A' choice Bed of Spices. Scripture cannot be broken, or violated, or made void ; but though this be an indifpenfable duty, yet certainly there is (efpecially in tithes of great afilidions, temptations, de- \ fertions, fears and doubts) a very great aptnefs and prone- nes in Chriflians to expee,Iftrange means rather than right means, and new means rather than old means, and invented means rather than appointed means,& to build their faith up- on fomthing betide the Word, or that is without the compafs of the Word, rather than upon the plain and naked Word it felf; being in this very like to many weak,crazy,diflempered and difeafed Patients,that are more ready to fancy every new Medicine and new Do6tor they hear of, and to be tamper- ing with them than to exped a recovery , by going through a courfe of Phyfick prefcribed by the Phyfician that }bell underflands their difeafes, and the molt proper and i effedual means for their recoveries. You know when Naa- man the eAnrian came to the Prophet Eli f ha to be cured of his Leprofie, he only fent out a Meffenger to him, who bid him go and wafh feven times in Jordan, and his flefh Mould, come again unto him, and he ihould be clean, z Kings 5 . To. but AlaamAns blond rifes, and his heart fwells, and he grows very wrath, and all becaufe he did not like the means pre- fcribed by, the Prophet, and becaufe he thought in his own heart, that the Prophet would have ufed more likely means to have, wrought the cure, ver. 11,12. So many Chriflians when they lye under great agonies and fore perplexities of foul, and are encouraged to ad faith upon the promifes, vol to reit their weary fouls upon the Word of grace, they are ready to think and fay, that thefe things, thefe means will never heal them. nor comfort them, nor be a relief or fupport unto them, unlefs the Lord does from heaven, by extraordinary Revelations, Vifions , Signs and Miracles, confirm his promifes to them ; and hereupon they make light of the bleffed Scriptures, which are the fprings-of life, and, the only bottom upon which all our comforts,peace and hap- pirrefs is to be built ; yea, they relinquifh that more fuse.; word of prophecy which chines as a light in ,a dark place Certainly the aging of faith on the precious promifes, and the 2I 2 Pet.1 /9,
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