y EA; g,e5,8. Ep/le to ibe HE s a aw s. When any AMi &ion or Tribulation preffeth upon a believer, he can readily divert has thoughts from it,unto the richgrace of God in this falvation, which will fill his heart withfuch a fenfe of his love, as (hall carry him above all the. affaults of his trouble. Anda diretkion to this purpofe the Apo(tle purfues at large, Rom. 8. 16, 17, t8, 24, 25, 34, 35, 36, 39, 38. This isa fafeharbour for the foul tobetake it felt unto in eve- ry (form ; as he teacheth us again, 2 Cor. 4. 16, 17, 58. Whatever befalls us in out outward man, though it thouldpre& fo fore upon us as to nine us in thisworld, yet we faint not, we defpond not ; and the reafon is, becaufe thefe things Which we fuffer, bear no proportion unto what we enjoy or expel ; and the way whereby this confideration is made effeáual unto us, is by a confiant Contemplation by faith on the great unfeen things of this falvation, which takes off our minds and fpirits from aValuation of the things which we prefently fuffer and endure. And this experience affures us to be our only relief in of liétions, which undoubtedly it is out wifdom to be provided for. 3. The fame may be faid concerning Perfecution, one efpecial part of A(fliétion, and commonly that which molt entangles the minds of them that fuffer. Now no man canendure Perfecution quietly, patiently, conftantly according to theWill of God, efpetially when the Devil purfues hisold deign of bringing it home unto their perfins, Job 2.5. unlefs hehath in readinefsa greaterGood which (hall in its Pelf, and in his own mind, out-ballance the evil which he fullers: And tl!iis the Grace of thus Salva- tion will do. The foul that is exercifed in the contemplation and Admiration of it, will defpife and triumph over all his outward fufferings which befall him on theac- count of his intereff therein, as all Perfecution Both. This the Apottle declares at large, Rom. 8. 31, 32, 33, 34. He dire& us to an holy Meditation on Gods eleaing Love, the Death and Mediation ofChritt, the two fprings of this Meditation. And thence leads us, v. 35, 36. to a fuppofition of the great and fore perfecutions that mat befall us in this world; and from the former confideration triumphs over it all, n.37> with a joy and exaltation beyond that of Conquerors in a battle, which yet is the greateft that the nature of man is capable of, in and about temporal things. When the foul is prepolfefíed with the Gloryof this Grace, and his inrertff therein, it will affuredly bear him up againft all the threatnings, reproaches and perk- onions Of this World ; even as it did the Apoftles of old ; making them etteem,, that to be their Honour and Glory which the World looked on as theit (tame; .Ais 5. 41. and without this the heart will be very ready to fink and faint. 4. This alfo will greatly tend unto the confirmation of our faith, by giving us â full Experience of the things that we'd() believe. Then the Heart is immovable, when it iseftablilhed by Experience ; when wefind a fub/lance, a reality, a fpiritual nourifhment in thingspropofed unto us. Now how can this be obtained, unlefs we arecönverfant in our minds about them ? unlefs we dwell in our thoughts and affo- Ilion upon them ? For therebydo we talle and find hots' goad theLord is in this work of his Grace. Thus this duty being on many accounts of fo great importance, we may do well to confider wherein itconfifteth ; and there are thefe four things be- longing unto it. Firft, Intenfe Prayer for a Spirit ofWifdomand Revelation togive us an Acquain- tance with the Myilerie and Graceof this great falvation: In our felves we have no inbredknowledge of it, nor canwe by our ownendeavours attain unto it. Wemutt have a nem underffanding given us, br we(hall not know him that is true, r lob. 5.20: For notwithttanding theDeclaration that is made of this My(lerie in the Gofpel, wefed that the molt men live in Darknefs and Ignorance of it. Ir is only theSpirit ofGod which can(catch thefe' deep things ofGod and reveal them unto us, a Car: 2. to. By himmutt he, who commanded light to thine out of darkne , thine into our hearts to give us the light ofthe knowledge oftbit glory ofGod in the face of Jefut Chrifi, 2Coy. 4. 6. And therefore theApotile prayes for the Ephefians, that God wouldgive unto them the Spirit of WifdomandRevelation, in the knowledge of hint, that the eyes of their underffandings being opened, they may knowwhat is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints, and what is the exceeding greatnefl of his power to us wardwhobelieve, Chap. t. 17, r8, 19. And for the Coloffians, that theymightcome unto al riches of the full afurance of underffanding to the acknowledgement of the Myfferie ofGod, andof the Father, andof Cbriff, Chap: 2.2. that is, that they might have a fpi- ritual and faving acquaintance with the Mytterie of this great falvation,' the Love, Grace, and WifdomofGoa therein; which without thisSpirit of iffdom and &vela-- Uu u 2 bolt 80
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=