--~-~__ B_oo_k:-i-;:!:-=-.--:-:--<Mll-:-;:-:--;-llt-:-:lbi_t_ll_ED----::ebi_it_s_.__ c_h-!ap~. 5.sea: 6. nports of her thus: I k_new ( faith he) • very godly Zl1oman, who in h•r 1:;;-;;;;;;;;;d to/(gN agreat deal of pai>tJ to compofe, a11d #rite do"'n her tvidencu for be nd who alfo kspt a diary of lm life, and wrote down hoTP fhe fptnt every day ; 1 p;v{.j ~ d to with·draw himfelf from htr for a while, and to let the devil loo'C ,;ho te '" '' ho d ;ll d · "'' mptea er to t1par~, tol her fhe wa1 _an hypocrz!e, a11d forma/if! , a>td had no true grace in her; Jht [em for me, m•de her bmcrcomplamt to me, and fadly bewailed herconditi . b .(he ·told me (which before I kmw not ) how jhe had fptnt her life, how cartfit~nfl 1 be~ ~een i_n fear<hing her waytJ, in obfervingh~,(hefpenr evtry da)'• andhowexa/1 in ::lle~wg rottknceJ for heavtn: 1~e bODk.. waJ fent fo~, I read a grtat parufit to her, and tooft mNeb tleltght and contmt tn what I read, and tl plrafed God to come to her with f. in the readiltg of it : She ]hewed her jlaff, and hr braceleu, and tbereby qumc~:; :b: fit•)' aiTIJ of the devil. +· Improve the comforts and precious promifcs which are mofi fuitable to 0 Luke 22 .; 1, 31 conditiops, I !hall infiance in thefe, --Behald Sata1< bath defired tohave you, that~~ Rom.8·38,;9• mightjift you as whe•t, bxt I hJvt prayed [or thee, tbat thy faith fail not.-- F~r 1 a" prrf¥¥.tded, tlut neither Deatb, nor Life, 11or Angel1, nor Princip.dities 110r Powe 1 ,or thing' prcfent, n.'r thin.~J to come, nor bight, ner depth, nor any other cre:ture, fhaU rh; able to [eparate us from the lo' e of God, wl>ich iJ i11 Cbrijl JefuJ Ol<r Lerd. --Ha- > vingfPoiled Prill<ipalitia and Po,.,CTJ, he maU' a!her> of them openly, triumphing eve~· H< 1 • 1.1, 1 5· them upon the Crofi, and fo throttgh death bath dejlroyed him that had the power of death tbat is the devil, thot In wight deliver aN them woic/; forfe.w of death "'ere all·thcir !if; 1\om. 1 5, 2 o. fubjefJ to homlag~.--A11dtht God of Peace JhaU brttife Satan zmder yo:<r feet fhortly. 1\cvcl. 12. 12. --The devsl t1 come down unto you, havt11tg great JHath, becattfe he k._noiveth tb.Jt he hatl1 bn! a jhort time. His rage is greatefi, when his time is (hortefi, eveu as the da1k– nefs is greatdt a lirtle before day, but this is a li!ln that a calm is at hand; the devils grand temptations, are mdTcngers of hi• retiring, as when the 1\rength ofan enemy is wafted he w1ll make one or two furious affaults againG the Cn!lle, and then he rai[eth Matth.IJ.lS. the liege: And is not tlm the voice ofChrilt, Come unto me allye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give ;oureft. Sooner mufi God deny himfelf, or difrobe him· felfof the bnghtcfi bmn of his glory, and cf the fairell Hower in his Garland ofMajefiy, which IS h1s mercy, before he deny pardon of fin to the truly penitent : Thou fayll thy fil15 are as blaok as hell, as red as blood., as fm1l as Sadom, yet faith Chrifi, Came ,,.,t welcome. But above all others, methmks there is one promife which is able to zr,;, S$-7•;, 9 • put life and. fre!h vigour .in the tl'lofi difpairi~1g foul: Let the wick.fdforfalt.! hiJwayu, and tht Jlnrtgbteoul man bulhougbu, and let lmn rcwrn rmto the Lord, aud he wiUhave mtrcy "/'"'him, and to pr<r God fvr be wiU abundantlypardon, for my thought/ are notyour tho,.ghlf, neither are JOur wayu my wayu, faith th< Lord :For aJthe heavenJ are hiJ!."er than tht earth, Jo are my "'ayu bigber thanyour wayc.<, and my tbougbu than JOUr thougbu. Tbus the Lord draws his people to the Fountains of grace, and ~ri~es them from dcfp•ir, Ly a conlideration of his tranlcendent and unlimited mercies :It fcems they had reafo11ed thus, we have been io wretched by rebellious, that there is no return– ing unto him, thtre is no hope of pardon: what, laith God, will you mea[ure my mercy by your mtrcy ?why, there is as great odds between my wayes and your wayes, my thoughts and youtthoughts,i. e. between my mercy and your conceits ofmy me1cy, as there is difiance betweca heaven and earth. 0 golden promifes I S· Pray earnefily that now the Lord may t!ep in, and help us by the power of his might. This was the way ofthe Samts of old, the holy S1lter ofBafil, and Mela– Hia, whom Hierome magnifies for their fancbty, bcfought God with great fnvency, that rhofe envious fpirits might not hinder them in thm !aft pa!Tage: And devout 'Bmtard to the fame purpofe, when he drew neer hi5 end, he iued to his friend for his earnell prayers, that the bed of his life might be kept fafe from the Serpent,.fo as he might not find where to fil< h1s ltmg: Arm >Ht fJr my I•JI brum ( prayed diVIne HaU) 0 my God, jland by me in my lajl combatt, mal;,cmefaithful t• rhe de•tb, that tiJOu may~(! givr me a Cror.>n oflife. Why thu~ ltt us Pray m th•s cafe of defpalr: Re:nern• her me, 0 God, according to the tnulutude ofthy tender cornpallions, and blot my iniquities out of thy remembrance for thy Names lake, impute not unto me thofc hdh!h thoughts luggefied by Satan, which through thy grace I detell unfeigned!)', under which Idclirc to be humbled, and from whiCh I beg to be del1vered: 1\eturn, 0 Lord caul<: the light of thy countenance to !hine upon me, refre!h my parched foul w 1th th: li:ufc of thy mercy, difpel the mills of this black temptation, rcbnkt Satan, and
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