111111.21M...m."- AgainflOiritualwickeinefft. that were rich and mighty, on a fudden withered and came to nothing. Lo, (faith he) this is the man that made not god has ftrength, beat trolled in the abundance of his riches. But Iam like a green olive-tree in the Houle of God; I trufl in the mercy of God for ever and ever, Pfal.52.7, 8. While others troll in the rich- es of their own righteouineffe and fervices,and make not Chrift their flrength,do thou renounce all, and truft in the mercy of God in Chrift, and thou fhalt be like a green olive when they fade and wither. Secondly, Chriflian,you will not thrive in true comfort fo long as you reft in any inherent work of grace, and do not 'land clear of your own aftings and righteoufneffe. Golpel- comfort fprings from a Gofpel-root, which is Chrift, Phi/. 3.3. We are the circumcifion,which worfh;p god in the Sprit, andre- joyce in Chrifi 7efits, and have no confidence in thefiefh. Now a foule that tells on any holineffe in him felf; he gu,ffs his comfort upon himfelf, not Chrift ; he fucks his own breaft, nor thrifts; and fo makes Chrift a dry nurfe : and what comfort can grow on that dry tree ? The Spirit is our Comforter as well as our Teach- er and Counfellour. Now as the Spirit when he teacher h comes, not with any newor ftrange truth, but takes of Chrifis owne; (what he findes in theWord) fo where he comforts, he takes ofChrifts own, his righteoufneffe, not our own: Chrift is the matter and ground of his comfort : all cordials are but Chrift diftill3d, and madeup in feveral promifes : his aging, not ours; his fuffering, not ours; his holineffe, not ours ; he doth not fay, Soul,rejoyce,thou art holy ; bat,Soule,triumph.Chrift is righte- ous, and is the Lord thy rigbteoufnefe ; Nor,Soul, thou prayeft fweetly, feare not ; but thou haft an Advocate with the Father, Chrift the righteous : fo that the firft ftep to the receiving of comfort from the Spirit, is to fend away all Comforters of our own. As in learning of the Spirit, he that will be taught by him, mull firft become a fool, (that is, no way lean to his own underftanding,) fo he that would be comforted, muff firft be emptied of all felf-fupports, muff not lean tohis owne comforts. As a Phyfician firft bids his Patient call off all"o- thers he bath tampered with, he asks what Phyfick he hath had from them, takes off their plaift ers, throws away their Phyfick, and goes about the work de n&vo : So the Spirit when he comes Qq to 297
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=