Shepard - Houston-Packer Collection BV4500 .S43 1657

for a lime ofLiberty. while : Art thou under the government of Chrift ? Ifa sian forfaken ofGod, led by his own counfels, be under the Kingdom of Chrift, then thou art ; fo long as there is credit for the truth,fb long it is entertainecl5but now fup- pofe it be cofily, that it fhould bring beggery Sc affiidion with it,is it now fweet to you?doth this fupport thy heart? I am in Gods way , car& lye down and fubfcribe to the equity of Chrifts proceedings with thee,though he fhotild never Phew favour to thee ; if it be not thus, I dare not fay thou art under the Kingdome ofChat. And fo for the correcting wil of Chrift,many fadatilittions the Lord tries thee withal', the Lord triesmen marvelloufly;when thou art under the hand of the Lord , thofe very things that fhould make men cry to heaven, and wean thee from the world, thofe very things do harden thee, andmake thee grudge 8c repine. The L. bemerciful to thee, ifthis be thy frame,theKingdom ofChrift never came into that heart ; youare begging for mercy; & the Lord fayes,you mercy? you have abufed it;no faith the Lord, Go to your lull that have defpifed the day ofgrace, & fo now you call off the Lord,becaufe the Lordwill not give you mercy when you would have it. Will you now quarrel with the Lord?no, down proud heart ; pray fill, and mourn fill, and turn to the Lord ; and fay, Lord do withme what thou wilt, I am clay in thine hand, thou may'll make me a vef- fell of diflionour, / deferve not the leaf bit of bread ; fuch a one as is above the Lord and his will, is not under the Lord, therefore fubmit thy fell to the good will of Chrift. 3. When the foul doth thus fubmit to the wil of Chrift, by verme of the power and Spirit of Chrifi, i.e. when the ,foul (loth not fubmit by verme of- its own power, firength or ability, for this is forreign power ; But as it doth leek to fubmit to the will of Chrift, fo it would have Chrift himfelf att it and rule it, and fo inable it to fubmit there unto; Now is the Kingdome of God come neer to that heart. And herein Chrilis Kingdom is different from ,Princes, they give laws that men may keep them by their own might ; hence they command no impollible things; but the will of Chrift is fo croffe to a carnal heart, that 'cis impoffible man of himfelf fhould fubmit to it But the Lord doth it for this end, that the foul fhould then come to Chat in its need, that he woulddo all the goodpleafttre of his will,and now the Lord himfelfreigns, and

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=