:~o2 Of EM/ion. ~fer forth unto their fait h ; and which, if we believe, we have abun· !looK IV. dant matter of fiedfafinels and fecurity. ~ I begin with the Engagement of the two Perfons, r.God, 2.Chri/l,which was the firli part of the Divihon; and accordingly the firli words t hat prtfcnt them· ftl ves, arc the firli of thele l'erfons, Bm tht Godof alt Grace. Neither fhalll inf11i on rhefe words, nor any of the other, any farther than as they dircdly tend to, and iiTue in the proof of my mam Subjed, which I have jXopofed at fir(\ as the fum of all the words; and to ferve unto that pur· pofe, I do undertake for each and every word. r. [But God.] You may obferve in what a terrible manner he had fet forth our Adverfary the Devil, in all things that may render him dreadful to us; An Adverfary for malice, a Lyon for lirength, a roarmg Lion for dread; (The LJ'011 roars, who wdlnottrem6te?) watkwg about, {et king, fuch is his dili· ' gence, whow he may devotlr, being able by one Temptation to drink up ( as the word ••,.,;,) at one draught, any Soul fuddenly, and at once as i• were , makingnobonesof it, asbedidJudao, and held him fali in his belly, as a Lion his prey, fo ~s never to get out again; -and farther, (which of it felf would encreafe the trouble) he tells them that atJ and every Saint were in danger at Jeafi of being tempted forely by him; if not continttalty, yet at tome time or other every Saint, bothgreat and[matt, the whole Brotherhood (as the word is) were ordained tofuffer by his hand, fo verf g. And when he had done this, then in full oppolition unto all comes in [But God] as a Carer and Undertaker tor us; fo he is f\iled, verj; 7· But God, the God~c. fo fer– ring him in full Brett, as we fay, againli the Devil and the fears of our own Hearts, as our Prrferver, Vi11dex, and V11dertakn·, (as Joh)and great Care– taker for m, as Pner here, vrrf, 7· So then take all thefe Vrr(es, and joyn them together, that is from the 6th to t he 1oth ver(e, os meeting in th1s one great fcope, and you may behold (and it is a pleafant light to fee) the Devil, our Averfary belieged, and every way furrounded; that if he ·but offer to meddle With us, God is prefeuted ready to rife up on evrry fide, again(\ him, (asrheP[atmtf/ f!"'a ks, P(at, 124- t,) There is God, the mighty G•d, that careth for tU, on the forelide, afore him; then, hut God, the God of all Grace, on the other fide, behind him : And what fhould we now tear 1 If it were not for this [But God] what f\range doings from mens lulls, yea in Saints hearts, yea and trom Satan,would there be in the world? Parallel wn· to this is that of another Apof\le, The Sptrit that is iH m (Saints) !tJjleth after envy and rev enge, ~c. And whether would thefe carry us? BUT God giveth morr Grace J to help us again(\ thefe, y ,,mes 4· 0 that this [But God] were but always in remembrance with us, when the i11iq11ity of our btels, and firong and various temptations do mcompajs us about round, to oppofe this through faith again(\ them, a• the Apolile here. The like coming in of a But God you have again and again in the New Tef\a. mcnt, Eph. 2. 4. 1 Cor. IO. t?· In the Old, Pfal, 73· 26,--And if God /;e for "'• who fbnlt be againjl tU 1 Rom, 8. 3'• 2. [The Godof Grace] If God 6e for:u, ~c. But if moreover God, as the God of Grace be for us, who then can be again(\ us ? You may obferve how proper and fuirable the lingling forth and mention of this Attribute of God's is, [A God of Graa)when ycu have to do with Satan in point of perfonal Temp– tations, C!ic. when clfewhere, the Church at Rome had to do with him, in re– fped of Divilions raifed up amongfi them by him. The ,flile the Apoflle gi· veth.to God, tor their relief again(\ him and them is, [The God of P ence J in full oppolition unto 'Divijio11s ; that is, a God who was able, and would one day t herefore fettle and compofe them. Rom. t6. 17, 20. Thr GodofPeace jha/1 bruije S11tt11z tmder your fert jhortty : He fpeak1it in relation unto Di· vifions, as ver(: '7· But whenour Apollle here would raife up our fpirirs a– g,inf\ Temptations, which are perfonal from Satan, or Corruptions of what kind foevcr, he then, a1 appolitdy , fiileth himThr God of Gracr; nothing (<>
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