212 T'be Gofpel-lifyJlery Direct. XI. righteoufnefs, inftead of trufting on Chrift by faith. If you do not find, that your believing in fuch a right manner as I have defcribed,.doth produce fuch fruits of holinefs as you delire, you ought not to diminifh, but rather to increafe your confidence in him; know- ing that the weaknefs of your faith hindereth it's fruitfulnefs: and the greater your confidence is con- cerning the love of God to you in him, the greater will be your love to God and to his fervice. If you fall into any grofs fin after the work is begun in you, as David andPeter did, think not, that you muff cart away your confidence, andexpea nothing but wrath from God and Chrift, and that you mutt refufe to be comforted by his grace, at leaft for force time ; for thus you would be the more weak, and prone to fall into other fins; but rather ftr:ive to believe more confidently, that you have an advocate with the Fa- ther, Jefus Chrift the righteous: and that he is the propitiation for our fins, i John ii. r, 2. And let not the guilt of fin fray at all upon your confcience, but wafh it away with all fpeed, in the fountain of Chrift's blood, which is opened for us, that it may be ready for our ufe on all fuch incident occafions; that fo you may be humbled for your fins in a gofpel- way, -and may hate your own-finfulnefs, and be lor- ry for it With godly forrow, out of love to God. Peter might have been ruined for ever by denying thrift, as Judas . was by betraying him, if Peter's faith had not been upheld by Chrift's prayer, Luke 31, 32. If a cloud be raft over all your inward qualifications, fo that you can fee no grace at all in yourfeives; yet Rill troll on him that juflifieth the ungodly, and carne to feek and to fave them that are loft. If God feem to deal with you as an enemy, by bringing on you fame horrible as he did upon Job, beware of condemning your faith and its fruits as if they were not acceptable to God; but ra- ther fay with holy job, "Though he flay me, yet " will I truft in him, but I will maintain mine own f" ways before hint," Job xiii. is. Strive to keep
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