*impala onep aHearing the VV©rd, I leave others to the infinite mercy of the Lord; It is not in him that willed) or runneth, but in the Lordthat f ewer!) mercy. " in the ufe of means. I. Means. Do not only fee thy infirmities and weak- neffes,but pray to God to give thee a heart bleedingunder . r the fenfe of thy many infirmities. Many times men flight them, and are not fenfible ofthem; Ido not faywicked- neffes and wilfuinefi"es, but thy infirmitiesand weaknef- fes, get a heart mourning under them, A Chriflian is made up of infirmities and weakneffes, a man would nor think there is that in another , which heknows by himfelf. Oh brethren, labour for a broken heart in the fenfe ofyour many infirmities and weaknef- fes, darkneffe and enmity, vanity and unfavourineffe,,the Lord will have his time to fpeak tofuck a foul. Breakup the fallow ground of your hearts, left my wrath break out with fire : the Lord hath promifed " to dwell with the poor and contrite. Look as it was with our Saviour Chrift, they brought the Fick and the lame ones to him, and ver- tue went out from Chtiff to heal them all. Bring thy lickand blind heart to Chrift , and verme (hall go forth from Chrift to heal it. 2. Draw near toGod in the Word , by looking on it as a, God fpeaking to thee. We are far fromGod, and there- fore we cannot hear him: draw near to him when you come to the ' external Word, when you come, to hear the Word , hear it as the voyce of God; a ief a:3 Tou heard the Wordas the Word of God , whichyou felt in you. I do not fpeak that the foul fhould take every thing thattviniftersfpeakas the Word of God, but that which is theWord of God, take it as God fpeaking. I am not ableto expreffe the infinite unknown fweetneffe, and mercy, and prefence of God , that you (hall find thus conming. Iknow it is a common truth, but I amnot a- Ihanmed to tell you, I have not for many a year under - flood this truth, and I fee but little of it yet ; ye have heard of it, but ye do not underfiand what it is to hear God (peaking. When God bath an intent toharden a mans heart and to damn him, either he !hall have apre- judice againft the man, or elfe ifhe hath not a prejudice againft the man, there is . a fecret loathing of the truth, in regardof the commands of it , and that is all, and the Lord he hardens, and blinds, and prepares for eternali ruin, all the men in the worldby this means , that live under IO%
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