63s t ofEffeaxal Calling. S n c r.XI1 holinejfeand lived vigour. For fear which is the oppofite to this, that makes weakhands, and feebleknees, thatdifheartens, that faith, 4 lies is intheway whereas the certaintyofour good condition would put hopeand life into us. The teflimonyofa good confcience made Pax[ fo 8íiive in thecourfe ofhis Mi- niftry, a Or.x.12. Certaintybreeds joy, and thejoyofthe Lord isourßrength, as Nehemiah faid, Nehem.8.to. Take a pieceof timber full of moths and worms eating into it, and it's nowaits ftrong enough for any building. Grief is made rottenneffe to thebones, whichcontinues the feat of all our ftrength : fo fpiri- tuaìtdejedions and Gnfull doubtings about the work of grace in us, they con- fume theveryheart, theydeftroy the very foundations. No man but afanftifi_ ed man can haveagood confcience in a Scripture fence; they may have a quiet confcience, not scuffingthem for groffc (ins committed agatnft the lightofna- ture : But this is not aScripture goodconfcience ; for that isfreed not only from groffefins, but heart-fins, and foulfns, and it is fprinkled with thebloud of Chrift. And thus a good confcience is a continual! haft. Oh then, this mould fir thee up for thisholy certainty ; thou wilt be farre more cheerful!, more joy_ full in the work of the Lord : Thou wilt be more fervent and zealous; than wilt be as thefun, like agiant running hisrace. We complainofourbarrensofr, ofoneweaknefs, ofour flothfulnefs : What can be wings to us but this certain. tyofour graciouseftate, This willbe likethe Spirit in EzekjelsWheels. This will be like the winde that gathered thedry bones together: Oh then that the people of Gad would more matter this. Thou couldft not befuch a lump of earth, ifthis breathof lifewere breathed intothee. 3. Thirdly, This certainty and *vanes of grace, would exceedinglykeep ay the hart under all ofilIions and outwardmiferies. Hadnot Patel been affuredof that eternal! weight ofglory, he could not have judged thefe worldly miferies light andcalle. WhenDavidwas in all that mifery, all outward hopesgone, Hein. ceuragedhimfeIfinhie God, t Sam. 3o,6, His God, He knew God washis God; though hehad loftall thingselfc. And thus Paul is more then a conquereur; anddoth fo highly challenge all troubles to hurt him if they can, becaufe he knowethby Gods Spirit, thathe is one called and chofen; and mall not this prevail with you? Is it not a miferable thingto fear tobekilledbymen, and to be damned by God at the fame time : Tobe imprifoned bymen, and imprifon- ed in thy own confcience, Oh whatwill provoke thee ìfthis not ? Alas ! Iam fareofnothing, not ofmy life, notof myputward comforts, not of any out- ward injoymenr, and wiltnot thou thenbe Pure of gracewithin thee? Oh our vanity ! when will we be wife? We labour for thole earthly things, which whenwehave, wecannot be fureoff; but not atall for grace. Is it not with many men, as withthe bees, when allthefummer theyhave laboured tofill their combswith bony, then comes the husbandman and barneth them, and takes their hoot'. So thou haft along while laboured to get up famuch wealth, fuch an elate, and thencomesdeath, or fome fudden publique judgement, the fWord andwane, and thattakes all thybony from thee. Oh when we can be fire of no outwardthingwehave, let us be lureof inwardgrace: Fourthly, Thiscertainty ofgraceis apentand mighty buckleragaixfF allthofe violent afaults and temptations, that the devil nfetb toexercife she Lod!),may. His temptationsarc, That they arehypocrites,that all the calamities which fall upon them arebecaufeGod is not reconciled with them, that they leek themfelves andnot the glory of' God. Now there is no fach brazen wall to repel! all his darts, as the teftimony andknowledgeof thetruth ofgrace in our hearts. This was theaquavita, that kept up 306. Yo ;knowwhat fiery temptations hehad, God feemed to be againft him; godlyfriends judged him an hypocrite: The devil he affaultshim a he faith, `Doth 7th ferve godfor naught ? God bedgeth him in, andgivethhim outward profperity no wonder thenif 7thfernGod, 3äb t. Theft are firm tempeftuous wigdesi able to tear up theroot ofthe ftrongef
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