SPIRITUAL AEACE AND CO.FORT. 289 to ask themselves, Can I bear these for Christ ?' And so to try themselves on false and dangerous grounds. Some use to be troubled, lest if they were put to long and exquisite torments for Christ; they should'renouhcehim. One saith, ' I cannot endure the torments of hell for Christ ;' another saith, ' Could I endure to be roasted, or torn in pieees so many weeks or. days together ?' Or 'Could I endure to die so many times over?' , These are foolish, sinful questions, which Christ never desired you to put to yourselves. We never tries men's faith on this manner. Tor- mentors cannot go beyond his will. Nay, it is but very few he tries by death, and fewer by an extremetormenting death. All this therefore proceeds from error. xyi. Observe from the fifthmark; that the present prevalency of your resolutions now against those temptations which you encoun- ter with, may well encourage'you to expect that they should pre- vail hereafter, if God bring you into greater trials. Can you now follow Christ in a holy life, though your flesh repine, and would have its liberties and pleasures; and .though the world deride or threaten you, or great ones turn against you and threaten your un- doing? Can you part with your money to the poor, or to the pro- moting of any work of Christ, according to the measure of estate that God hath allotted you, notwithstanding all temptations tb the contrary? Some trials you have now i if you can go well through these,you have nó cause to disquiet your mind with fears of falling in greater trials. But he that cannot now'deny his greedy appe- tite in meats and drink, so far as to forbear excess ; nor can deny his credit with men, nor bear the scorns or frowns of the world, but be on the stronger side, and decline his duty to avoid danger, what- ever become of conscience or God's favor, this man is not like to forsake and lay down his life for Christ and his cause. Object. 'But though I break through lesser trials, I am not sure to overcome in greater, for the same measure of grace will not ena- ble a man to forsake all, which will enable him to forsake a little. Many have gone through smaller trials, and after forsaken Christ in greater. And Christ makes it the property of temporaries that are not rooted in the faith, that they fall when tribulation and persecu- tion for the gospel ariseth, and therefore it seems they may stand till then; and if trial never come, they may never fall, and yet be unsound in the mean time.' Answ.. 1. If your trial now be considerable, the truth of grace may be manifested in it, though it be none of the greatest, and though in striving against sin you have not yet resisted unto Wood. 2. If you carefully observe your "own heart, you may discern whether theSpirit and your resolutions be prevalent, by their daily subduing and mortifying the flesh and its lusts. Nay, let me tell VOL. r. 37
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