48 The rare Jn!'el o/CbriJ1ian Contenrme;:-- ifa m~ n~th a,.b~td,en opon him, yet he can have !he!~gtb . added .~a h1m, n t;·'.! ourd~~ b~ d<mbl_ed~ yet if h~ can have his Hreng1n _to b~ tf~;)led, the tlllrdt!n 1vlll not be heavier but liah~ ter t.han !t WM befo~e to oqr n:mn.ai fl.tength. Indeed our.,af~ Hl~l<:'OS may be heavy,and we €ry o~,O vVe ~;annat beat them, \Ve ,aflnot be•w fuch an affii6~ion : Th~ugh thoa cailfi not tell hotV to beat it wirh thine orvn fhengtb, yet what canfi thou ~~~~ what cnau ilialc do With the flrength of Jefus Cbrifl ? Thou {a1eft thou canft not bear it, why daft thou think that ChtiH could not bear it? if Chrift could bear ir, why maieft not · t~ou c~me to beat it_? You will fay, can I have the firength ot Chr~ll: Y ~a, that 1s made ever to thee by faith,fo the Scnpture faHh, Tnat the Lord is oHr {irength, God himfelf is our flrengch, and Chrifl: _is OJU l.hength, ~<livers Scriptures we have tha~ way ; that Chnfis flreogth is tbine,made over to thee,that fo thou ma~eft be able to bear whatCoever lies upon thee, and therefore we nod fuch a !lrange kind of expreffion in theEpiflle of St. Paul to tAe Colo/fitns, praying for the Saints, That they might be fircngthentd ~ith 11!1 might according unto his glorious power, unto what? Unto all p11tience and long Juffering 11ith jayf~J/ne{s; Strengthned with a/! might, lle&Drding to the Power of God, the glorio~s Power of God, unt~ all pt~timce a,.J, long (ujfering with joyfutnejjt You may not therefore be content with a little flrengt~, fo that-you are able to b-et.r, what a man might bear b.y the !lrength of!eafon an~~t~re; but to be firengthened with all mtght accorchng eo !he glouous Power ofGod# unto all patience, and to all lo~(ntfering;Oh you that arenovv under very heavy at1a fad affiiaibns more. than .ordinary, look upon this Scripture, and confider ho~ thts. Scrtpture IS ma~e good in you,why may you not have thts Scnptu!e made good t.n you, if you be Godly?You lhould not be qute~ 10 y~ur own fp•· rits,except tbat you mfom.e meaCure do ~et tins Scnpture to be made oood in you, fo that you may Wtth fome comfort fay, tbrou:h Gods mercy I find tlut firengtA coming into me that is ner~-rpcken of in .tbis--sCriptttre. You lhall labour when you are Ul'lder any great affliction ( you that are Godly ) to walk fo, that oth~rs may fee fucb aScriptute made good i~ you; Here is the glorious Power oflGod that cloth !\rengthen h1s fer.. vanu
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