Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

2 2 ß ofRegeneration. Sacr.IIII. their hearts : See what a glorious triumph 'Paul is lifted up into challenging all oppoLtion inthe world or hell againf}him. And thus Außin did much bewail,Se. ròtoamavi Domino, OLord, it was very latee're I began to love thee. How long dotha man feed upon husks, and is miferable in the Creatures,tiflhe come to eat of the fatted caffein Gods houle ? Say unto thy Pelf, Thu to notall thefweetnep, joy, andcomfort, that Imight bemade partaker of. - 5 Fifthly , Their courfeandconfant way of their life, isalfo bidden. The life that Inow live,isby faith in the Son ofGod, faith Paul, Gal. z. zo. What is thematter, 'cryeth CG,ryfoltom ? Doth not Paul liveas other men ? Doth he notlive onfood? Doth he not breath in the Air,as others do ? It is true,but INS is not Pauli lifepro. perly ; bat as the child in the womb lives an hidden life by fucking nourifhment from its mother, fo doth Pasininean bidden life by deriving efficacy fromChrif} : we walk by faith, and not by fen fe. Thus Habakkuk lived a Myflerious life; though the Figg tree did nor bioflon,, though the Olive tree failed, yet he rejoyced in thë falvattoa of the'Lord, Hab. 3. 1'7. To live byfaith is not a vifible known life to the world : The world bathnoother oyl to fupply their limps with , but from the creatures, and whet) thefe decay, their hopes are at an end : but it is not thus with the Godly, 7heir fifeit hid inahrif?, and therefore not to be taken away by any outward power : As the Parents layup the treaturesoftheir children , that they may not lofe thr m; fo that faith liveth, while all other things dye. 6 Sixthly, Their temptations and exercifesare alfofeerer. Look uponDavidin his Temptations, How fpiritual and hidden are they about the Joffe of Gods favour, and the light ofhis countenance ? Why art thou cuff down, O myfoul?fü& rruff in God; There are Temptations which wicked men are obnoxious unto; and there areagain fpiritual exercifes,which the Godly ereonely acquainted with ; fo that the nature of our Temptations will as much difcover our fupernatural life, as any thingelle. Every flute and condition bath its excercifes futable thereunto: The worldly man, worldly; the heavenly man, heavenly : and therefore it is neceffary in a Mailerof Ilraei toknow experimentally this kindeoflife, otherwife as Eli charged mournful Hanna with drunkennefs, when it was a fpirituall dif}refs upon her;Ifo will they chargepoor tempted Chrillians with madnefs and folly, if they know not the nature ofthelp exercifes : They willquicklybreak the bruited reed , and quench thefmoaking flax,being no wayes able topour oy1 into the wounded foul, till they havebeen thus wounded themfelves. Seventhly, Their priviledges are admirable, but unkno°on. It doth not yet appear what we are : as Chrif} in refpeetof his outward humiliation did not appear the SonofGod. The priviledgesofGods Children are juf}ification, adoption, free acceffe unto theThrone ofGrace, andfellowfhip with the Father; nowall there things Are hidden. Whowould judge, lookingupon theaffli&ions, troubles, and miferiesofGods Church, that they had inch priviledges ? Should we not fay of them, as was ofChid} ? They are forfakenandhatedof God. But though others do not knowwhat they are heirs unto,yet they themfelvesdo. Thisjuf}ification is cal: led a white(lone, whichnone knoWeth buthe that bath it ,Rev, 2. 17. fo that as the Tabernaclehad a rough hairy covering without, but therewas the pot of Manna within ; Thus,though Gods people lie in anoutward ,rough,.perfecuted, or afíli- & d eflate,yet they have Manna within : and in the lenfe and full perfwfiion of this, they encounter with all difficulties ,they triumph in freights; fo that if a na. tonal manseye were open, they would fee how much isfor them, thoughmuch a- gainf} them. S. Eighthly , Theirenereafe andgrowth et altohidden, and that by wonderful means. Oar Saviour inf}anceth in the feed fown, that itgroweth up, but the husband- man knowethnot how, onely heknoweth and feeth it grown : Thus the Godly man cannot perceive the growth ofhis faith, and othergraces, onely he feeth that whereas he was ababeonce, now he isa- man : His light is clearer, his faith firm, his zeal hotter; fo that as innatural growthof the body, a man dothhot per- eve

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