1.1111.11111111111.1111111.1.111.11111111101.111111.111111mi, - A choke Bed-of Spaces. finful crofsnefs that keeps many good 111Q11 and women long in a fad, dark, doubting, perplexed, and dicconfolate condi- tion; and certainly 'cis no fm.all fin to fet light by any work of the bleffed Spirit, and the joy, comfort, and peace that we might have by it; ah how many are there that fear the Lord, who quench, grieve, vex, and provoke the holy Spirit, by denying his work, and by quarrelling again ft themfelves, and the bleffed work of the Spirit in them?. Certainly 'tis the duty of every Chriaian to hear as,vvell what can be faid for him, as what can be faid agairia him : Many poor, weak (and yet fincere) Chr ;ftians are often apt to be too fowre, rigid and bitter againa their own fouls, they love to pradife a mercilefs feverity againa thernfelves ; they do not indif- ferently, impartially confider how the cafe hands between God and their own fouls. It is in this cace,as Solomon fpeaks in another. There is:that maketh himfelf rich, and yet bath nothing. And there is that maketh himfelf poor, and yet bath great Riches. That is, there be thole in the world that pretend they are rich, and make a Chew before men as if they were men of great eaates, whereas indeed they are ex- ceeding poor and needy. There are not a few that firetch their wing beyond their Ilea, that bear a port beyond their Eaates, that trick up themfelves with other mans plumes, laying it on above nclea--- fure in cloaths, in high entertainments, in ftately Buildings, in great Attendance, &c. when not worth one groat in all the World, but either they dye in Prifon, or lay the key un- der the door, or compound for twelve pence in the pound, &c. And there are oEhers again that are exceeding rich and wealthy, and yet feign themfelves, and look upon them- felves to be very poor and needy. To apply this fpiritual- ly. 'Tis the damning fin of the felf-flattering Hypocrite, to make himfelf rich, to make himfelf lionificant, to make his condition better than 'tis : And it is the vanity, the folly, of tome fincere Chriflians, to make their condition worle than indeed it is, to make themfelves more miferable and unhappy than indeed they are. All Chriflians, tis fad with you, tis night with you, when you read over the evidences of H 2 ' ,Gods Prat 77. 2, Kai. 88. Job I /./ I. chap. 16.8, 9. Prov. 23.7. Ever fince man ceafed to be what he thould be, he ftriveth to feem to be what he is not. It is nos the outward ifhew that !hews ' what tiajogs are
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