~btnmceg. '77 --~-----~ be in thefc particulars ; as r. When we pore n:orc frcque.ntly upon the comforts of our own gracivus aClings, than upon Jefus Chnlt and hts death; when we hve too eh on the fight of a new-created birth in..our felves, and the tmagc of the fecond ~u, though indeed we have Chrifl: himfelf to live on. 2. When we wonder fo m~~h1 ;t what is done in our felves by the grace of Chritl: , tf.at we begin to make a mixture ofJrlf therewith, and illfmedtateiy we fit down and wnte ofo~trfetves an hundred in ftcad offtfty . 3. When we tlunk graces and comforts fa rooted m our fdves; that we negle:t God and Chrifl: for the upholdmg, encre~fe and exerctfc of them. 4· When \ve re:t upon, and too mu.ch confide m the power of mherent grace, former revclattons, m'ld witne!fes of Gods Spmt,wluch are all but cr~aturcs,acts of God upon us,and m us; and therefore in doing thus, we make an Idol of mhcrcnt grace, and put that trufl: m1t, which we fhould repofc in the Lord alone : and fo, as the Lord fpeaketh , Wego a wboring after 011,. otvn hearts. Now all thefc flow ftom the corruption of our nature, and not from thenamre of affitrance; the product of tru~ Evtdence.r,ts a pratfing of God for them and a comforting our felves in them, as m the fruit of his eternal and unchang~blclove: Our rejoycingis this :1 even the _uft.imony of cur confiience,rha: in Jimplicity andgodly finccrit)',!Ve have had our convcrfatwn"' the tvorld; but not a.makmg of them the only or chiefgrounds ofour hope and comforts, for God in this cafe may leave us to our fdvcs , '[hat no flrjh jho~tld rcjo)'Ce in his prefence. 3 . A fiducial pleading of all the precious promifes of the Gofpcl; And hath the Lord indeedgiven me a kj!fe of his momh, a ji<reJignc ofhis love? Why then, 0 myfoul, arifc, 1111 d lay hold on all the Promifcs, which God of hH me-rcy in Chrijf doth •!fer tn the Gcfpcl : Be not dijiMid by retrfon of thy unworthmrfs, for the Promife 1s •fgmce,freeiy offeree;, and freely v;iven to tbem tfult be m~ji umvorthy :r; tJJttr orvn eyes: Thou art 11-lllVorthy of the leaf! frii!JJ of Mercy, bur •fthe rtches ofhis grace God hath given thee the Promifes ofhighcft advancement) zf t hon wilt but embrace them> I lvill be a Father nntoyou, andyeJha/1 be my fons and daughccrs,f'tith the Lord Almighty: ·······And it ]hall be in the place where it1Vas faid 1tnto them, Tearc not my people , that thcrcthcy flwll be called, 7he ~hildrm cf the living God: .•...•. He that overcometh fl1all inherit all things, and I n•ill be his God, and he jhall be my Son. Surely L ord I will lay hold on thefeprom;fes,I will )'et dra1v nightr to thee, and pitt my tmft in thy mercy; I will henccf<!rth Jlie to the tht·onc ofgrace , to gcr my titlemadeJttrtr andfurer unto my confcicnce. 0 Lord , I believe > help thou my 1tnbelief. Thus the foul pleads with God, and God is well-pleafed with fuch pleadings; the foul is a!fured of falvation, and yet prayech in the midfl: of alfurance,· Who am 1, Lord, tb.u thott jiJOtddft male fuch ample and free promifes unto thy poor fervanr .' Ofthy free merC)' , and according to thi11c ownl;eart haft thou fpok.Jn all thcfe great things, to mak; thyjirvant k_now them; 'and now0 Lord God, cftab!tjh, 'j befecch thee, the word that thou hajl jpck§n concerning thyfervant. . 4· Achearful bearing of crolfes: Hence Paul eyeing that objc.:t of alfurance, that weight ofglory, he counts all his aJ!IiRion l~~ht, momenrany; he fungin the dungeon, and reckoned 1t a fpecwl favour to b~ a fuffercr for Chnft ; Jhe fit:c of divine love fo inflames Chrill:ians in this c,ondition, that much water ofPerfccution cannot quench it; yea, fuch 1s the nature of thts fire, that 1t feeds on thofc watcts,and grows more fervent by th<n which would quench it: no wonder: it is but a light <tjJittfion, bm it caufcth ltnto m amore excellent and erernaltvetghrDfgla>y; and parts of thisglory, the Chriltian ~ow rece1veth aforehand, as earnefts of the whole : This makes him to rejoyce (even m the mtd~ of cro!fes,and Io!fcs) wtth a joy unfpeakablc and gloriops: And hence it is that a Chnfl:tan defptfeth che fuffermgs (or the joys, yea, the fufferings are overcome. by the Juys, that the fuffermgs do not turn his joys into fadnetfe, but this atfurance turns the fadnefs ofhis fufferings into joys,for he rejoyccth in hisfstjferings. .5. 1\n holy contempt of Creature-comforts: This is another fruit of affurance, it Wtll makea man indeavour to rid himfelf from fuch feculent matters here, to contemn th~'f, to tr~mple them under his feet, and out of the greatnetfe and goodnefs of his fptr~t, ambtttoufly to long after the prefence of the Lamb. Do I fpcak or write to the den!'l.Ons of Heaven ? Tell me thenyou that carry the Evidence.< of H eaven in your hands andhearts, Is tt no.tthu< with you? hath >tot God wro11ght yollr hearts to thisframe and dtv_me dijpofi"?"?. tf not, he will do it firft or bit;· f,1r citizens of hcoven fct not much !iy the beft thmgs on earth, y.thcn they are thcmfelves, ttnd ad like their Saviour. It was a good fgeech of an Emperour, whatfoever he himfclfwas, Yot< (faid he) ga"i..eo• my pttrple Robes, andgolden Crotvn, bm didyou k.'.'OlV "h"' Cflr~s are 1mder tbem, )'i!ll 1vot<'d, A a not N;.mb IS . 39 zCc.r. r.Il , 1 Cor. Jol9 2 Cor. 6 '8 ' Romanl 9 16 Rev. 2 1. 7 :l Cor. 4- 17 Pbi!. 2. 17
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