<&~p£rtenrc.s'. Chap 6.:x·b, .1., --~---------------- - ------ hin~unt~Lord his Creator ; fo fhould we (if ever \':<\'!ere cbrmcd llith ftc!; Syrm tong,) be more careful , leit we be dr:wn away with th" pleJfing ddights of things rranfitory, and keep them at a gr•atcr d1 bncc fro.:1 ns. 6. \Vhen the Lord jef!1s is more flud1d and advanced : The man that feels Chiills gracious power ~nd virruC wi!l be ~ur.e to cxa!t Ch.ri!t...-. nnc; f~t hirnttp .on high; wh::n, Jfr·,uJ f.t\V the mtghty wor~of Da!Jtd ~~ ovcr~hrow1ng ~..~olt~",tntn L--~~·.1:1 \Vao much fct by : The Believers e.,pcr~e~cc of Chrtfh ~<liGhty and grac1ous working, makes Chri 't ~ .s.an. 18 3· very precious to hunJ. t~en he Crtes as the fouldt crs ?f .Dtnlld, 1b?!: art' ~~~~nh rw thv 11 ... j'ands vf w: Hence 1t 1s that Gods people value hun above oil thctr profits, friends, cafe credit and lives. Matthew left the Rece1pt ofCuflom, J.>me.r and fd;n theii Ships anc.t'Ncts,ahd Father, a'1dfollo~'J~·d him, yc'J.) m~ny j:Jr /·t.rft;k: hvet:..' nor th!ir /,vcnp, 1 ; Rev. 1 2 ' 1 r· death ; no wonder, for they had many fwtet exptrtrnceJ of Chrd : Chrilt to their apprehcnfion was the fa,reft •ften thoujimd; none but Chrilt, n•me but C!u·iJL 7 . When the peoples cd1ficat1on 1s endeavoured: Have we tailed ofthe goodneffe of God ? let us then pro.voke others to bcl1eve, and to fcn·e the Lord together with us ; this is one end of Experience, and that ufe we fhould mai{c of it towards others. \Vhen Uideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, he wor– fhipped, and turned into the ho'l of lfracl; and faid, Arif, for the Lord hath deltvercd J 11 dg. 7. 1 sthe hoft of Median into yonr ha,ds. 8. When a mans own fclf is more abafed : Do we live the life of grace-.and true holineffc? this will teach us to deny our felvcs wholly 1 If any maa (i'aith CLnji) mll wme after me, let him dmy hi11felf ; q. d. Ifany man will come after me in the knowledce of my Will, in the belief of my promifes, in the love of my Truth, in the obedience~f ;:ny Precepts, let him deny himfelf, let him lay afidc his own wifdom, his own will, his own imagination, his own affecrions,his own cnds,1s bafe and unworthy marks to be. aimed at: Let-j;im deny himj'elf; whatfoever is ofhimfelf, or belonging to himfelf, as a corrupt and carnal man ; let him go out ofhimfelf, that he may come to me ; let him empty himfelfof h1mfelf, that he may be capable of me, that 1may rule and reigu 2Cor.s •>· P[aC. I 16.r. 1'{•!. 34 8. Cam 2. 5· in him, and that he may wholly fubjeCl: himfelf to me and my fervice: This the ApofHc" fiilcs, A living~ not unto ow,- felves, but unto him that dyedfor w ; he alone underll:ands, and bath experience of the end of Chrifls death,that makes Chrifls glory the end of hiS> life, and lives not to himfelf, but to Chrifl. 9· \IVhen holy love is more encreafed : I lo11e the L ord, bet·a•tfe he bath heard my voice and my ji;pplication: \Ve cannot tatle of the Lord, but we mu!! have an hearty love to the Lord : Will you hear the voice of Experience? 'tis this, 0 tafte, and fe ho1vgood the Lord is ; and then, 0 flay me with flaggons, and comfort me ll'ith .Apples,for J am jick_pflove., fuch a one r,ruly affecrs Chrifl, and all that follow Chrifl; fuch a one loves the perfon of Chrifl, without his priviledges, a naked Chrifl, as well as a Chriil: doathcd with all his robes, in all his glory and refplcndent beauty, Chrifl in a Prifon, as well as Chrifl in a Throne: Thus Johu (after all his Expe>·ienw of Chril\s love to him) could love Chrifl on the croffe,when others forfook him, as well as in the Temple, when he was working miracles. 10. \11/hen hope is quickened, fuch times may come, that death and darkneffe may funound us; and we may grovel in the dutt; But here is our comfort, That tribulation }{)mttni 5· 4· work!th patience,and patienc;e experience. and experience hope: Have we any Expcriena of Gods gracious dealings with us in former times? have we fometimes been refrelhed by his hand? hath he fometimes helped us? was he found ofus when we fought him? nay, often unfought for? hath he come to our fouls,and renewed our flock, and filled our becalmed fpirits with frelh gales ofgrace?how fhould we then but hope; A.< it tvas in thisre[ped,it is and everJhail be? if new temptations arife, and new lufls break in and z1'im, 4 ., 7 , 1 s. fpoil, it is t)1evoyce of Experience. I was delivered out of che mouth of the Lyon, and the Lord fiJa!l deliver me from every evil work..,, and willprtfervc me unto his heavenly King... dom,to whom beglory anddominionfo~ ever andever--.and JYe !uzd t~efentence ufdeath zc;or. 1 ' 9,w. in ourJelves, that we jhould not truft m ourJelvcs, but m God lVhteh rnijith the dead, who delivered usf romJe great a death, and doth deliver m, in whom we trujf he willyet deliver tt!. I I. When joys of the f}lirit are raifcd and flirred up : Who is he that hath not been delivered out offomc miferable exigents ? and if we have, we may well fay witlt , 1 David, Thou haft jhewedmegreat troubles and adverjities~ bur thouwilt return and rtcn·ve l'J•.. ;t.Jo,zl' me, ~nd'wilt fOme "gaine,.nd tak! me up from the depth of the earth , andCtllifort me: . Former
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