:VireElions for a 1vell grounded Faitb. tion fur tbefrns oftbe people : For be himfelfbavingfujfmd being tempted, be i• able tofuccour them thatart umptrd Heb. 2• 17, r8. He fubmitted not only to be tempted by Satan, but tempted in a1Yilder– nefi where he had no man to comfort him; and to be tempted to the moll horrid Bl"./phemy. andwiclt· ednefi, even to fall down and worlhip the Devil himfelf; aud he fulfere~ the Tempter VIOlently to carry him to the pinnacle of the Temple, Mattb. 4· What lhould we thmk of our felves, tf we had been ufcd rhus? Should we not think that God had utterly forfaken us' He fulfered himfelf to be tempted alfo by men : by the abufes and reproaches of his enemies ; by.the defertion of his follow– ers; by the carnal counfel ofPeter, perfwading him to put by the death which he wa5 toundt:rgo. And he that made all Temptationsferve to the triumph of his patience, and conquering power, will ~ive the victory alfo to his Grace~ in the weakefi foul. 9. 12. 9· It would be the greatell atcrat!ive to us to draw near to God, and make the thoughts of him pleafant to us, if we could but believe that he dearly lovetb Uf, that he is reconciled to us, and taketh us for his childrm, 'and that he taketh pleafure in us, and that he refolveth for ever to glorifie us with his Son ; and that the deirdt friend that we have in the world, doth not Love us the thou– fandth part fo much as he. And all this in Chrill is clearly repre!ented to the eyeof faith. All this is procured for believers by him: And all this is given to bclievns in him :. In him God is re... co.nciled to us: He is our Father, and dwelleth among us, and in us, and walketh in us, and is our God, 2 Cor. 6. t6, 17, 18. Light and Heat are nor more abundant in the Sun, than Lwe Hin Je– fur Chrift. To look on Cbri/l" and nor perceive the LIY'Je ofGod, is as to look on the Smt, and not to fee ami acknowledge its lif.ht. Therefore when ever you find your hearts averfe to God , and to have no plt:afUre jn him, look then to Jejiu, and obferve in him the unmeafurable love of God : that yott may be tJble to comprehend With aU tbe Saintt, what ir the bredth and length anddeptiJ, andheight, and to /tnow the Lrrve of Chrift which paffeth /tnowledge, t!Jat you may be f.Ued with aU thl fulnefi ofGod, Eph. 3· 18, 19. Lave and Gosdnifr are that to the wiU, which dtliciour [rPeetm[t is to the fenfitive appe• tite: Draw near then and talle the Feall of Love which God hath prepared and propofed by his Son. Dofi thou not fee or feel the Love of God ? Come near, and look upon God jncarnate ; upon a cru– citicd Chrill; upon the Covenant fealcd in his blood ; upon all the benefits of his Redemption ; up– on all the priviledges of the Saints; and upon the glory purchafed, poifeifed and promifed by him : Put thy hand into his wounded fide, and be not faithlefs, but believing; and then thou 'l'ilt cry out, My Lord, and my God. 9· '3· to. So alfo when the foul would fain perceive iu it [elf the flames of Love to God, it is the beholding ofChri!\ by faith, which is the llriking of fire, and the elfet!ual means ofkindling love; And this is the tnte approach to God, and the true Communion and converfe with him: fo far as ·we Love him, fo far do we draw near him, and fo far have we true communion with him. 0 what would the: f0ul of a Believer give, that it could bur burn in Love to God, as oft as in pr~yer or meditation, or conference, his Name and Attributes are mentioned or remernbred! For this, there is no fuch powerfullneans, as believingly to look on Chrifl, in whom fuch glorious Love appcareth, as will draw forth the Love of all that by a lively faith difcern it, Behold the Love that God hath manifelled by his Son, and thou can!\ not bnt Love him who i• the fpring of this tranfcendent Love. In the Latt> God lheweth his frowning wrath : and therefore it breedeth the Spirit of6oH• dage unto fear : But in Cbrift God appeareth to us not only as Lovi11g "', but as Love it {elf; and therefore as moll lovely to us, giving us the Spirit ofAdoption, or of filial Love, by which we fly and cry to him as our Father. 9· 14· !to The allual undijpofednefs and difability of the.foul, to prayer, meditation, an,J all ho– ly converfe with the blelfed God, is the great impediment of our walking with liim : And againll this our relief is all inChrift : He is filled with the Spirit to communicate to his members: He can quicken us When we are dull: He can give us faith when we ar.e unbelieving; he can give us. bold.. nefs when we are difcouraged : he can pour out upon us the SEirit of fupplica,ion, which £hall help our infirmities, when we know not what to pray for as we ought. Beg of hiin then the Spirjt of prayer : And look to his example who prayed·with llrong cryes and tears, and continued all the llight in prayer, and fpake a Parable to this end, that we lhould alwayes pray, and not wax faint,Ltll;,e 18: r. Call to him and he that is with the father, will reach the hand of his Spirit to you, and wiU quicken your defires, and lift you up. . y. '5· 12. Sometime the foul is hearkning to temptations of unbelief, ·and doubting whetherGael obferve our prayers, or whether there is fo much to be got by prayers as we ·are told : In fuch a cafe faith mull look to Chrill, who hath not only commanded it, and encouraged us by hls exat~~pie, but alfo made us fu.ch plentiful promife• of acceptance with God, and the grant of. out defires: :Recourfo to thefe promifu.will animate us to draw nigh to God. . . y. 16. •3· Sometime the preU:nt fenfe of ourvilemfs, who are but dull and defpicable worms, doth d1fcourage us, and weaken our expectations from God. .Againfi this, what a ;wonderful relief is it to the foul, to think of our union with Chrill, and of the dignity and glory ofour Head? Can God defpife the members ofhis Son? Can he trample upon them that aro as his fie(b and bone? Will he cut off, or foriike, or caft away the weakefi parts of his body ? • ~. 17. 14· Sometime the guilt of renewed infirmities or decOJyer, doth renew dlfirufi, and make us lhrink, and we are like the Child in the Mothers arms, that feareth when he lofeth his halt, as if his .Aifety wdremore in his holt of her, than in her hole of him: Weak duties have weak cxpctfationi of fuccefs. ln this cafe, what an excellent remedy hathfaith, in looking to the perpetutJl inttrceffion of Chr~t ? Is he praying for us in the Hc•vens, and fl1all we not be bold to pray, and expect an anfwcr ~ 0 remember
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=