428 The NATURE and Pow ER mercies, Ìfa. lvii. 17. I was wroth and I fmote them, I teftified my diflike of their ways by of rfhons i So Hof. it. 9, 11, 12. God chafiene teen with pains on their bodies, -faith he, in Job, to trim them from their purpofe, and to bide fin from them, Job xxxiii. t7, t9: And other ways he hath to come to them and touch them, as in their names, relation, Rates, and defirable things. Or elfe he heaps mercies on themthat they may confider whom they are rebelling against. It may be fignal diflin guit ing mercies are made their portion for many days. 2.] Such as aftually hinder the foul from putfuing fin, though it be refolved fo to do. The various ways whereby God doth this, we muff afterwards confider. Thefe are the ways I fay, whereby the foul is dealt withal, after the law of indwelling fin hath cuff off for a feafon the influencing power of the láw of grace. But now when luft rifes up to rage or madnefs, it will alfo contemn all thefe, eventhe rod and him that bath appóinted it. It Will rufh on Chame, reproaches, wrath, and whatever may befal it. That is, though they be prefented unto it, it will ventureupon them all. Rage andmadnefs is fearlefs. And this it doth two ways, [i. It poffelfeth the mind, that it fullers not the confideratìon of thefe things to dwell upon it, but renders the thoughtsof them flight and evan- nid. Or if the mind do forte itfeif to a contemplation of them, yet it interpofeth between it and the affe&ions, that they !hall not be influenced by it in any proportion to what is required. The foul in fuch a conditi- on will be able to take fuck things into contemplation, and not at all to be moved by them. And where they do prevail fora feafon, yet theyare infenfibly wrought off from the heart again. [2. By fecret ftubborn refolves to venute all upon the way wherein it is. And this is the fecond branch of this evidence of the power of fin, taken from the oppoltion that it makes to the law of grace, as it were by the way of force, flrength and violence, the confideration of its deceit Both now follow. C H A P.
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