The Life of Gñrífl. becaufe it is in great part hidden even from them by cor- ruptions,and admixture of earthly lulls. Lift sap your Luk.b heads, faith our Saviour, fir our redemption drawetb nigh : noting unto us , that to long as the thoughts and afleaions of men are downeward, their redemption is out of their fight.Open thou mine eyes, faith David, that p fal. n a I may behold the wondrous things out of thy Law : I am ' ' 9 a fit-anger on earth, O hide not thy Connmandements from me. When a man makes himfelte a firanger unto earthly things,and fetteth not any of his choifeft affeeti- ons andrdefires on them , he is then qualified to fee thole myfleries and wonders which are in the Law. If there were no earth, there would bée no darknef:fe (for the fhadow of the earth is that which makes the night, and the body of the earth which abfenteth the Sunnefrom our view) ,;It is much more certaine in fpirituall things, the light of Gods Word and Graces would not bee e- clipied, if earthlyaffe&ions did not interpofe themfelvs. This is the reafon why men goe on in their finnes and believe not the Word , becaufe they have a vaile over their eyes, which hides the beautie of it from them.Who Eta. 53.1. bath believedour report, or to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed? faith the Prophet : intimating unto us, that the" Word will not be believed, till it be revealed. The Lard opened the heart of Lydia to attend unto Paull Aft, t ó. z 4. preaching. As foone as the vaile is taken away by Chrio, and the Truth Goodnef e , and beautie of the Gofpell difcovered, there is immediately wrought a cleare affent and fubfcription in the minde, an earneft longing and delire in the heart, a cont ant purpofe and refolution in the will to forfake all things as dung in comparifon of j , that excellent knowledge. As in the ditcoverie of mathe- maticall conclufions there is fuch demonflrative and in- vincible evidence as would make a man wonder bee had not underftood them before r fo in the difcoverres oft Grace unto the Soule, the Spirit doth fo throughly con -I F f 2 . vince 435
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