Chap.t L Sea 7• 19 ChrillisourMa!l:er, Mat.23.8,!o. ourLord, R•m. 1+·9· ourHead, Eph. · • I 5'. our Malter and Lord, John I 3.. I 3. . 4 20. Chrifl is our enabler tu do all thmgs, 1'/ul. 4· I 2. . . 2 I. Cbrifl is,both the Author and finilher of our faith, Hcb. I 2 . 2." 22, Chritt is our Saviour, yea falvatron rt felf to us, Rom. 5. 9> 10. r The[. 5. 9· 2.Tim.2.II,I2. . . · . ' ' . 2 j. ChHfl is our very b~mg" the food, and foul of our fouls, John 6.55· .Afls 17.28. 24 , Chrifl is our all rn all, Col. 3· 1 r. SECT. 7 , Of[•me £2.f:.effions or Cafe; ofConfl"ieme, which at the Conference wtrl , propo11nded .wda?Jjivtred. . ' T He Q!!eftions concerning cafes ofconfcience, were thefe and the like. Se(}-, r. VVhethcr a Believer may profit more~ or be more Jiltent iiJ. pt!blik!, or in ferret Prayer. I T was anfwered, That this Cafe might better be refolved by experience then Scrip· ture. and accordingly fame preferred publike Prayer for thefe Reafons: I. sdcaufe in.publique they are ftirred up .by others; but in private, or fecret Prayer they had none others to joyne with them. · 2: Bccaufe in publique, they th.at exercifed had morc-excHlent gifts, which-excee– dingly tend to their_edification; but in fecret, they.foimd thcmfelves weak, and dull, and dead-hearted ordinarily. Others aofwercd otherwife, and preferred fcere.t Prayer on thefe grounds:----- r. Iie,~o,.ufe in fecret they could confeffe more enlargedly and feelingly their own firines than others could do it for them in publique, to whom they were not particularly k~own. .. . .. . 2. Becaufe in fecret they had fewer occafions of diftradion , than in publike, and confequent!y they kept clofer to God in the Duty. 3• Becaufe they found by experience, that in fecret their hearts were more up; and when they thcmfelves were to perform in publick, the Society, whom they joyned with, did ordinarily more lhaiten them, · 4.. Becauf~in.fecret .they could takc.more paines with their hear~: as. in miJil: of Prayer, to pro!hate, or by breaking ofF, to meditate, &c. which conveniently they could pot do in publrke. . ' , In conclufion, this Cafe was refolved,;That fome Believers tnay profit more, or be more' intent in pubiique, other; in private: yea, rhe f ame Chrijlian may[ ul!Jetlmes be more intent in publik!, andfomnimcs in f"tivare: And the reafon rendred was, Becaufe the Spirit· that helps us to pray, is a free agent, and works diverfly in the hearts of his people, to lhew the diverlity of his gifts, and his diverfe mlnner of working. And yet withal, this is obfcrvable, that the comforts in duties, which have lea{[ of man, and are moll im- . mediate from the Spirit of God, are'ufually the fweeteft c?niforts. ~eel. ~. Whether a Chris1ian in his own apprehenfion, decaying in Grace, may notyn grow m Grace.' "nd ifJo, What are the reafons of his IVrOf',g apprehenjions. .,- 0 the firfl Q!!eflion ii was anfwered Affirmatively; as in cafe of temptation, Pft!l, J ;73-21,22,23. or in a fpiritual defertiony P.fal. 51. 12. ffal. 88. 1(4, 49· 14. To the fecond r 1 ueflion thefe reafons were given in: -– I. '(he negleel of Self-examinatioo. · · 2. The want of Gods lively Ordinances, 3,·.A_too much eying of.affiidions. · . .' 1 4· A too much poring upon fin, without any thoughts of Chrifl or Free-grace. 5<• the.wanr,of thclight of Gods. amiable countenance. · 6. !he m!enfiblenefs ofgrace, which is ofa fpiritual nature, and not fo cafily to be percetyed, 1 · · . , 7· .A pr_efent ~ea~nefs or dulnefs of Spirit. 8,· A mrfapplyrng of fome one or more places ofScripture, as ·H rb. 6. 6. &c. . , · K k z 9 Weaknef$
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=