I42 pgclotio iYaítb. he hath the light of Gods countenance, whileft G ods fpirit bears witnefs to his, that he is a child of God ; but what if God withdraw and retire as it were into his unapproach- able light ? what if the crannies of the heart be all ihut up, fo that neither the funny beams of Gods favour, nor yet the (tarry graces in the heart cari appear ? what if the arch-ene- my Satan come with thofe inhiruments of death, the threatnings, and rake in the old wounds of fin, and join the darknefs of temp- tation to the darknefs of co ruption in the believer to caufe , if it were poliible, utter darknefs ? muff he be an Apoftate , a cafl- away, a man fallen from grace ? God for- bid. St. Bernard, fpeaking of the manifefta- tion of Gods love, cries out, Rara hora, bre- vis mora O fi durâff et ! it is a rare hour ,, but a ¡hart flay, Oh that it would continue with me ! the believers handing is not in it, but in his union with Chrih ; this was nota- bly exemplified to us in Chrift, when he cri- ed out, My God, My God, why haft thou fir- Men e me, Matb.27.4.6. the hypoJtatical union was not difffolved, but the pre( nt vifr_ön fub- I$raded in like manner the believer the Man in Chrifi, when in defertions and temp - tations, hath a lure conjunction with Chrift, even whileft there is a fufpenfion of com- forts ; unkfs we own this dittíncion, we can- not maintain the dcetrine of perfeverance a- gainft the I:emonfrants. Fifthly,
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