or a timeofLiberay. yet notwithfianding all their purpofes and refolutions, they, fall again, and never get any reallconqueff, their unt w,ed hearts and wills are never a whit more fubdu- ed: Ifaiah 63. '7,8. For he faid, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: So he was their Saviour, kitt they foon rebelled, and vexedhis holySpirit : their wills were never fubdued. But now the Saints, either the Lord preferves them from fuch falls and. Apofiafes : , ©r if they do depart from the Lord by reafon of the prevai- ling power of any temptation, they ever get reali con- quell by their fall, their fnfuil corruption thereby gets its deadly wound. Rom. 1 i. io. Their backs are not al- wales bowed down, but the Lord raifeth their bowed- down fpirits, Pfalm 145. i . and upholdeth theirfpirits for them when they think they (hall one day fall by the hand offuch Saul-like fins and ,difie ropers. A carnali heart maycarry a fair profeffion, and be in fubjedioia to Chrifi for a rime, but his back funds alwaies bowed down under his profeffion, is is his berthen, and hence at lafi he calls it offas a man doth his wearifotne burden: buton, the contrary, a child of God being indeed weary of his fin, and carrying that up and" down with him as his burden, with his foul bowed down in the fenfe of his own vilenefe, by this means,through the help ofChrift, at lati he comes toget reali conquefi over his fin; and tali is off. 5. When the Lord in this cafe lets them alone with- out inward or outward troubles, this is a fearfull figne. Hofea 4. 17. Ephraim is joyned to his Idols, let him alone, theLord will rake no more pains with them, he is wea- riedout with firiving. Ifaiah t . 5. Why fhould ye be f fricJZen ? ye will revolt yet more andmore; when the Lord fees men the worfe for his mercifuIlcorredions, he deals like parents that have firiven long with their chil- dren, and cash do no good or them, they then refolve to let them take their own courfe, and will own th:in no longer to heof their family : the Lord never deals rhos long with his; but iftheir finne will notwafle byWods, the Lord will then try what chaines will do, and now they (hall finde good, now they fhall rerrmber their backflidings and apofiafies from God, and their impe- ni.ency in a n, in fecret _ fins, efpeciaily in the day s of their peace and profperiry; now the Lord will make finne as bitter as ever it was fweet. Oh confiutr-this C you ,.
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