f>ireElio11S agdinjl f>eJPair. 359 ------------~--------------~---------- this C.o 111 er, as Gods infallible truth~ If the march break between Chrifl and ther, and thou be loft, it thall not be through his refuf8l, but thwugh thine: And it cannot break any .other way, no not by rhe craft or force of all th~ Devils ~n ~ell ; but either becaufe Clirift is t!nwiUing o~ ~ecaufe tbou art tmwiUing; And on Chrijll parr lt Oull never break, And therefore it thou bewzUmg th~ match is made ; and there is no danger but lefi thy heart draw back. If thou .art not U?illing, why cornplainefl thou for want of that whid1 thou wouldft 1101 have. If thou art willing, the Covenant is then made, for Chrifi is more willing, and was willing firfi. , 9· 22• Direct. I I· Writt out ihofe fmttltcet that contain th• fenfe and fubjbnce of t!Jt Gofpel and Direll. 1 r. ofttn readthem.. Write them pn thy very chamber wal11, ~nd fit them jfiU before thine ryn; and try whe- Deut.6.6,,,e. tber they agree with the words of him that tempttth thee tq defpair.: fuch as ~hefe which I here tran- &: u. tR, :!: {Cribefor thee Joh. 3· 16. God fo loved the world that he gave bu only hegotttn S011, tbat whoever belicveth in him jhould JJot perijh, but have everlajfing life-- v. 19· 1'hi1 H thecondem1tation that JigiJt if come i;tto the world, and men loved darl{.mfl rather tha1t light becaufl t!Jiir deeds were evil. I }oh. 5· 10 11. 12· He that btlieveth on th• Son rf God bath th• witnefs in himfelf: he that belinJeth not God ba;h ~~de him a lyar, becoufe he believeth not the record that God gave of hif Son : Atid tiJis Uthe record; that God bath givtn tom eternal life .znd thi-t lifeU in hU Son : He that hatb the Son h:llh life ; and he, that bath not tbe Son of God bath ;zot life, }oh. l· I I, 12. He came mJtohis orvn andhi1o1vn received him n01: but to M manyMreceivedbim, tothem gaz,e he porver to become the Som of God, to tbrt?'l that believe on his 1tame, Rev. 22· •7· Let l>im that i4 athirft come; And rvhotvcr wiU let him taR! the W.1ter of life frecl)'• Joh. 5• 40. AndY' wiU notcome Hnto me, that)" may have life. Joh. 6. 37· AUthat the Father givrth me,jhrJU. come to me, andbim tbatcometh tolnt lwiU~n no wife cajf out. Joh·7·37· If any man thlrjl, tu him come to me a~rddrinft, Luk~ 14· 17· Come, f or aU thmgt are 11ow ready. And read ofr, Lu}{: 15· . y. ~3· Direct. 12--. DijHnguijh betwem fin fien and felt, and fin reigning umo deatb; tbat you m.1y Direll. u, not bt fo blinded M tothin~{. your fin grtateft or your condition worfl, whm your fight and feeling of it Epb. 4· 19. _ ;, gr<iztcf1. To[te and feel your fin and mifery is at lea!\ the ordinuy prep•ration 'for recovery. To be dead is to be pajl feeling: They that are moll forfaken of God are moll wiUing of rhtir prefcnt condition, and moll love their fin, and hate holinefs and all that would reform them, and if they have power, will perfecute them as enemies. 9· 24· Direct. '3· 1hinl<, not that tb' troHblefome j1.-ivinp;s and temptations which weary you are the DireiJ. t3• worft condition or a jign of the villury of fin. It is rather a hgn that you are not yet fOrfakeP. of Cod, while he bearcth witnefs in you againfi fin, and is yet following you wirh his diifwafives. Paul faith, Gal. 5• 15· For the jlejh lufteth ag.zin~ the {pirit, aud the [pirit againft tl" j/ejh, and thefe are contrary the one tothe other, fo tbat ye cannot do the things tiJat ye would. Read Rom. 7· from 14. to the end. 9· 25• Direct. I4· Vnderftand the difference betwem weak;_ grace ~mJ no grace; that ynu may not Dire(f. •i~ thin~(, every want of grace i1 a fign of total gracelifneJi. When you have opem;d in your complaints a long Catalogue of weakneffes, confider whether yet there be not a true defire to be better; and fome degree of lifewith all thcfe ? 9· 2~· J?irect. ~ 5· 1hi!lk,.w•Uofthe.e~;ccUency oftheleaft d~gree of[pec~alt;rm, that it is aJird ofglory ; Dir<IJ. 1 S• the begtnnmg of life eternal; thr: Dwme nature, and tbe zmage of God> and of greater worth than all the learning wealth and honour in the world : And be not unthankful for lo grear a mercy, be. · caufeyou have not more. . , 9· 27. DireCt. 16. Mak..c. Con{citnce of obfirving tbe grace and mercy rectived 1lf rve11 a; the w.aJrtt Direl1. t6. remaining and the fi"s committed, ilnd of the thanl{...ful remembrance ..znd mention of mercy, M much M the brunhle mention of fin. 1hin/t as oft of mercy as of fin : Talk... of it as much to others : 3.nd mention it toGod as much in prayer : T~is is your plain dury : lf you wilt not. ~o ir, your wilful/ unthanl<.fu/nefs for what you have recetved, may well leave you in dillrefs without the comfort of it. 9· 28. Direct. 17. Ltl jour thoughts of G~dtGoodmfs bear fome proportiiJn with your thott'glits of hi1 Dlrtli• l7• Knowledge andhM Power. And then you..wlll not be fo apt to entertain falfe fuipicions of ir, an~ ... think of him as a man-bater, like the Devil, nor to run away frOm him, that h the infinite moll: at~ trad::ive Good. 9· 29• Direct. ,g. Record th• parti•ular "Jndmffes tothy [elf, by whicll God bath teftifi•d h~ parti· D' l1 8 cular love tothee: that tbcy m.zy jtand as '!etr and conjiani witntffir of his nurcy and re::dintfs 10 do trt · 1 0 ~~~~~~~~~ . 9· 30. Dire/l. •9· Think. !Jsw few tbm are in the world f' li~tly for mmy as thy [elf: LDDf<. not Dirtll. 1 j,>, only on a few that are better than thy felf ; bur think how five parrs of the world are Open Intidets and Heathens ; and of theftxth part that are Chrifiians, how few are Reformed from Popilh and Barbarous ignorance and fuperfiition : and among ProtrjlJnti hoW fmall is rhe nuinber of rhem that are lefs in Love rritb lin rhan thy telf ~ I know thac many wicked me11 al>ufe rhi~ comparifon to prcfumption : But I know alfo that a Chrirtian may and mufi ufc it again!\ DtJpair, and not think of God and the Redeemer as if he would favc fo few as arc next to noneat all. , . . , ,. 9· 3•·_Dircct. 20· R•membc: tbat God com_mandrtb faith and hopt, a11dforbiddith unbtiicfand d•[pair, Dira1. 20~ and that Jl U your ji11 : And WlU youfi~ mort when. you l?ave finned fo much already ? \Vhat it you Pf.11. H tS. fee no other reafon why you !hould Hop,, atid why you Gtould not. dtjp.oir but Gods cornmana > Is ~4' 5• not.thav e~ough ~ I charge you in the name of GOd obe:, him and de(pafr not. Si;t not wilfi.tlly ehus !?!/"! 1 • agatnfl hom,Pfa/. ~46. 5• &31 ·24• Rom.8•24· & 15·4>13· Co/.[,23·. 1Tbrf.5. 8. Heb.j.6. & 7l, li· .:,- 6. rr, t8, '9• 1tt. I· 2· H•pe IS your duty: ao~ dare you plead againfl duty ? D<[p•ir is yqur Aaa fin;
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=