Brooks - BT750 .B7 1669

A choice Bed of Spices. 3 5 Sp irit, efpecially when I confider, that the leaft dram of grace is more worth than ten thoufand thoufand worlds, as every.awakened confcience will tell you when they come to dve. Mark, firaly, moftly and chiefly a Chriflian is to re- joyce in God and Chrift ; but fecondarily and fubordinately he may rejoyce in thofe graces, and in thofe gracious evi- &-nces that God has given into his foul Firffly, molly and chiefly a Wife is to rejoyce in the perfon of her Husband , but fecondarily, fubordinately the may rejoyce in the brace- lets, in the ear-rings, in the jewels,in the gold chains that are given her by her Husband. But, The tenth Propolltion is this, viz.. That that affurance that the people of God may rife to by the fight of their graces, and upon the fight of their gracious evidences in the light of the fpirit, is not fo clear, and bright, and high, and full, a,; that it utterly excludos all fears, doubtings, conflifts, or fpi- ritual agonies. Our knowledge of God, of Chrift, of our ifelves, and of the bleffed Scripture, which is the Rule of tryal, is imperfea in this life. And how then can our affu- lrance be perfe6t ? amid, a man eminent in grace and holi- nefs, had his up-hills and his down-hills,hi; Summer days and !his Winter nights. Nov you shall have him upon the Moun- itains Pinging and faying, The Lord is my portion; and pretend) } you fhall have him in theNalleys, fighing:and faying, )47. t thou c411 dolvi, 0 myfog! ; nhy art thou dt,tpieted giihin me ? The fame is evident in I4), Heman and Afaphe Sad-) an aflif- rance as fhall,exclude all fears5 doubts, condias, agonies, very defirable on earth, but {hall never be obtained till we come to heaven. The grievous affaults of Satan, the power of unbelief, and the prevalency of other corruptions in a Chriftians heart, may be flach as may (hake (I don't fay over- turn) that afrarance which a Chriflian may gather from. the fight and evidence of his graces in the light of the fpirit. The fleth lufteth as well againft the fpirit as it is a fpirit of con- folation, as.it lufteth againft the fpirit asst is a fpiritof fan- aification ; and therefore fuch an affurance as 111111 exclude all Flab. 3.1g. Gal, b. 14 Phil, 3. 3. I) Phil. 0%34 2 32 L 14. rob 3, pial 77. Pal. 83, Gal. 5.

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