164 I . The Spiritual-aaings ofFaith may be borne up againft all difcouragements , when the i wombe of the fecond Caufe Gull be dead. God fees that his child , or fervant , is going to a great florme : ther's filch a child of mine(fayes God)he is going into a great ftorme , and his Faith will be put to a great flrefie ; there- fore I will furnifhhimwith Cables, and good Anchors; Ile throw him out a promife. You thinke , becaufe God gives you a promife , becaufe God gives you Cables, becaufe God gives you Anchors, therefore you fhall come to land pre- fently : the Lord does therefore giveyou a promife, becaufe he does fee that a forme is coming : you miflake the wayof God in his promife, this is Gods way , he gives out a pro- mife, and then caufes the fentence of death togaffe upon the but-metre, and upon all the meanesthat do leadunto it. I come unto the Application. Apr/kat. Whilfl I 'land upon this truth , me thinkes I feematter of great , and everlaffing incouragement to all the Saints and peopleof God : be not difcouraged, but rather keep filence, twaite , and flay upon God when the darkeft times go over your head; when the fentenceof death is put upon the Mercy , and bleffing whichyou domoildefire. This is Gods . - way, when he intends any great Mercy to any of his chil- dren, he puts a fentence of death firfl upon it. Oh I when Pral.116. death-fits upon the meanes, then we conclude all's dead, the II. Pral.3 Mercydead,all's gone; and we arevery apt tohave defpairing thoughts,and tomake delpondent conclufions.Ifaid in my haft (fayes he) allmen are liars: Samuel fayes, I that l have a King- dome;the fentenceofdeath is put upon thebufineffe; All men I.2.2,.' are liars. So in another place: Ifaidin my haft, lam calkout of thyfight: fhall I fee the face of God? nothingbut death upon vat g .", , 1 all the means; I am caft out of thy fight. So withHe.t,e4h, I faid(faies he) Ifhall be caft out ofthe Land ofthe living.And fo now adayes:I thought indeed that we Chould have hadaRefor- mation3but now nothing but fad Divifion:I thought we fhould. havehad free enjoyment of al theOrdinances:but now the fen,. " tence ofdeath put upon all, I had thought I fhould have had illitironceandnever doubtedagainbut now deathput upon it, and
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