41ta The Godly are WaJhed and sanflified, S a c r. VIII, matter of deje&Ion, but incouragement. Patti and others have in this manner been exercifed. 6. Sixtly, If thouhaft no comfort from fandifyinggrace, then makethe more of jellifying grace. God many times'hides thole works of his in us from our own eyes, that fo we may the more cfleeai his grace without us. The hungry will prize the Honey-comb, and the trek the phyfician. Thofe that fit in darkneff, they long for light. Thus David, when he was in many fad and fpirituall exercises, gets into this Ark, in'the mid(}of thi t: waters that did over-flow, There is a time when God wil put achrillian to the life of faith,andmake drpendance and adherence thegrea- teit honour a (-martian can bring to him; and this is soof} eminently teen, when to his own fcnle and feelingbe is a barren Wildernelfe; the leafe and drfeovery of grace inus makes much indeed for our comfort ; but dependance on the promife and adherence to it, even while we are ready tofink and co be damned,is the grea- teti honour to God. Seventhly, Confider this alfo,thatas the heart is very dreeitfull in a prefumptuous 7. man, flattering him upon falle grounds ro be lit ve in God ; fo its as deceitfull in a tempted Chi iftian to make him doubt of all things, fear all things, to regard his fi;ondy, ad not his graces, How prevalent the deceit of heart is in Pharifaical men, is evident to all the world ; for how confident and bold are filch ? When have theyany fears or doubts about their condition? When doe they ever fay, It maybe all this is but a fmooth skin, no found vitals at all ? But in a godly man tempted, therehis deceit worketh in a contraryway, not taking nonce of the great things God math done for his foul , he believeth, and momneth for fin, he would not commit any known fin for all the world , yet at the tame time cannot feethe uprighmefleand finceritie of his heart : Say then, I havea deceitfull heart in my fears anddoubts, aswell as prefumptions. 8. Eighthly, Know this alfo, That it is a great and grievous finne todeny the works of God in us, to betray the uprightnefle and integrity of our hearts. You fee /oh (lands like a fleeing Oak agair,(i all the violent Wafts that are upon him : He is a man outwardly and inwardly afll,ded, and that byextraordinary judgements fromGod, which madehis godly friends conclude, that certainly he was an Hy- pocrite, God did not ufe togive loch extraordinary blowes,but where there were great faults: now fee how refolute lob was in all this, He would notpart with hie ineedrity rill he dyed, lob 27.5. As there is nothing wherein the devill doch more defrre to (hake thee, than (n the integrity and truth of thy grace ; fo in this thou oughtfl to be the more p..remptory,and itsno prelumption; bur great unthankful - nels,00c ro acknowledge Gods gifts tin thee. Betides this is a bearing falle witneffe again(t thy own felf,not in matters ofgoods or life and death, but everlafling peace and comfort. Nimbly, Though thou fit in never fo much darkneffe, not knowing what to dee or think, yet humble thy (elf under Gads hand, give not way to fret: ingimpati- ence, entertain no hard thoughtsagainll God and hisproceedings : Say, O Lord, if I Mould never fee good day in this world. O Lord, though thou fhutteli me up in a prifon and darkDungeon all my life time, that I can never get out, y' t I may not expcftulate with thee; my heart mutt not fwell or fret ; for it is thou (Lid) -t(.at doll ir. Thus if we would follow Tam. Exhortation, To humble our Jelvrs üsder ho mi »bey hand, then he wowid exult no, I Pet. 5 6. It is indeed very hard to rebuke thole roarì. gs of the foul, to quiet thole tempefts and waves; we fee what fad elf Cis they had upon lob. Into what horrid pallions he breaketh cut ; and when he was rc proved for this, (O faith he) ifyourJoule were ín my (aide flood, you mawlá doe as I doe. Well, the flouter the Adverfanes are thou grapplefwith, the greater honour it will be to conquer; if it be a Golia.b, thenDavid will be more exal.ed. Lafily,if cny temptations be than violent, that as hithertothou arc perfwaded thou halli no grace; yet(tom this timebegin ; it is not too fate now : I( God will tall
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=