476 'Mr. Pledger'sFowl not be loft. You know in faders time, take any Cpec;al degree of Reformation in the Church, and it teemed to Le oppofed by the gates of Hell : when it was brought upon trie ftage to ally hopeful degree, then it was taken as it were utterly out of figs hn a while but itwas never loft : thus God is but making way for his own glory to appear in thefe great works. 0 but you will lay, what (hall become of my particular ? It is e- nough God bath promifed that we !hall not want any thing that is truly good, and that nothing that is evil, shall fall upon us, and lye upon us : though we do not fee deliverance, it than be : whatever our fad thoughts and tremblings of heart may be, yet give God the glory ofhis Word': Take these few Direftions. a. Strive to ftrengthen thy Faith. Faith is that which layesrhold on Chrift : and Christ is your ftrengrb : therefore Faith is faid to do that which Chritt does : let every daydrive thee to a renewed aft of Faith : Take heed, be not shaken in the faith of the Caufe, be not fhaken in the Faithof Chrift ( fides Caufe, fides Chrifli) Benot shaken upon the Caufe, which upon utmoft examination, we find to be according to the ward, hold that : Heaven and Earth (hall assay, but not one jot and tittle this Caufe. And then do not Make in the Faith of Chrift, that is, in your laying hold, in your applying your felves to him, in your reitizyg and fetling upon him ; begof God to ftrengthen your faith. 2. Get more Self-denial : we mutt forfake all, we muff not ex.; cept any thing. Aman would part with his life as eatily as with a pin offhis fleeve, if he had but fome confiderable growtt in Self denial. 3. Get a great deal of love towards that Chria, that loved us with a love ftronger than death : get love of that Chrift that may be ftronier than life. Let nothing in the world be ofany confiderati- on with you, fo as Chrift may be magnified in your bodies : love will breedcourage, and cast out fear fear before God, car® nal fear before men. Get a true infight into an account offufferingAnd troubles whence they are : they iffue from the fame love with redemption ofyour fouls fromHell, and your glorification : God doth every thing in purfuanceof thepurpofeofhis love : he clothevery thing according to the platform and patternof his thoughts towards us frometernity. Confiderwhat troubles are, and to what end ; not to deftroy, but to try : to wean from the world, to fit for Heaven. I. Get an infight into the vanity of thecreature : you reckon the cteature fome great matter and that is the reafon ofyour love, and iofyour fear, 6. Ger
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