652 8. Of Eifel-10d Calling. S a c T. XII; evenChriff himfe1fwa tempted In this manner, though wkhot fin Was not this themeaning of thofe heavy groans and crys, the Apofile faith he tittered, faying, MyGod, myGod, Why haft thou falenme? My God, myGod, there were the expreffions of faith, adhering and relying ; but, Why hag thouforfaken me ? they Otere thewords of one not feeling the fenfible comfort and fupport of God at that prefent ; which wasnot limply a fin, but part of that foul_ agony, andfoul -fufferings he did undergo for us. Well then, let no tender heart, and troubled foul bedejected, if it be exercifed with fuck black tempta- tions ; for thefethings have befallen the godly, yea, Chrill himfelf. Secondly, Lay this down affuredly, that aR theft thoughts andJuggefiions, as f than Wert net chofen, come ouelyfrom theDevil, andare his poyfoned arrows that he darts into thee : He is the Prince of darknefs, and loveth to keep the foul in darknefs ; he is the Acculer of the Brethren, not onely to God, but accufeth God to them, as an hard mailer, as one that did (watch to damn and defiroy : Now that they come from Satan, is plain, becaofe they are contraryto thefcri- pture : All fpiritsmull be tryed by the Scripture, and fo thou mutt try thy fpi- rit by the Scripture :- Well then, thy fpirit. faith , God bath not chofen thee, Godbath not ordained 'thee to eternal glory ; now fay, Where doth the Scri- pture reveal any fuch thing ? wheredoth Gods word manifel'c any loch thing? If then the Scripturedifcover no filch thing, it comes but from that lying fpi- tit, and thy lyingheart together ; fay thereforein all fuch temptations, Get thee behinde me Satan, tbefe thingsfavour not of the Scripture, theft thingscome net fromGodsfpirit ; therefore Gods fpirit is called The Comforter, becauf bein- clineth thefoul to believe in Gods gracious promifes; Gods fpirit, is thefpirit of Adoption, which inablethus to cry, 4bba Father ; thus the fpirir of God, where that is, difpels. all tormenting fears ,.all linful deletions, carriethon the heartto Evangelicalconfderations Now this fhouWd exceedingly prevail with the tender heart , when it feels all thofe fadand heavy preffures : All chefe things are contrary toGods fpirit, they grieve the fpirit of God, as weil asmy own fpirit. Thirdly, Confider, Weare not to live by our oWn experiences and feelings that We have, whether ofjoy, orfears, but by the word of God : Its averydangerous delovon, when a man makes his own fenfe and experience, therule to walk by :. He mutibring his heart,'and all things to the word, to be directed byit, guided by it. Now the wordof God that commands every one in particular to believe, to repent, todrawnear toGod; this the word enjoyneth every one, Whir then art thou troubling thy felt about the ferret things of God, which cannever be kinown ? Theft revealed commands and duties,they belongto thee; How much better were it therefore, to (hake off all thole temptations, as Paul did the Viper from his hand; and fay, Let me rife up and fall to my duty o The command is plain, unquellionable, Came unto me allye that are heavyladen, Mat.' t. Ho every one that thirfiethcome, John7. Now then, if theft Texts be foclear, fo evident, how darefl thou refute them? If fin trouble thee, then letfin agáinll theft Commandments trouble thee. We have a moti pregnant in- fiance in this cafe, Mar. I.22. The woman of Ceoìaan when fhe defired help from Chri ft, fee what a repnlfe Chrift gave her, Its soot fitto givechildren; bread to D.gs : Hecalls hera Dog, he tells her,childrens bread didnotbelong toher; Whole heart would not this break ? wasnot this in effedt to tell her, thewas a reprobate, thepromifeof Grace did' not belongto her? Though Chrift fpake this by wayof tryal, to drawout herimpórtunity themore Well, what faith the womanto all this? yet fhe will catch fome thing for an argumenttill of hope, Truth Lord, yetthe Doge at of theore m:that fallfrom the table: Let me be a Dog, let me beunworthy, Iconfefs my felt fo, I feel my felf fo, yet de- ny not the crams., the leali mercy I !hall prize; and upon this anfwer what great commendation did Clirifl give her faith? Look you then, here is .a copy
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