On the Excellency of the Seul. 331 of them) when the foul takes notice how God comes in with power upon it, and beleeves, that now furely the Lord intends falvation to mee, tilt, Lord bath laid fuch a ground- work upon my foul, as I dare venture all upon it, and now I have caufe to hope that the hazard of mifcarrying to all eternity is over, O this is that that is the joy of the Holy Ghoft, joy uxfpeak ble 4ndgloriou.r, when the foul upongood grounds can have hopes that the hazard of its mifcarrying to all eternity is over; now, My foulreturn unto thy refi, faith Pal. x8.7, fuch a one ; fo that that is the next thing, the rating down of the old, and raifing up the new foundaticn. Ninthly, If thou wouldeft have thy foul faved, thou mull keep thy foul under the authority of the Word, and maintain the authority of the Word, and the authority of confcience over thee; this is the way, if thou meaneft to mo in Gods way for falvation. FillI, For the Word; The foul that God intends to lave, hee doth reveal unto it a dreadful authority that there is in this Book of God; this is that word, faith God to the foul, wherein I have revealed my mind to the children of men : Thofe counfels of my will that concern the eternal good of the children of men are in this book, and all your fouls are to be cat$ by this book, by this word, for eternity : Now this being revealed to the foul, the foul Hands in awe of this word, and trembles at this word, fears the authority of it, looks upon every threatning in the Word, every command in the Word , every promife in the Word , as having a divine authority ilampt upon it, fees the broad Seal of Heaven ftampt upon every thing to this Book, and dares not wilfully tranfgrefs againft any thing in the Word, and fo continues in keeping its felf under the dreadful authority of the Word; and that foul is in a good forwardnefs to bee fa- ved, that is kept under the dreadful authority of Gods Word, in the conftant courfe of it : Now I appeal to you, you would fain have your fouls Paved, bur can you fay thus? Indeed I have many fins, yet God knows, ( that knows all things) that my foul it is kept under the dreadful authority of T t 2 his
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=