batterdameour Faith, andhour hemaybe refilled. 179 we are loathto part withal!, is that whichmakes the breach in our confcience. And fometimes we walke without com- fort, not fo much becaufe God with-holds it, as thatwe put it from us ; either not knowing that wee are called to beleeve or not encouraging our lelves to firive a ainrl , a g ti4ma'WlQj Item e- wirbaöt com;art, be a irt itfram ahem. feares, or (huttingour eyesagamft theevidences ofgrace, that God bath bellowed upon us , or mi(lakingwhat the teflimony of the Spirit is , wherebyGodwitnefl'ech to us that we are his children. For whiles wee takeit tobel me vocal! terlimony , which certifieth us again(l feares and doubts, even in the middef}oftemptations, and in man- uer whetherweewill or no, we fall into nofmall perplexi- ties, not findingany fuch certificate inour felves , whereas thewitneffeoftheSpirit iscleanofanother nature. favet. This is no new thing , that God thould caufehis chil- dren to feeke long before they finde comfort. The ApolVa o/etnt;ma cat cauréth hit chi!; in like extremity befoughtthe Lord thrice,that is,ofcen,be- ten tof.klost fore bee received anfwer. And thoughGod delay, either comfit .*Swde to charlen negle&s, or to kindleafte6ion, or that graces hardly obtained maybevalued according to their worth ; yet will he not alwaies defpife his children that cry unto him day and night. The ardent delire (hall at length be fa- tisfied , the panting foule be refrethedwith thewaters of confolation. ,cor.r,.s. Comfort andjoy is the reward of our obedience : but patient waiting is a pleating and acceptable fervice toGod. It isGodsworketogivecomfort , it is our dutie towaite for it in the waies ofholineffe. Let us bee contented to ferve God freelywithout wages , and in theend wee fhall bee nolofers Remiffion offinnes and peace ofconfcience are favours worth waiting for. If the Lord fhould keepe us on the racke even till the lat'c gafpe, and then impart untous the lea(l drop of his mercy or fenfeofhis love in Jefus Chrirl, his grace were unfpeakable towards our foules : and let us not then thinke much to waite inpa- tience a littlewhile. We have not waited fo many yeeres in the means ofgrace for comfort, as Godbath waited Ni for 3
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