4 choice Bed of Spices. Theirevexteentb Maxim or Confideration. Eventeenthly, When ever you oh your eye upon your a gracious evidences, it highly concerns you ferioufly to remember that you have to deal with God in a Covenant of Grace, and not in a Covenant of Works. Every breach of peace with God, is not a breach of Covenant with God. Though the Wife hath many weakneffes and infirmities hanging upon her, and though the may often grieve, pro- voke and difplea-fe her Husband, yet as long as the remains faithful, and truly loving, and in the main obedient to him, though he may alter his carriage towards her, yet he will not withdraw his love from her, or deny his relation to her. No more will God towards his weak rnifcarrying ones, as you may evidently fee by comparing the Scriptures in the Margent together. Doubtlefs there are many dear Chriffi- ans whofe troubles of Confcience about their fpiriival and eternal ehates, arifes from their looking upon God, and dealing with God in a Covenant of Works. Are them not many precious Chriftians, who when they fall before temp- tations, and are woifled by their corruptions, that are rea- dy to queflion all, and throw up all as loft, and peremptori- ly to conclude againfl their own Souls, that all is naught, ve- ry naught, hark naught, and that they are Hypocrites, and that God will never own fuch as they are, nor never, accept of fuch as they are, nor never delight in fuch as they are, nor never have any thing to do with fuch as they are, and all this becaufe they do not aright underhand the Covenant of Grace, and think that they have to deal with God in a Cove- nant of Works. Though many Chriflians do freely and rea- dily acknowledg that there is a Covenant of Grace, yet up- on the leaf+ flirring of any corruption, or the leaf compel+ that is made upon them by the violence of any temptation, they are fo full of fears, faintings, reafonings, diffidences, and defpondencies, & c. And they carry it to. weakly and unworthily towards the Lord, as if there were no Covenant M 2 of 17. jer. 3.12,1442. Hof. 14.4. Ifa.43. 2Z. to 24. 6.57.1641)I 8, I9. Every thingwhich is a ground of grief or forrow to the people of God,is not a fuffi. ,cent,ground of queftiOnin3 their integrity, or the zoodneis and hap panels of their fpiritual eftates and conditions. If upon every flip, failing and infir- mity, a Chriftian fhould queftion all that ever was wrought in him, and done by God upon him, his life will certainly be made up of fears and doubts, and he will never at.. tain.to any fetled peaceicomfort,or affurance, or be able to livethat life of joy, praifel. and thaafulnofs that the Gofpel calls for.
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