76 Direaions for a 1vell grounded Faith. 0 remember that he is not weak when We are weak :. and that it concernerh us,that he prayeth for us: and that we have now an unchangeable ~riefi, .who is able.to [ave them :o tbe Htttrnwjf, or topErpt~ tuity, that co,ne ( fincerely ) toGl)d by bun, flemt, he ever JJvtth to mak.! mterceffion for tbl!m, Heb. 7 • / 24, 25· If you ~eard Chrill puy for you~ would it not (ncourage you to pray, and perfwade you that God will not rq<ct you? Undoubtedly lt would. ~· 18. I 5· Sometimes r:r:eak_Cbrijlianr that have not gifts of memory or utterance, arc apt to think that Minijlerr indeed and able men arc accepted of God, but that he littll! valueth fuch as them. It is here a great encouragement to the [out, to think that Jefus our great High Priefi, doth make all his Children Priefis eo God. They are a tll6jen gem:ratim, a royal Prie{lboud, an bo{y Nation, apeculi 3 r ptople, that they jhould jhew forth the pray[et of him tlw hathcaUcdthem, out of darlznefs into hi< mar· vcUoui light : An holy Priejlhood to offer up Jfririmal facrifiw acceptable to God by Je[U< Chrijl, I Pet. 2 • 5, 9· Even their hro/ten hearts and contrite Spirit!, are aJacrifice which God will not dt[pi[t, Pfal. 5I· 17 • He knoweth the meaning of the Spirits groans, Ram. 8. 26, 27. §. '9· 16. The jlrength of corruption/ which mole!\ the foul, and are too often flrugling with it and too much prevail, doth greatly difcourage us in our opproacb to that. God that hateth all th; workers of iniquity. And here faith moy find relief in Chrifl, not only as he pardoneth us, but as he hath conquered the Devil and the world himfelf, and bid us be of good cheer, becaufe he hath conquered; and hath all power given him in Heaven and Earth, and can give us vid-orious grace in the feafon and meofure which he feeth meetefl for us. We can do all things through Chrill thot llrengtheneth us. Go to him then by faith and prayer, and you !hall find that his grace is fufficient for you. §;2o. 17. The thoughts of God are the lefs delightful to the foul, becaufe that Dtatb and the Grave do interpofe, and we mufl pafs through them before we can enjoy him : And it is unpleafing to noture to think of a feparation of foul and body, and to think that our flelh mull rotin<larknefs. Eutagainll this, faith bath wonderful relief in Jcfiu Chrijl. Forafmuch at..-e were partai(!rs •fJlefo and blood, he alfo l!imfelf lif<!wife tool(_ part with ui, that he might dt]lroy through dtath him that had the power ofdeath, tvtlt the Devil, anddeliUEr them wh• through fear ofdeath, were aU their life time fob– jell to bondage. Heb. 2· r4> I 5· 0 what an encouragement it is to faith, to obferve that Cbri/1 once dyed himfdf, and that he rofe ft•m the dead, and reigncth with the hther : it being impo!fibk that death jhould hold him : And having conquered that which fcemed to conquer him, it no more bath dominion over him, but he hath the Keyes of Death and Hell : we may now entertain death as a d;f. armed enemy, and fay, 0 duitb where is tby fling l 0 grave "here is thy villory f Yea, it is fanClified by him to be our friend, even an entrance into our Mafters joy ; it being bd\ for us to depart and be with Cbrifl, Pbi/. r. •3• and therefore death is become our gain, v. 2I· 0 what abundance of firength and [weetnefs may faith perceive from that promife of Otrifl, John n. 26. [If any manfervt me, let him follow me, and where I am, there jhaU aljo my fervanl bt.] A• he was dead, but now liv– tth for evermore, Co bath he promifed, that brcaufe heliveth, ;bmfore jhaU we live alfo: John I 4 . 19 • But of thislhave written twoTreaufes ofDeath already. 9· 21 • 1 8. The ttrror of the day ofJudgement, and of our partimlar 1/oom at death, doth make the thoughts of God le!S pleafing and dei<ctablc to us: And here what a relief is it for faith to •ppre· bend, that Je[ut Cbrift mufl be our Judge ? And will he condemn the members of his body >Sh 3 Uwe be afraid tp be judged by our dearefi friend? by him that bathjuj!ified us himfelf already, evenar the price of his own blood > . 9• 22• I9• The very flrangemfs of the foul to the world unfeen, and to the inhabitants apd em– ployments there, doth greatly flop tbe foul iniis defires, and in its delightful approaches unto God. Had we fcen the world where God mufl be enJoyed, the thoughts of Jt would be more familiar •nd fweet. But faith can look to Chrill and fay, [My head is there: he fecth it for me : he knoweth what he poffdfeth, prepucth, and promifeth to me : and I will quietly reil in his acquaintance with it. J 9· 23• 20. Nay, the Godhead itfclf is fo infinitely above us, that in it felf it is inocccffible; and it is ready to amue and overwhelm us to think of coming to the incomprehenfible Majefly : But .it emboldneth the foul to think of our Glorified Nature in Chrifl, and that even in Heaven God will everlaflingly condefcend to us in the Mediator : for the Mediation of Redtmption and a<:qui]ition !hall be ended- (and thus he fltall deliver up the Kingdom to the father ) yet it feems that a Mediation of fruitioK !hall continue: t'or Chrifl faid to his Father, I wiU ;hat they alfo whom tbou haft given mt, be with me 'Where I am, ;hat 1hey may behold my glory, John I7· 24. we !hall T<joyce when themmiage •f the Lamb it come, Rev. I9. 7· 'fhty art blejfed that are caUed to hii Marriage Supper, v. j>• '!,he Lord God Almi~bty and the Lamb are the Temple and the Light of the New Jtr•faiem, Rev. 21. :.2, 23• Heaven would not be fo familiar, or fo fwect to my thoughts, if it were not that our glorified L.rd is there, m whofe Love and Glory we mull live for ever. ·' Cl Chrillian, as ever thou wouldfi walk with God, in comfortable coltlmunion with him, lludy •nd exercife this Life of faith, in the daily ~fe and improvement of Chrifi, who is our Life; and Hope, and All.
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