CONFIRMED CIRISTIA[t. 563 LVIII. 1. A Christian indeed is one that bath stored up such manifold experience of the fulfilling of God's promises, and the hearing of prayers, and the goodness of his holy ways, as will greatly fortify him against all temptations to infidelity; apostasy, or distrust) No one hath stronger temptations usually than he, and no one is sa well, furnished. with weapons to resist them. The arguments'of most others are fetched out of their books only ; but he hath, moreover, a life ofexperience to confirm his faith, and so hath the witness in himself. Hehath tried and found that in God, in holiness, in faith, in prayer, which will never suffer himto for- sake them. Yea, it is like that he bath upon record some such won- ders in the answer of prayers, as might do much to silence an infi- del himself. I am sure many Christians have had such strange ap- pearances of the extraordinary hand of God, that hath done much to destroy the remnants of theirrown unbelief; Psal. lxvi. 16. 2. But the experiences of the younger, weaker Christian are much shorter, and less serviceable to their ,faith; and they have not judgment enough to understand and make use of the dealings of God.; bdt are ready to plead his providences unto evil ends and consequences, and to take their ownpassionate imaginations for the workings ofthe Spirit. his ordinary with them to say, ' This or that was set upon my heart, or spoken tome,' as if it had been some divine inspiration, when it was nothing but the troubled workings ofa weak, distempered brain; and it is their own fancy and heart that saith that to,them, which they think the Spirit of God within them said; Heb. v. '11-13. 2Thess. ii. 21. John iv. 1. 1 Tim. iv. 1. 1 Cor. xii. 10. Jer. xxiii. 27, 28. 32. xxix. 8. 3. And the hypocrite wanteth those establishing.experiments of the power of the gospel, and the hearing of prayers, and fulfilling of promises, and communion with Christ in the Spirit; and therefore he is the more (pen to the power of temptations, and a subtle disputer will easily corrupt him, and carry him away to flat apostasy; for he wanteth the root and witness in himself; Matt. xiii. 21,, 22. 1 John v. 10. Heb. vi. 6-8. Luke viii. 13. LIX. 1. A Christian indeed is one that highly valueth sancti- fied affections and passions, that all he loth may be done as lively as possibly he can and also holy abilities for expression. But he muchmore valueth the three great essential, constant parts of the new creature within him ; that is, 1. A high estimation of God, and Christ, and heaven; and holiness in his understanding, above all that can be set in any competitioñ. 2. A resolved choice-and adhesion of the will, by which he preferred} God, and Christ, and heaven, and holiness, above all that can' be set against them, and is fixedly resolved here to place his happiness and his hopes. 3. The main drift and endeavors ofhis life, in which he'° seeketh first voL. s. i2
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