Chap 9 Se&.). r. Confefs our fins offormer igf!orance, vanity of mind, felf.co~dence, folitary mufings on the temptations of Satan, mif.interpreting of the Lords domgs, &c. whicl:\ which fet open the foul to all other fpiritual evils: --0 my God, J have difeftwnecf thy mmy, d•ftmfted thy promifes, harboured thoughts oftmbelief, &c. al)dfo have expofid. myfot<l to the moft violent, horrible andfiery temptations of the world, fiejb, ,Dev1l, and my o1vn l~tfts: my foul, wbicb foould have been .-avijhed with the joyes ofHeaven, and with ·the kjjfcs ofChrift, is continually pe[fered and af[ailed with the black_.and he//ifo _thoughts of .Atheifme, Blafphemy, andfoul-ve>:mg fears ; my heart trembleth, my ftrength fa,leth, my life is[pent withgrief, myfpirit withill me is overwhelmed, and prevailingfears fo tyran-, t~iz.e over me, that Jcatmotfpe11k_., Jam fore wounded a'!d bro~n, I go mourning and defolate all the dAy long. , . 2. Importune the Lord for pardon of fin, and for help againfl: all oppofii:ions: Par– don, 0 Lord, myyielding to the temptations of the Devil, or Flejb, or World, or Man,' or Sin: Pardon, 0 Lord, the infidelity, doubtings, deje[/ednefs; infirmities, and car– Jtal e~·ceJ!ivefears ofthy poor fervant; and for theftttHre, deliver my foul from the f narn, ftre1:1gthen me in the Combate againft all my enemies:· .Arife0 Lord dzfappoint Satan, caft him down, deliver my foul from the wi•·~done; 0 be thou my ftrength in my trouble, for I flye ttrlto theefor help andfor foccour. . 3. Then prefs the Lord with his Promifes, as with fo many arguments : Lord, thou_ haflfard, ThAt thegaw ofhellfoal/ not prevail againft us: That whofo pleafeth God,Jhall tfc~tpe the ftrange woman : That whofoevrr is born ofGod overcomet/; the world : That if wefo.lfe>·for righteoufnejfefa~, happy tJre we : That'in a little wrath I hid my face from thee for amoment, but with everlaft•ng kjndnefs will I have mercy upon thee : That agood man thor'ih he fall, hejhall not.be utterlyCltfl down, for the Lord 11pholdcrhhim JVith his lvmd. 0 thefe are thy goldenfwcct precious Promifes; now Lord ma~ them good to my foul, let me draw thefiveet, and juice, and virtue from every of thefe promifes, let not a woydoffhefepromifesfallto theground, let me have myfoare, andpart, and portion in rhefe comfortable promifcs, throut,h the Lord Jefus. Secl:. An .Appmdix of the manner of this £ife of Faith, in oppojition axainft truth {lni goodnefs, and more particularly againft o11rgood Name, whereby an unworthy [crvant ofChrijl fometimesfound abundance ofSpiritual comfort, HIs Innocency being fometimes overfhadowed with a thick and dark mill: of Slan-· ders, Reproaches and defamations, he endeavoured, firll: to review thepromifes, and fecondly to aCl his faith on them. ~- Thepromifeswerethefe: Pfal. 37· 5,6.Mat. 5· IO, II, u . IPet. 3· I4. I Per. 4· LJ,. Pfal, 68. q. ThoteghYDH have/yen among the pcu, yet foal!ye be as the wings ofa liove covered withJilver, and her feathers wit!, yellowgold; q.d. though hitherto you have been as fo many abje~s, cafl: into the ends of the earth, as thrown amongfl: black and fmoaky pots, oppreffed with mighty calamities, yet the tim~ is at hand that ye lhall bemad~ white as doves ; your innocency and happinefs lhall appear, and your white lhall be mtermixtwith the colour of pure and yellow gold, (i.e.) you lhall come to the top of the higheft felicity, and ye fhall be freed from llanders, and obtain illuftriou$ glory. • 2 • Intheatlingofhisfaith, heend.eavoured. I, To Meditate. 2. To pray. - I . Hts Meditations.were thefe: -- . 1 • That we know not how to prevent it. Men may ilander, and men will ilander, fo long as th~ world lafts; onely we have thefe Promifes for comforts, and it is the ~ord ]oh s. •t. whoprom1~eth, and ifhe pleafe, ·he can hide us from the fcourge of tongues; or tf he I[a. "' · 1. pleafc, he •s able to refl:ore us double to our'lhame. • 2 • That true faith will fortifie the foul againfl: all Reproaches: There is ari e~courag· mg voy~eof the Lord to this end, Heark,!n unto me, yerhat kyow righteotefnefs, the pea. Ifa, 1i. 1> pu ~n. wl!ofe heart is my law: fear ye not the reproach ofmm, neither he ye afraid of their re'llzltngs. · . ~- T~at if the wicked reproach more &more,yet it is the duty of Chrill:ians to exer– Ctfehauence.Experience of their vanities,& Gods gracious dealings with us,will'fortifie' our carts : Fea,. not thor• w~rm (thou poor defpicable thing) 1will help thee, faith the t[.t. 41 • •.fl LordthJ Rcdwmr; and as for ~hy reproa~;h~rs, their doom is before, Behold, 11ll they [; f thnt
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