againg all unrighteoufne f o f men. of the Combate. In a naturali man where there is a flrife you fhall finde this the ale, the better is the lofer, and the worfe is the gainer,as it was the fpeech of cAtedea, Deteriora liquor ; but it is not fo with the Saints,for in their Combate ordinarily they have the better; as Paul, when this combate and ftrife was within him, he was í}i11 fo fuftained by the grace of G o D that he had the vidtory, and that I take to be the meaning of that in z Cor. I z. 9. when there was that ftrife in him about the thorne in the flefh, that is, Tome ftrong luit that Satan had fharpned againft him, The grace of God mu fufficient fir hitn,and in the iliue therof he did Meliora fequi,but the other goes away with the worft. Fourthly and laítly, there is a difference in°regard of the Continuance, and durance of this Combate in carnall mcn, it continues not to the end, but they give over ; and this you fh li a11ó find,they (land not at a flay, but grow worfe axai tyorfe, for that is a ge- neral! Truth, evil! men (hall waxe worfe and worfe : there may be a contention for a time, the two men may for a time be in an ¿Equilibro, the ballance may hang equal! for a while,but at lait they give the raine to their luit, they are weary of contending; but the Spirit in the Saints growes ftronger and ftronger, as', it was laid of the houle of Saul, it waxed weaker and weaker, but the houle of David grew flronger and: ftronger. And as it was laid of Peter, When be jhonid ke old ,he (hoald be carriedwhither he would not ; fliew- ingby what death he fhould glorifie God, that is,this ftrife fhould continue till hee was old, till the latter end of his dayes,yea,and about that which is hardeft L 3 of 149 SELVI.
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