Chap. 6. An Expofttion upon the Book, ofJ OB. VerCz3. Oak, his fubflance will be in him, the feed ofholinefs (hall be his lùbilance. is not my help in me ? I know my ellate is gone, my beauty is gone, my ftrength is gone, the ftrength (I mean) of ntq f Lfh, yet I have invisible fupports, fomewhat unfeen w truft unto. It is the comfort ofbeleivers, that theyhave an eûate, ri- ches and poffalions, lying asfar beyond the reach of mens pow- er as their eye ; and as tar beyond the reach of Satans malice, as either. When they feel nothing but pain in the flefh, when no- thing but weaknefs iniabits the boufë ofclay, the outward man, then the inward man is renewed with Tweet refrefhings and strong confolations day by day, The fpirit of a man (of a godly man ) will bear his infirmities when his body cannot.The fircngrhofnature is not as tteJirengthofftenes,nor is the flefh of brafs,but the ftrength ofgrace, is fironger than the ftrength ofdones, and the fpirit is more durable than brais : Grace wears not out by utng, nor doth it !Pend by implying : Affi eliensare but the higher fervices and employmentsofGrace: A hockofgrace is an inexhafible trea- fure,and a good heart, affures us better thun the barrs ofa Cattle. Faith and a good Confcience, (are under Chrift) our belt helps in trouble; they are friends that will never forfake us:they are to us as their Author, whohath promifed that he will not. Grace is, our participation with the Divine Nature, and Grace participates with the Divine Nature in this, it is an unchangeable good, an everlalting comfort. And yet We mutt take this warily, grace and holinefs; faith and a good Confcience,are-not to be trued upon no more than riches or any outward means. Wè make an idol of our faith, and a vain thing of a gàod ConJcience : the meaning then is, faith and-a good Confcience are our heft helps and friends, becaufe faith car, ries us unto Chrifi who is our bed help. Faith pitchesupon Chrifi and a good Confcience,feaflsus in the favour of God. Faith alone is no help,but faith is-our help, becaufe it is not alone : Grace left alone would beour ftrength but little more then nature is,and our fpirit little more than the flrfh. And therefore our comforts are not to be refolved into this, that we have grace in our hearts, but into this, that we andour gracesare in the hand of. Chrifi. Faith can live no wherebut upon Chrift ; that which faith refpeós as our help,is Chilli in whom we beleive, not the ad of beleiving. We are helped by the grace within us, but the grace withinus,is not our. help, Secondly Obferve A
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