Gojpel Tvnnifiion. 201 the Lord may take them away ; and becaufe he delights ih the meer ac`tings of faith, that is the reafon why God with- draws hinifelf trom the fouls of his people that they fhall not have the ufe of Signs and Evidences as they had before, becaufe he would teach them to live on the more necefhary as offaith ; God loves the voice of fob,though he kill me, yet will trrsj?in him; I will venture my foul upon him , what- ever becomes Of me ; when there's nothing elfe to reff on but God, then to live by ac`tings of faith meerly on him , he de- lights much in this ; and therefore take heed you do nçt rest fo much on figns, as if all your comforts were loft and you undone, when you cannot have fuch ufe of them as you have had heretofore. Ninthly, when you have at any time loft the ufe of figns, do net determine that all is gone, and that youPallnever have the ufe ofthemmore ; this is that that mightily hinders many poor Chriftians that are in trouble of Confcience, becaufe they cannot find the evidence of Lhe pardon of their fins, and that God accepts ofthem in what they do ; what do they do prefently ? they yield to the horrible fentence of damnation againft themfelves : Gods Spirit, fay they, is now gone, and he will return no more ; he will never come any more unto me : take heed you do not faften any fuch kind of thoughts s thofe are, to determine of your own estates, or that Gods Spirit will not come again : but do you humble your fouls be- fore the Lord, and wait upon him. Tenthly, When at any time all.Signs and Evidencesfail you, andyou are ready to determine that all is gone,yet even then keep upgoodthoughts of God ; As the Spoufe in the Canticles when her Beloved was gone,yet she prized him, and faid, He is the chiefeft often thoufands, in Cant, 5. when Che was asked , What is thy beloved ? fays hie, he is thus and thus, &then con- cludes, He is altogether lovely ; and this was at fuck a time as he was gone, yet the retain'el good thoughts ofhim ; fo 'tis a good fign for any foul, that when trouble of confcience is 'upon them, or any other trouble , that they retain good thoughts of God and Chrift, and the ways of God, when the foul 'îys, whatever become of me , though I perifh for ever Dd )let
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