44 end tbe Power ofNs might. thou layeft down this fad Conclufion againft thy God or felf, fee whether hebath not conveyed in foams ftrength by another dbor Perhaps thou hail not ftrength to conquer it fo loon as thou defireft, but hath he not given further praying ftrength a- gainft it ? Thou prayedfibeforelbut now more earneftly, all the powersof thy foul are up to'plead with God; Before thou waft more favourable and moderate in thy requeft, now thou hail a zeal, thou canft take no denial, yea, welcome any thing in the roomofthy corruption ; Would god but take thy fin and fend a croffe, thou wouldeft bleffe him : Now,poor foule, is this no- thing, no ftrength ? glad not thy God re-inforced thee, thy fin would have weakened thy fpirit of prayer, and not increafed it. David began to recover himfelf, when he began to recover his Spirit ofprayer. The ftronger the cry, the ftronger the childe,I warrant you. 74cob vvreilled, and this is called his iirength, Hof 12. It appeared, there was much of God in him that he could take filch hold of the Almighty, as to keep it, thoughGod ftemed to fluke him off; If thus thou art enabled,foule, to deal with the God ofheaven, no feare but thou (halt be much more able to deal with fin and Satan. If God bath given thee To much ftrength, to wreftle with him above and againft denials, thou haft prevailed with the ftronger of the two: overcome God, and he'll overcome the other for thee. Again, perhaps thou hail been praying for further ftrength to be communicated to thee in,duty,,that thou mighteft be more fpiritual, vigorous, united,fincere, and the like therein, and yet thou fincleft thy old diftemperi hanging about thee, as if thouhadft never acquainted Godwith thy aile ; Well,foule, look once again into thy borome with an unprejudiced eye, though thou doeft not find the affift- ing ittength thou prayedit for, yet haft thou no more felf-abafing flrength ? perhaps the annoyance thou hail from thefe remain- ing chftempers ,in duty, °zeal-ion thee to have a meaner opinion of all thy duties then ever, yea, they make thee abhor thy Idle in the fenfe of thefe, as if thou hadft fo many loathforn vermein about thee. 706J:condition on the dunghil, with all his-botch- es and running fores on his body, appears defizable to thee, in comparifon of thine, whole foul thou complainell is worfe then his body. 0 this afilifts thy foul deeply, doth it not ? that thou. filonlcleft appear before the Lord with fuch a dead,divided heart, and
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