348 Chap. 23. AIn Expoftion upen theTook,. of J OB. Verf. 6. extreameft and hottettperfecutions, Paul had experience ofthis (2Tim. 4. 17.) There he tells a fad ftory of the feareful neffe ifnot ofthe unfaíthfullneffe ofmen, even of goodmen to him in an evill day, and he tells as comfortable a Dory ofthe pretence & faithfullnefTe ofGod to him in an evil! day, even in the worft and blackeft day that this world could lowre upon him in, At my fir!# anjwer no m.anRood with me (chat is, no man appeared to ftreng- then, to comfort me) all menforfookeme, I pray God it be not laid to their charge, (What then? was he left ofall, becaufe left ofall men, no fuch matter, All men left him, hut God who is but one One molt God, and who alone is more then all men r bode by him, as it follows in the Text)notuïrhftanding the Lordfoodwith me and jtrengthned me, that by me the preaching might be fully k,o r :ae, and that all the gentiles might heare : and 1 way delivered onr of the m esth ofthe Lyon; that is,out ofthe danger of my dead- ly ferfecuters, even out ofthe danger ofNero hrmfelfe by whole power fo many had been deftroyed. The Lord alwayes Rands by his in time ofafiìietion and tryall either to ftrengthen them in it, or to flrergchen them out ofit, that is, to efcape it ; either to de- liver them from the dangerof it, or to encourage them in the dangersof it, Thirdly, The Lord puts ftrength into his people to mortifie corruption, he givs us not only power againft, but power over our tufts. Flefhly lofts and corruptionsare firong, and ifwe have not ftrength from Chrift to fubdue and conquer them,they will be too hard for us, and foyle us. We are eafily and prefently foiled, by pride, by covetoufneffe, by wrath, by envie, all there p'ftions and ,ufts will trample us under their here in the dirt ofall finfull- neffe and pollution both of flefh and fpirit, unleffe we receive power f om on high to fubdue and mortifie thern.(Rorn. 8. 13.) if ye through the Spirit morti f e the deeds of thebody, ye (ball live; that ;s, g e !hall livecomfortably, holily, and.eternally. The deeds of the body,that is,finfull deeds,ar:d the root ofthem finlull lofts, count all weapons (as Leviathan loth fpeares and fwords) but 'tray andRubble, rather to be laughed at then feared,excepc one- ly the weapons or powerofthe Spirit. And, when once we take our Wits to taske with theweapons of the Spirit, they prefently fall and dye beforeus. The Spirit id theftrength of gad in ucfar the mortificationofCorrsption. Fourthly;
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=