390 Alr. Lye's S4111014q Rebearfal thou wilt not come in, certainly thouart wanting to thy felf : for, lO5k as well as thoucan't to thy fedi, thou hail not apromife to keep one hair of thy dead till to morrow morning : not a promife of a hap of water, bit of bread , not a promife of one minutes facety-till to morrow morning. And if fo be that thou haft not a God, no intereft ,iim, if God ihould turn his back on thee, a ti rouland to one but arEiCtions come : and affli Ctions come, thy heart's gone, thou having xto iritual grength in heart, no eternal Rock of Ages to flue to , no wonder if thou faint under them, and fo thou wilt certainly do : if 4 Believer that hath but little itrength, is apt to faint, thou that haft no ftrength will utterly fall, when affliCtions finds thee. And this leads to The Eighth Sermon. Prov.24.10.1f thoufaint in the day of Adverfity,thy flrength is full. '1"He Obfervation from hence was, Tofaint in the day of trouble ar- gues a mans inward ftrength to be but fmall,His judgement weak , his reafon low, his graces feeble , his inward comfort , peace, and joy not much, but very little. This I. Shews whenceour ml-givings of heart, whence our want of livetnft cf fpirit in and under troubles proceed even from hence , that our Itrength is but!mall. a. Teaches us how to judge what our fpiricual flrengrh is ; name- ly, this war, how doll thou bear affli6tions ? how is it with thee in a day of dirlrefs ? dot} thou faint and fall ? is argues thy firength is but fmall. 3. By way of Dehortation : do not thou faint in the day of affliai- on, of idverfity. Take heed of fainting in three things. I. under wo-k or duty , be it never fo great , grievous, trouble- fome, or dangerous. 2. Under the with-holdings of mercy be they never fo long de- rained. 3. Under affliet,ions , be they , or may they be never fo grievous : whether I. Public* affliaions, the atIliolions of the Church of God : pore Sion is now clad in fackcloth , there's a time coming when The !hall be arrayed in fcarlet : when the Whores fcarlet (hall be turned into raggs, the Churches raggs (ball be turned intogold. Or, 2. Perfonalaffliaiong, faint not under them, be it this, or that , or the other, be the great, never fo long, or never fo ma. by, never fo But what gull do to bear rip myfpirit, andtopreferve me from fainting x. Life
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