4o2 ---------- TheBouler el-Rua/Ica/ling to Chrift. beare ir, andI can be rictb,and j et not furtet ofthe world; I candoe all, but how ? through the po- werof thrift inabling me : therefore famous is that ofAlraham, ROM, 4.18. God had promiled Abraham a childe,andyet his bodywas dead,and his wifebarren, and it waseven againftnature for him tobeget a childe, or for her toBeare any : Now how dothGod provide for this ? Abraham under hope,beleevedabovehope; and in the a r.verfe becaufe hewas fullyperfwaded, that he that hadpro- mifed it, was able to make it food : there was no hope in nature,thatAbrahamfhouldbeget a child, his body being dead, andno hope that the fhould beare any ; therefore faithgoes toGod that was able roquicken them: haft thou abarren & adead heart as theirs was, and therefore thy foule com- plaines, and thou faift,I (hall neverbe able togoe through the worke required ? I know it is the complaint of manypoore foules; Oh fend faith up toHeaven, and beleeve in him that is able to fuccour you, and toquickenyou, towhatsoever he requires ; content thyheart in thismanner,and faywhen thou findett thy heart dead , I am ig- norant, but the Lord is able to inlighten my blindemind, and I have a dead barren heart,but theLord whois the Godofpower, hee is able to quickenme,and to releeve a poore deadblockifh firmer. Hee beleeved in him ( faith the Text) which calleth things that are not as if theywere; Abraham is not lively, and Sarah is not fruitful!, but the Lord can make them fo; and therefore faith goes toGod; fo thou thaltbewife,and have thy
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