of fo much favour as is e~refly contained in the promi(es. ·L~vit. 26. 4-0, +'' 42, 4+ • If they jhalt confejfc rhcir iniquity,- --If their tmcir~'W11Cifed hMrts be humbled,-'fh~n. wilt_ I remember my Cover(t:Ull,-that 1 might herheir God, I am rhe Lord: the condttwn ts to confcffe and be humbled; and this if thou doell:, the Covenant is fure, the Lord is rhy God. Job 33. 27, 28. if anyfay, I havefinned, andperverted that which is right, and it proJited me not: he will deli".ler hisfoul from going into the pit,<tnd his ltfc Jhaltfee the light. The condition is, Ifany fay, I havefinned, if thy heart fay thus in fincerity and truth,the pr<;>mife is fllre, God will deliver thyfoul from hell, and thou Jhalt fee the light of heaven. Pill!. 5 I. I7. .11 brok,!n and a contrite heart; 0 God, thou wilt not dcfpife. The ·condition is, a brok,!n and a contrite heart for fin ; and if thy heart be thus, be fure &od will not defrife it, Prov. 28. IJ. W'hofoever confejferb 'and forfak,!th his fin, Jhall have mercy. The <:ondition is, to confejfe andforfak! Jm: and this if thou doell:, as fure as God is God, 'thpu Jlialt h'!ve mercy. , Ifa. 57· .17· I dwell in t~e highand holy place, with him aifo that is ofa contrite and humblefpi~i!, to revive the fp'irit of,"thc humble, and to revive the heart ofthe contrite ones. The condtttO'n is, to be of.a comrite and humblefpirit; and ifthou art thus, God is true who hath faid it, hedwell>in thee to revive thyfpirit, and to revive thy heart. · !fa. 61 . I. The Lvrd bath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek_: he hath fent me -to bind up the brok!n-hearted.The condition is, to bemeek_and brok,sn·hearted; & if this be. thy cafe,then good tydings belong to thec,and Chrill: is fent to biqde up thy brok,sn ·heart in the bundle of peace. . Jerem. 3 I. I9, 20. Surely, after that I was turned, I repentcd(faith Ephraim) and .after·that I was inftrutfed, IJmote upon my thigh, I wasajJMmed ; yea, even confounded, becaufc I did bear the reproach afmyyouth.-Thcrefare (faith G od)my bowels are troubied for hun, I willJure/)' have mercy upon him, f aith the Lord. The condition is to repent, t<> be ajhamcd, confounded for fin, and if thy cafe be like Ephraims, God is the fame to thee, his bowelsyearn for thee, he will furely have mercy on thee. Matth. 5. 6. Blej[ed are they which hunger and thirft after righteoufnej[e. The condition is, to hunger andthirft after the righteorifnej{e of Chri1!; and this ifthou doell:, then art thou bleffed from the mouth ofour .Saviour. Matth. I I. 28, Come unto me""ye that labour, and arc heavy-laden, and lw.'/1 give you reft. The condition is to come to Chrift, and if this thou wilt, Gods Word is furc , thou fhalt have reft fpiritual and eternal. Rev. 21. 6. I will give unto him that is athirft, of tMe water of life freely. The tondition is to thirll: after the heavenly ll:reams of Gods favour, ana Chrilts fovereign . blood; and this ifthou doell:, then hall: thou part in thefountain< ofthe water oflife,that proceedsoutofthethroneofGod, andoftheLamb, Revel. 22. I. · AU thefe are fo full of comfort, that if thou but crufh them with the hand of faith, they cannot but yield fome juyce of fweetneffe to thy affii(l:ed foul. -0 alas ! (fay fome) I have·done what I may, and yet no comfort comes: fweet foul, be not difcouraged, but be the more humbled ; in this cafe thou mull: fall down with Mary, 1 and lye Hill wafhing the feet of Chrill: with thy teares ; and then look up again, view again and again thefe promifes of Chrill:, it may be he will even now, or before long take thee up in his arms, and kjjfe thee wish the f,Jejfes of his mouth. Sect 7· The m<~~ns to apply theJaid promifi·s. i Said before, it was enough for me to prepare the m~dicine, it is thou mull: apply it; yet tfthou feeleft a backwardrteffe to perform thy part, I fhall tell thee of fome means to incite thee, and help thee onward to the performance of this c!uty. Take then the promtfes, and carry them (as thou didll: the Catalogue of thy fins) into the prefcnce of the Lord; and, fain down on thy knees, befeech God for thy Sa– viOurs

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