of Mortification. . againfl: rh is Temptation , he eyes me to ci-own me, if Vitl:orious; and fha\1 I be any otherwife but Victorious while God looks on? Shall l fuffCr my felf to be foyl'd in his fight, whofe Caufe 1 now maintain? No, God himfelf fhall now fee what bimfelf hath given me Power and Ability to do. Did Chrifiians thus confi~ der the Prefencc and Eye of God with and upon them, they would go forth more refolutely unto the Work of Mortificat ion. Secondly, Confider the Eye o.f Jcfus Chrift .is upon thee, not only to obfe_rvc but to rclic\'C thee, and to ptty thee, wh tlc thou wreftlefl: not only agamft Flefh and Bl0od, but aga:inft Principalites and Powers here: on Earth, he in Heaven pities thee, hi~ Compa~~~ms roll_towards thee, he hath a Feilow-feeling of thy Mifer ies and lnfi.rm1~1es. It Js a moft comfortable place, H eb. 4 • 1 5· We have not a~ High .Prujt that ca~not be touched with r?e fee/in$ of our !rJfirrniti es :, but wa! m aU pomts tempted ltke as we are, Y.tt wtthout Sm. And that other place, Heb. 2. 18. In that he bimfelf harh Julfcred , being tempted , he is able ro juccour them that are tempted , Oh what abundant Comfort may we draw from thefe two Breafts of Confolation l Alas ! A poor Chrifi:ian , whom Corruption within difquiets, and Temptations without buffet ; who is fo clofe befct as to be at the very point of yielding ; let him look upwards, and eye that Chrift: by Faith, who eyes him with Compaffion. Thou thinkeft thy felf deferred and left to break through the Hofts of thy fpiritual Enemies as thou canft, none to own thee, none to ftand by thee; oh yes! Jefus <;:hrift ftands by thee, ho knows thy weaknefs, he fees the Power o~ thy Lu.fts, m all Temptations he is tempted; and he ':"ho knows no <;:orr_upuon tn hunfclf,_ yet feels thf' ftirri ngs and th~ ftrong workings of Corrupuon m the Hearts of Ius, and he will fuccour and relteve them. Now what an Encouragement is this. Is there any Soul that would refufe to war againft his Corruptions un~cr fuch a Leader and Captain, who gives not only a Command to fight, but M1p.;ht to fubdue; who not only looks on the Agonies and Conflicts of his with Compaffion, but relieves and fuccours them with Power? That's the firft encouraging Confideration ; confider your felvcs as always in the Prefencc and under the Eye of God, to obferve to fupport you . secondly, Confider for your Encouragement, the certainty of Succcfs in the Work of Mortification. This Confideration, if duly ponder'd, is of it felf able to outface all Difficult ies. A Chriftian's Victories have nothing of Chance in them, 'tis not to be af(.ribed to the Fortune of the Day when he prevails: Soccefs is chain'd to his Endeavours, and unlefs be betray his own Soul and will himfelf be .vanquifht ~ he cannot but conquer: And would you with a greater Advantage than to have Succefs at your Pleafurc? ViCtory it felf was never yet lifted under any but a Chriftian's Command : Other Conquerours have found it very fickle and unconftant ; but herein is the Chriftian more than a Conquerour, becau~e alw~ys fu_re of Conqueft, if himfelf pleafeth. This indeed wi\1 coft muc_h pa10s, It Will make the Heart pant, and the Soul run down with fweat; Succcfs is certain, but not. ~ithout your _utmoft Struglings and carneft Endeavours. Let not lazy Chnft1ans ever thmk they fha!I be more than Conquerours, while they ufe only drowfy and yawning Defires and wifh that fuch a Lufi: were weakned, that fuch a Corruption were mor~ tified and fnbdued, but never rouze up their Graces againft them; 'tis no wonder we fee them fo often foyl'd and captivated. Believe it, certa inty of Succefsis not entai l'd upon thofe weak Velleitics and effeminate Wifhes that are fo frequent in the Mouths of many; Oh! That I were freed from t he Power of fuch a Luft; Oh! That fuch :1 Temptation might never more affault me; Oh! That I might live ~s free from Sin ~s the Angels do in Heave_n; Truly thcfe are but fieepy and gapmg De fires, ne1ther ftrong enough to ltft the old Man up to the Crofs, nor fuarp enough to pierce him to the Heart ; Corruption though it be thus curft will live long. If this were all you could do, truly God had ca\\'d you forth to a very unequal Combat, even to deliver you into the Hands of your Lufts. Bath he beftowed his Grace and his Spirit uwn you for t his? Wa!. it only to make the Triumyh of your Co~ruptions the m6re confpicuous1 and your Defeats the more lliameful? Was lt that you fhould fit frill, and by a wretched Sloth betray both your felvei and them? No, certainly they 791 2.
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