144 TheRighteous Mans Re/ling-place, or, Parts of the Where you may fee an admirable incouragement that God gives to his fervant Text. Abraham ; Youmay note, . Firíf, the hicouragement it felf; that is, not to fear.. Secondly, note the time,when God gave him this incouragement : when he had tncountred with thole Kingsimmediately before,as we fee in Chapter r.,}. Andwhen he was to encounter withmany evils and troubles aster, then'the Lord appeared to him. Thirdly, note the manner,howGod ispleafed to revearthis comfort ; that is, by wayof vifion t God appeared by vifron, , Fourthly,note theground ofthis eomfort and incouragement that God gives him, and that is taken from a twofold Argument. Firll,what God was to him,in regard of any evils, that he did feel,or fear,he was his Jhieldto bear them off. Secondly,in regard of all the good things that Abraham could lofe in the world, an exceeding great reward : he would be to him all in all, So you Ice this portion of Scripture affords plentiful matter for inflrudion , and i confolatiplj. All thatI will fpeak of at thi,s'time, I wiltOrd up in thispropofition; that is, that, ., l'ropaf They that are in covenant with gal; an'd labour tit keep hie covenant ( a4 faithful They that are ' Abraham was,anddid) they may be a people withoutall carnal, andinordinate in covenant fear. be`háthoutay For Abraloamfchmu h;°andhadjuft caofcto'expeftmore,but.inthemiddeffof carnal fear. all, God appeared to him, and bid himhe 'lhöuld not fear. °''Andwhat was fpoken to Abraham,is fpokcn to us : for he was the Father of the Faithfìd,and they that are of the faithwith 'Abraham, are bleffedwith him. So then thebiding of cflbraham, and all the incouragemcnts that were giverr.to him, theybelongnot tohim only, but to all that arethe fpiritual feed ofe.?braham, to allthe faithful: fo that thePropo-, fition is not limited to hh i; but cxtcncistoall ADothiae,ifevecnecìdful - IcinnibW.I WekrssiwJssysvit with all men,liat are out ofCovenant with God. Adamasfoonas he had tiiti'ned, he runs fromGod, he ! was afraid,and hid himfclffrom the face of God; fo every unregenerateman is (ex- cept his conscience be ignorant,in a dead fhep, and cáuïeriiel i) forhe féëthGod on the one fide a revenging,Judge: and he knows hitnfelfon the other fide to be guilty, and therefore he cannot but with amazement and fear continually tremble before God: and hedefires ififwere poflible that there were noGod at all,that he might never he called to accountfor his doings. But now the child ofGod, a! I faithful Abraham that is in covenant with God, he may in the middeft of all evils lift up his head with joy.and comfort, even when wicked men are at their wits end, and know not whither to-turn themfeldes. Í It is (I fay) a point needful to urge in theft times,' wherein we hear abroad of ! wars,and rumors of wars,and fo many diftradions: and what they feelwe havecattle to fëar': b'ut now it is feafonable at this time, when we fee theKing offears aet his ¡partbeforeottreyes he that the Philofopherscall,themolfterribleofallterribles; tha is, D ath, that tends to the extirpation, and abolition ofnature, in regard ofl our being here. I fay there cannot beá-betterargument treated of, thanfomewhat that may fence us againft the fear of this evil. Now for the opening ofthis point. Firlf, confider whatfear is. And then whatfear a Chriftian fbould be freed from. And then how it comes to pals thata Chriflian is exemptedfrom all tlavifh, and inordinate fear. And then come tomake Tome Life of it,to the prefent oceafton. t. Whatfear is. Firft, that wemayknow the pointthe better, let us confider', what fear is ingene- ral ;.'And fear (beloved) it firth an afeifionor pa/ort ofthefoul that ir. ffirredop with a through apprehenfron oflime futureevil, that is'very difficult to be ruffedby theparty, or patient. It is an affection, or pallron of the foul: for it makesa real tranfmutation in the man. It
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