68l Book.lV.Part.3. Lookingemto1e[us. Cbap.J. Se~.9 perienced ic. The Law of the Spirit of life in Chrift,hath freed me from the la.w offin ~tnd death. 5. Let us praife God, and thank God for the help a!read y received, ifwe finde that we have gotten fome power againfi !ln, that we have gottea more ability to oppofe rhe !ufl:s of the flefh, that we are fe!dome overtaken with any breaking forth of it, that v:e have been able to withfiand fome notable temptati"ons to ic, chat the fvrce of it in us is in any meafure abated, that indeed and in truth vertue is gone out of the deatb of Chri£1:; 0 then returne we praifes to God, let us triumph in God, let us leade our captivity captive, and flng new fongs of praife? unto God, and even ride in triumph over our wrruptions, boafiing our felves in God, and fetting up our banners in the Name of the moll high, and offering up humble and hearty thanks to our Father for the death of Chrifr, and for the merit, vertue, and efficacy of it derived unco us, and b.eftowcd upon us: · 6 .,. Let us frequently returne to our look,jng up unto {efru (hrift to our beleeving in Chrift as he was lifted up. How we are t~ manage our faith, to draw down the vertue ofChrifis death in· to our fouls, I h&ve difcovered befor~ ~ and let us now be in the pucrife ofthofe rules; certainly there is a conveyance ofan healing, ftrengthening, qui•kening vertue flowing into the foul in the time of its veiwiog, eying, contemplating, reflecring upon Chrifl: crucified, Chrift lifted up; and this comes from the ft>cret prefence ofGod , bleffing this our (oukJ.ng 11pon Chriff, as the ordinaoce ,by which he hath appoymed to make an effeCluaJ. impreffion upon the heart• It is not for us curioufly to enquire, how this fhould be; prir:ciples (we fay) ure mt to be prsved- {aveonly God hath faid it, and experience hath found it our' that when faith is occafioned to ad on any fuitabl<l fac-red objecr: God by his Spirit doth not faile to anfwer; in fuch a cafe he'fills the foul with comfort, bleffing, vertue; he recurnes upon the foul, ( by, from. and through the adings offaith) wbatfoever by it is looked for: Indeed none knoweth this but he that fee!es it. and none feeles this that knoweth how to expreffe it; as the~e is fcmewhat in tbe fire (heate, warmrh,m1d l~'l,ht) which no painter can exp'relfe; and a' there is fomewhat in the face, ( htate, wal"mth, and life ) which no limner can fet fonh, fo there is fomewhat fiowing into the foul, while it is acting faith on the - ~~
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