7he Great Duty of Rejig11atio11. In conjunction with the belief of God's Providence, our belief of his Promifes, rhar his Trud1 is unchangeable, for the performance of them, is requificc to prcfcrve the afflicted Spirit in a calm and fubmiflive State. A prefem Evil !hikes the imagination and Heb. n. r. fenfes in another manner than a .future Spiritual Good. Now Faith is the fo~flance of things hopedf,, &c. it makes inviliblc things to be the greateft realities to the Soul; the Pr,l. s+ ~~ai~~i~~~:~?~eefl!'c~~:~~~r~~;t:O~!~~'so~J'f~g:~~;ed;J~.fs~ 1J'1o~:t;{~Jl~~~j:U.~5 is tbe man tbat trujletb in thee. His uncontroulable Power Governs all the Orders of Creatures, and the Honour of his Truth is fo Sacred, lhat heaven and earth /hall poji :~·a,;~?~~~ ~t,~[:~~gn:C:;r ~:Jf.,~:i~~,C~o:;;!{I,~ ::o~;:le7'::~t t~a~~~~t~~sc~~~li~~~~ it. Thefe Graces are infeparable, and are recorded with ipecial obfcrvarion, as the Jtev. 13· ro. Fountains of Courage under Suffcrings. Here is t!Je faitb and patience of the faints; and lVe are direEled to follow tbem w/Jo tbrough faith and patience have iJ1berite.J the promifes. Other Graces are engaged in the Chrillian Combat, and fuive for Victory, but hith and Patience are Crowned. And to fuppon us in great Troubles, a firm afliance in rhe DiJ(a. t>t. Jo. vine Promifes as belonging to us, is of infinite Moment. I JVi/1 greatly rejoice, and trufl in tbe Lord, my foul jhall be joyful in my God. The general apprehenlion of God's Mercy is mcffcc:tual to fupport us: And to claim aTide in him without a real Evidence, is vain. But a r~gular Trufr, an applicative Faith, in. conju_ndion with our finccre performing the Condi tions of the Promifcs, is to a _Cluiilian , ltkc the f.1cred locks of Sampfon's hair, whilfi they remained, he was invincible; but when cut off, he became weak as other Men. Our Comforts rife and fall according to the ftrongcr or weaker degrees of our Faith: Peter walked firm upon the Waves till he doubted, and then began to link. One of the foreft and moft dangerous Temptations of the Af!licted is, that they are out of God's Favour. The Mourning VC!l darkens the Eyes of their Mmds, that they cannot f,~~ ~~~~~~~~~o~~}~c~?at;:~~;cl~~ g~~J'rl1:~~~1~ch~~hi~r~~~c~r:~:~1~~e;~~~if~:id~:~~ evils he fends here. As Gideon complained to the Angel, If God be with us, how comes all tbis e-vil to 'iS: And t 1e Spirit of Darknefs takes the Advantage of great Troubles to tempt fad Souls to defpondoncy, as if they were utterly forfaken of God. If this Tcmp- }~~:~~k~::il;:{tf:~~;'b~:;~ ~;;~~;aeio::'; :;~~~':/~ :~~rH~~;~~C~:Oe~7aifc~~~e~~ _Rt[pt ,e/11 ti· remains nodting but defperate Sorrow. S. Aujlin, to repel this Temptation, introducerh ~;,;';ftftd~:'· God anfwering the al!licted and djfcomforted ~ Is tbis tl;y Faith ? Did I promifo Tempo- '"? sue ti•i ral Projperity to )'DU ! Were you made a Chri./han for thu, that you might jlourifh in tbis }?r.~t.~-:· ~w~~~ Js~ei~~~ ~~ ~~fi!~o~~~l~a!d~~d't~mJ,~ ~e~;~T<;:>~:ee~o;:~~e ~f~~;T~~~~~ ~;~;.~·;~"' 1 ~;d~ot/'~'~~:d~i:d J,:;%a~lJJ,t";; 1:~"J~:":,f;I;/"d they jha/1 be refined as fil~er Briefly, Let us fuengrhen our Faith of the gloriOU$ State, and our Title to ir, and it f.H~~~:t~nfi:~na~~i•;~e~i&e~~;~t~~p;h~Chrift~a~~h~~f~'[;~hi~~~ftftr~~i~hea~jofr: renrive Conlidcration looks on.the inefrimable infinite Felicity, is regardlefs of all things in the World, in comparifon with it. Sacred HiO:ory reports of Saul the Pcrfecutor, who was transformed into an Apofrle, That a fudden Light from Heaven of that excef!ive Brightncfsencompaifedhim, that he was ftruckblind, and faw no man: This may beca- ~~lri~~j;j'~?;t as~~~i:~;;~l;£~~ ~;~~:e;J::,d: ~~:ia~~~~~~ ~~:C~'~t;,~~ctthi~,~~: is to darken his light of the things that are temporal : Even the weatefr things here arc not of!ilch moment, as to allure or terrific him from profecuting his blelfed End. Saint • P« •· a. Peter declares of perfecuted Chriilians, That belie-vin~, tbey rejoice witb joy un.fPeakahie, ~l~o~~~fr~~TYcroJ!e !:~~d~l~,:~~~!~e~f'~le~~~: ~f,.~l~~ftcl,~'~f:~~:s '~r em,;,spirl· earthly Dignity, in expeflation of the WeLTed Reward. Tertullian wrore to the Noble ~:~:!?~~~~ ?:o~:~~; ~~i~h~~r;rp~~~ai:u:v:}er;;~~~oJre~;~kA{;;;~;e~f:Ot~~gir ;~:d~~~dc~;~~a~: . !:~t:~~:~ ~~~tc;~~~~~~~~ut:~;i~f~l:tb~ ~h~~ ~~~~,~~}ct;!a~:~·fce~J1~o~fl~~~;do~1~}0~~1, £.,{, rfl. Ad where you fhall reign for ever. In the mean time countcrpoizc the Darknefs and StrattMmy<. nefs, the Loathfomnefs and Sufferings of your Prifon, with the Light and Amplitude, t he Riches and Abundance, the Joy and Glory of the Celefrial Kingdom which no words are fignificant enough, or worthy to exprefs. A Saint whofe Blelfednefs is in Heaven,
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