The Life of Faith. 253 only toOur diligence in attending the Spirit, and to the degrees of induftry, and fervour, and fidelity in watching, praying, (hiving, and other ufe of means. And there are heavy aha- lifements which God threatneth to the godly, when they misbehave themfcives : Efpecially the hiding of hisface, and withholding any meafure ofhis Spirit. The Scripture is full of fuch threatnings and infiances. Dire. 21. Muck lefs may you imagine that God bath made any Promife, that all thefins of true Believers frail work together for their good. They- mifexpound Rom. 8. A. who fo expound it (u I have chi where (hewed.) For r. The context confrmeth,it to fufferings. 2. The qualification added [to them that- love God] doth Chew that the abatement oflove to God, is none of the things meant that (ball work our good. 3. And it (hew- eth, that it is Love as Love, and therefore not the feat,that is confident with neglc4 and fin, which is our. full condition. 4:Experience telkth us,that toomany true Chriftians may fall from tome degrees-of grace, and the Loveof God, and die in a lefs ccgree than they once hado-and that lets ofholinefs doth not work for theirgood. 5.. And it is not a thing fuitable to all the ref} of Gods method in the Scriptures, that , he thould affure all beforehand, that all their fins (hall work- for their good. That he fhould command obedience fo ttric&ly, and promife rewards fo liberally, and threaten punifhment fu ter- ribly, and give fuch frightful examples as Solomons, Davíds, and others arc; and at the fame time fay, Whatever fin- thou commineff,inmardly or outwardly by negteWng my 'Love, and Grace, andSpirit, by loving, the world, by pleafing the fleth, as Daviddid, &c. it (hall all be-turned to do thee more good than hurt. This is not a fuitablc means to men in our cafe, to keep them from fin, nor to caufe their perfcverance. Dire& 22. VnderJfand well what Prosoifes are univerfal to all Believers,' and what are but particular and proper to fame few. Therearemany particular Promifcs in Scripture, made by name, to Noah,to Abrabam, toWes, toAaren, to.David, to Solomon, to Hezeátiab, toCirrift to Peter, to Paul, &c. which we cannot fay are made to us. Therefore the Covenant of Grace, I i 3:`, which x.
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