Of TEMPTATION, &c. 31 fuffering, Rom. ix. 2.2. whilft the Gofpel is admi::iftred in the world, he is patient towards the men thereof; until the faints in heaven and earth are afionilbed, and cry out, How log? Pfd.xiii. t, 2. Revel. vi. ro. and themfelves do mock at him, as if he were an idol, 2 Pet. iii. 4. he endures from them bitter things ; in his name, ways, worlhip,_faints, promifès, threats, allhis intereft of honour and love ; and yet paffeth by them, lets them alone, does them good ; nor will he cut this way of proceeding short, until the Gofpel lha11 be preached no more ; patience mutt accompany the Gofpel.. Now this is the wordthat is to be kept, that we may he kept from the hour of tern ptation. Three things are implyed in the keeping of thisword. [t.]. Knowledge. [z.]. Valuation. [3.] Obedience. [r.] Knowledge, he that will keep this wordmuff know it, be acquainted with it; under a four-folddnotion. i.) As a. word ofgrace and mercy toPave him. 2.) As aword ofholinefs andpm ity to fnnitify him. 3.) As aword of liberty and power to cookie him, and fet hin free. 4.) As a word of confolatioo to fupport him in every condition. t.) As a wordof grace, and mercy .able to rave us : It is the poorer ofGodunto falvation, Rom. i. rg. Thegrace of God that brinoeth falvarion, Titus in tt. The word ofgr ice; thatis able to build usup, andto give us an heritance among all them that areafankl f ed, Alts xx.. 32. Thé word that is able to fore our fouls, Jam. i. 21. When the word of the Gofpel is known, as a word ofmercy, grace, and pardon, as-the foie evidence for life, as the conveyanceof aneternal inheritance, when the Soul finds it fach to it fel , itwill ftrive tokeep it. a.) As aword of l:olt efs and purity able to Gm tify him ; re are clean through the word 7 have fpokcn untoyou, faith ourSaviour, :yaw xv. 3. - To that purpofe is his prayer, `lobo xvii. t7. He that knows n h ot the wordofChrift's patience, as a lanftifyirg, clean- fingword, in the power ofit, upon hisown Soul;. neither knows it, nor keeps it. The emptyprofeffionof our days knows not one Pep towards this duty ; and thence it is, the molt are fo overbore underthe power of temptations: men full offelt; oftheworld, offury, ambition, and almoft all unclean tufts, do yet talk of keeping the word ofChrift, fee t Per. xx. z for. ii. t9. 3.) Asa word of liberty and power, to enable himand fer him free ; and this, not onlyfrom theguilt offin and wrath,: for that it cloth, as it is a word ofgraceand mercy ; not only fromthe power of fin, for that it death as it is a word of holinefs, but alfo from all outward refpeCts of men, or the world, that might entangle him, or enflave him, it declares us tobe Chrift's freemen, and in bondage unto none, john viii. 32. t Car. vii. 73. we are not by it freed front due fúbje£tion unto foperiours, nor from any duty, nor unto any fin, t Pet. ii. 16. but in tworefpe£ts, it is a word offreedom, liberty, largenefs of mind, power, and deliverancefrom Bondage. O. laref e£t ofconfciedce, as to the worfhip ofGod, Gal. v. c. (a. In refpef of ignoble, flavifh refptlts, unto the men, or things of the World, in the courfe of our Pilgrimage ; the Gofpel gives a free, large, and noble fpirit in fùbjeftion to God, and none elfe ; there is adminiftred in it, a fpirit not of fear, but of potter and of lave, and ofafound mind, 2 Tim. i. 7. Amind innothing terrified, Phil. i, 28. not fìvay'd with oily bye refpe&whatever; there is nothing more unworthy of the Gofpel, than a mind in bondage, to perfecs, or things proftituting its felf to the lufts of men, or affrightments of the world. And he that thus knows the word of Chriffs patience, really and in power; is even thereby freed from innumerable, from unfpeakable temptations. 4.) Asaword of coufolation to fitpport him in every condition ; and to be a full portion in the want ofall, it is a word attended with joy unfpeakable, and full ofGlo- ry ; it gives fupportment, relief, refrefirment, - fàtisfà &ion, peace, confolation, joy, boa m Ch fting, glory, every condition whatever. Thus to know the word of rift's patience, than to know the Gofpel, is the firft part, and it is a great part of thiscon- ditionof our prefervation fiom the hour, and power oftemptation. [a.y Valuaton ofwhat is thus known, belongs to the keeping of this word, it is to be kept as a rreafurç, z Tim. i. t4. vii Kurfvl aceswmfaabu, that excellent depafilum, that is, the word of theGofpel, keep it, faith the apoftle, by the holy gh fk ; and, hold fair thefaithful word, Tit. i. 9. It is agood treafure, a faithfitlword, hold it fait. It is a word that con-prizes the whole intereft of Chrift it the world. To value chat as our chiefeft
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