Reynolds - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133.R485 T47 1642

be Life of Ghrifl. this arength and comfort is thine : leane not upon thine owne wifdome', truft not thine owne righteoutneffe arrogate nothing to thy felfe but impotency to goof: no ttrength of thy felfe but against thy felfe , and Gods Grace ; no power but to refill and withf }and the Spirit. But reft only upon the Promifes and Power of Him who is Alpha and Omega , the (author and Finijher of thy Faith; Who is a Head to take care of his weaket mem- bers. When thou art as weake as a worme in thine owne fenfe, yet feare not O worme Iacob, be not difmaid O men of Ifrael, faith the Lord, for I am thy God, I will flrengthen thee, yea I will helpe thee,yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteoufneJP that is, with the arength of my Truth and Promifes. How ¡hall Igive thee up Ephraim, It is fpoken to backsliding Ephraim ; How !ball I deliver thee 7frael ? How fhall I make thee as Admah, how /hall I fet thee as Zeboim ? that is, How (hall I make mine owne Church as the cities of Sodome? My hear t is turned within me, my repenting! are kindled together,and marke the reafon of all. Ìam God,and not man.Though you are Men, fubje6 to many changes and mifcariages, yet 1 am nòt a Man that. I fhould repent of my goodnefle , and therefore I will not turne to deitray Ephraim. But now as men who looke updn the Sunne, when they looke downeward againe upon darker objeas, can fcarce fee or diflinguifh any thing ; fo ought it to bee with us, our looking up unto God fhould make us fee nothing in our felves, but matter to be humbled by, and driven backe unto him againe. If once the f'trong man begin to glory in his arength or the wife man in his wifedome ; if our profperitie and fecuritie make us re. folve with-David, that we (hail never be moved : If be. caule wee finde our corruptions wounded and mortified, wee begin to infult over them more with our pride, than with our faith : How eafie and juft is it with God to voir

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