theAromifes of'perfeverance,&c. Now feeingGod hath binpleafed, by fo many promi- fes toallure the faithfull of their fure and ftedfaft elate, it is neceffary ferioufly to learne and thinke upon them, that they might be fetled inbelieving their perfeverance. Had it not beetle a point ofgreat weight andneceflitie, we cannot thinke the Lord would have mentioned it fo of- ten, and confirmed it fo many waies : which will Toone appeare toany man that (hall confider his owne frailtie, and the flrength and malice of his fpirituall enemies;how potent and vigilant they be to aflaile, how weake and feeble he is to withfland andmake refiffance. Nor is our weakneffegreater then our backwardneffe tobelieve the promifes ofperfeverance, whenwe Rand in molt need of' them. When corruptions Rirre,and tentationsbe hot and fierie, and we finde our felves ready to faint, then arewe tofeeke ofapromife that might uphold againit the feare offalling away ; or if the promifebe at hand, wecannot lay hold upon it, forcemitt or other comes betweene it and the eyeof our underflanding. Many good Chrillians are kept under with thistemptation, They are afraid they £hall never hold out, if perfecution fhould come, they (land in doubt left they fhould fall away as manyhave done,whomadegreater fhewes, andTeemed tohave gone then ever they did. Andwhile( they dit+ruflfully' queftion their perfeverance,allprefent favours feeme leffe thenotherwife they would,all other promifes beheld the more wcakly,andSatan takes advantageto fill their hearts withmanifold difcomforts. God (I denienot) doth order thefe temptations to the bet+, and will doe his children good by them : for hereby they are driven to diftrùt+ themfelves and run unto God, and relie upon him in all their necefïities : neverthelefle the many perplexities, wherein they are entangled for want of faith in the pro- mifes ofperfeverance, doth fufficiently convince, how neceffary it is wé fhould labour to have our hearts et+a- blifl3ed in this confidence, that the Lordwill never leave us nor forfake us. T 3 Confi 277 Byferious medi' ration on thee promifes Ive muff fettle our [elves inbelie vinn,whieb is very neceßary.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=