3 44 Rules whereby men may judge of Pfal.i 30. warmed, enlivened, fweetned, fatisfied with the pretence, the gracious pretence ofClod, and which God hath made unto him as a tokenof his uprightnefs.Sometimes,when a man is entring into any great Temptation, Trial, difficult or dangerous daty, that death it Of is feared in it, God comes in by one means or other, by a lecrct intimation of his Love, which he gives him to take along with him for his furniture and provilion in his way, and thereby teffities to him his Sincerity. And this ferves like thefood of Elijah for forty daies in a wildernefs conditions Sometimes he is pleated to fbine immediately into the foul in the midtt of its darknefs and forrow wherewith it is furprized, as not looking for any fuch expreffion ofkindnefs, and is there- by relieved againti its own preffing felf- condemnation. And fometimes the Lord is pleated to give theft tokens of Love un- to the foul as its refrelhment, when it is coming off from the fiorm ofTemptations wherewith it hathbeen tolled. And ma- ny other times and fcafons there are wherein God is pleated to give unto Believers fome EJJccial Teffinony in their confcienccs unto their own Integrity. But now theft are all wrought by a tranfient operation of the Spirit exciting and enabling the heart unto a fpiritual fenfible apprehension and receiving of Gods expreffing kindnefs towards it. There things abide not in theirfenfe, and in their power which they have upon our Af- feetions, but immediately pats away. Thcy are therefore to be trealured up in the mind and judgement, to be improved and made ufe ofby Faith, as occasion thall L. quire ; but we are apt to lofe them. Mott know no other ufe of them, but whiltt they feel them yea, through ignorance in our duty to- improve them, they prove like a 1udden light brought into a dark place, and again removed, which Items to inert afe, and really aggravates our fenfe of the darknefs.The trueVfe ofthem is to lay them up, and ponder them in our hearts, that they may be Supportments and Teflimonit.s unto us in a time of need. Have you then, who are now in thri dark as to your Rate or condition, whether you are Regenerate or no, ever re- ceived any fuch rcfrefhing and chearing Telfimony fromGod given unto your Integrity, and your Acceptance with him there- upon ; *II it over again, and make ufe of it againft thole dif- courawtnents
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