3o Of TEMPTATION, &c. CHAP.. VIII. The lall general direaáion, Revel. iii. i o. watch againf! temptation by confant keeping the word of Chrift's patience, what that word os : how it is kept : how the keeping ofit will keep us from the power of temptation. TH E dire£tions infified on in the former chaptersare filch, as arepartly given usin their feveral particulars, upand down the fcripture ; partly arifé from the natureof the thing itfelf; there is one general dire£tion remains, which in comprehenfive of all that went before, and alfo adds many more particulars unto them ; thiscontains an approved antidote againft theporion.of temptation ; a remedy, that Chriff himfelf hathmarked witha note of efficacy, nod fuccefs that is given us, Revel. iii. 1o. in thewords of Saviour himfelf to the churchbf Philadelphia. Be cafe, faithhe, thou haft kept the word of my patience, I will elfo keep thee from the hour of temptation, whichfhall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell in the earth ; Ghrift is the fame yefterday, to day, and for ever; as he dealt with thechurch of Philadelphia,. fo will he deal with us; ifwe keep theword ofhis patience, he will keep as from the hour oftemptation. This thenbeinga:way ofrolling the whole care ofthis weighty affair onhimwho is able to bearit, it requiresour peculiarconfederation. And therefore 1 (hall. ihew r. What it is tokeep the word of Chrift's patience, that we may know how to perform our duty ; And z. How this will be ameans of our pre- fervation, which will effablifh us inthe faith of Chrift's promife. a. Theword of Chrift, is theword of the Gofpel ; theword by him revealed from the bofom of the father. The word. of the Word ; the word fpoken in time ofthe eternalword. So it is called, Thewordof Chrift, Colof. iii. 16. or theGfpel of Chef, Rom. i. 16. i Cor, ix. uz. and thedoEfrine of Chriff Heb. vi. 1. of Cluifl, that is, as its author; Heb. i. 1, z. and of him, as the chief fubje£t or matter of it, h Cor. i. zo. now thisword is called theword ofChrif'o, patience, or tolerance, and forbearance, upon the account of that patience, and long-fufferillgwhich in thedifpenfation of it, Lord Chrifi exercifeth towards the whole, and to all perfons in it; and thatboth,' a£kively, and pafftvely ; in hisbearing with men, and enduring from them. (1.) He is patient towards his faints, he bears with them, falters -from them. He is patient to us-ward, z Pet. iii. 9. that is, that believe. The Gofpel is theword of Chrift'spatience, even tobelievers. A foul acquainted with the Gofpel knows that there isno propertyof Chrift rendredmore glorious therein, than that ofhis patience; that he fhould bear with fo many unkindneffes, fo many caufelefsbreaches, fo many negle&s of his love, fo many affrontsdone to his grace, fo many violations of ingage- ments, ashe doth ; it manifefis hisGofpel to benot only thewordof hisgrace, but al- foof his patience. Hefuffersalfo from them, in all the . reproaches they bring uponhis name and ways : and he fullers in them for in all their of rfkoonr heiro 'died. (z.) Towards hiseleHt, not yet effe£tually called, Revel. iii. an. he funds waitingat . the door oftheir hearts, and knocksfor an entrance. Hedeals with them by all means, and yet Randsand waits, until bid bead is filled with the dew, and bis locks with the drops of the night, Cant. v. z. asenduring the cold and inconveniencies of the night, that when his morning iscome, hemay butte entrance ; oftentimes for a long feafon, he is by them fcorned in his perforo, perfecuted in his faints, and ways, reviled inhis word, whilft he hands at thedoor in the wordof his patience, with his heart full of love to- wards their poor rebellious fouls. (3,)' To the perifhing world ; hence the time of his kingdom in this world, is called the time of his patience, Revel, 'j. 9. he endures theveffels ofwrath with much long- Miring,
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