of chriii in all Felavers. hand and ftroke therein my felf, and therefore why fhould I not boar( ? I have been now at Prayer, and though I have had tome help from the Spirit in Prayer, yet I had the greateft hand and ftroke therein my Pelf, therefore why fhould I not boatt ? But (faith the Apoftle) boafting is ex- cluded Surely therefore, the Lord jefus Chritt doth fo live in a Chrihian, as that he hath a greater hand and ftroke, in all the attions of his fpiritual life, than a Chri- ftian, or a Beleever hath himfelf ; fo that he may fay tru- ly, I live,yet not I, but Chrift liveth inme. Ifthis be true ; furely there arefewWeevers in the world ; how 011,5,, few are thereinwhomChrifi lives thus ? Ifearupon this account (willfome poor foul fay) that Ihave no faith in "'elm. chrift: I thought once that Ibad faith inChrifl, and that I was a Belee- ver but I do not findCbrifi living inme thus,that the Lord jefus bath a greater hand and firoke, in all my Duties than myPelf, and therefore Ifear that Ineveryet badfaith : are there not few Be- ledvers in the world upon this account ? I grant it, there are few Beleevers in the world, few As w. that have faith, few in whom Chriti lives thus. But that this Do&rinemay not be a {tone of Rumbling to any weak Chriftian. Firft, Youmuff know this : That it is with Chrift in i. us, living in us, as it was With Chrift without us, living without us. When the Lord Chrift came into theworld, and lived hereon earth, lived without us; he lived a con- Ilia* life, a life under Temptations, and freedom from thofe Temptations ; Defertions, and freedom from thofe Defertions : his life hereon earth was a hidden life, a val- led life ; He cameunto his own, and his ownreceited him not 7oh.i.ii and knew him not : his own would not fay, Now our Lord Orin is among us. So whenChrift conies into the foul by his Spirit, when he lives there, he lives a confli&ing life: he bath his Temptations there, and his freedom from thole Temptations; he bath his Defertions there, and his freedom from thofe Defertions; liveth a hid- deif life there, a valled nil there, he comes to his own, K2 and 107 naaro...111Mwo
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