Caryl - Houston-Packer Collection BS1415 .C37 v5

35o Chap.i6. Ata Expof tionupon theBook;of j ß B. Verf. burdens ,and endure breach upon breach , till we remember that thoughhe had many breaches upon his body and of}ate ; yet he had none upon his confcence : Indeed his fpirit had breaches by way of tryal and temptation from God but it had none by way ofdifobedieiice:againft God. Thefpirit ofa man, faith Solomon , rvülfuRain his infirmities, Prov. 18. 14. There are two forts of infirmities. Firft , Sinful infirmities, loch - are impatience , doubtings, deadnefs of heart, and vanity of thoughts. Secondly, Penal, or painful infirmities, fuchasare poverty, . ticknefs, Males, or anyoutwardcrois whatfoever. Thefe latter are the infirmities which Solomon means ; and thefe the fpirit of a man will fuftatn, even while his &íh or body finks under ahem : Yet here fpirit is not taken meerly in oppofition to bodily, or material flab ( though the fpirit under that Phyfical notion is able to bear much more then the body can) but as fpirit is oppofed to fpiritual and fin full flefh; that is, to a carnal corrupt mind The fpirit of a man furniíhed with grace, , fupported with the favour of God, and the teflimony.ofa good'confcience, will fuflain all his infirmities; that is,;caufe him tobear with much, not on- ly patience, but courageand cheerfuluefs in the heavieft burs dens ofaftliaion, which either the wifdom of God Both, or the malice of man can lay upon him. Holinefs makes the weak ftrong., and the'thong like Giants, to endure all (hocks oftrouble and hardthip. A whole skin feels no fmart,though you bath it with brine; and if a man have a found conici- ence, ifhis fpirit be not galled and raw, he is able to Rand at anytime, and fometimes to rejoyce in the faltett waters of worldly forrow. For though he be not ( as was chewed be- fore ) fenfiefs of, or without outward fmart; yet having no inward fmart, which is theworft fmart, hells above it : The pains and wants of the body are almoft loti, and (wallowed up in the comforts:andenjoyments of the mind.. Awounded fpirit who can bear? A fpirit unwounded what can it not bear ? He that hathno injuftice in his hands hathmuch peace in hisheart, and while ourprayer is pure, our fpirits will not be much troubled in anyofour troubles. Secondly,

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