Direei XI. Of SánEli zcatioi . 209 And thou (halt never know at what time God heath purpofed, in his fecret council, to give faith to thee, until thou loft aetually believe, Doft thou wait for any manifeftations or flowirigs in of God's faving love to thy foul ? Then the way to obtain it is, to believe, that the God of hope may fill thee with all joy and peace in believing, Rom xv. 13. Thou haft fufficient manifeftation of God's love to thy foul, by the free promifes of life arid falvation by Chriftn Do but truft on the name of the Lord, and flay up- on thy God, when thou walkeft in darknefs, and feeft no light of fenfible comforts any other way; ótherwife thou waiteft for eomfort in vain, and this (halt thou have at the Lord's hand, "thou (halt lie " down in forrow," Ifa. L to it. Dolt thou wait for any qualifications to prepare thee for the work of believing? If they be good and holy qualifications, thou canft not have them before faith, but they are rather included in the nature of faith, or they are fruits of it; as hath been largely proved. If they ber bad and finful, it is ftrange that any fhould wait for them, and yet no more ftrange than true.- Some foolifhly wait to be terrified with a fenfe of God's wrath, and defpairing thoughts ; and thefe they call the pangs of the New birth ; though, in their own nature, they are rather the pangs of the fpiritual death, and bring forth hatred to God, rather than holinefs : and therefore we fliould (trine to,prevent, them, by believing God's love in Chrift, rather than to wait for them. It is true, God maketh thefe def- pairing thoughts, as well as other fins, work for good to them that are delivered from them by faith in Chrift ; they are moved thereby to hate fin; and to prize him the more, and the comforts of his gofpeli and to lothe and abhor themfelves yet many are brought to himwithout them, by God's giving them the knowledge of their own fans, and of Chrift's fal- nation together. Several examples of thefe were a- bove mentioned, who received the word with joy at D d
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