cmnar lbitb !!I)ebil£'. Book ll. promifed; it i; coiled an affimcc, depenMnce, adherence, reliance, or if there b~ any word that exprdfeth the act of an humbled Soul, whereby it cal!etl~and repofeth rt felt upon the promifc of God in Chtill, for the obtaining remiffion of lm>,and•eve!lalhng life, rhat is it which new the Spirit works in thefoul ofwhom he purpofeth to five. I would have this well undcrllood and fdt; this is that hinge on which the doors of hea– ven do turn: Tu this act, the poor foul inlightned, and >lfrighted with the fenfe, and fi?,ht of its fin, aod mifery for (n, and having a fight of Chrill, which breeds in it f~me defiies after Chrill , it throws it ftlf into Chrills Arms, grafping fall abou~ him , and• hiding ir felf in the clefts of this rock, crying and faying, my Lord, a114 my God , 0 f've me, or I fi11k._; 0 hold me fafl, or I perijh for ever. By .this ad we are accepted for jull before God, for the fake and {~.tferings of }cfus Chrifl. · : Now when the devil perceives this, he fee> himfelf gone, and the foul in fafcty out of his power, only he will not ceafe to tempt and trouble; and to that purpofe, if he can– n'lt prevail again{\ the e./Jeof a Chriflian, he wrellles againli the bene •ffi; if he canhot keep off the hand of faith, from laying hold on Chrifl, yet will h'i trouble the head and heort of a Chriliian with cloudy vapers, and mifgivi~g thoughts, Bllt ~rfl fomttimes he keeps offthe haad of faith, darkning the foul with a deep melancho lly, that it cannot r,e and remember the prorr.if<; or it it be remembred, yet he [cares the foul from oft the promife , q. d. Wb.1t doy •umeddle with the promife ; it dues 1wt bel,ng mito you ,you have finned fo and fo, and tb,·efure thethreatningr, and not the f'0<11ife belongJ, unto y o:e. Secondly, fomeritnes he breeds in the foul a jealous and lufpitious frame, that it will got believe that it dotl• believe. And hence we hear thefe cryes, Alor! I canno! think., that I d, really rejl, and rely on Chri/i ; or iffometimer I beirt fuch • frame , )'et at fome other times I cleave again to R {cnji,al good , m~re than to a {piriwal promife, or t.o an heaven– fyChrift : Oh I du >totfnlly andconjlanly clinl!, ~ntothe bleedingwU..ndruf Jefru,I amttp ~nd down, I ref/ not euntinual!Ji on the freenefs of hir love, •nd Merit uf hir paffion, and trutl1 of hir fromife, ilf ~tpon a rock, of Etemity; And is tbis to re./ye 011 Jefur Chrijl? Oh rhe depths of Satan! r. He defigns to keep the foul from believing, but if he cannot keep 47 the Edifice of Faith from being built in the foul, yet he will keep it (if pol!ible )from L ·k· !landing klre : Simm,Simm, (f•ith Cllfill) Satan bath defired •• win>tDw thee lik,e whe,t, u c 22"3q2 · but I har•e prayed [orJbee,that thy faith fail not. The word wiJmow-] figgifies to fhakc up·and down, as with a tan the wheat is uled. Look bow he dealt with Job, bccaufcS~- ran had rro .power over his life , he executed his power to the utmo!t upon the t:>Qmforr. of his life: So he deals with the lout of a Chriflian, if he have no power over the life of faith, then he will execute his powex to the u tmoft , that the foul tnly never come to have the comfmrable fen(e of faith; and when he brings hisRams ro barter his comforts , no wonder if the poor mud, wall ofa Cl1riflian fhakc's up and d·owu. SE'.CT. xv. Of the Souls wrej/ling with Sata11, 4Sio tbu ajJault. F':>r the bearing otf thefc blows in time of temptation, let us confider them a plrt :' Arrd fir!\ , to that of Satans endeavourln~ to funder or fever the foul from the promiCe, an:d to keep it otf from faith, do you take this courfe.-- . J\.v~l 2 2 • ·,. i . Do you gather in promi[es, that you may h4vc them at hand: I fhall inflance in Mat,,·,.;;;· fucb as thefe,- Let him that is a thirjl come, and whofoevir will, let h.im tak! of the Joh.7·37· "'ater of life free!Ji.-Comiunto meall ye th•t la'bour, and are heavy I.Jen, .tJnd I wilt ~~·:>o· 31 • eafe you.- If a•j man thirjl, let him come u'mo me and drink.,-1'hefethings are written, '' 6•3'· thatye might belitve, andthat believing,ye mi~ht have life t.l>ro~<gh !Jir Na-me. - Betieoe on the LordJefiuChrijl, and t!Jou jhalt b~ faved. . . ' . lfai. 54 ,, 7 , 2· Take po1feilion of thepr~mlfcs,andvaluethema.;your own: TheProphetre– cording a .promife in lfai. )~· 1 7.adds-rhus, 'fhir ir the Herita.~eof thefervants of tht Lord~ am/'i.heir righteoufne[s is of me, faish the Lord. Jf you louk into Gods Book,and firn:l any promifeof Chrill', or of (;brill your righteoufnefs, or of Chrifl, o(fering him– ~elf for your righteoufntfs, yot1 fhould make it your own, fo( it is your Heri~age : O "lay ~old on ~bofe promifes, and fay, 'this is mim, it is~ p'art of my Heritage, ahti I am to t.veHpon>lo
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