6 CriueCounfels thankful! for it,anddefre the Lord togiue you faith: ifyou haue faich,whichvndoubted- Feithroitbout lyyou mayhaue, though not rightly dikerning yourfelfe, you prefently perceiueit not : feelink youmufl.waiteontlìeLordforfeelingofit: formanydinesheexercifethfaithwithtemp- tatiós,beforehe fendsfeclirg:And though itmay be you fhal tarriethe Lordsleifure long, yetfurelybe will giue ityou in time :In themeane timeatfureyour felfe, that thegreatest faith is when there is leaftfeeling: It.is:rafre for euery one in glorious feelings, and ioyes vnfpeakable tobeleeue'rbut whena man feelingno fenfiblecomfortin theLord,cannot- withltanding beleeue onthe Lord, and by faith wake on him;this mans faith is moti great. 7 Afterfomeeffeauallworking of Gods fpirit invs, molt commonly (in many) not Deadnes of long aftercomes deadnes and dulnes-:againft this euillweMuttfirlttearch thecaufe,whe- miade. theeithe.for fomeruin thingdone,or for fome good thingnot done,for leaning force meane offaluation vnufed: whetherforChinefinnefeene ,butnotrepentedof,orfomefn repentedof,butnot foundly,orforvnthankfulnes. Secondly,vfe the remedie, pleafcnot your felfe in it, but route vp your felfe as froma (lumber, which willingly you would fhakeofffroinyou : calltomindethefpeciallandgreateftmercieofGod,vtethemeanes. Thirdly, inthe meanes'offer thyfelfe untoGod, waytinghumbly, and patiently for the timeofdeliuerance,neitherefteeming too much,ortoo littleof theaf$idlton. 8 When one was troubled in.mmde,hee ganelnmthis comfortable note : That al- Homittomes though itcame to patth,tliatafterionic traueile inthe newbirth,Gods graceswere not fo topalfe,that fweeté,and ourinnesnot fofowreandgrieuousvntovs ,as theywere atour firft entrance G p.m, into regeneration,butweearenowweakerinleffeailàults,bauingafore been ftrongerin eotovs f care greater temptations: weearenot todefpayre, but to confiderfrom whencethis gracious firüoutran progreffa didcome, namely ofGod,.anl not ofourfelues,who thewcd himfelfe more fa- into regesera- uourablein the beginning,botii becaufelse wouldnot ducourage vs newly commingvn- tióu,thauaf- to lntn,andfor that i eforfakingourfelues,witha godly fufpeaingofourweaknesinthe tër.. leaft temptations,didflievnto Gods helpeby prayer :. who in wifedome can bide himfelfe veder aclowde, partlyfor that bee will Tooke to fee thine triallofftrength at our hands, comming to tome age in newbirth ; partly forthat nowwee felfe forfake orfutpeét our felues,no norm greaterternptations,-andfoprefumptuoufly [ruttingtoourftrength,and flayingourfeints withourowne ftaffe,we doe notcall toGod forhelpe ; andnot calling, doe not obtaine ; andnot obtaininghelpe,wetake the foyle in thecontliót, thatthe Lord maymakeknownevetovs,that notwithfcandingourproceedinginChriftianitie, we are Rill but men,and Godalone isGod. ;deenfrienre 9 Hefaydtoonetroubledinminde,forafecretandfinalifinne,Idonotfomuchfeare toorbedfor this finne inyo+t,as thepolicie ofSathan byit,either inthat he will notfticke to thew you (mallfumeo. the lea finnes,and hidefromyou thegreater ;orelfeby thequick fightof your lecret and final! finnes,to cart vpon you anopenandgrolfe finne ofvainglorie and prmiepride. io Afibtedconlciences mutt not difpuretoo much againft themfemfelues, for their owneafions,forthat being difpleafedwith their owneperfons, they cannotbe pleated with their owne doings. t t He toldin loue, this obferuation and experience,when any camewith a troubled Mr to proceed confciencefor fume, wifely todifcerne whetherthey beinanelygrieued with ageneral! incomforting fightoftheir finne,or whethertheybeextreamely throwne downe, with the burthen of theaJflitied. particularfinites;if fo theybe, then it is good atthefirftto !hew that no finneisfogreat, but inChrift it is pardonable,and thatthere is merciewith God thathemight befeared:fo onthe otherfide !hewingthe mercie to come fromGod, but fo as they are nothing fitto reteineinercie,vnleffe they fede their particularand pricking finites. But iftheir Sorrow bemore confeffed in generali things, then it is good tohumble them moreand more, to giuethema terror ofGods iuftice for particular fnnes : for experiencedothteach, that this isthebeltway toobtaine foundcomfort,both to fee our finne, and to behumbled to feeour finne,becaufeoften,men will more readilyacknowledge greaterfinne they bane been in , than that ieffe finite they prefently lie into bee humbled, that being throughly thrownedowne, weemay dìreeetly feeke Chria, and keepeno ftay,vntill weehaue found comfort
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