35 A Box of precious Ointment : Or, ;dying in your hearts; will be a living comfort to you in a ; i hour. When the tokens of death are upon your bodies, and you shall fee the, lively charaaers of grace fhining in your fouls, you will then cry out with old Simeon, Lord, now let thy fervant depart in peace ; and with the Spoufe, Lillake haft my beloved ) and be like to a Roe, or to a ;young Hart upon the mountains of fpicel 7 . and with the Bride, Come Loral. elms, come ' quickly ; and with Paul, I elefire to be difolved and to be with Chri f I. When a man's evidences for heaven are either loft or blotted and blur'd, then he will be ready to cry out wirh Da- vid, 0 (pare me yet a little, that I may recover flrength before I go hence and be feen no More ; and with Hezeiah, to turn his face to the wall and weep. There are four things that above all others a Chriflian should labour to keep; I. Chrifl. 2. His own heart. 3.The Word. 4. His evidences for heaven, bright and Iltining. But, Luke 1. 19. Caw. 8. tat. hil.,I.2.3. The thirteenth Propofition is this, viz. It is the high con- cernment of every Chriflian; either when he is in the dark, or when his graces thine brightefl, and when his evidences for heaven are cleareil,and his fprings of comfort rife highefl, then to have his heart and the eye of his faith moil firmly fixt upon thefe three royal Forts; or thefe five Cities of refuge.It mull be granted, that though our graces are our belt jewels, yet they are imperfeol, and do not give out their full Mitre ; they are like theMoon,whichwhen it chines brightefl hath her dark (pots ; and therefore a Chriflian had need have his eye, his heart fixt upon the five following royal Forts. You know in time of War there are the outworks,and there are the royal Forts : Now, when the. Soldiers are beaten out of their out- works, they retire io the royal Forts and there they are fafe; and then they call up their caps and bid defiance to their proudefl, enemies. Now, our graces and our gracious evi- dences, they are our outrworks ; and from thefe we may be beaten in day of defertion and temptation, &c. Now if we make our retreat to the five following royal Fo.rts,we may in a 'holy fence call up our caps, and bid defiance to an hoft of Devils, yea to all the powers of darknefs: But
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=