Temptationr againft a Comfol'table :Deat/ 1, aU that conJe.nt u-nto hil CoVtJJant. I am a~nful child ofAdam, and therefore am one that Chrifi be. came a Sacnfice for: and I con{tnt Hnto hu Covenant, and thertfore I am one that Chrifi by ch•r c nant doth jufiifie, and will fave. ovc. Ttmpt. 6. 9· 29· 1tmpt. 6. Sometime the Tempter troublcth the foul, with Temptations to Blafphtmy a d Infidelity : and asketh hun, How l{noweJi thou that there if a Gud, or a life to cnmt, or that foul.t n immortal, or th_at the Scriptur_e i1 true? Of this 1 fpake before : To this we mufi then anfwer, 1 =~: hor thy [uggrJhom: 1bife thmgs I bave feen proved long ago ; and I wiJJ not {o far gratifie the-e in m rP_taknrji and txtremity, as to qucjfion and difpute tbefc foaled fundamental trutlu; 110 more tban 1 wfu difpute whether there be a Sun or t&rth. Tempt. 7 • ~· 30. Ttmpt. 7· Sometimes the Tempter will fay, At bejl , thou ha/1 no Ajfura11ct ofj:.lvation: and bow canji thou choo~ but tremble to thin~ of dying, whm thou knoweft not ~hetber thou jh.Jlt ~0 10 Heaven or HeU. To thts the foul that hath n?t AJJ!trance, mufi a11f~cr , ]~ z~ m-!_ own mijb!ze or rreaJtncfs that kecpeth me unaffured: And I w!ll ncuhcr take part wuh my mfirmi[]LS, nor increafe them by their effeCts : My hoi3CS are fuch as fhould draw up my ddires, though I wanr full affu– ~ance : T he Child deiightcth in tht company Of the Mother, and every man of his friend; though he ts not certuin that the A1other or friend will not hurt him, or take away his life. Why fhould I trouble my fdf with improbabilities? Or fear that which I have no found rtafon ro fear? Ra.. ther I Chould be glad to dye, that death may perfect my Affurancc, and put an end to •11 my doubts and fears. Ttn•pt. S. 9· 31. Ttmpt. S. But, faith the Tempter, How jlra11gt art thou to God, and tht lift tocomt l Thou never [aweji it : ]J it not dreadful to enter upon an tmchangtable lift, iH a world whicb tbJu art fo great a jl:ranger t fJ? A11[w. But Chrift is not a firangc:r to it : He fceth it for me, and I will impli– cirely uufi him: where fhould my eyes be bur in my hea.d? 1 fh1ll never fee it till I come thither : When I have been there a While, this darknefs, and fear, and firangcne(s will be gone. I w1s as firange to thi1 world before I came into it, and more: And all thofe holy fouls in Heaven, were Hrangc to it ouce, as well as I : I fhould therefore long to be with Chrifl, that I may be Jhange to him uo more. Tempt. 9· ~· 32· Ttmpt. 9· Eut, faith the Tempter, thy ftars and umvillingnefi ;, a Jig" that tbnu haft•o LIJVCto God, nor heavcn'.J mind: and how tbtn canjt thou bopetocome toHtaven. Anfl~'. My Jean come from firangencfs, and weaknefs of faith, and a natural enmity to death: If I could come ro Chrifi: iA joy and glory, and be perfected in holmefs, without dying, J 01ould tlOt be unwilling of ic; God Jookerh not that my N.Jture fh0uld be willing to dye ; bur thar Gnce make me willing to be wirh Chrill; and patiently fubmit to fo dark a paffJge. Even Chrill himfe!f prayed, thot if it "'"' po!Jible, ehae Cup might p.ji from him. Tempt. ID• 9· 33• Tempt. 10. But wiJat ·wiU thy Wift and Childmt do wbm thou are gone l Anfw, God hath more intercfi in them than I have: He will look to his own without my care: Dorh all tbc world depend upon him, and is he not to be trufied with my Wife and Children ? tempt. 1 I• ~· 34· Tempt. I I. But thou wilt never mort be ftrviceable to tbe CIJUrcb : All tby work._ wiU fot tver bt at an md: .Andthere art many things which thou mi.ghtft have dom before thou dyt(l; wbicb wiU aD be loft. .A11[w. I· I fhall have higher, and holier, and fweeter work : whether it wi!l any thing con~ duce to the good of t_hofe on earth, I know nor : but I know it will more conduce to the highell mofi defirable ends. 2· As my worlt will be done, fo my trouble, and wcarinefs, and fears, and fitff"c· rings, from a malignant unthankful world, will all be done. 3· And when my wor!z. is done, my Rewardand Evcrlat\ingReft begin. 4• And God ncedeth not fuch a Worm as I! The work is his, and it is reafon that he fhould choofe his workmen. tempt, If)• 9· 35· Tempt. 12. But wben !hou baft· {aid all, Deatb_lviU be death, the Kiug_rfu:;-orJ, An[w. And M1r.2S.19,2o. when thou hafi fa id all, God wt\1 be God, and Heaven wtll be Hc:aven, and Chnil wtll be Ctmlt-, char John 17. 2. hath conquered death, and hath the keyes or power of Deat!J and HcU: and the promife will be ~:~·,,1;;.~·,, 0, fure; and thofe that uull on him Chill never be al11amed or confounded; And therefore £he Spirit irf 11 , !'· wiUing, though eht Jlefo bt wtai(,
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