------~~----- (Jillltix \bitl). I!DCiJH%. Book I. IJ yea, Chrin isll> dear over then,, that then efpecially he intercccd> his Fatber, when he ol:!<rves h:s People in temptations, q. d. 0 Fatber,. 1-pr-•y, that this poodrlan or Wo- Luk, ••· ;•·i mJ~ nuy >Zat fall in time of temptation : Thus he prayed for Feter, when he was on Earth, I have pr.tyld f.-,r tbce that tl;y Faith fail not : and thus he pr~yes now for you in Heaven. No looner he fees Sathan run in upon you, but he runs mto the prefence of God the bther, end fpreads his blood and his fatisfactiun for y<~m help. Oh, the lov<s of the Lord Jefus Chrill ! 3· The Spirit ot God will fircngthen you againll the power of the evil Spirit: This is that Spirit of Wijid'lm a1td zmde.Jianding, that Spirit of Com:fel and Might; that Spi- ~··"a •· 6, riuhat helpoh Y''"' infinnitieJ.; that kindlcth and heakth your Hearts with love, and om. • 0 • zca1, and other Graces; that comforts your confcitnc<:S; and confumes your corrupci .. ons, and continues in you, fcalins you to the day of ReJ emption; even He it is that f!rengthens you againft the power of t be Devil But how cloth the Spirit llrengthen I lanfwer, I· Hotcachethyouin, and by your temptations. LHther could lay, that .1 three tbi 1gs m•de a good Divine, Mediwion , l'ra)'r, and 1emptati•"· And, indted, when and wh7re doth the Holy Spirit revel! hirnfdf more fully unto his People, than in th. times of their temptations? it is laid, that at M.[f,b and Merib•h, the waters of . t!rile, and of temptaticu, there the Lord gave Ifrael all his fiatutts. 2. He bears up, and upholds your heart> with grace, JI.Jy gpce is fitjjicient for thee, faid the Lord to Paul; the Spirit of the L ,rd in your cumbates ufually comes i11 with aiTit!ing grace; or ii that be not r.nougb, he comes in alia with accepting grace : though thy Prayer be weak, and thy Faith low, yet fatth the Spirit, 'It is tbc time of t11nptation with my poorSCYI•>~t<, and tbcrefrorc 1 will take tlu dmy, tbmgbit be'''"" f little. 4· The good Angeis wait upun you asa guard, have they not acharge from God to fee to your f.fcty? and is not on: Angel Jlrougcr than all Devils? if a man were to pafs by fhip ovaadmgcrou< Sea,, full ot Rock,, Pirats, Robbers, would not Letters of f"k conduCl: be his comfort> but il a great Navy fhuuld be fdrt to conduct him over, if the Admiral fhould call out all his men of War ro lee him fafcly arrived how much more comtonabie would th;s be > E.ven thu> God deals wirh us, he fends his An– gels, who willingly arlord their minillry, becaukot their love to man, but in rdped: of Gods Word and charge, theyare much more wil!ing· 0 the llrong Motives that we luv~ to li5ht! God, and Clml\, and h1s Spirit, and Angels, all take our pan : what greater dignities' what better defence' what gre"ter {olaoe ? what better iaf<ty thau this ? to Le attended and guarded, not by men ( which we count an honour •nd happ:• 11els) but by Angels, "'"" pitch their 1wts about the SaintJ? Methinks the Knowledge, rCal, ; 4 ;g. Ailurance,Remcmbra11cc, and Mcdmuon of thts fhould marvdloully <t>mtort and en· · .:ourage the People of God. S· rhe Spirits of th( Ju!l, made perfect with God, <Ontribute their allifiance: do they not pray tor the Omrcb in gtneral? do they not mind the condition of thofe w.,u are yet militant upon E.arth > do they not !land upmt the Walls of Heave~ ~nd call on you to man:h up the Hill alrer them ; crying. aloud, f"ll on and the City will be yours, as nJtv it is ours i the fame words that Paul lpake living, he even {peaks now dead; IV•tcb !'' jland fail in the ! aitb, quit your fclvu li~ men. The printed 1 Cor;,s.,,; Books, the ltv:ug Examples of dead Samts, call on you t!Jll to be valorous : do they not re:Jlly fpeak in Joabs Lnguage, Be of goad courage for ymr Souls, and for tht GIB· 2 Sam. 10. 12 ry ofymr God. · 6· Other Saints on Earth are in the fame pollure with your felv« : they are all wre· filing, they are all enduringagreat fi;;ht of afflictions and temptations. Cmainly you march ;u the m:dll of gallant Spirits: your lellow-Souldicrs are every one the Son of a Prince, yea of the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; and this is their way, to •n– courage you, and to lot encouraged by you: there'> not a watch you make, nor a firoke you tlnkc, b:lt it pleafeth them, and it refreil1eth them; as on the other tide, there is not a neg,ligencc, or a fail, but it wounds them, and affiicts them. 7· The Devil himfclf is not altoaether fo rmib)e as he leems. Do you look on hin, in theft p'artic"ltrs. -- . I· Hds but aCreature, though he be Hiled •PriNcipality aml Power, yet his power IS but a created power :he :s potent, but 110t omn:potent; he IS the !\rong man ar– med, _bla ]cfusChrill isftrot,ger than he; ond though you caunot, yet the Lord Jcfus can eahly ~:!arm lum, and tak,s away th•t wherein ht tmftetb. Luk, u. 20 . z. He is a Creature undcT a Curl(;; this may take off m~ch from that dreadful• nef•
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