and care of, hh people underTemptation. 339 live upon the letter of the Promife. I mean, don't liveupon the Conveyance, but upon the Land : and yet how many do live upon the bare Promife, bare letter of the Promife. When a temptation comes, paffe from the temptation unto the Promife; and through the Promife unto Jefus Chrifi, and learn to live upon the thingPrornifed, and not the let- ter of the Promife. After temptation is over, (I can but touch on things) Either you have the better of Satan : Or elfe the worfe. Ifyou have the worfe; Be for ever Humbled, but never Difcouraged. And ifyou have the better of him: Then rejoyce in theLord, and in all his goodnefs toward you, and in all his fuccouring love and mercy. Rejoyee in the Lord evermore, and again Ifay,rejoyce. As one whom his mo- ther comforteth, fo will Icomfort you : and then it follows, 21,9, frail rejoyce your hearts fhall repoice. But tak heedyour alljoy after Mary, don't degenerate intocarnal joy, andyou be drunktherewith. 'Tis reported of the Englith, that once going into Spain, and taking in a Town there : after they had taken it in, there being much wine in the Town, the fouldiers fell a drinking of themfelves drunk ; and the Country came down upon them, and beat them out, and recovered the Town again. So 'tis with many : They have a ViEtory over temptation, and they begin to rejoyce fpiritually ; but their fpiritual joy degenerates into carnal joy, and they are drunk with their joy, and fo lofe their ViEtory. Beloved ! Joy not in your Jo, but in the God of your Joy after Vitiory. And ifyou have the better after temptation, ifyou have the better : be lureof thii, That you improve your ViEfory to more aCurance. lithe Devil get the better ofyou, he'le be lure to improve his Vi&ory to your defpair : I fay, if he get the better ofyou, he will be Pure to improvehis ViEto- ry to your defpair. Therefore, ifyou get the better ofhim be fure that you improveyour Vi&ory, to more affurance ofOods love inChrift. Yea, (my beloved) for ought I know, there is no temp- a a 2 tation
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