24 The Try,:11 of on him in fuch a condition, as bee would otherwife beby our fervice, if it were pepfeft , and we wholly free from thofe corruptions. Howwill the grace of God under the Gofpel, tri- umph over thegrace given Adam in his innecencie ? when Adam havinghis heart full of inherent grace, and nothing inwardly, in his nature, to feduce him, and the temptation that he had, being but a matter of curiofity, and the pleating his wife, and yet he fell : When as many poore fouls under the (late of grace, that have but mites ofgrace in comparifon, and worlds of cor- ruption, areyet kept, not onely from the unneceffary pleafiures offin in time ofprofperity, but hold out againft all the threats, all thecruelties of wicked perfecutors in times of perlecution, which threaten to debar them of all the prefent good they enjoy ? And though Gods people are foyled often, yet that there fhould (till remaine a feed within them, a john. 3.9. this iìllu{trates the grace of Chrift under the Gofpel. For one aft in Adam expelled all grace out of him, when yet his heart was full of nothing elfe. Were our hearts filled with grace perfeily at firft converfion, this power would not be feen. The Angels are kept with much leffe care, and charge, and power then we, becaufe they have no bias,noweights offin,(as the Apolile fpeaks) hung upon them todraw them afide, and preff"e them dine, as we have. Neither 3. would the confufion of the devil in the end be fo great, and the viftory foglorious, ifall finat firft converfion were expelled. For by this meanes the devil! bath in his affaults againft us, the more advantages, faire play, (as I may fo fpeak) faire hopes of overcomming having a great faction in us, as ready to finne as he is greedy to tempt ; And yet God f}ronglycarries on his owne workebegun, though {lowly, andby degrees, backeth and maintaines a fmall partie of grace with- in us, to his confufion. That as in Gods outward goverment towards hisChurch here on earth, he !lifers a great party, and thegreater [tí11 by farre, to be againft his Church, and yet up- holds it, and rules amongR the midfl ofhis enemies, Pfal. i io. ult. fo doth he alto in every particular beleevers heart. When grace tall be in us but as a f#arke, and corruptions as much /moakf and moifture damping it ; Gracebut asa candle and that in
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