The Spirittian-taaings of Faith, is your ftrength, that is your inield, The Heathen could fay , when he was fore wounded , Is my fhield whole ? if that be well, all is well : So fay I, if your ftiield be well , if your faithbe well, if your true jultifyng laving faith be well, then all is well Thus you (hall be able to look diffi- culties and difcouragements in the face, though they be ne- ver fo great. You will fay unto me, fuppofe a man hath newly begun to look unto jefus Chrift, and now difficulties and naturall dif- couragements do arife : how (;all he be able fo to raife, and to ufe his faith, as he may be able to breake through all unto jeftis Chrift ? Takeheed that you do not Rand poring too much upon theme AbrAtar4 confidered not the deadnes of his own body, Sarahs body ; But if you will behold them, Firff, Exerci le yourfaith in the promife, before you dolpeat with thole difficulties. Some there are that Rand poring fo much upon difficulties and naturall difcouragements ; that they h.,ve (pent the Rrength of their fpirits : So that when the promife comes, they have no Rrength at all in their fpi- rits to entertaine thepromife with, If the Ropeor Cable be never io ftrong, that is thrown out into the water, ifa man be drowned before the Rope or Cable come at him, what matter is it though the Cable be never fo great ? Some there are that Rand poring fo much upon naturall difcourage- ments, that their hearts are even funke, and drown d before the promife comes : and how can the -promife help you then therefore fay, Comefartpromije Come IVpromife. then againe, if you will behold -thefe, Look, tapoo ;hem 613 they are your7ryall, and many times the devils Engines to,works your hearts offagain :1 fay your Tryals, and the de.- vial Engines to wake your hearts back againe, When you were in your naturall condition, then your heart was quiet, your confcience quiet, and the divell quiet, and your friends quiet, and did not fpeak evill of you Now you begin to look towards Chrift, now confcienc-e conclemnes, now the Divell nettles, nowyourfriencls, your former friends they fpeak
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