Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .B352 1835 v2

APPENDIX.4I liness,safety, peace and joy, ifwe can but trust him who knoweth for us! Christ perfectly knoweth what spirits are,and how they act, and whether they have any corporeal organ, or vehicle, or none; and what is the difference between Enoch and Elias, and those that left their bodies here, and. what a resurrection. will add to souls, and how it will be wrought, and when ; and what is meant by the thousand years' previous reign; aná who they be that shall dwell in the new earth, and how it will be renewed. All the dark pas- sages of Scripture and Providence he can perfectly resolve : he knoweth why God leaveth the far greatest part of the world in Sa- tan's slavery, darkness, and wickedness, and chboseth so few to real holiness; and why he maketh not men such as he command- eth them to be ; and why he leaveth serious Christians to so much weakness, error, scandal, and division. These, and all other diffs- culties, are fully known to Christ. And it is not the child, but the father, that must know what food and clothing he should have, and the physician that must know what are the ingredients of his medicines, and why. Lord, openmy eyes, then, to see what thou hast revealed ; and help me willingly to shut them to the rest; and to believe and trust in thee for both ; not to stagger at thy sealed promises, nor selfishly to desire particular knowledge, which belongs not to me, as if I could trust myself, and my own knowledge, and hot thine. Lord, teach me to follow thee, even in the dark, se quietly and con-. fidently as in the light (having the general light of thy promise of felicity.) I knew not the mystery of thy conception, incarnation, or the way of the workings of thy Spirt on souls. No wonder if much of the resurrection and unseen, world be above my . reach ; much snore that thy infinite: majesty is incomprehensible to me : how little do the brutes that see me know of my thoughts or me ! I have no adequate knowledge ofany one thing in the world, but somewhat of it is unknown. O, blessed be that lóve and grace that has given me a glorified Head in heaven; to know all for me which. I know not.: hear and trust him, living and departing, O is, and shall behold his glory ; and that a crown of salvation is laid up for us, and we shall reign with him, whenwe have conquered and suffered with him, and hath bid us live in joyful hope of our exceeding, eternal, heavenly reward, and at our death to commend our spirits into his hand : receive us, Lord, according to thy prom- my soul! who hath told thee that we shall be with him where he ises. Amen. VOL. iI. 31

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