S a e r. XII. of EfeaUslCalling. 6y3 copy for thee to write after, endeavor tobe like this woman ; O Lord, though Ifeet no comfort, though I be a Caft-away, though I be a dog, yet let me have but the cruets, the leaft exprellìons ofthy love, and they will refrefh me : So that you fee, thefe temptations are not to dejeét, but to draw out thy im- portunity, toquicken upthy affe&ions, as you Wall hear afterwards. Fourthly, Thououghtefl to befo farfrom being difcouraged,' becaufe of thefc fad 4 temptations andfears,that thou oughtefl the more to rejoyce, and to take thefegroans andcrys, as thefore figesandfmptomes of thy predeftosation ; For fo we told you, where thisele.tionwas, there the fpirit of God did accompany the foul with prayersand groans unutterable : So that thofe exercises and troubles ofheart, they areto be a great ground of comfortand hope to thee; thouart to rejoyce andblefs God, that puts thee in fuch agonies, fuch exercises, though for the prefent fo heavy and unfupportable: Alas! he that is a reprobate, and'indeed forfakenby, he is never thus troubled, he is givenup to a flony heart, as 'Pharaoh was ; and therefore fuck are Paid to have a blinde eye, a deaf ear, a fat heart, that cannot underftand : No,thofe that are thus forfaken by God, they make a mockof fin, they ear and drink, and go down quickto hell : Let not then, thofe things which ought to comfort thee, be matter of dilcouragement to thee Turn'not honey into gall. Fifthly, Confider,The unprofitableuefs, andfnfseln fo of all [Itch fears : They y, come tò no, good atall, they are thorns in thy fide, and hinder thee inall that livelinefs and power of godlinefs that ought to be ; they hinderthy praying, thy obedience,thy comfortabledifcharge of thy relation, duties : 7he joy ofthe Lord is. Join,ffrength, laid Nehemiah,Nehem.8.iv. and fear, thatmakes feeblelrands, andfeeble knees:fo that asthattimber which is eaten intoby worms,cannot ferre forftrong building ; fo neither can thofe who are devoured by thefe temptati- ons, befor that while ferviceable unto God : Know then, if thouw/st fear,thou haftcaufe to fear thefe fears, thou halt caufe to take heed thou doeft not runin- to fin, while thou ayt afraidof fin. 6 Sixthly, Examine thy (elf, Whether thoudoefi not live.inTome knownferret fin un- repentedof; and that puts thee upon thequeftionof all; or whether thou haft not grofly fallen from thy former love, and power of godlinefs : There things many times raife a darkand gloomy mill upon the foul. Pfal.3z. when David kept dolehis fin, and.didnot confefs it, that made great troubleand perplexity in his foul. As vapors got in the bowels of theearth, and finding no vent, make a terrible earthquake. Seventhly and Ialtly,Grant dal fears and troublesto be uponjuggeounds, yetif 7. thoumni peri/h, peri/bdepending upon God: Take up 7ob5 'refolution, Though he kill me, yet yoilkl will- in him as Hefter, venter togo into Gods prefenre,and fay, If Iperifh, I perifb, and thouwilt finde as fhe did, the King of Heaven J°b X3`5, holdingout the Scepter of grace: Thou art fure.to,be damned by unbelief, and by keeping offfromGod, but its pofúble to meet with falvation, yea, its Pure, if thoudraw near to God : As thofe Lepers were lure to perillo with famine, if they ftaid in the place they were in, therefore they would venture, though in theenemies Cotfntrey : And thus muchfor application of comfort. I !hall conclude with an UfeofAdmonition, Try yourfelves about thee fore- mentioned fruits of eleétion; do not rejeft there things, as nothing belonging to thee: Oh t doeft not thou fee thy felf,as yet in the frateof gall andbitter- nefs? what meanthofe grofs impieties, thofe unfruitful and unreformed ways, under fo much preaching? Put thy mouth in thedull:, ifyet theremaybehope ; pray, and again pray, God would deliver thee from thofe fins that overcome thee.
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